“I know,” Jon said. “Come, Mom. Let’s go.”
“Where?” she asked. “Where can we go? Can we go to Sexton?”
“We’ll go to the clinic,” he said, knowing even in all the madness, his mother wouldn’t be allowed into Sexton. “It’s open today. We’ll be safe there.”
Mom nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll be all right. Oh, Jonny, I was so scared.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “We’re all okay. Miranda’s safe in the hospital, and Alex took Lisa and Gabe home hours ago. But we’ll be better off in the clinic. Dr. Goldman will know what to do.”
Mom was still shaking, but she followed Jon out of the apartment and down the stairs. There was no protecting her from the sight of the bodies, though. Mom stood in front of them.
“Will they be buried?” she asked. “They had family in Georgia. Will anyone tell their family?”
“No,” Jon said. “They’ll be cremated. No one will tell their family.”
“That could have been me,” she said. “If I’d lived on the first floor.”
“Don’t think about it,” Jon told her. “Let’s go.”
In the five-block walk to the clinic they saw dozens more bodies scattered around. This was a quiet residential neighborhood, Jon thought. If it was this bad here, it must be a hundred times worse a mile or two closer to the high school.
“What happened?” Mom asked. “What started this?”
“It was the soccer match,” he said. “It started there.”
“Soccer,” Mom said. “A war started once because of a soccer match. Did you know that?”
“No, Mom,” Jon said.
Mom sighed. “It was just an excuse,” she said. “People kill for no reason whatsoever. That’s never going to change.”
“Things will get better,” Jon said. “You always say that, Mom.”
“No,” she said. “I’m not saying that ever again.”
They walked another block in silence until they saw a child’s body on the pavement. Mom shook her head. “Why would anybody do that?” she said. “Slaughter a little girl.”
Jon pulled at her sleeve. “We have to keep going, Mom,” he said. “We can’t stay here.”
There were lights on in the clinic and two guards stood in front. Jon showed them his claver ID badge. “This is my mother,” he said. “We’re friends of Dr. Goldman.”
“We’re not supposed to let anyone in,” one of the guards said, pointing his gun at Jon.
“Put that down,” Mom said. “Hasn’t there been killing enough?”
“Mom,” Jon said. “Don’t argue with the guards. Sarah! It’s me, Jon!”
Dr. Goldman opened the door. “Jon,” he said. “Laura. Guards, it’s all right. They can come in.”
The guards stood aside, and Jon and his mother walked into the clinic. As Dr. Goldman closed the door, Sarah raced into the room and threw herself into Jon’s arms.
“I was so scared,” she said. “I was so afraid for you.”
“Laura,” Dr. Goldman said, “Jon. Sit down. Sarah, get them some potka.”
“No,” Mom said. “We don’t need any.”
“Yes, you do,” Dr. Goldman declared. “I’m sorry I don’t have any brandy, but the potka will suffice.”
Sarah left the room and returned with two glasses and a bottle. She poured a tiny amount into each glass. “Drink,” she said. “Doctor’s orders.”
Mom took a swallow and grimaced. “How can anybody drink this stuff?” she asked. “It’s rotgut.”
“I don’t see Jon having a problem with it,” Dr. Goldman pointed out.
They turned to face Jon, who had finished his glass in two swallows.
Mom sighed. “It’s a different world,” she said, and then she burst into hysterical laughter.
They laughed so hard, one of the guards came in to see if they were all right. “It’s the potka,” Dr. Goldman told him.
“I could use some myself,” the guard said.
“I’m sure you could,” Dr. Goldman replied. “But not while you’re on duty.”
“Yes sir,” the guard said, and went back out.
“I hope it’s okay we came,” Jon said. “I didn’t know where else to go.”
“You did the right thing,” Dr. Goldman said. “What happened, Jon? All we know is we were ordered to keep the door locked and not let anyone in. I’m sure there are people who need assistance, but the guard said he’d shoot me if I left the building.”
“There was a riot at the soccer match,” Jon said. “Then the clavers decided to go into White Birch. Everyone went crazy. I saw a lot of bodies, fires everywhere.”
“They killed my neighbors,” Mom said. “I should have tried to stop it, but I hid instead.”
“You couldn’t have stopped them, Laura,” Dr. Goldman said. “There’s no point feeling guilty.”
“You shouldn’t feel guilty either, Daddy,” Sarah said. “If you’d gone out, you would have been killed, too.”
“Well, we’re here,” Mom said. “What happens next? When can Jon and Sarah go home?”
“Not until tomorrow,” Dr. Goldman replied. “I called the depot to see if we could get a driver, and they said no one’s allowed in or out of White Birch tonight. No, we’re here for the night. I’ll call again tomorrow to see if they can get Jon and Sarah out.”
“If you stay, I stay,” Sarah said.
“No,” Dr. Goldman said. “We don’t need guilt and we don’t need nobility. You and Jon will go home together. Meantime, this is as safe a place as we can be. We might as well get some sleep. Laura, why don’t you sleep on the examining table? The rest of us can use the floor.”
“I can’t do that,” Mom said.
“Don’t worry,” Dr. Goldman said. “You’ll be just as uncomfortable as the rest of us.”
Mom climbed onto the examining table. “You sure this is all right?” she asked.
“Mom, go to sleep,” Jon said.
Mom sighed. “A son’s love,” she said. “Nothing sweeter.”
They all laughed. Then Jon, Sarah, and Dr. Goldman stretched out on the floor.
Jon reached out and touched Sarah’s hand. They were safe, he told himself. They were protected. Whatever had happened, whatever would happen, for this night at least, they were safe.
Chapter 10
“Wake up, Jon.”
Jon sat upright on the floor. His body ached all over. He was hungry and, for a moment, confused.
“Is everyone okay?” he asked as the memories flooded back in.
Dr. Goldman smiled. “We’re fine,” he said. “But it’s time for you to get up.”
“He always was a late sleeper,” Mom said. “Even when he was little.”
At least Mom acknowledged he wasn’t little anymore. “What’s happening?” he asked. “Does anybody know?”
“Things are better,” Sarah said. “Calmer.”
“For the moment, anyway,” her father said. “I called the depot. They’ll send a private car for us this afternoon. I said I preferred to stay, but they’re insisting I go back with you.”
“They’re letting the fires burn themselves out,” Mom said. “But this section is safe, and there are guards on the streets. So it’s time for me to go home.”
“Not alone,” Jon said. “I’ll take you there.”
“You and a guard,” Dr. Goldman said. “He’ll escort you there and back, Jon, and you’ll wait with us for the car.”
Jon nodded. He excused himself and went to the bathroom. When he returned to the office, Mom was ready to leave.
Dr. Goldman walked out of the office with them, telling one of the guards what to do. There was still smoke in the distance, but Jon only heard one gunshot, and that seemed far away.