Apocalypsis 04 - Haven

dying from simple cuts. I’m trying not to freak out about that, but it’s impossible not to.”
    “There has to be something we can do,” I said. “Do you think we could make some kind of antibiotic?”
    “Maybe we could trade for some,” said Bodo from behind me.
    “Trade who? For what?” I asked without looking over.
    “Dat Amazon girl, Kirsten. She can make all dat medicine. Dat’s not a problem for her. All we needt to do is give her something dat she wants and she will do it like a trade.”
    “The only thing she wants is sperm,” I said, giggling. The kitten had rolled onto its back and succumbed to my petting. Buster saw his chance and was crawling over very slowly, a serious lick attack on his mind. I could read him like a book, which was pretty easy considering it was a book of about four sentences: Must eat food. Must lick everything. Must sleep. Must doodle. Buster was a simple dog, but I wasn’t complaining; my life was complicated enough.
    “Eksactly. Dat is what I’m saying. Give her da man-meat and she will give you da drugs.”
    I got an uncomfortable feeling in my gut. “So you want me to ask guys to pimp themselves out for the good of the group? That’s just wrong.”
    Bodo sighed. “Dat’s true, yes, but I don’t think you are goingk to have a problem with da men saying no.”
    “Think about it, Bryn,” said Peter. “If we could all control ourselves and do the right thing, none of us would have sex with someone of the opposite sex until our world is a better place to live in. Having a baby is too big of a risk. But we’re human. We don’t always do the smart thing. So, if a guy could be with someone who wanted to have a baby and she had a way to take care of it, maybe it would be kind of tempting to be able to have sex and not worry about the consequences.”
    “Except for the fact that he’d have a kid out there somewhere,” I said, getting angry about the things they were suggesting. “Not all guys would be okay with fathering a kid and then disappearing.”
    “No, you’re right. I’m not saying that, exactly,” said Peter. “I just mean that it’s a different world but we still have the same basic needs.”
    “Yes, and da evolution is strong. People will still want to have da babies, even when da world is a scary place.”
    “It’s hardwired into our DNA to procreate,” said Peter. “Even when technically the way we want to do things won’t ever end in procreation.”
    “Are you saying you want to adopt, Peter?” I asked, trying like heck to hold back my laughter.
    “Mock me if you will,” warned my little friend. “I’d make a great dad, though. I don’t care what you say.”
    I reached out in the darkness and patted him roughly on the head. “Yes, you would. You totally would. I was just messing with you. Have you picked out a name for your baby yet?”
    “Yes, as a matter of fact I have,” he responded sassily.
    “And a co-parent? Do you have one of those picked out too?” I meant it as a joke, but I knew as soon as the words left my mouth that it was a mistake.
    Peter rolled over and didn’t say anything.
    I scooted over closer to him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m an idiot.”
    “Yes, you are,” he said very quietly.
    “Peter, listen to me.” I put my hand on his shoulder and tugged him over onto his back. “I’m going to go back and find him for you.”
    Peter gripped my hand, his boney fingers digging into my skin. “No! No, you can’t go back there. Especially not for him .”
    “We are. Not just me, but several kids. We have to go back and figure out what’s going on … get Trip and the rest of them over here if they want to be here.”
    Peter sat up. “You can’t be serious!”
    “Hush, dope! You want to wake everyone up?” I pushed him back down, and he went with only a little resistance. “We have to go, and you know it. If it were me back there, you’d come.”
    “Yeah, but it’s not you. It’s just a bunch of idiots who didn’t back you up as far as I’m concerned. They can just figure out how to get here like Rob and Paci did.”
    “You don’t mean that,” I chided. “Many hands make light work, right? We could use more able-bodied people here helping us. Not to mention some horses and cows and stuff.”
    Peter didn’t say anything for a while. When he did, I could almost hear the gears turning in his little head. “You seriously think you could get all that stuff here and