In the Apocalypse

We Were Nowhere Near the Grand Canyon

"10K." I got his attention as Addy was working on the radio. "Give your hand." He did as he was told, placing his hand in my outstretched one. I brought his hand over to rest on the left side of my stomach. "Wait for it. Come on. It just did it."

Then there was a soft kick. 10K grinned widely. Since he missed the first one, he loved the others even more. He got so excited to feel the baby move. He even slept with his hand rested on my stomach in case it moved while we were laying down.

"Where are we?" I looked up at the sound of Warren's voice. She had fallen asleep next to Vasquez ,was laying her head on his shoulder and everything. It was adorable.

"About a hundred miles north of Flagstaff I'm thinkin'." Addy answered.

"I dunno how much longer this bucket of bolts is gonna keep running." Doc commented from the driver seat.

"Talking about yourself or the rig?" Addy asked teasingly.

"Both." Doc replied. "I think we're getting near the Grand Canyon."

"I went there once when I was a kid. It was beautiful." Murphy spoke up from the bed that's above Doc and the passenger seat. Warren and Addy looked at him funny ,probably surprised by his words. "What? Can't believe I was a kid once?"

No one said anything. Warren looked like she was going to but must have decided against it. Instead she moved to the passenger seat.

"What's that?" Warren asked.

"I've been watchin' it for a while. I hope it's not what I think it is cuz it's right where we're goin'." Doc said.

"We need some recon. How's that radio comin'?" Warren asked.

"We're about to find out." Addy stated. She looked over at 10K. "Okay."

He stood up and went to the back of the RV. He was holding the antenna out the hatch in the back to try to get us a signal.

Addy was turning a handle on a light that's supposed to generate power for the radio. She looked over at me and nodded. I grabbed the radio and started talking into it.

"Northern light. Northern light. Do you copy?... Northern light, this is Delta X-Ray Delta. Do you copy?" I said to the radio.

"When's the last time you talked to that guy anyway? Probably isn't even alive anymore." Murphy commented.

"Aren't you a ray of sunshine this morning?" I commented.

"Well, excuse me ,princess. That's what happens when you haven't had a decent cup of coffee in half a decade." Murphy retorted. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Try again." Addy told me, she had been fidgeting with the radio to try to get it to work.

"Citizen Z, this is your old pal ,Christina Johnson. Do you copy?" I said into the radio. Addy did something to the radio again before nodding at me to try again. "Citizen Z. Do you copy?" Addy did the same thing as before. I sighed and tried again. "Citizen Z. I know you're out there. It's me. Chris. Do you read me? Citizen Z. Do you copy? Come on ,Citizen Z. I know you're out there. You got to be. Do you read me?"

"Chris. Chris, I hear you. I copy you. It's me ,Citizen Z." We heard his voice come over the radio. Addy and I laughed ,relieve that it was working. "Man, it's good to hear your voice."

"It's so good to hear your voice." I told him.

"You can say that again." Addy commented before I let go of the button, so I'm sure Citizen Z heard her too.

"It's good to hear your voice too ,Addy. How's the package?" Citizen Z said from the other side.

"He hates being called that! The names Murphy! The Murphy! Thanks to you ,Blabbermouth!" Murphy called from the bed.