Free Outbreak: Brave New World by Robert Van Dusen

shit that was a helluva shot. Sixty meters or so right through the dome.” Frannie said with amazement as she smiled a little and clapped her friend on the shoulder. “Remind me to not to piss you off.”
    “D-Did she get bit?” Frays asked her voice barely above a whisper as they started up the stairs. Her stomach roiled like a pot of boiling water as they climbed. It was all that Rodriguez could do to look at her friend and nod. Amy frowned sadly and shook her head as they climbed over the gap and onto the deck.
    “Oh, God…”Amy whispered and crossed herself. The children were in the dining area sitting in their father’s lap and crying their eyes out. Lacey looked up when they entered. Jessica stood near her husband with her arm across George’s shoulders. Carl was seated at the table, looking morose. “Where’s Laura? How is she?”
    “Back bedroom.” George said quietly. He looked at his wife and looked at the table. The big man took a deep breath and looked at his daughter across the room. “She doesn’t look like she got hurt that bad.”
    Amy swallowed hard and let her eyes rest on the children for a moment before looking at their father. “Did…did she get bitten?” Frays asked once she could open her mouth. Please, please Saint Adrian help us out here… she prayed silently as she watched everyone’s faces. Frannie had treated the woman, but…
    Lacey’s face twisted up as he held his children. “I-I dunno. Maybe.” he said quietly, rocking the kids. Amy shook her head and sank into the recliner, pressing the palms of her hands against her eyes and barely aware that Frannie passed by her. Her limbs felt like they had been cast from lead when she finally managed to heave herself out of the chair. She put a hand on Lacey’s shoulder on her way towards the back bedroom. “Where are you going?”
    “I-I’ll take care of it, Lacey.” she said carefully. Her hand was trembling as she reached for the doorknob. You can do this. Frays told herself as her hand closed around the knob. She took a deep breath and half turned towards the others. “I’m sorry, Lacey. I’ll take care of it.”
    “What do you mean ‘take care of it’, Amy?” Carl asked anxiously. The boy stood and looked from his father to Amy and back again. “Take care of what !?” He started towards his sister and stopped. “Dad? Mom? What’s she talking about?”
    Lacey fixed Frays with an icy knowing glare. He knew damn well what Frays meant. “You keep your hands off my wife.” he said coldly. Becca and Paulie looked wide eyed at their father. Neither one of them had ever heard Daddy talk to anyone like that before. “Laura’s gonna be fine. Don’t you touch her.” Amy noticed the way her father’s face seemed to sort of blank out behind Lacey and became a little startled. She frowned, nodded and went to lean against the low fence that separated the dining area from the living room.
    “So…is anybody gonna answer me or what?” Carl asked. He looked around the room, trying to figure out what exactly everyone was so upset about. There was definitely something going on here. Amy puked her guts up at a goddamn picture, Dad was pissed off at seemingly everybody his big sister was pregnant of all things and now Adam’s wife was hurt and HE was pissed too…
    “Hey, Carl” Rodriguez said quietly as she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb “Let’s talk outside, man.” Carl stood up and followed Frannie out the back door and hopped up on the wall. Frannie could not help herself: she pulled out her cigarettes again and lit another one.  She leaned against the wall a little ways from the boy and took a drag off of the cancer stick, exhaling a series of smoke rings.
    “Cool!” Carl said with a small grin as he watched the woman’s jaw go up and down. His mind wandered for a second as he wondered if she had ever done anything else with her mouth. He shook himself and his insides went all kerfuffle when Frannie