Page 56 of Night of the Living Manny
“I can’t call?” Susanna was working hard at keeping her voice even. Brenden could tell from her red cheeks.
“We talked about this, Suz.” Liam looked more and more tired.
“But I have friends down there. Friends that could be dying, and I need to help them.”
“It’s too late, Suz. Please, drop it.”
“This is your fault!”
“Yes, it is!” Liam slapped his hand on the table, making them all jump. “Mine and your mother’s. We were stupid enough to think we could stop this thing, when God knows that lab was determined to find an application for it. You think for one minute I don’t have people I want to call? That I don’t know you do? Look at Brenden. I never told him, and now all of you could get hurt. I know that!”
“I should have told my friends! I should have run away!”
“What do you want me to do? I was trying my best!” Liam asked. “I’ve been trying my best.”
Brittany began to cry, tears rolling down her face, and Peter stood up. “Stop it! You stop making Britt cry!”
“I’m sorry.” Liam slammed back from the table. “I have to get back to work.”
“Don’t go away, Daddy. I love you.” Brittany grabbed Liam’s hand. “Please. Please, Daddy! I’m so scared!”
Come on, man. You have to help these babies.
Liam pulled away, then stopped and grabbed Brittany up, holding her tight. “I love you too. All of you. I’m pretty scared, but we can do this.” He buried his face in her hair.
“This isn’t fair.” Susanna’s tears were right at the surface. “They didn’t deserve this.”
“No. None of us deserve this.”
Brenden put a hand on Susanna’s shoulder. “Maybe we all need to curl up and rest a bit.” They were all strung out.
“We can finish our sandwiches, then yeah. Let’s go curl up together. All of us.” Liam looked at Susanna, and Brenden could see the pleading and acknowledgment pass between them. Susanna sat back down, and so did Liam.
Britt stayed in Liam’s lap, face buried in his chest.
Peter wiped his eyes but never stopped munching his food.
Brenden sat as well, nibbling a carrot stick before feeding the rest to Moose. This was a tough job, partly because he felt like family at this point. They were all in it together, even when emotions were running this high.
Finally Liam stood, looking toward the main room.
“Go ahead, guys. I’ll be right there.” Brenden shooed everyone out of the kitchen so he could clean up just enough to keep Moose from eating the plates.
They gathered a dozen blankets and all the pillows and cushions, piling them together in a lump.
Blanket fort. It was perfect. Even Susanna was smiling by the time they were all under there. Even Moose, who lay on Brittany, making her squeal.
Liam’s eyelids were heavy already, face going lax, the stress lines easing.
They all needed rest. Yes, the world out there was going to hell, but Liam was never going to find a cure with no sleep and all that stress. He reached out, touched the small of Liam’s back.
The fact that Liam didn’t jump out of his skin was testament to how good an idea this was. Liam sank into the blankets, curling into him.
Brenden hummed, holding Liam close, not even grunting when Peter kicked his ankle, trying to get comfy. Susanna sighed softly, curling around a pillow. Liam reached out for her, stroking her spine.
She nodded, giving her dad a little smile, which Brenden figured was like a truce.
There wasn’t a winner in this mess. Not at all. But Brenden didn’t think Liam was at fault. No, he thought Liam had done the best he could with a terrible situation, and could have left the government to clean up their own mess. Maybe he was rationalizing, but this man was a good man.
