Our Time Bomb

Chapter 57

Later that night...
I wake up in a panic, there's something over my mouth. My breathing is restricted. I open my eyes in the darkness to see a shadow above me. "Sshh..." He says. I recognize immediately that it's Jefferson. "Don't move Erika. Breathe steady."

He's holding some sort of a mask over my mouth and one over his own mouth.

"Jefferson... What's?-"

"Gas attack." his voice is muffled.

I reach up and place my hand on my mask to keep it in place so he doesn't have to keep his hand there.

"Just keep laying down till it passes, I'm not sure if these masks will help much." He says, his eyes glittering in the dark.

I gulp and nod, "Did it reach this far in the last wave?"

He blinks hard, "No. It only affected one part of the village last time. I wonder how far it spread this time?"

I shudder, "Jefferson... If it's happening twice, it's no accident."

He nods and takes my hand while laying next to me, "That's the worrying thing..."

My lungs start to feel quite tight, they burn terribly despite the mask. Jefferson squeezes my hand and coughs. After a minute, I begin coughing too.

I turn my head to look at him fearfully, "Why hasn't it ended yet?"

His eyes are steady yet wild at the same time, he looks to me, "It will end soon."

I nod slowly, though I know that he's just saying that to comfort himself and me as well.
I pull into his chest which rises and falls quickly. My lungs squeeze and we both cough. Suddenly a terrible realization comes to me, "The babies!" I nearly choke.

He shoots up, "no... How did I not remember."
We scramble as quickly as we can out of the room, tumbling into the nursery. Why aren't they crying?! I frantically wonder.

Jefferson drops his mask on the nightstand and scoops up one of the babies in his arms. He coughs violently. I do the same.

"they're *cough* passed out." He says.

I hold my mask to the still face of my son in my arms. The tightness in my lungs is getting unbearable now. My head is beginning to spin.

Jefferson constantly switches out his mask between the two other babies. Kenneth and Jaina.

I look at him, he's spinning, "Jefferson..." I steady myself on the side of the crib. I feel hot, like I'm melting. "I'm gonna pass out."
My knees buckle and I place Austin as carefully as I can on the floor. I feel like I'm being burned alive...

Some time later...
"Erika? Please wake up."

I hear the cry of an infant and I bolt upright. I can breathe! My eyes sting a little but I'm awake. I guess I really did pass out. I see Jefferson sitting beside me, holding all three of the triplets. They're all screaming to my gladness.

I touch my forehead to see if I'm actually awake. I'm sweating. "are they... Okay?" I reach out to take one from Jefferson.

He just frowns, a little worriedly, "I don't know... They're awake at least."

I hold a crying Kenneth against my chest, he pumps his fists against me. I place a hand behind his head and whisper tiredly into his ear, "Sshh baby... It's okay... Shhhh..."

"what time is it?" I ask breathlessly.

"it's only been half an hour I think, but I can hear the town is awake and freaking out."