Nothing Happens in Sommerville (Part Seven)

Mallory couldn’t see. She couldn’t breathe. But she couldn’t stop.

She ran, faster than she’d ever run in her life, fighting her way through the overgrown branches scratching her cheeks and tearing at her hair. Her eyes stung at the toxic fumes infesting the air and creeping into her lungs. Gasping, choked breaths were all she could manage, and still Mallory didn’t stop.

Stopping meant certain death.

Scalding liquid splashed up her legs as she stepped in a puddle. It took all her strength to hold back a scream as the polluted water burned against her skin with a low hiss. It hurt, but she told herself the pain would fade.

Mallory tried not to think about how the bite mark on her right leg had only grown more agonizing with each passing second.

The wound burned like a bucket of acid had been dumped on her leg, but she hadn’t had a chance to evaluate the damage. There had not been any time to stop, not since her compound had collapsed. A tear rolled down her face as she thought about those last few moments before everything fell apart. The looks of horror as everyone braced themselves for the inevitable. Their leader making desperate SOS calls to anyone that would listen on a comms system that hadn’t received a single message in months. The sound of the dome shattering underneath the waiting swarm of mutated creatures.

Mallory hadn’t been the only one to run. Those who hadn’t been crushed by the collapsing structure had all fled through the tunnels their supply trucks used. People were pressed against the doors, screams of pain and terror filling the air as the crowd pushed and pushed and pushed until a Wall Watcher finally managed to unlock the doors. Mallory remembered running over the trampled bodies, her remorse no match for her fear of those things chasing her.

Those monsters had killed everyone. Her friends, her sister, her fiancé— all ripped to pieces by those relentless beasts. She’d only gotten away because her lover had pried the creature’s jaws off her leg, his final words a scream for her to run. It had been too dark to even see his face one last time.

The tears ran anew as the cacophony of monstrous snarls and growls echoed behind her, growing closer and closer with each labored step. There was a foul scent of rot in the air, as if Death itself was the shrieking creature chasing her. She knew she couldn’t slow down, but she was so tired. Her run had turned into a stumbling lurch, before her leg fully gave out.

Gritting her teeth, Mallory began to crawl, dragging the dead weight of her leg behind her and ignoring the fact she couldn’t feel it anymore. She clawed her way through putrid, steaming puddles and jagged heaps of rubble. Not once did she look back. If the creatures had given up, there was no point in losing her head start. And if they hadn’t… Well, why would she want to see her death coming? 

The night began to lighten into a greyish dawn. She told herself this was a sign to keep going. Her heart raced when she saw something looming ahead, hope returning in a rush at the sight of an in-tact dome and wall—

“So sorry about the wait, Mallory. Generator’s been acting up again.”

The friendly voice startled Mallory out of her thoughts with a gasp. She touched her right leg, tracing the smooth wood beneath her fingers, before resting both hands on her stomach. A relieved sigh escaped as she felt movement. Her pulse slowed as she took in the brightly lit room, the sterile white walls and shiny equipment, and the recent addition of a chain of daisies carefully pinned to the door.

“Jayce’s contribution,” Dr. Eden Sawyer said, following Mallory’s gaze. She tucked a loose strand of her raven-black hair behind her ears with an affectionate smile. “Says it was the kids’ idea, but that hopeless romantic has never been a good liar.”

“I wouldn’t say he’s entirely hopeless,” Mallory said, catching the blush on Eden’s cheeks. The young doctor reddened more. “You know, Bennet and Tye were planning on throwing a dinner party for Jayce’s birthday. I could probably give them a suggestion on the seating arrangements.”

Eden glared at the sing-songy tone as she approached. She had only just finished med school and begun her residency when everything fell apart. Eden had been thrust into the role of Sommerville’s lead physician when their old doctor fell ill and was sent to an outside compound a few years ago. Despite her youth, Eden had learned a lot under his teaching, and was as good a doctor as any Mallory had experienced in the Before times.

It didn’t hurt that Eden had been one of her first friends in Sommerville, aside from Tye. Under different circumstances, Mallory might have been frightened at the idea of having a baby in this strange world they all lived in. But Eden always managed to remove her fears. 

Eden slid her stethoscope from around her shoulders, brandishing it like a weapon as she pulled up a chair beside Mallory. “I should have known that super sweet baker routine was all a lie. You’re just as much of a meddler as Tye is,” she accused teasingly.

Mallory lifted her shirt up enough to expose her pregnant belly and grinned. “It’s only because I care about you.”

“Exactly what he would say,” Eden muttered. She winked at Mallory and pressed the stethoscope bell to her stomach. “At least save your scheming for after the baby’s born, okay? All your checkups have been good, but I don’t want to take any chances while so much of our equipment is down.”

Despite her nod of understanding, Mallory’s brows knit together with worry. She remained silent as Eden listened to her growing baby while her mind raced in a thousand different directions. Sommerville’s medical equipment had been falling apart for a while now. It was getting harder to maintain everything with their limited resources. She didn’t understand why the other compounds couldn’t just lend them some of their own equipment while theirs was getting repaired. Surely it had to be easier than taking in Sommerville’s sickest members?

“Heartbeat sounds strong. That’s always a good sign.” Eden rose from her seat to retrieve a pen and clipboard. “How’s your appetite been?”

“Um good, I guess? I’ve been trying to follow the diet you recommended, but…” She faltered at the thought of the rations being cut again.

Eden nodded sympathetically. “It can be tricky, I know. But the supply truck will get repaired and things will start going back to normal soon. Just do the best you can in the meantime and try not to exert yourself too much.” She nodded toward Mallory's prosthetic. "Everything good with the leg? No unusual pain or anything?"

"Aside from the occasional phantom itch, it's mostly fine."

"Mostly?" She studied Mallory with a shrewd frown. "What do you mean mostly?"

Mallory knew she shouldn't have said anything. Eden was unfairly observant at times.

"It's nothing," she answered hurriedly. "It's just. . . Some mornings I wake up and it hurts. Like really hurts. Almost as badly as after the accident."

"Hm." Eden's frown grew more concerned. “How are your stress levels?”

“Stress? What stress?” Mallory said with a false laugh. “I’m not stressed. Who said anything about me being stressed? What do I even have to be stressed about?”

“Apparently a lot," Eden said wryly. “What’s on your mind, Mallory? Everything alright?”

“Yes, of course everything is alright,” Mallory snapped, harsher than she intended. Her face burned under Eden’s stare. “I’m sorry. I’m fine, really I am. I’ve just been having some difficulty falling asleep lately and I guess it’s getting to me more than I thought.”

“Difficulty from the baby?”

“Yeah, that. But mostly, it’s this stupid nightmare I’ve been having." She let out a frustrated huff of air. "Every time I have it, I wake up with my leg hurting."

"Well, that's not too unusual. You went through a traumatic experience, Mallory. You're bound to have the occasional bad dream----"

"I'm not having nightmares about my wreck in the supply truck," Mallory interrupted. She shivered as the memory of her dream ran through her mind once again. “It's about the compound collapsing.”

“Oh. I see." Eden furrowed her brow and scribbled something on her clipboard. "That would certainly cause some stress. When did these nightmares start?”

“I guess it really started about two months ago. It’s weird though. The compound doesn’t look the same and the people don’t look familiar, but it must be Sommerville because I know the failed compound in my dream is my home.” She met Eden’s sympathetic gaze. “Look, I know it’s not real. Sommerville’s fine, Bennet’s fine, everyone is safe, I know that. But this nightmare, it just feels so,” Mallory struggled to find the words. “Vivid. Every time I wake up, it feels like it actually happened. And I don’t know how to make it stop.”

Eden had been listening with a mix of interest and confusion. She leaned back in her seat with a severe expression as she weighed Mallory’s words. Her lips pulled into a tight line and she tapped her pen against her clipboard. Finally, the doctor took a slow breath and spoke.

“Well, I’m glad that you have been doing a good job of reminding yourself what is and isn’t real. The last thing we need is for your body to be in a constant state of stress from some fake threat.” She took Mallory’s hand and squeezed it. “A nightmare about something happening to Sommerville is understandable. You’re having a baby, Mallory. That’s an exciting and scary thing. I’m sure that this nightmare is just your subconscious running wild with all the possibilities that could go wrong. But nothing’s going to go wrong, alright? We’re all here for you. You and this baby are safe.”

Her throat tightened but she managed a half-hearted nod. “I know. Thank you, Eden. It’s like you said, I’m probably just worrying over nothing.”

“That’s what mothers do, I’m afraid.” Eden flashed her a bright smile and patted her hand once more before rising to her feet. “I can’t do much for nightmares, other than recommend you talk to Bennet about them. He might be able to offer some insight that I can’t. Or at the very least remind you that you have a dashing, muscular Wall Watcher at your side who will protect you from all harm.”

Shaking her head with a laugh, Mallory brushed off Eden’s overly dramatic swoon and batting eyelashes. The rest of her check-up proceeded like normal and she was told once again that her baby was perfectly healthy. As she waved goodbye to Eden and stepped into the sunshine outside, she looked at the wall. It seemed ridiculous to fear that something that solid could break.

"It's just a stupid dream," Mallory told herself firmly. "It doesn't matter how vivid it is. It's not real."

Resting her hands on her stomach for comfort, she made up her mind that she would talk to Bennet about her nightmare. She’d tell him all about her conversation with Tye, and the fear she felt about the new rations.

And then she’d ask him to take her up on the wall so she could see just how safe the world outside really was and put her worries to rest.