Hope II

Decisions

The door shut behind Brad, sealing the four of us inside the very room we first met upon entering our new home. The old store room, secluded from all others it was only us four in the silence. Kate sat on the one chair in the small room, Aaron sitting up on a table in the corner and I standing up against the wall when Brad entered with red eyes, it looked as though he were just crying, yet it could also be the cold outside. 

The room was dark, lit only by the dim light coming through the windows alongside the door. 

'You called for me Jerry' he said once the door was shut. 

I nodded, having not told Kate why I summoned them both here either. 

'We need to make a decision on Vertuga' I said, only to be quickly thrown back a comment from Kate. 

'What's to decide?' she asked, looking to me and I to her 'You're not thinking of caving in now, are you?' 

'Yes he is' Aaron said from the corner, leaving me out to dry. 

'It's not like that' 

'Jerry' Brad said before the tension got any more intense 'We have been here for twenty seven days. You said one week, one week and a group of us would leave for Vertuga, yet we are no closer than we were twenty seven days ago' 

'I know' I replied instantly, the two of them having instantly grasped the idea that I was trying to convince them otherwise. Yet still they sat in silence waiting for my reply on Brad's statement, on why we did not leave after one week... and then I said it. 

'What if it isn't what we think it is?' 

'God damn it Jerry' Aaron muttered, standing out from the table, but before he even spoke another word I continued. 

'You all heard what Mark said when we got here. Five of his men went with John to Vertuga, having promised him they would return for them if it was safe. And not one of them returned' 

'So what?' Kate asked 'Who's to say they even made it to Vertuga? We all know how dangerous the roads are' 

'With five of them' I pointed out, keeping my argument strong 'Five heavily armed men... it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. They got to Vertuga... thing is, why didn't they return' 

'Have you lost your memory Jerry?' Aaron asked, grasping my attention 'The same thing happened back in the village about eight years ago' 

Though whatever he was referring to, I could not remember until he reminded me and jogged my memory of the day. 

'We had three people come to our gates. We took them in, helped them get back on their feet. They asked us if the rest of their group could come to the Village' and then I remembered. It was the first assault on the village during my time there. We were too naive back then that we said yes. They went back and got their people, and when they returned they tried to ambush us... tried. 

'So again' Aaron continued 'Let's say they did get to Vertuga, and they ask whoever is in charge if they can bring back thirty people with them... what the fuck do you think he is going to say to that, if he has any brain inside his head?' 

Though I hated to admit to the truth... Aaron spoke a strong case, his theory was valid and true and very possible. In fact it was almost as good as my argument was... it is very possible. 

I know for sure if that ever happened to us again, we would never let people go back and bring more to us... that could be what happened at Vertuga... but there is also the chance that it isn't what happened. 

'Now right there, sitting on that chair' he pointed to Kate as he spoke, her eyes still planted firmly on me, listening to Aaron's argument. 

'Is the cure to this entire infection. In this very room with us, right now'