Watching the End of the World – 19 or so, can’t remember
Nate stood there for a minute longer, wishing there was something he could say or do but the truth was that there wasn���t. He felt just as lost and desperate as Tony. Finally he left and went on the roof.
When he opened the trapdoor and stuck his head out, he couldn���t see anything but inky blackness. From the blackness came Akila���s voice.
���Shut that thing. You���re ruining my night vision.���
He climbed out onto the roof and lowered the trap door behind him. Afraid he might fall over the edge, he just stood there. After a minute, shapes began to emerge from the darkness. Gradually he picked out Akila, standing at one end of the warehouse. A mosquito whined by his ear and he slapped at it. He walked over to her.
���If you want to go get some sleep, I can watch for a while.���
���Thanks. I could use a break.��� She didn���t offer him the rifle, for which Nate was grateful. She walked a few feet away and lay down on the roof.
���Aren���t you going to go inside?���
���No offense, but it doesn���t look like you know your ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to weapons.���
���I���ve seen them in movies and on TV. They don���t seem to ever run out of bullets.���
���I���ll give you all a lesson tomorrow. Until then I���ll keep a hold of this for you. If you hear anything, just wake me up.���
���Yes, sir.���
���Now you���re getting it.��� She shifted, trying to get more comfortable, then said, ���Did those knuckleheads find any more ammo?���
���No.���
���Good. I���m more worried about one of them shooting me by accident than one of the enemy.���
A minute or two passed in silence. ���Akila?���
Sharply. ���What?���
Nate told her what they���d seen on the TV. When he was done he waited for her to respond but she said nothing. ���Well?��� he said.
���Well, what?���
���What are we going to do?���
���The same thing we���re doing right now. Keep our heads and be ready when those assholes come back shooting.���
���Is that it?���
���We���re in enemy territory. Probably outnumbered. We���ve got no intel and no chance of reinforcement. Seems like enough to me.���
Nate felt like shaking her. ���But what about the virus?��� he said in exasperation.
���What about it?���
���Is that all you have to say?��� He realized his voice had risen but he couldn���t seem to control it. ���Our world���s falling apart and that���s all you have?���
He heard her sit up, felt her eyes on him. ���Listen, Nate. I was a soldier for eight years. If I learned one thing during that time, it���s this: sleep when you can. Don���t fret about things outside your control. Focus on the enemy in front of you.���
���That���s more than one thing.���
���Damned if it isn���t. I was never much good at math.��� She lay back down.
Nate started to say something else and she cut him off. ���Don���t say another word. I���m trying to sleep. Get me up in two hours.���
Then Nate sat there in the darkness, listening as her breathing grew steady and slow. At first it was unbearable. He wanted to talk. He wanted to scream. He wanted to do something. But gradually her words sank in. There really wasn���t anything he or the others could do about what was happening in the outside world. All they could do was deal with what they had in front of them. That was enough.
He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew he was jolted up out of a dream by a loud roaring from the trees. He jumped to his feet.
���What was that? Was that a lion?���
Akila didn���t reply. There was another roar and after it a chorus of shrieks and cries. What the hell were those? Birds? Monkeys?
Another roar and Nate walked over to Akila and shook her. ���Wake up.���
���Quit that. I���m awake.���
���There���s a lion.���
���I heard it.���
���What should we do?���
���Let me go back to sleep.���
���But what if it gets up here?���
���Then wake me up and I���ll shoot it for you. You can make a rug. Go away. Now.���
