Nothing Happens in Sommerville (Part Five)

The meeting with Tye had put a damper on Mallory’s day. She was trying her best to not think about his request—demand, actually—as she walked through the streets of Sommerville to the doctor’s office.

Cut the rations in half? Again? All because of a delayed delivery truck? It didn’t make sense.

What was worse was that they’d never raised them after the first reduction. It was only supposed to be for a week, but that had been a month ago. Mallory had stopped thinking about it since the food and supplies were still coming, but now she was pondering Tye’s words with worry. Was something wrong at their supplier’s compound? Were they about to face a food shortage?

A pleasant stroll outdoors usually cheered her up, but today it didn’t. Instead, she frowned at the cloudless blue sky and cheery ball of flames overhead. Mallory always joked with Bennet about how lucky they were to spend the end of the world in a place with perfect weather. She’d viewed the constant sunshine as a sign that things would get better eventually.

But now, with the worry of starvation on her mind, a sunny apocalypse felt like cruel irony. 

Her gaze drifted over toward the wall with a sigh. No matter what time of day it was, Bennet and the other watchers always seemed to be on break whenever she tried to look for them. Not that she was complaining. Her husband needed to relax more. Besides, with the weather consistently being as nice as it was, she couldn’t imagine anything too terrible waiting outside the wall.

It only took her around ten minutes to walk from her little bakery to the doctor’s office. She passed the quad serving as Sommerville’s park and waved at the neighbors lounging on the grass. Ever since the old amphitheater had crumbled into ruin, the small clearing had become the community’s main hub of activity. It was common to see all 90 of Sommerville’s residents on the lawn at dusk as they gathered to watch the sunset and listen to impromptu bands play music.

She always thought Sommerville must be luckier than all the other compounds to have such a lovely view.

The doctor’s office was in a grand marble building, the name of which had eroded years ago. During the first few years of Sommerville’s existence, turning one of the largest buildings into the makeshift hospital had been a wise precaution. But lately, with most of Sommerville’s sickest residents getting sent to the other compounds to be treated with better medical equipment, the giant structure looked oddly empty.

According to Tye, Somerville was built on the campus of an old university from the Before times. It had fallen from memory years before the End; almost all colleges had been irrelevant for decades in the Before times. The spattering of buildings now making up the homes and stores in Sommerville had only been left standing due to the old government’s laziness.

It worked out for Sommerville that no one had torn down the university. There was plenty of housing thanks to the residence halls, and the layout of the campus was easy to navigate. And with everything inside the wall being within walking distance, Sommerville felt cozily secure.

Mallory walked up the stairs just as the old wooden doors creaked open to allow a man whistling a jaunty tune to step outside. Perched on top of his locs was a carefully crafted flower crown, no doubt a gift from one of his students. He was dressed as fashionably as one could be with the scarce fabric available, and could have easily passed for a model if they were in the Before times. But here in Sommerville, Jayce Marsh was the compound’s schoolteacher, beloved by the parents and kids alike. 

His dark brown complexion lit up with a smile when he spotted Mallory. “Afternoon, Mals! How are you feeling today?”

“Oh, just perfect, Jayce,” she responded. “Feel like I could run a marathon right now, can’t you tell?”

“You look great. Very in shape,” he affirmed with a faux serious nod.

Mallory arched a brow. “Is the shape round?”

An infectious laugh burst from his lips at that. No matter what was going on, Jayce always seemed to see the bright side of things. 

He’d only been a teenager at the End, and yet Jayce was found right at Tye and Bennet’s sides during Sommerville’s founding. Mallory was the only resident who hadn’t been around since the compound’s inception, but she knew how vital Jayce was to keeping the community’s spirits up. Bennet and Tye always told her stories about the young school teacher, and how quick he’d been to step up when Sommerville needed him most.

And here he was, six years later, still bringing a smile to people’s faces while teaching the future generation—Sommerville’s most important resource and only hope for a better world.

“Round shapes are the best shapes, according to half my kids, anyway. Besides, what’s important is that you and the baby are both doing well,” Jayce said while giving her a hug. “Eden tells me everything is looking great for the both of you. Says you two are some of her easiest patients.”

“Considering most of her patients are under the age of twelve, I find that unsurprising,” Mallory said with a wry smile. “But I’ll take the compliment.”

“Careful, those are my students you’re talking about.” 

“And where are those students right now?” She looked around. “Today’s a school day, isn’t it?”

“Some of the kids made gifts for the hospital. Hope they’ll brighten up the place a bit,” he said, pointing at the flower crown. “Junie’s watching the class until I get back. I know she’s only 17, but I’m thinking about taking her on as an assistant. At this rate, I’ll need the help.” He gestured at Mallory’s stomach with a smile. “I might be facing a full classroom again. Not that I’m complaining. We all can’t wait for the newest Sommervillian to arrive.”

They both ignored the fact that even with Mallory and Bennet’s baby, that would still only leave Sommerville with fifteen children, most of whom hadn’t even hit the double digits. But between the hope in the schoolteacher’s dark brown eyes and the perfect sky above, Mallory could pretend things were looking up.

“You and me both,” Mallory said, thinking about the less pleasant side-effects of pregnancy. “And I know she’ll be in good hands. Bennet and I always say you’re the best teacher Sommerville could ever ask for.”

“She?” Jayce asked curiously. “Eden said it was too soon to tell at the last check-up.”

With a sheepish shrug, she rested a hand on her stomach. “I know. It’s just a feeling I have, that’s all.”

He nodded in understanding then pulled the door open for her. “Well, I don’t want to keep you any longer. And I should probably get back to my kids. Told Junie I’d only be a few minutes and it’s been,” he squinted in concentration before his eyes widened. “Oh, crap! A lot of minutes. I’ll see you later, Mals!”

Mallory watched him dash down the stairs and imagined the carefree, giggling students waiting for him. She looked at the people sprawled out on the quad, sun-bathing and enjoying the fresh air on their breaks from work. She took a deep breath, appreciating the perfect little life she and everyone else had been able to find in Sommerville, before her eyes strayed over to the wall. Frowning, she realized she still couldn’t see a single Wall Watcher. Bennet had said they were short-staffed, what with the other compounds needing their help so much, but she didn’t think it had been that bad.

A sharp kick from her impatient baby reminded her of the task at hand. Rubbing a hand against her belly with a quiet shushing sound, Mallory walked inside the hospital and tried not to think about the cracks in Sommerville’s veneer.