Chapter 76 Chapter 75

Nick and Tom walked side by side on the empty sidewalk.The wind was howling, and an endless train was speeding in the dark sky, making a strange low roar. "Jesus!" Tom would have turned and run if he had been awake, but he wasn't awake—not quite sober—and Nick was beside him.The cold rain and snowflakes kept hitting Tom in the face. "You know what? I almost died," Nick said. "Are you close?" asked Tom. "My God!" Nick smiled.His voice was deep and thick, very pleasant to hear.Tom loves to hear Nick talk. "Just a little bit. The cold didn't do me much, but the cut in my leg almost killed me. Look, here."

Nick said as he unbuttoned his belt and took off his jeans, as if he didn't feel the cold at all.Tom bent down curiously.Nick had a horrific, partially healed scar on his leg that started at the base of his thigh and zigzagged over his knee to mid-calf. "Did that almost kill you?" Nick put on his pants and fastened his belt. "The wound is not deep, but it's infected. Infection is when the virus gets in. Infection is the most dangerous, Tom. The super flu virus kills people through infection." "Infection," Tom murmured fascinatedly.They then walked forward, as if floating on the sidewalk.

"Tom, Stu is now infected." "No...no, don't say that, Nick...you, you frightened Tom, my God, you frightened me." "I know, Tom, I'm sorry. But you must understand that he's been sleeping out in the field for two weeks, and he's got pneumonia, and now there's something you have to do for him. Even if you did, he'd still probably die, You have to be mentally prepared." "no, do not want." "Tom," Nick said, putting his hand on Tom's shoulder, but Tom didn't feel it, as if Nick's hand was just a puff of smoke. "If he dies, you and Kojak must go on. You're going back to Boulder and telling them you saw the hand of God in the desert. If God has mercy on Stu, Stu will go back with you... …If God wants Stu to die, he will die, like me."

"Nick," pleaded Tom, "don't..." "There's a reason I showed you my leg injury. There's medicine for infection, and it's in a place like this..." Tom looked around and was surprised to see that they were no longer in the street but in a dark shop--a pharmacy.A wheelchair was attached to the ceiling of the room by piano wire, like a hideous robotic corpse.To Tom's right is a sign that reads: First Aid Medicine. "Sir, what do you want to buy?" Tom turned and Nick stood behind the counter in a white coat. "Nick?" "Yes, sir," Nick set the vials in front of Tom. "This is penicillin, which is good for pneumonia, and this is ampicillin, and this is amoxicillin, both of which are effective. And this is V-penicillin, which is usually given to children, but if the other drugs don't work, it's okay. You can try it. Stu must drink more water and juice, which may not be found, so give him this: vitamin C. Also, you must help him walk..."

"I can't remember that much!" cried Tom. "I'm afraid you must remember. No one can help you but yourself." Tom began to cry. Nick took a step forward and waved his hand.There was no "snap"—again Tom felt Nick brush past him like smoke, perhaps through him—but Tom's head was thrown back as well, and it was as if he heard the "snap" in his head. sound. "Don't cry. You're not a child, Tom! Be a man! God, be a man!" Tom covered his face with one hand and looked at Nick with wide eyes. "Remember to walk him," Nick said. "Help him up on his legs first. Pull him up if necessary."

"Stu wasn't Stu," said Tom, "he used to yell—yelling at people who didn't exist!" "He's unconscious, so help him go too. Give him regular penicillin, one tablet at a time. Keep warm so he doesn't freeze. Pray, that's all you have to do and you can do." "Well, Nick, I'll try to be a man, and I'll try to remember your words. But I want you here. I long for you to be here!" "Do what you can, Tom, all right." Nick is gone.Tom woke up and found himself standing at the counter of a pharmacy.Four vials of pills stood on a glass plate on the counter.Tom stared at the bottles for a long time, then put them away.

At 4am, Tom returned with ice on his shoulders.The snow outside is much lighter, and a ray of dawn is gradually showing in the east.Kojak cried out in ecstasy, and Stu groaned and woke up too. Tom knelt beside him and called, "Stu!" "Tom, I can't breathe." "Here I get the medicine, Stu, Nick gave it to me. You take the medicine and the infection will be fine. You have to take a pill now." Tom took four bottles of medicine and a large bottle of juice from his bag-Nick was wrong. Yes, he thought there was no juice.Tom found a lot of juice in the supermarket in Green River.

Stu picked up the medicine bottle and put it in front of his eyes, "Tom, where did you find it?" "Drugstore, Nick found it for me." "No, it's impossible." "Really, it's true! You have to take the penicillin first, and the guard doesn't work. Which bottle says penicillin?" "This bottle...but, Tom..." "No, you have to take your medicine first, that's what Nick said. And you have to get up and walk." "I can't walk, I have a broken leg, and I'm so sick." Stu's voice seemed a little angry—it was the voice of a patient.

"You must go, or I'll drag you along," said Tom. Stu fainted again.Tom put a penicillin in his mouth, and Stu swallowed the tablet automatically with the juice, without choking.Stu coughed suddenly and violently, and Tom patted him on the back as if nursing a baby.Then he tugged on Stu, got him up on his good leg, and dragged him down the hall, dragging him.Kojak followed them anxiously. "Please, God," said Tom, "please, God, please, God." Stu yelled suddenly, "I know where I can get a washboard, Gran! It's in the music store. I saw it in the window."

"Please, God," Tom gasped in prayer.Stu's head hung like a furnace on Tom's shoulder, and the injured leg trailed straight behind. On that brooding morning, Boulder seemed infinitely far away. Stu battled pneumonia for two weeks.During this period, he drank various brands of apple juice, grape juice, orange juice, bottle after bottle.But Stu didn't know what he was drinking.His urine was profuse, with a sour smell; his stool was yellow and loose, and he was completely incontinent, like a baby.Tom kept him clean and insisted on dragging him around the hall every day.

Two days after taking the penicillin Stu developed a horrible rash.After Tom switched to ampicillin, it worked much better. On the morning of October 7th, Tom woke up to find that Stuby had slept as soundly as usual, and his whole body seemed to be soaked in sweat, but his forehead was cold-the fever finally subsided last night.For the next two days, Stu just slept.Tom often had to struggle to wake him up to take his medication. On October 11, Stu's illness returned.Tom was really worried that this would be the end of Stu's life, but this time his temperature was not as high as before, and his breathing was not so short and heavy. On October 13, a tired Tom fell asleep in a chair and woke up to find Stu sitting there, looking around. "Tom," he said softly, "I'm still alive?" "Alive," cried Tom joyfully, "for God's sake, alive!" "I'm hungry, can you make me some soup, Tom? You'd better add some noodles, please?" By the 18th, Stu had some strength.Tom brought back a pair of crutches from the pharmacy, and Stu was able to walk the hall for five minutes at a time on crutches.The broken leg also began to heal, and the itching of the wound was unbearable. On the 20th, he was wearing thick underwear and a sheepskin coat, and spent a while outside for the first time. The sun was shining outside, but there was a hint of chill.In Boulder, it's just mid-autumn, with golden aspen leaves everywhere, but here winter is palpably near.Where the sun didn't shine, Stu could see patches of frozen snow. "I'm not sure, Tom," Stu said, "but I think we'll make it to Grand Junction. After that it's hard to say. There's going to be deep snow on the mountains. Well, I can't take a step now, I'll just have to wait The body has fully recovered." "How long will that take, Stu?" "I don't know, Tom, just wait." Stu made up his mind that he must not act too hastily, and he must not go too early-he who was once only one step away from death now cherishes his rejuvenating life a hundred times more.He hopes to make a full recovery physically. They left the lobby and moved into two communicating rooms on the first floor of the hotel.The room across the corridor became Kojak's makeshift apartment.Stu's leg recovered day by day, but because it was not spliced ​​properly, it would not be as straight as before, unless George Richardson broke the leg and reattached it.As it is now, even if it gets better, without crutches, it can only be a lame leg. Stu began exercising his injured leg in an effort to maximize its recovery.It would also take a long time to regain 75 percent of the broken leg's mobility, but Stu understood he had a winter to work out. On October 28, five feet of snow fell in Green River. "If we don't act quickly," Stu said to Tom, looking out at the snow, "we'll be stuck in the Utah Hotel all winter." The next day, Stu and Tom drove to a gas station on the outskirts of the city.They removed the two flat tires and replaced them with a pair of brand new snow tires.They stopped several times between changing the tires, and Tom did the hard work.Stu considered switching to a four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle, but on second thought, decided they should trust their luck.Finally Tom loaded a big forty or fifty-pound sandbag on top of the car.They left Green River and headed east. At noon on November 2, they reached Grand Junction.The sky has been dull gray all morning.No sooner had the car turned onto Center Street in the city than the first flakes of snow fell on the hood of Plymouth.They also encountered a few light snowfalls along the way, but this time it was by no means as simple as a few snowflakes.Judging by the weather, a blizzard is approaching. "Find a place," Stu said. "We might have to live here for a while." Tang Thumb pointed to a building ahead and said, "There! The hotel with the star on top." The building with the star on top is the Holiday Inn Grand Junction.The placard in front of the hotel reads in huge red letters: 1990 Summer Festival June 22-July 4. "Okay," said Stu, "stay at the Holiday Inn." Stu stopped and turned off the engine, thinking that the car might never start again.At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the scattered snowflakes gradually turned into a thick white snow curtain, hanging down from the sky quietly.It snowed heavily all night.When Stu and Tom woke up the next morning, they saw Kojak standing in front of the huge double doors in the foyer, gazing out at the still white world beyond.A blue jellyfish was hopping up and down on a sunshade that had been overwhelmed by the side of the street. "Jesus," said Tom, "we're snowed, aren't we, Stu?" Stu nodded. "Then how do we get back to Boulder?" "We'll wait until spring," Stu replied. "Wait that long?" Tom was a little disappointed.Stu put his arms around the older boy's shoulders. "Winter will pass," said Stu.Even he himself wasn't sure if they could wait that long. From time to time, Stu's groans and gasps could be heard in the darkness.Finally, he woke up from his dream with a loud cry, half sat up with his elbows propped up, and stared at everything in pitch black with his eyes wide open.Stu sighed and reached for the lamp on the bedside table.He "cracked" twice before he woke up - it's ridiculous, how long it takes to forget the dependence on electricity.Stu found a gas lamp and lit it, used the chamber pot for a moment, then sank back into the chair by the table.He looked at his watch, it was 3:15 in the morning. Dreaming about Franny again.nightmare. Always, Franny howled in pain, sweat beading her face.Richardson stood between her legs, with Laurie Constable helping him.Franny's legs rest on stainless steel supports. Push hard, Franny, come out soon.You did very well. Stu saw through George's masked eyes that Franny wasn't doing well.There was an accident.Laurie wiped the sweat from Franny's face with a sponge, and pushed back the hair that fell from her forehead. Dystocia! whose voice?An ethereal, malevolent voice.The low voice seems to have an echo, as if it was played slowly by a tape recorder. Dystocia! GEORGE'S VOICE: Better call Dick and tell him we might have to take... Laurie's voice: Doctor, she's bleeding... Stu lit a cigarette, which smelled strongly of mustiness, but after a nightmare, doing anything seemed a relief.It was a dream, just a dream.You're not going to mess up anything, this is a typical machismo thinking.Well, forget it, Stuart, she's all right, not all dreams come true. Recently, however, too many nightmares have become reality.He always felt that this constant nightmare about Franny was heralding some kind of ending for him. Stu stubbed out his cigarette in the middle of it.He stared blankly at the slowly burning gas lamp.Today is December 29th, and they have been stuck at the Holiday Inn for almost a week.Time passed slowly, and they found a little fun in wandering around the town every day with nothing to do. Stu found a medium-sized Honda generator in a warehouse off Grand Avenue.He and Tom hauled it on the chains to the sled and carried it back to the town meeting hall across the hotel. "What do we use it for?" asked Tom. "Powering the restaurant?" "There's not enough power to power the restaurant," Stu said. "Then what? Then what's the purpose of bringing it back?" "You'll know." Stu got a little impatient. They put the generator in the switch room in the assembly hall, and Tom quickly forgot about it—just as Stu had hoped.The next day, he drove a snowmobile by himself to the movie theater in town.During an earlier search, he found an old 35mm mobile movie projector, wrapped in plastic sheeting, in a storage room on the second floor of the cinema.Judging from the thick dust on top, it had been forgotten there for a long time.Stu first hung it from a second-story window with a rope, and then transported it to the car with the help of sleds and chains. Stu's leg was healing well, but it still took him almost three hours to lug the projector from the foyer to the middle of the assembly hall.Stu had been hoping that Tom would happen to be passing by and that the work would go faster with Tom's help, but it would be less of a surprise.But Tom was obviously busy with his own business, and Stu didn't see him all day.Around 5:00 p.m., Tom returned with a scarf wrapped around his head and his face flushed with cold.At this time, the surprise for him was also prepared. Stu brought back 6 movies from the cinema.After dinner, Stu said casually, "Follow me to the assembly hall, Tom." "do what?" "You'll know when you go." Through the snow-covered streets came the assembly hall.At the door, Stu hands Tom a box of popcorn. "What's this for?" asked Tom. "You can't watch a movie without popcorn, you idiot." Stu grinned. "Movie!" "right." Tom rushed into the hall, the projector was set up in front of him, a huge screen hung in front of him, and two folding chairs were placed in the middle of the empty hall. "Wow!" Tom exclaimed, with the look of surprise on his face that Stu wanted to see. "I used to work in a movie theater for three summers," Stu said, "and if it breaks in half, I hope I haven't forgotten how to fix it." "Wow," said Tom again. "We have to wait for a while to change discs. I don't plan to go back and move another one." Stu stepped over the messy connection between the projector and the generator, walked to the generator, and turned on the switch.The generator was running happily.Stu closed the door to the switch room, blocking the light and noise from inside. Five minutes later, they sat side by side in the center of the hall, watching Stallone's "Rambo IV - Fighting Fire".The hall reverberated with Dolby Stereo sound from 16 speakers, sometimes so loud that dialogue could not be heard clearly...but they enjoyed it nonetheless. Thinking of this, Stu smiled.Some might laugh at him for being a fool—he could get a VCR, hook it up to a TV, and watch a hundred movies while staying at the Holiday Inn.But Stu always thinks that watching movies on TV is very different from watching movies in a movie theater, and that is not the main reason. The main reason is simple: they have to kill time. Moreover, one of them is the latest Disney cartoon "Oliver and Friends", which has never been released on video.Tom watched it over and over again, laughing like a kid. In addition to watching movies, Stu has made more than 20 models, including a $65 Royce-Rolls sedan made of 240 parts.Tom built a strange but spectacular model that took up nearly half of the hotel's function room, using a variety of materials and colors.Tom himself called it Alpha Moonbase.True, they've been busy, but... What you think is crazy. Stu's legs were better, much straighter than he'd hoped, thanks in part to the Holiday Inn's gym and all the machines.Although still stiff and sore, he was able to walk with a limp without a cane.They don't have to worry too much, everything takes their time.Work out 20 miles a day, pack tents, big sleeping bags, lots of concentrate. Of course, when the avalanche of Valley Pass rolls down, you and Tom can wave a dried carrot and tell it to go away!It's crazy. Stu stubbed out his cigarette and turned off the light.It was a long time before he fell asleep again. At breakfast, Stu asked, "Tom, how much do you really want to go back to Boulder?" "Going to see Franny? Dick? Sandy? Gosh, I'd love nothing more than being back in Boulder. They ain't going to tear down my little house, Stu?" "No, I'm sure not. I mean, is it worth trying for you?" Tom looked at him puzzled.Stu was about to explain further when Tom said, "My God! You can try anything, can't you?" It was so simple to decide. They left Grand Junction on the last day of November. Tom learned the basics of snowmobile driving without being taught.Stu spotted a large snowmobile at the Colorado Highway Department less than a mile from the Holiday Inn.The car is equipped with a super powerful engine, a fairing that can reduce the wind, and most importantly, this modified car has a large open storage cabinet, which is large enough for a large dog to lie down comfortably. It is estimated that this was previously used to house various emergency equipment.There are plenty of shops selling outdoor activities in the city, and it didn't take much for Stu and Tom to gear up.The equipment included: light tents, thick sleeping bags, a pair of skis each (although the thought of teaching Tom to ski Stu gave me a headache), a large kerosene stove, kerosene lamps, kerosene, batteries, food concentrate, a mobile phone with a telescope. rifle. Before setting off, Stu had been terrified that they would be trapped in the snow and starve to death.On the first day after departure, he found that his worries were unnecessary.The woods were full of game, more than he had ever seen before.Towards dusk that day, Stu shot a deer.It was the first he had shot since ninth grade.He hit the last one when he skipped school and went hunting with Uncle Dale.The deer was very thin, and the meat tasted very strong and bitter.Uncle Dale said it was because of the nettles it ate.This time it was a strong stag.Stu got a big knife from a sporting goods store before he set off, and as he sliced ​​open the buck, he thought, Winter is really here.Nature has her own way of dealing with "overpopulation." Tom built a fire, and Stu picked the venison bit by bit, and the sleeves of the coat were spattered with deer blood, which became sticky and hard.It was late when Stu finished picking the meat.He sat on the ground for so long that his injured leg started to hurt again.He and Uncle Dale shot the deer and then sent it to an old man named Scholler on the outskirts of Bury, who skinned the deer and made it into a leather jacket. The price was 3 dollars and 10 pounds of venison. "I wish old Scholler was here tonight." Stu said to himself, taking a deep breath. "Who?" Tom asked. "Nothing, Tom. I'm talking to myself." The venison was delicious.When they were full, Stu roasted another 30 pounds of meat for the car tomorrow morning.On the first day, they only covered 16 miles. That night, Stu's dream changed.Still in the delivery room, surrounded by blood—the sleeves of the white coat he was wearing were sticky and stiff, and the sheet covering Franny was soaked in blood.Franny was still howling in pain. Almost out, George gasped.It's time, Franny, it's time to give birth, go hard!Work hard! The child came out, squeezed out of a pool of blood.It is reverse life, the legs come out first.George grabbed the baby by the hips and pulled him all the way out. Laurie screamed, and the pincers and clips scattered all over the floor. The baby is a wolf!With a wolf body and a ferocious face, it was his face, Flagg's face, he came back again, he was not dead, Flagg was still wandering in the world, Franny gave birth to Flagg. Stu woke up with his own heavy breathing still ringing in his ears. Had he screamed? Tom was still fast asleep, huddled in his sleeping bag with only a few locks of hair showing.Kojak curled up next to Stu.Everything works, it's just a dream. Suddenly, there was a howl in the dark night, from far to near, getting louder and louder, like a terrifying song echoing in the air... The howl of a wolf, maybe it was an evil spirit. Kojak looked up alertly. Stu got pimples all over his body. The screaming died away. Stu fell asleep again.The next morning, they packed their bags and started on the road again.Tom noticed that the deer's guts were gone.Yesterday's blood turned into a dark red blot, and everything else was normal. Taking advantage of 5 sunny days, they arrived in Raifel.When I woke up the next morning, the snowstorm came again.Stu thought it necessary to wait a few days here, and they moved into a local hotel.Tom held the gate, and Stu drove the car directly into the lobby of the hotel.Stu told Tom that it was a convenient garage.However, the car's heavy tracks crushed the hall floor. It snowed for 3 days. After waking up early in the morning on December 10, they dug through the snow in front of the door and walked out. The sun was shining outside and the temperature rose to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.The snow was thick, and it was getting harder to make out Interstate 70 beneath the snow, but that wasn't Stu's concern.At dusk, Stu stopped the car suddenly, cut off the engine, and listened with his neck straightened. "What's that sound, Stu? It's..." Tom heard it too.From their left came a booming sound, which grew louder and sounded like a train speeding by in front of them, but soon died away, and the surroundings returned to silence. "Stu?" Tom asked anxiously. "Don't worry," thought Stu, "I'm the only one to worry." The temperature has been high.By December 13 they were close to the Shoshone, still climbing toward the summit of the Rocky Mountains, which would be the highest point of their journey, before descending to Loveland Pass. Along the way they heard the roar of avalanches many times, sometimes so far away, sometimes so close that you had to stop and pray that the white death would not fall from the sky. On the 12th, the avalanche occurred in the place where they had just left half an hour ago. Tons of snow buried all the wheel marks of the car.Stu was increasingly afraid that the noise of the engine would trigger an avalanche sooner or later, and they might be crushed under forty feet of snow before they knew what was happening.But now they are powerless to prevent it, so they have to bite the bullet and move on, praying that the worst will not happen. Soon, the temperature plummeted and the threat disappeared for a while.But what followed was a snowstorm that trapped them for another two days.The snow stopped, and they dug a road to move on... In the night, the howling of the wolf came again, sometimes far and sometimes near, and sometimes it made you feel as if it was outside the tent, causing Kojak to stand up vigilantly, Whining in a low voice, his body tensed like a taut spring.But the temperature was still cold and the number of avalanches was much less, although they came close on the 18th. On December 22 outside Avon, Stu drove his car off the road.They were traveling at only 10 miles per hour when the accident happened, and they were safe, watching the piles of snow gradually being left behind, and both of them were in a good mood.Tom found a small village buried in the snow in the distance, with only some roofs and the white spire of a church exposed, as still as an image from a stereo projector.Tom was about to point it out to Stu when the car's tracks suddenly began to slip and the car lurched sideways. "Damn it..." Before Stu could swear, the car was almost completely upright.In a panic, Stu slammed on the brakes, but it was too late.What followed was a feeling of weightlessness, as if they had just jumped off a jumping platform and they were thrown headfirst out of the car.For a moment, Stu felt cold snow stuffed up his nostrils.He opened his mouth to shout, but the snow was stuffed into his mouth and throat again.Stu felt himself rolling in the snow, and finally stopped in a deep pile of snow. Stu crawled out of the snowdrift like a swimmer.Panting heavily.His throat was sore from the cold. "Tom!" Stu yelled, stepping through the snow.From where he was now he could clearly see the barrier of the road and where they had rushed down the road.The bottom of the slope was about 10 feet from the road, and the end of the car plunged into the thick snow below the slope, with only the rear sticking out like a yellow buoy.By the way, is Tom buried? "Tom! Tom!" Kojak emerged from the snow looking as if it was covered in powdered sugar from tip to tip.Kojak scrambled towards Stu with his belly sticking to the snow. "Kojak!" Stu yelled. "Go to Tom! Go to Tom!" Kojak yelled, turned around, crawled hard to a pile of snow, stopped, and yelled again.Something seemed to be stirring under the snowdrift.Stu stumbled all the way there, inserted one hand into the snow, grabbed Tom's coat, and lifted it desperately, Tom was pulled out of the snow, panting heavily, and kept spitting out the snow in his mouth. .The two were so tired that they fell on their backs in the snow.Tom jumped up and cried out, "My throat! It hurts! Oh, God, it hurts!" "It's frozen, Tom, and it'll be ready in a minute." "I'm about to choke to death..." "It's all right, Tom, we're all right." As they lay on the snow, Stu put an arm on Tom's shoulder to help him calm down.In the distance, there was another rumble of an avalanche. The rest of the day was spent on the road to Avon, even though the rollover was less than a mile from Avon.It was impossible to dig out the cars or the supplies, they were buried too deep.At least, they'll have to stay there until spring—perhaps forever. They reached Evan around 6:30 p.m.The journey was icy and snowy, and when they arrived, they were so cold that they just wanted to make a fire and find a warm place to sleep.That night they were too tired to even dream. Early the next morning, Stu and Tom set about re-equipping.It's a much harder job to do in a small town like Avon than it is in Grand Junction.Again it occurred to Stu to stop and spend the winter here—and Tom would have no objection if he thought it was right.But in the end Stu gave up the plan.The child will be born in early January, and he hopes that he will be by his side when the child is born, and he wants to see with his own eyes that both mother and child are safe. There was a Derry dealership at the end of Avon Street.In the garage behind the store's showroom, they found two old Derry snowmobiles.Although they were nowhere near as large as the previous one, one was equipped with widened, non-skid tracks.Stu figured this one would get by.No concentrated food was found in the town, so they had to find a lot of canned food to fill up.The afternoon task was to go door to door looking for camping gear.Neither Stu nor Tom likes the job.The bodies of the victims were everywhere, and the whole village was like an exhibition of weird ancient human ruins. By dark, they had found most of what they needed.Stu and Tom put them in the car carefully, trying out new sleeping bags and tents.When the first stars rise in the night sky, they finish their work for the day.Stu decided to stay one more night in Evan. As Stu drove slowly back to the house where they had spent the night last night, a thought popped into his mind: Tomorrow would be Christmas Eve.Time is unbelievably fast.But the calendar on Stu's watch confirmed it, and they had been out of Grand Junction for over 3 weeks. When they got to the door, Stu said, "You and Kojak go in and light the fire first, I have a little thing to do." "What's the matter, Stu?" "Well, that was a surprise," Stu said. "Surprise? May I know?" "certainly." "When?" Tom's eyes sparkled. "Two days later." "Tom Curran can't wait two days, God, can't wait." "Tom Curran has to wait." Stu grinned and said, "I'll be back in an hour, so just wait patiently." "okay." Stu went out for an hour and a half before returning.Tom pressed him for a while longer, but Stu kept silent.By the time they were going to bed Tom had forgotten about it. In the dark, Stu said, "I guess you must be thinking how good it would be if we were in Grand Junction, aren't you?" "God, no," Tom yawned, "I want to get back to my cabin as soon as possible. I really hope we don't go off the road and get buried in the snow, Tom Curran almost Choked to death." "We've got to drive slower," Stu said.He didn't want to discuss what would happen to them if this happened again and there were no villages nearby. "When do you think we'll be there, Stu?" "It's going to take a while, but we can definitely go back. I think the thing to do now is get some more sleep, don't you?" "I think so." Stu put out the fire. That night he dreamed that Franny and her horrific wolf-child were both dead in childbirth.He heard George Richardson say in the distance: It's the flu virus, no babies will survive, because of the virus, pregnancy is death.We are all finished, human beings are finished, because of the flu virus. From far to near, there was another terrifying maniacal laughter from the man in black. The day before Christmas they traveled well, and did not stop to camp until late in the evening.There is a thick layer of hard crust frozen on the snow surface, and the car is easy to drive.They all wear sunglasses in case of snow blindness. On Christmas Eve, they pitched their tent on Snow Shell, 24 miles from Avon, not far from Silverton.They were at the mouth of Loveland Pass, not far to the east of the Eisenhower Tunnel, which was supposed to be buried in snow.Situ was sitting on the ground waiting for the rice to be cooked. He casually used an ax to cut through a hard shell beside him, and dug out the soft snow below with his hands. It's a piece of blue metal.Stu almost asked Tom to come and see, but on second thought he forgot, thinking that two feet below them were dozens, if not hundreds, of cars packed together, with an unknown number of victims inside. Not comfortable. On the morning of the 25th, when Tom woke up, Stu was already up and making breakfast.Tom usually woke up earlier than Stu.There was a pot of vegetable soup on the fire, almost boiling.Kojak stared at it eagerly. "Good morning, Stu," Tom said, putting on his coat, slipping out of his sleeping bag, and crawling out of the tent.He wants to pee. "Good morning," Stu replied casually, "Merry Christmas!" "Christmas," Tom stared at him, forgetting what he was in a hurry to do. "Christmas?" he said again. "Early Christmas." He reached out and patted Tom on the left shoulder. "That's all I can do." In the snow stood a two-foot-tall fir tree, decorated with gold and silver ribbons, which Stu had found in the grocery store in Avon. "Christmas tree," said Tom in surprise, "and presents. Those are presents, aren't they, Stu?" There were three small packets under the tree, wrapped in light blue toilet paper, with a few small silver bells hanging from them—Stu couldn't find the colored wrappers at the grocery store. "It's a present," said Stu, "for you, and I think Santa made it for you." 汤姆生气地看着斯图，“汤姆·科伦明白没有圣诞老人，没有！是你准备好的。”他看上去有点儿伤心，“我没为你准备任何礼物！我忘了，我不知道今天是圣诞节……我真蠢！我真蠢！”汤姆攥紧拳头在自己的额头敲了几下，他快哭了。 斯图蹲在汤姆身边，说道：“汤姆早就把圣诞礼物给了我。” “没有，从来没有。我忘记了。汤姆·科伦真是个笨蛋，笨蛋。” “你的确给了，而且是最好的。我还活着，如果不是你，我不可能活到现在。” 汤姆不解地望着他。 “如果不是你及时地出现，我早就死在格林里弗的深谷里了。如果不是靠你，我可能早就因流感或是其他什么病死在犹他饭店里了。我不知道你是怎样选中正确的药……不管是因为尼克，上帝，还是靠运气，关键是你找到的。怎么能说自己是笨蛋呢？如果没有你，我就看不到这个圣诞节。我欠你太多。” 汤姆说：“不，那不一样。”但他脸上泛着喜悦。 “一样。”斯图郑重地说。 "That……" “快，打开礼物，看看圣诞老人给你带来了什么。昨天半夜我的确听见他的雪橇声了。相信流感病毒传染不到北极。” “你听见了？”汤姆认真地注视着斯图，看看他是否被戏弄了。 “的确听见了。” 汤姆拿起一个包裹，小心地打开——一个孩子们都渴望在圣诞节得到的弹子球机，汤姆的眼睛一下子亮了。 “打开它。”斯图说。 “不，我要看看还有什么好东西。” 第三个包裹里面是一件运动衫，上面印着一个正在雪上飞行的滑雪者。还有一行字，写着：我爬上拉夫兰山口。斯图告诉他：“我们还没有爬上去，但我们会的。” 汤姆迅速脱下大衣，换上运动衫，一会儿又换上大衣。 “太好了！太好了，斯图！” 最后一个包裹也是最小的一个，里面放着一串细细的银链子，上面串着一个银制的徽章，徽章上刻着一个类似躺着的“8”字图案。汤姆拿在手里又惊奇又迷惑。 “这是什么，斯图？” “是一个古希腊的标志。我还是在读博士时知道的。它的意思是永恒。汤姆，永远。”斯图伸出手抓住汤姆拿着徽章的手。“我想也许我们能回到博尔德，汤姆。我想我们从一开始就下定了这个决心。如果你不介意，我希望你一直戴着它。如果你希望有人帮你又想不出应该找谁，看到它，就会想斯图·雷德曼，好吗？” “永恒，”汤姆翻转着手中小徽章，“永远。” 他将链子戴在脖子上。 “我会记住的，”他说，“汤姆，会记住的。” “见鬼！我差点儿忘了！”斯图回到帐篷里又拿出一个包裹。“科亚克，圣诞快乐，让我替你打开吧。”他打开包装纸，拿出一盒哈兹牌狗食，往雪地上撒了一把，科亚克很快就吃光了，又跑斯图面前满怀希望地摇着尾巴。 “留点儿以后再喂你。”斯图收起盒子，“事事要有节，正如老头子常……常说的。”斯图的声音有些沙哑，泪水在眼眶里打转。他突然很想念格兰，想念拉里，想念拉尔夫……想念他们所有的人，所有死去的人，非常非常地想念他们。 “斯图，你没事吧？” “没事，汤姆，我很好。”他突然紧紧抱住汤姆，汤姆也随即抱紧了他。“圣诞快乐，朋友。” 汤姆犹豫地说：“在出发之前，我能唱首歌吗？” “当然，只要你愿意。” 斯图本以为汤姆会唱《铃儿响叮当》或是《雪人》，而且可能会唱跑调。但汤姆却选了《第一个圣诞节》，声音出奇地悦耳动听。 “第一个圣诞节，”汤姆的歌声飘过白色的荒原，远处传来柔和的回音。“天使们说，寒冷的冬夜里，穷苦的牧羊人在看护着他们的羊群。” 斯图也不禁随着唱起来，他的声音虽不如汤姆好听，但两人的歌声合在一起却十分和谐。古老的歌谣在寂静的圣诞节清晨传得很远。 “圣诞，圣诞……耶稣就降生在……” “很好听，”斯图说着眼泪又快要掉下来了。哭出来可能会痛快一些，但这会使汤姆感到不安，斯图还是忍住了。“该启程了，我们不能浪费大好时光。” “是，”汤姆望着正在收拾帐篷的斯图说，“这是我过得最快乐的圣诞节，斯图。” “听到你这么说，我真高兴，汤姆。” 不久，他们又上路了，在耀眼而寒冷的太阳下向东驶去。 这天晚上，他们在海拔12000英尺的拉夫兰山口最高峰上宿营。气温降到了零下20度，他们3个相拥着睡到一张帐篷里。外面，寒风不停地刮着，冷得如同刀锋一般刺骨。四周高高的岩石在雪面投下巨大的阴影，天低得仿佛月亮、星星都触手可及，夜空中不时传来野狼的嗥叫。整个世界如同一个巨大的地窖埋在他们身下。 第二天清晨天还没亮，他们就被科亚克的叫声唤醒了。斯图手拿着步枪爬到帐篷外。狼！第一次，狼真实地出现在他们眼前。它们围着帐篷环坐了一圈，没有嗥叫，只是直勾勾地盯着，双眼放着绿光，似乎都在狞笑着。 斯图冲着狼群随便开了6枪，把它们驱散了。其中一只被击中了，高高地跳了起来，摔在地上不动了。科亚克跑过去闻了闻，而后抬起一条腿冲它撒了一泡尿。 “狼群仍是他的，”汤姆说，“它们总是他的。” 汤姆似乎还没睡醒，眼睛迷迷糊糊，半睁半闭着，斯图突然意识到：汤姆正处于梦游状态。 “汤姆……他死了吗？你知道他死了吗？” “他不会死，永远不会死，”汤姆说，“他会变成狼，变成乌鸦，变成响尾蛇，他是午夜里的猫头鹰，正午的蝎子，他和蝙蝠们一样倒挂着睡觉，和它们一样目不视物。” “它会回来吗？”斯图感到浑身冰凉，他焦急地问道。 汤姆没有回答。 “汤姆……” “汤姆睡着了。他要去看大象。” “汤姆，你能看到博尔德吗？” 远处，层叠的山峦上露出一线曙光。 “是的，他们在等待消息，等待春天。博尔德一片宁静。” “看到法兰妮了吗？” 汤姆的脸色一亮，“法兰妮，是，看到了，她很胖，我想她快要生孩子了。她和露西·斯旺在一起，露西也快生了，时间上是法兰妮先生产，只是……”汤姆脸色一下子暗了下来。 “汤姆？只是什么？” “那婴儿……” “婴儿怎么了？” 汤姆惘然地朝这边看了看：“我们在打狼，是不是？我有没有睡着，斯图？” 斯图挤出一个微笑：“有点睡着了，汤姆。” “我梦见一头大象，怪不怪？” “嗯，”婴儿怎么样了？法兰妮怎么样了？ 斯图开始怀疑他们是否能及时赶到，怀疑在他们赶到之前，汤姆梦中的一切将变成现实。 离新年还有3天时，天气突变，他们不得不在基塔停下来。现在离博尔德很近了，这一耽搁让他们十分失望——连科亚克也显得有些局促不安。 “我们能很快上路吗，斯图？”汤姆满怀希望地问道。 “我也不知道，”斯图说，“希望能吧，只要再有两天的功夫。我想就需要两天，见鬼！”斯图耸了耸肩，叹了口气，“唉，也就是飘点儿雪花。” 然而，随之而来的却是整个冬天最大的一场暴风雪。大雪一连下了5天，堆起的雪有12到14英尺高。1月2日，他们挖开门口的雪钻到屋外，太阳看上去更像一个小小的磨光的铜币。所有的路标都消失了。小镇的大部分商业区被整个埋进了雪里，连屋顶都看不见了。雪堆被风雕成各种怪异的形状。他们感觉来到了另一个星球。 他们还是坚持上路，但行进的速度比以前慢多了。找到雪下的公路原本是个小问题，现在却成了难题。汽车一次次地陷在雪里，汤姆和斯图不得不经常下车把它挖出来，同时，雪崩时那隆隆的火车声又不时地在山谷中响起。 1月4日他们到达6号公路与州际公路的交叉口，沿着6号公路一直下去就是戈尔登。这天也是法兰妮分娩的日子，斯图和汤姆都不知道——这次没人做梦，也没有其他预兆。 “好，”他们停在岔路口，斯图说，“不管怎样，找路不再是问题了。路两边都是大石头。我们能找到这个岔路口，真是幸运。” 沿着路开车虽然容易多了，但要穿过隧道仍很困难。为找到隧道的入口他们要挖开松软的积雪，有时还要挖开雪崩压成的厚厚的雪块。汽车在隧道里光秃的路面上开起来哐哐作响。 最烦心的是，隧道里十分恐怖。隧道两边都被雪封住了，里面黑得像个矿井，只能借助汽车的前灯探路，感觉就好像被关进了一个大冰箱里。在隧道里车慢得急人，从这一端走到那一端简直就是对驾驶技术的考验。斯图一直担心有一天他们会被困在隧道里：无论你怎么换档，加油，拖拽，车就是卡在那里无法前进。如果这种事情发生，他们就只好返回州际公路，这样他们将损失一周的时间，放弃雪上汽车是不可取的，那样做无异于一种痛苦的自杀。 博尔德实际上已近在咫尺了。 1月7日，在他们钻出一条隧道后2个小时，汤姆忽然站在汽车尾部指着前面喊道：“那是什么，斯图？” 斯图此时已疲惫不堪，心情也不好。噩梦是不再出现了，但有时觉得不做噩梦更可怕。 “汤姆，跟你说过多少次了？开车时别站在后面，你会后仰着摔下去，一头扎在雪里的……” “知道，但你看那是什么？看起来像座桥。我们见到了河吗，斯图？” 斯图向前望了望，也看见了。他一踩刹车，停了下来。 “是什么？”汤姆焦急地问道。 “隘口，”斯图小声说着，“我……我不敢相信……” “隘口？隘口？” 斯图一转身抓住汤姆的肩膀，“是戈尔登隘口，汤姆！那是119公路，119公路！通往博尔德的公路！我们离镇上只有20英里了，可能还不到20英里！” 汤姆终于明白了。他的嘴张得大大的，那滑稽的表情逗得斯图大笑起来，不住地用手拍着汤姆的后背。现在伤腿上的疼痛也无法破坏他的喜悦。 “我们真的快到家了，斯图？” “是，是，是啊！” 他们相拥在一起，转着圈地跳着，然后摔倒在雪地上，溅起的雪花撒了他们一身。 科亚克惊讶地望着他们——没过几分钟，它也开始围着他们蹦起来，一边摇着尾巴，一边欢快地叫着。 这天晚上他们在戈尔登宿营，第二天一大早就上路了。斯图和汤姆谁都没睡好，斯图一生中从未如此企盼过什么……这企盼中也交织着对法兰妮和婴儿长久的挂念。 午后不久，汽车突然有点摇摆。斯图停车熄了火，下车去取备用油罐里面的油。“噢，上帝！”斯图拿起油罐觉得很轻，不禁叫了起来。 “出了什么问题，斯图？” “是我！是我出了问题！我知道那该死的备用油罐要没油了，但我忘记灌油了。兴奋过头了，办了这么件蠢事！” 斯图一甩手把空油罐扔了。“上帝啊，我怎么这么蠢？” “我想你是太想法兰妮了。现在怎么办，斯图？” “步行去，只好这样了。带上睡袋，把罐头都装进睡袋里带走，帐篷留下。对不起，汤姆，一路上因为我让你受累了。” “没关系，斯图。帐篷怎么办？” “可能只好扔下了。” 这天他们没能到达博尔德。黄昏时分，他们只好在野外宿营。在松软的雪地里深一脚浅一脚地走了一下午，他们早已精疲力竭，但行进的速度慢得像在爬。晚上火也生不起来了，附近没有木头，他们也累得没力气挖开雪找。斯图和汤姆被高高的雪堆包围着。天已经完全黑了，北面的地平线上仍没有一丝亮光，斯图越想越是心焦。 他们吃了一顿冰凉的晚餐，吃完后汤姆就一头扎进睡袋里，连句“晚安”都没说就睡着了。斯图累坏了，伤腿痛得很厉害。幸亏我的腿不是永远站不起来，走不动路了，他想着。 他们明白晚上就能到达博尔德，躺在真正的床上睡觉了。 斯图刚爬进睡袋，心里又开始担心起来：他们回到博尔德，但博尔德可能是座空城——像大章克申，埃文，基塔一样，房子里没有人，商店里没有人，到处是被雪压塌了屋顶的建筑。街道上都是雪堆。城里死一般寂静，只能听到融雪的滴答声。人都不见了，如同睡醒时梦中的人一般。因为这个世界只剩下斯图·雷德曼和汤姆·科伦了。 这个念头太过离奇，但斯图却始终摆脱不掉。他又爬出睡袋，朝北望去，希望看到一点点微弱的亮光，就像在夜里眺望不远处的居民区那样。斯图觉得应该能看到点儿灯光。格兰曾估算过在大雪封路之前将有多少人来到自由之邦，斯图努力地回忆那个数字，却怎么也想不起来。 8000人？是这个数字吗？ 8000人可不算多，即使把所有的灯都点上，也没有多大的亮儿。Maybe…… 也许你该将这些烦心的事都抛开，好好睡一觉。明天自有明天的安排。 斯图又钻进睡袋躺下，翻来覆去折腾了好一会儿，终于疲倦地睡着了。梦中他回到了博尔德，夏日的博尔德酷热难耐，雨水又少，草坪都枯黄了。一片寂静之中只有一扇未关的门在微风吹动下发出“吱吱”的声响。他们都走了，连汤姆也走了。 “法兰妮！”他大声呼唤着，但回应他的仍只有那扇在风中摇摆的门。 到第二天下午2点，斯图和汤姆又在雪地里跋涉了几英里。他们轮流走在前面开路，斯图开始担心他们还要走一天，他们现在前进得这么慢都是他的错。他的腿又开始疼了。“不久就得爬了，”他想，现在大部分时间都是由汤姆开路。 中午又是一顿冰凉的午餐，斯图吃饭时突然想到他还从未看到过法兰妮大肚子的样子。也许还有机会，但他认为自己是看不到了。他越来越感到一切将在他未到之前发生……无论是吉是凶。 吃完饭又走了1个小时，一路上斯图仍在胡思乱想，以至于汤姆在前面停下来，他都没注意到，一头撞了上去。 “怎么回事？”他问到。 “路。”汤姆说，斯图急忙走上前去观看。 他们站在一个9英尺高的陡坡前，坡下是一条路，路面奇异地没有被雪覆盖，路右边有一个标志，上面写着：“博尔德区界。” 斯图大笑起来。他一屁股坐在雪地上，仰面朝天大笑起来，似乎忘记了一旁迷惘的汤姆。终于，他说道，“他们把路上的雪扫干净，你看到了吗！我们到了，汤姆！我们到了，科亚克快到这儿来。” 斯图把剩下的狗食都洒到雪上，科亚克欢快地吃着。斯图点起一根烟。汤姆注视着下面的路，在茫茫的白雪中仿佛一段通天之路。 “我们又回到博尔德了。”汤姆轻声说着，“我们真到了，天哪，是真的！” 斯图拍拍他的肩膀，甩掉烟头说：“走，汤姆，让我们回家。” 下午4点又下起雪来。6点天就黑了，脚下黑色的柏油反射出阴森的白光。斯图现在跛得很厉害，走路一瘸一拐。汤姆一直问他要不要休息，斯图只是摇摇头。 到晚上8点，雪越下越大了。好几次他们迷失了方向，一直撞到路边的雪垛上才算重新找到了路。脚下的路面越来越滑，汤姆摔倒了两次。8点一刻时，斯图的断腿一软，一跤摔在地上。他咬紧牙没有疼得叫出声来，汤姆赶忙跑上来扶他。 “我没事，”斯图扶着汤姆站了起来。 20分钟后，不远处黑暗中突然传来一个年轻的颤抖的声音：“谁——谁在，在那儿？” 两人被吓得一下子定在原地，科亚克吼叫着，身上的毛都竖了起来。汤姆喘着气。斯图接着又听见一个非常微弱但更可怕的声音：拉枪栓的声音。 哨兵，他们布置了哨兵。一路千辛万苦，博尔德近在咫尺，却要被枪打死在购物中心外面，真是太具讽刺性了。弗拉格知道了也一定会非常高兴。 “斯图·雷德曼，”他冲黑暗中的人喊道，“是斯图·雷德曼。”他咽了一口唾沫，“那边是谁。” How stupid.他怎么会知道斯图是…… 但那个声音确实有些耳熟。“斯图？斯图·雷德曼？” “汤姆·科伦和我在一起……看在上帝的份上，不要开枪。” “是不是个阴谋？”听起来那个人似乎在思考。 “不是阴谋，汤姆，说点儿什么！” “嘿，我在这儿。”汤姆顺从地喊道。 一阵停顿，风夹着雪呼啸着，一会儿又传来哨兵的喊声（这个声音的确耳熟）：“斯图旧房子墙上有幅画，叫什么名字？” 斯图绞尽脑汁拼命回忆着。又传来几声拉枪栓的声音，干扰了他的思考。斯图想到：上帝啊，我竟然会站在暴风雪中回想房子墙上的画——旧房子？法兰妮一定搬去和露西一起住去了。露西以前常拿那幅画开玩笑，她总是说约翰·韦恩一直躲在你看不到的地方等那些印第安人…… “弗雷德里克·雷明顿！”他使尽全身力气喊道，“那幅画叫'战争之路'。” “斯图！”哨兵大声喊着。雪中钻出一个黑影，连跑带滑地朝这边冲过来。“太不可思议了……” 黑影终于来到他们面前，斯图一眼认出是比利·格尔金格，他去年夏天开快车可给他们惹了不少麻烦。 “斯图！汤姆！还有科亚克，我的上帝！格兰和拉里呢？拉尔夫呢？” 斯图缓缓地摇摇头。“不知道。我们得赶紧离开这里，比利。我们快冻僵了。” “对，对。超市就在前面。我要去告诉诺曼……迪克·埃里斯……见鬼，我要让全城的人都知道！太伟大了！太令人难以置信了！” “比利……” 比利转过身，斯图一瘸一拐地走到他面前。 “比利，法兰妮快生了……” 比利一下子不说话了。停了一下，他低声说：“噢，见鬼，我忘了。” “她生了吗？” “乔治·理查德森会告诉你，斯图，丹·莱思罗普也行。他是我们的新医生。你们离开后一个月他当的医生，他以前是个耳鼻喉科医生……但他医术不错……” 斯图突然猛地用双手抓住比利，打断他的唠叨。 “出了什么事？”汤姆问道，“法兰妮出了什么事吗？” “告诉我，比利，”斯图说，“求求你。” “法兰妮没事儿，”比利说，“她很快就会没事儿的。” “这是你听说的？” “不，我见过她。我和托尼·多纳休我俩一起从温室采了些花带去看她。温室是托尼管的，各式各样的植物都有，不只是花。法兰妮还没出院，因为她必须做，叫什么来着，罗马式的生产……” “剖腹产？” “对，对。胎位不正，但并不怎么受罪。她分娩后，我们去看她，也就是两天前，1月7日，我们给她带去一束玫瑰，我想她看到花心情一定会好点。” “孩子死了？”斯图不耐烦地说道。 “没有，”比利说，然后又极不情愿地加了一句，“还没有。” 斯图脑子里“嗡”地一声，远处似乎又传来那狞笑声……那狼的嗥叫……” 比利急忙解释道：“他得了流感，是“上尉之旅”，法兰妮是1月4日分娩的，是个男孩，有6磅9盎司重。开始他很好，我想那天自由之邦的人都为此喝得大醉。迪克·埃里斯说那情景就像欧洲胜利日和对日战争胜利日合到了一天。但到1月7日，他……他得病了。”比利的声音又有些颤抖，“他得了超级流感，噢，见鬼，你刚回来，我怎能对你说这些。斯图，真对不起……” 斯图两手抓住他的双肩，把他拉近了一些。 “开始，谁都说孩子会好起来，也许他得的只是普通的流感……或是支气管炎什么的……但医生说新生儿极少得这些病，他们有自然免疫。乔治和丹都认为……他们去年接触的流感病人太多……” “因此很少有误诊。”斯图接着他的话说。 “是”，比利说，“你明白了。” “真他妈的。”斯图说完回身沿着公路一瘸一拐地向前走去。 “斯图，你去哪儿？” “去医院，”斯图说，“去看我的女人。”