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The Hardest Decision

Andrew Yusi

    It had been 42 days since society had collapsed, but all Marcus could think about were the last few hours he had been walking. Feet numb, exhaustion kicking in, and he was only a fourth of the way to his destination. He walked down a long road that was surrounded by woods. The desolate street had been littered with empty cars, none of which worked. Each item on the street told a story; suitcases broken open, blood on the pavement, empty shell casings on the ground. Marcus had to focus though. He had to get to the nearest hospital to save his son. The worst part is that he doesn’t even know if the hospital will have any medicine left to keep his son alive, but time was running out. He just made the hardest decision of his life, leaving his sick son behind to save his life. Marcus prayed that no one would break into the home, and he would return with exactly everything the way he left it: locks on, windows intact, and most importantly, son alive. Marcus looked down at his map every minute, making sure he was headed in the right direction. He knew that if he made a wrong turn that took him two minutes out of the way, that would be two extra minutes he couldn’t be with his son.
    At this point of the journey his senses were numb. His eyes were shutting, his mouth was dry, and his ears were humming. Wait, why were his ears humming? Marcus immediately became alert and heard a noise in the distance. It sounded like an engine. As the sun beat down on the pavement, a truck started to appear in the horizon. Marcus knew he could either run into the woods so the truck wouldn’t see him, or he could wave it down to try and get a ride. Marcus knew the dangers of waving the truck down. In this new world, there were no laws. In this new world, everyone’s true colors showed, and they weren’t pretty. Marcus knew about this all too well. He also knew that if he didn’t get to the hospital quick enough, his son will surely die. On the other hand, if Marcus were to die by this driver, his son would have thought he had been abandoned by his father. Marcus then had to make the hardest decision of his life. Marcus jumped the divider and stood in the center of the road. The truck drove closer as Marcus waved it down. The truck came to a screeching halt as Marcus reached for his pistol hidden in his belt. The window rolled down.
    “Howdy there. Looking for a ride?” the truck driver asked.
    Marcus nodded. “Yes,” he muttered.
    “Alrighty then, hop in.”
    Marcus opened the door to the rusty old truck. He sat down in the tattered seat, still skeptical of whether this man was a psychopath.
    “It’s nice to meet a normal person every once in a while,” the truck driver said. “This world brings out the worst in us.”
    “Yeah, we’ve been through some pretty crazy stuff,” Marcus said.
    “We?”
    “Yeah me and my boy. That’s why I’m out here. I need to get him medicine, fast. Do you know where Grady hospital is?”
    “Yeah, I reckon I do. That’s in the city, right?”
    “Yes,” Marcus said reluctantly.
    “Well, the city is too crazy for me. That’s why I’m driving away from it. You should steer clear of it too.”
    “I need to get to that hospital.”
    “Well, I’m sorry. I can’t take you there.”
    “I understand.”
    Marcus hopped out of the truck and looked back at the driver. His mouth was moving but Marcus didn’t hear any of the words. Marcus’s eyes clouded up as a single tear fell from them. The talking stopped. Marcus had to make the hardest decision of his life. He paused for a bit longer than a standard second and reached for his pistol. He fired his last bullet at the truck driver. The driver laid dead against the steering wheel. Marcus drug the body out of the truck and onto the pavement. “I’m sorry,” he said. He hopped into the truck and stared at the dead body and the shell casing on the ground. He had just added another story to that road. He started to turn the truck around as he realized he will be faced with the hardest decision, time and time again.

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