A Life Worth Dying For (Random Survival Book 7) Read online

  “Unknown. It’s a gamble either way.”

  A woman said, “Is there any way of telling if there’s even a slim hope? A machine or something?”

  “Yes and no. In Myron’s case, we would need an EEG, CT, or MRI. Any will give us some idea. In Mark’s case, his body took massive trauma and may just need time to recover by shutting down. However, if support runs out before that occurs, he may not make it anyway.”

  Lincoln sneaked a glance at Lynn. Her face was stoic, but he knew inside she was in pain. She was terrified of a council vote, fearing people might think her playing favorites. Even though they were no longer together, Mark and Lynn had been in love. No, still were, but perhaps too much distance had grown between them.

  Lincoln was in somewhat the same situation. Mark was his best friend. How could he possibly vote against him? Yet he had a responsibility to protect the community, which meant making sure they had the medications available to everyone when needed.

  “So, just so I understand this,” a man said, standing up. “You’re asking us to vote on whether two men will live or die. Like we’re a jury.”

  Maggie sucked in a deep breath. “In essence, yes. The council could vote, but this is important, and we didn’t want anyone to think we were playing favorites or taking advantage of our positions. This is a community decision.”

  A loud murmur rose and spread through the group. It was not an easy thing to ask. Mark had been a founding member of their community and a stalwart in its growth and protection. Though some would argue much of the troubles they’d encountered over the past few months would not have occurred if not for him.

  Doc stood and faced the crowd. Lincoln spotted her and got to his feet. He shouted then whistled to bring order back. “Let’s keep it quiet and peaceful. Doc would like to speak.”

  “I am in no way condoning taking either man off life support without an indication that a reasonable chance of life still exists. To do so in my opinion, is to commit murder, and I will not be a part of that.

  “If we can find the necessary machines to give me that information, I can give a more informed opinion. Beyond that, I am not a brain surgeon. If I need to go into Myron’s head, he may not survive anyway. Mark, on the other hand, may recover, but I can’t say when or if. The trauma inflicted may prove too great for his body to overcome. It was a lot of work to fix the damage, but even if he recovers, he may never be the same.

  “I’m sorry,” she hung her head. When she lifted it again, tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’ve done the best I could for both of them. For all of you. There are just some things beyond my abilities.” She sat and covered her face.

  “So, it’s still back to a yes or no vote,” the same man said.

  A voice shouted from the back. It was the voice Lincoln feared. “You better think twice about that vote,” Becca said, moving toward the back middle. “Anyone tries to unplug my dad will have to go through me.” She held up the long knife to emphasize her statement.

  Several people in the back stood and moved away. Voices in the crowd grew and became both fearful and angry. As Lincoln feared, things did not look good. A riot might break out and with it more injuries to further deplete their stores.

  Lincoln snatched up the gavel and pounded it ferociously on the table like he was beating someone to death. The table bounced and bent under his powerful swings. “I. Will. Not. Tolerate. Violent outbursts in our meeting.” He stopped banging and pointed the gavel at the crowd. “You will all sit down and come to order, or I swear there will be hell to pay.” What that might be, he had no idea and was gratified to see them sit though few were quiet.

  Becca still stood in defiant challenge.

  Another voice lifted above the crowd, this one offering a solution and momentary peace. “So, if we can find more supplies and the machines you need, we can stave off this ludicrous and inhumane vote?” Bobby strode next to his sister and placed a gentle hand on her arm. He made no effort to pressure it down. He knew that was a mistake he might receive an injury from.

  Doc stood and the crowd quieted. “Yes, Bobby. But I have no idea where we might find what we need. By now, everything's either been picked over or destroyed.”

  “Leave that to me. How much time do I have?”

  “Life support will end in a little less than a month. After that, I have no idea. Maybe days, maybe hours.”

  “If I go hunting for what’s needed,” he said to Lincoln. “Do I have the council’s word that no one will unplug either of them until I get back?”

  Lincoln started to say yes but realized he was but one member. He looked down the table. Lynn and Caryn were looking at him with concern etched on their faces. He thought both would support him. Elijah was looking down at the table. Maybe not him. Milo was a maybe. Lincoln could not read his eyes. Maggie was a good person but took her responsibility to the community seriously. Though she liked and respected Mark, he thought she’d vote against the plan for the benefit of all.

  Caleb looked frightened. Lincoln didn’t blame him. He was too. He nodded to the young man, but he looked past Lincoln down the table to his mother. Yes, he’d vote the way his mother did. That meant at least four his way, which carried the motion.

  The man who brought up the vote was still standing. “I disagree with allowing him a month to find the equipment to save his daddy.” He said daddy in a mocking tone. Clearly, he was not a friend to Mark. Lincoln recalled the man. Sam Edwards had lost his seventeen-year-old son in the recent conflict. He blamed Mark for the loss. “If he doesn’t return with the necessary equipment, we’re out of supplies that someone else may need. Considering he’s primarily responsible for the death and injuries that have cost us most of our supplies, he shouldn’t be allowed to survive while so many have died.”

  This statement brought the crowd to its feet. Shouts and threats were issued along two sides. Mark supporters and Mark detractors. Lincoln spotted movement in the back. Bodies were shoved aside and chairs went flying. He recognized the determined and deadly glare of Becca mowing through the crowd to get at the man. Lincoln pulled the lightweight plastic table back and stepped through. He was about to jump down to intercept Becca when she was lifted off her feet and hauled backward a long stride and a lunge short of her goal. The fool wasn’t even aware of his near death.

  Jarrod, the large farmer and friend of both Mark and Lincoln, had her wrapped in a bearhug with her arms pinned. Bobby came up and bent Becca’s fingers back to get the knife away. She kicked, snarled, and clawed to get free and cursed at Bobby when he pried the blade free. “Go near my father, and I’ll kill you.” Jarrod hauled her out of the building.

  Edwards pushed away from a man who confronted him. “You see what I’m talking about. It’s Mark and his warmonger kids who have caused the problems in our community.”

  Voices exploded again, each side trying to outscream the other. Scuffles broke out, but as yet, no punches had been thrown. Edwards shouted over the others. “With him gone, most of our problems are solved.” Now fists flew.

  Lincoln could not allow the melee to continue or escalate. He took the gun from behind his back, cocked the hammer, and aimed upward. He fired. The crowd ceased moving. Many dropped to the floor. “This will stop immediately. Look at you. You are supposed to be a community. Your strength and reason for your continued survival are knowing someone will have your back. How will that be possible if we are so divided? Now, no matter what side of this debate you align on, discussion is the only resolution.

  Edwards started to speak, but Lincoln was beyond listening to him. “I have heard enough from you, Mr. Edwards. Sit your ass down and let us resume the meeting.” He lowered the gun to his side and pointed at Edwards. “And Mr. Edwards, if I hear you have been spreading your poison to divide this community, I will take action to bring you before a tribunal to decide whether you are the type of person we want as a neighbor. Do you understand me, sir?”

  Edward’s face reddened. He glared at Lincoln. “Just cause you’re a friend of Mark doesn’t mean you have a right to decide for everyone.”

  “And just because you blame Mark for the loss of your son doesn’t give you a right to exploit your personal agenda.”

  Chapter Three

  Lincoln holstered the gun and stepped back. “Now, we will continue with this meeting respectfully and peacefully. The discussion before us is whether to allow time for the location of equipment and supplies before making a decision as to whether to unplug our two comatose patients. As we contemplate this obviously tense topic, think to yourself, if it was one of your family members lying in the hospital, what would you want for them? Despite their current situation, both of those patients are people. Let’s keep our humanity and remember those patients are also members of this community and have fought and worked alongside all of you.”

  He pulled his chair back and sat, then popped up. “Milo, I apologize for the hole I put in your new ceiling. I will be happy to go up in the morning to patch it.”

  Milo frowned as Lincoln sat. “Now, who has something constructive to add?”

  Hands shot up. “Before I choose someone, if you’re just going to rant and rile everyone else up again, don’t bother raising your hand.” Most went down. Lincoln scanned the room and spotted the hand of Heidi Berry. “Heidi.”

  Heidi stood. “Most of you know me. I can’t say I fall on either side but do see and understand both sides. I don’t want to see either of those poor men die, but I have a suggestion. Instead of taking the entire month, which uses up our supplies, why not set a one or two-week deadline instead? That gives time to find what is needed but also leaves a few weeks' worth of supplies should the mission fail. It’s a bit of a compromise.” She hesitated as if she had more to say, then sat.

  Lincoln nodded, then glanced up and down the tables at his fellow council members. Most stared out or down as they examined their own thoughts. Lynn met his gaze. Was there a plea in those watery eyes? He frowned.

  “Is there anyone else who’d like to weigh in on this subject?”

  They handled a few more opinions and suggestions as well as questions, then Lincoln said, “Let’s put it to a vote. We have two. The first is whether to allow time for Bobby to locate more medical supplies. Council members?” He glanced to his right, then left. “The vote was unanimous. “The vote is carried seven zero.”

  He paused and swallowed. “The next vote is for the duration. Do we allow the full month or two weeks?” This time he started to his left. Caleb voted for a month, Maggie and Milo chose two weeks. He skipped himself for the moment. Elijah voted two weeks. Lynn and Caryn opted for a month. That left the decision to him as the final vote. He stewed over his decision, knowing his friend’s life held in the balance.

  “It’s true, Mark is my friend.” He heard Edwards moan then mumble something to the person sitting next to him. “He has been a good friend to all in this community. You have placed me in this position to do right by the community as a whole, regardless of my personal feelings. For the benefit of the community, I have to vote for two weeks.” He picked up the gavel and pounded. The motion is decided.” He flicked the gavel down, disgusted with himself, and sat back as the voices rose. He sighed then remembered Caryn still had to give her report. His hope was her presentation might shift the focus and lighten the mood.

  “Hold. Hold everyone. We still have one more council member to hear from. Caryn has some exciting news to share with you all. Please, give her your attention.”

  The willowy woman stood. “Yes, I am in charge of special events and activities and have some fun things planned. First, with Halloween a week away, I thought it might be nice to have a celebration. We’ll make it a joint Halloween and Fall Festival celebration. We don’t have a lot of children, but there’s enough that we can still have a costume contest and do trick or treating here to allow them to enjoy the occasion.”

  An excited buzz raced through the crowd. “I also want to do a Halloween party right here that same night.” That announcement was met with applause and cheers. “Adults can dress up too if they want. We’ll have a dance. We have some electricity reserved and should be able to play some music. A few of the teens have offered to do face painting. I have some ideas for fun activities and contests. I’ll have details tomorrow and will post them on the community bulletin board on the wall over there.” She pointed. “Volunteers are always appreciated. With everything that has happened to us all over the past six months, we deserve a chance to kick back and have some fun. Please, everyone join us. Thank you.”

  With that, Lincoln called the meeting adjourned, and the group began to disperse.

  “I’m going to hold you to that patchwork,” Milo said.

  Lincoln smiled. “Of course, you will. Don’t worry. Bright and early tomorrow morning.” He motioned everyone close. “I hadn’t realized there was such a divide in our ranks. We have to keep an eye on that so it doesn’t widen and destroy us. That means we have to work hard to keep everyone together. Caryn, I think your celebration is a good start. I also think the daily work groups are important as well. It’s hard to be against someone who stands next to you, working hard for unity. Just thought I’d mention it.”

  He stepped away from the tables and hunted for Bobby. He didn’t especially want to face him and definitely not his sister, but it had to be done if only to explain his reasoning. He spoke to a few people who stopped him along the way. He was polite but craned his neck to see over everyone. When he didn’t find them, he thought he knew where they’d be.

  He opened the door of the barn where the hospital was set up. To the right was the recovery room. A series of curtains separated eight beds. The two farthest back held the two comatose patients, Mark and Myron.

  When he pulled the front curtain aside, he found Jarrod, Bobby, and Becca. They had shifted the side curtain so both patients were visible. Becca turned her head away and folded her arms. “How could you? I thought you were Dad’s friend.”

  Lincoln sighed. In a soft voice he said, “I am his friend, Becca.”

  “Didn’t look like it.” She wiped her eyes and whirled to face him. Her anger grew with each word. “It looked to me like you gave in to that asshole and his followers.”

  “No. I didn’t vote because of him. My vote took into consideration everyone in our community. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever been forced to make, but from my position as council chairman, it was the right one. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the way it has to be.” He faced Bobby. “I will give you anything you need. A vehicle, food, weapons, whatever you think can help. I will protect your father and Myron. You won’t have to worry about what is happening here. That way, Becca can go too.”

  “How do we know we can trust you?”

  “Becca, come on.”

  “You won’t have to,” Jarrod said. “Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to your dad. That’s a guaranteed promise.”

  Lincoln sighed. Even Jarrod thought him a traitor. “Just let me know what you need.” He backed away and left.

  “YOU THINK WE CAN TRUST him?” Becca asked.

  “Come on, Sis, you know you can. He’s in a tough position, but he won’t let anything happen until we get back.”

  “He’s a busy man. What’s to stop someone else from coming in here and shutting everything off?”

  “Me,” Jarrod said. “I’ll camp out here if need be.”

  Becca gave him a hug. “You’re a good man, Jarrod. It is good Dad has at least one friend left.”

  “He has a lot more than one.”

  They all turned to see who had entered. Lynn stood there, eyes watering.

  “Yeah,” Becca said with attitude. “Who might they be?”

  Bobby said, “Sis, stop. Now.” His tone was forceful, and his eyes showed steel. Becca eyed him for a moment, then turned away.

  “May I?” Lynn pointed toward the bed.

  “Of course, Lynn,” Bobby said. “You are always welcome.”

  “Ha,” Becca said without turning.

  “Despite what you might think, Becca, I do love your dad. Just because we can’t live together doesn’t mean I don’t still care.” She moved toward the bed and gazed down at Mark’s unmoving body. The ventilator hissed and clapped, keeping his chest rising and falling. She brushed the hair from his forehead and whispered something in his ear. After wiping her eyes, she stood erect. “You will have nothing to fear. He will be well guarded. Good luck. I will pray for you.” With that, she exited.

  “We need to pack,” Bobby said.

  “You go. I want a few minutes alone with Dad. I’ll meet you out front.”

  “Doc met him at the door. Here’s a list of what we need. The fluids will be the hardest to find, even if they’re still good. They are also the most important. The other thing is I’m concerned about this ventilator. It’s old and is beginning to make sounds that make me think it’s on its last legs. If we lose it, we may lose him. On the other hand, if you can find me one of those three machines listed there, I can determine if Myron has any brain function. That changes things.”

  Bobby glanced at the list. It was lengthy.

  “The items near the bottom are more wish list. The priority is those items at the top.”

  He nodded, folded the paper, and stuck it in his back pocket. “We’ll do what we can. For both of them.”

  “This might help.” She gave him another list. “This is every hospital, medical facility, and urgent care center within fifty miles that I can think of. I’m sure there’s a lot more.”

  “Thank you.”

  She embraced him then stepped back. “Go with God, Bobby.”

  “I’ll go with whoever can help me find this stuff.” He smiled and left the building.

  Chapter Four

  After packing a duffel for an extended stay, Bobby went to the armory now housed in the garage. A wall had been erected and a locked door kept everyone from taking what they wanted as they once had done. As he stood in front of it, wondering if he should pick the lock, the door opened and Lincoln entered carrying the keys. “I thought you might be here.” He stepped in front of Bobby and inserted the key. “You weren’t thinking about breaking in, were you? Never mind. Don’t answer that.” He pushed the door open and stepped aside. “Please, just take what you need.”