Free Last Woman by Jacqueline Druga

the right idea, and I want to honor them as well. Soldiers in a battle.”
    I handed him a stack. “That we lost.”
    “Nah, we ain’t lost yet. You and me are still around.” He undid the rubber band and slowly lifted and stared, really stared with conviction at the first license. “We ain’t lost yet.”

18. Chocolate Candy
    It was the first time in days I didn’t have a headache. I didn’t wake up to daggers in my eyes or a mouth so dry, my throat hurt. I did wake up to two sensations. One was the overwhelming urge to urinate the other was the smell of coffee.
    I welcomed the aching bladder, because that meant I was hydrating. Prior to that, I was going nearly all day without attending to the needs of my urinary tract.
    I wanted to address why I was smelling coffee so strong, but I had to shuffle off and when I returned, Dodge had poured me a cup. He handed me some expensive coffee shop mug with the piping hot brew.
    “Oh my God, how did you make coffee?” I asked. I took in the warm aroma, allowing the steam to touch my nostrils then I sipped it.
    “Found a coffee shop, some things people didn’t take,” Dodge said. “Like a French press. Makes it easy. I love my coffee.”
    “Me, too.”
    “The way you nursed that bottle last night, I’m gonna say you love your booze.”
    “That, too.”
    “I’m sorry.” He said. “That was wrong.”
    “No, it wasn’t. This is good.” I made reference to the coffee.
    “Eat up. We have a long day.” He handed me a paper plate with a pancake on it. “Sorry there’s no syrup. Best I can do, but that ought to buckle you down. You look much better.”
    “I feel better.” I examined the pancake in wonder. “How are you doing this?”
    “1999 Jeep Cherokee over there had camping stuff. Guess they were headed to the hills. Check it out.” He pulled out a back pack. “In case we have no shelter. Small tent and a sleeping roll. I’ll carry it. However, I have other plans.”
    “I bet you do.”
    “Anyhow, everything is easy when you have a fire. Pancakes are easy when you have water and a bottle of that mix.” He lifted his pancake, folded it and took a bite.
    “Did you go camping a lot?”
    “Yeah, I did.”
    “How long have you been up?” I asked.
    “Long enough to discover good news.”
    I was just about to take that first bite of the pancake and I paused. “What’s the good news?”
    He produced half a smile. “We have to back track a mile, head down to the other expressway, but … Steel Miner Bridge is accessible.”
    “No, it’s not, we looked down there yesterday.”
    “Yeah, well, it isn’t collapsed; it’s just a barricade, and a couple car fires. From what I could see we can get through. Have to do some small climbing, but I think once we’re across the bridge we’re gonna see less traffic and less remnants of pandemonium.”
    “Why do you say that?” I questioned.
    “Because the city was shut down. Not the other parts, just the city. I don’t know why, because everywhere had the flu. But you lock people in they get nuts, feel trapped, and that’s what happened.”
    “So we’ll make it across the river today?” I asked.
    “Yeah, I believe so. But we’ll take it slow, take it easy and if you feel it’s too much, we’ll stop.”
    “Okay,” I nodded. “But honestly, I can do this. If you weren’t here, I’d have no choice, right?” I knew he agreed and I also knew his mind was churning. I finally took a second to dive into that pancake he made. It was sweet and delicious. So much better than the MRE’s I had been eating.
    While I rested the evening before Dodge had scavenged cars, and while I slept he was making plans. When I started my journey, I had one focus goal left and that was to make it home. That was still my goal, but something told me, Dodge had been making other plans.
    I couldn’t see life beyond that pancake and crossing that bridge. Dodge did.
    For as content as I was to spend my time alone before the