A DICK AMONG US

AUTHOR’S POV 

The first rule Elena established at Haven was that no one ate until everyone had been counted.

It was a simple rule, but Harlan objected to it before breakfast.

"Why should we wait for people who aren't here?" he demanded, standing beside the communal table. "If the hunters are late, that doesn't mean the rest of us should go hungry."

Elena placed a pot of broth over the fire.

"The hunters are part of this settlement. If they haven't returned, we need to know why before we begin dividing the food."

"And what if they're simply taking their time?"

"Then they'll arrive to find breakfast waiting."

Harlan scoffed.

"You cannot keep treating every decision as though it were a matter of life and death."

Elena turned to him.

"Yesterday, a group of infected people nearly trapped us inside a school. The day before that, our settlement burned. We have children sleeping in a building with a damaged roof, and enough food for only a few days. I don't know about you, Harlan, but I consider those matters rather important."

Several survivors lowered their heads to hide their smiles.

Harlan's face darkened.

"You enjoy embarrassing me."

"No. I would prefer to spend my mornings discussing something more useful."

Before he could reply, the door opened and Garrick entered with two hunters.

They carried a sack of wild roots, a bundle of edible greens, and a small animal they had caught in a trap.

"We're back," Garrick announced.

Elena looked at each of them carefully.

"Any injuries?"

"Nothing serious."

"Any signs of infected people?"

Garrick shook his head.

"Not along the route we took."

Only then did Elena begin serving breakfast.

The meal was meager, but there was enough for everyone to receive a portion. The hunters were given food first, followed by the injured, the elderly, and the children. The remaining portions were divided equally among the able-bodied survivors.

Harlan watched the distribution with obvious displeasure.

When Elena handed a bowl to one of the children, he finally spoke.

"Why are they receiving the same amount as the rest of us?"

Elena slowly turned.

"Because they need to eat."

"They're too young to contribute anything useful."

The little boy holding the bowl lowered his eyes.

Elena felt anger rise in her chest.

"They are children, Harlan. They cannot hunt or repair buildings, but that doesn't mean their lives are worth less than ours."

"I'm talking about survival. Everyone must contribute."

"And everyone will contribute according to their ability. The children will help with small tasks when they're ready. The elderly can mend clothing, prepare herbs, and help care for the younger ones. The injured will recover before taking on physical work."

Harlan crossed his arms.

"And what about the people who refuse?"

"Then we'll discuss it."

"You mean you'll decide what happens to them."

"I mean we will not let anyone starve simply because they cannot carry a weapon."

Her voice remained calm, but the room had gone quiet.

Elena looked around the table.

"We are all frightened. We have all lost something. But if we begin treating the weakest among us as a burden, then we will have learned nothing from what happened outside these mountains."

No one spoke.

She turned back to the pot.

"Eat your breakfast. We have work to do."

This time, Harlan said nothing more.

After breakfast, Elena gathered the survivors in the communal hall.

She had spent much of the previous night thinking about what they needed to do next. They could not continue living from one emergency to another, hoping that luck would keep them alive.

Haven needed structure.

It needed rules that everyone understood, responsibilities that were shared, and a system that would keep fear from turning the survivors against one another.

Elena stood before the group with a sheet of paper in her hand.

"We cannot afford to waste what little we have," she began. "From today onward, everyone who is physically able will be assigned a regular task. Those who cannot work because of injury, age, or illness will receive help, and we'll find other ways for them to contribute when possible."

She glanced toward Lydia, who stood beside a table covered with medical supplies.

"First, we need food and water. Garrick will coordinate the hunting and gathering groups. No one goes into the forest alone, and every expedition must have a designated leader. Anyone who finds unfamiliar plants or food brings them back for inspection before eating them."

Garrick nodded.

"Second, we need shelter. The carpenters will organize the repairs, and everyone else will help clear debris, gather materials, and reinforce the buildings. We cannot repair everything at once, so we'll begin with the communal hall and the cottages we can make safe quickly."

She moved to the next item.

"Third, sanitation. We need designated areas for waste, a clean place for washing, and a reliable way to store drinking water. No one should dispose of waste near the well or stream."

A few people exchanged glances.

They had been so focused on finding food and repairing shelter that sanitation had barely crossed their minds.

Elena continued.

"Fourth, defense. Garrick will organize patrols around the perimeter. We need guards at the main approaches, and anyone who notices unfamiliar movement must report it immediately. No one opens the gate or allows strangers inside without informing the guards."

"And what happens if the guards aren't here?" someone asked.

"Then the person on duty follows the emergency procedure we establish. We will not make decisions in a panic."

A middle-aged woman raised her hand.

"What about medicine?"

Elena looked toward Lydia.

"That brings us to the infirmary."

Lydia stepped forward.