Apocalypsis 04 - Haven

the clinic.
    “Hello and … phew!” Peter waved his hand frantically in front of his face. “Wowzers. Pungent be thy name. First and last. Nice to meet you, Stinky McSmellypits.”
    I lifted up an arm and took a whiff of my armpit. “Whoa, you’re right. Bad news … for you, I guess.” I quickly grabbed him in a hug, getting his face as close to my stench as possible.
    “Gah! Gross! Get off!” He slapped at me like a little girl.
    I released him and looked around. “Where’s Fohi?” I saw all kinds of guys and girls lying nearby but no Little Bee.
    “He’s around the corner. We’re giving him some privacy right now.”
    “Privacy? What for?” I didn’t like the sound of that at all. My heart sank.
    “Come on.” Peter took me by the elbow to guide me, but immediately removed his hand when he realized the stink from above had dripped down. “Geez, you really, really need a shower.” He scrubbed his fingers off on his pants the entire way across the room.
    “Hook me up, city manager guy. I’m all over it.” He wasn’t exaggerating; I was pretty ripe. Even I was bothered by it now that it had been fully released from the suit and I wasn’t wearing a gas mask anymore. Too much more of this and I’d have to hand lung protection out to anyone standing near me.
    “Trust me, I will.”
    We got past a divider wall to a small alcove that had a couple of dead potted plants in it. Fohi and Rob were lying on the ground on top of a couple Miccosukee blankets. Yokci was sitting up against the far wall, arms resting on bent knees. Fohi’s complexion did not look good.
    Rob sat up as soon as he saw us. “Hey, guys. What’s up? How’d the cleanup go?”
    “Yeah, how did that go?” asked Peter, stepping away and waving the air in front of his face a little. He looked like he’d just bitten into a very sour lemon.
    “Well, it went okay. Not great. We tried to do it the nice way, but that didn’t work, so we just burned the mother down.”
    Rob smiled, bobbing his head and dancing in place a little. “The roof … the roof … the roof is on fire …”
    Fohi’s weak voice spoke up. “We don’t need no water let the motherfucker burn …”
    “Burn motherfucker … buuuurn,” finished Rob. He nudged Fohi. “Good one, man. You’re not dead yet.”
    Yokci’s jaw clenched, the muscle bouncing out on his face and making him look really angry.
    I swallowed hard. Is Rob serious?
    “So what’s up, Fohi?” I asked. “How are you feeling?” I walked over and sat down next to him, looking at Rob for direction. Fohi’s eyes remained shut.
    “Like Rob said. I ain’t dead yet. But I kinda wish I was.” He started coughing and then moaned, moving his hand to rest gently on his abdomen.
    “Dude’s got an infection from his wounds. He’s gonna be fine, though.” Rob cleared his throat after it suddenly went husky.
    “He’s too much of a pain in the ass to die,” added Yokci.
    “Dudes can’t live without me,” said Fohi, his voice barely above a whisper. “And the chicks … the chicks will give up all hope if I go.”
    I reached out and took his hand in mine. It was cold and clammy. “Hang in there, Fohi. You’re going to be fine, I know you are.”
    “Have you seen my wounds yet?” he asked, peeking one eye open. “I hear they’re pretty gnarly.”
    “Uh, no. Not since before, when you first got here.”
    “He’s got three deep wounds,” explained Yokci. “He’s lost a lot of blood.”
    “I hear I’m gonna have some killer scars.” Fohi tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a dry cough.
    “Chicks like scars,” I said, barely able to move the words past the lump in my throat. “Dude, I have to go eat. Please don’t die while I’m gone. I’ll be back in a few.”
    “Is that an order?” he asked, his eyes closing but half his mouth going up at the corner in an attempt at smiling.
    “Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. You are not allowed to die while I’m gone. Or when I get back for that matter. I order you to live to annoy us another day. Or year. Or fifty years.”
    “Consider it done,” he said, just before his face went slack and his mouth dropped open a little.
    I squeezed his hand and leaned forward sharply, my heart seizing in my chest. “Fohi!”
    He frowned. “What?” His eyes opened halfway and squinted at me. “Why are you yelling at me? Can’t you see I’m sick?”
    My heart was racing. “Oh. Sorry. I thought …”
    Rob laughed. “You