Forgetting the Apocalypse

63. The Interview pt. 2

Fredi's Pov*

"Hello Alfredo, Fredi sorry, I always forget you prefer to be called that." he chuckles.

I wave it off, "It's alright, I know how much you like professionalism. It has been a while since we've seen each other so I'll let it go. How you been?" I ask him.

After getting situated and his notes ready he answers me, "I think I'm supposed to be asking you that question with making the new move. But I've been good, just been reviewing everything since the last time we spoke. Including the aftermath of Boaz' passing. As I'm sure you were told, the fire seems to have been an accident. The fire department said the point of ignition came from a bag of dog food that was placed too close to the heating vent."

My chest tightened at the mention of his name. Boaz despite all the shit he'd been through, health issues included, he had so much more life in him. I know the fire was an accident and that if it wasn't for him Mara's dog Jack would've also died. But it doesn't make it an easier pill to swallow. Especially when young Kailee lost her arm in the very same fire.

"I know it was an accident. I still beat myself up every single day that I didn't get there sooner." I cry. "I'm just also torn because I do not mean it in the sense that his life had any less value just that I'm glad that Kailee and Jack lived because I don't think we would have survived if we lost them as well."

"I understand exactly what you mean, I know Mara beats herself up a lot over it. Last session I had to remind her of it." I hear him sigh, knowing full well what he's going to ask next.

"Speaking of Mara, how did she handle the move? I know you guys had to make a detour in what was it... White Pass? When I spoke to her I see she was still under the impression that she's living in a post apocalyptic world."

This makes me let out my own sigh.

"Listen doc, you have to understand that Mara was taken in by Mama and her family at a very young age. By the time that she was twelve, she didn't even remember her own family. That life style was all she knew and yet despite all that, she still at her core fought against it. She always put up a fight and it wasn't until her late teenage years that she tried escaping for the first time. If she had stayed any longer than she did, they would have killed her. That night that I heard she was in the car accident it was like all the air in the room was sucked out. Then to learn that she forgot everything, as fucked up as it was to hear..."

I had to take a moment. I felt like I was reliving that night all over again.

"When the doctors told me that she lost all her memory I was grateful. The first thing I did was pray that she never got it back. I didn't want her to remember every horrible thing that they made her do and did to her. God you have no idea how hard it was to want to tape Riva's mouth shut when he went off about her remembering her past, I know it was because he was lonely and missed his sister even though their not related by blood.

"I honestly don't know how Roone held on to his own sanity with his wife not remembering him at all, but I guess acting like he first did with her won her over all over again. There were moments where I thought she never going to give him a chance."

I chuckle to myself thinking about the first time that they ever met. It was her third time escaping and as punishment, Mama was marrying her off to someone from another camp. When she first laid eyes on him, it certainly wasn't love at first sight. She measured him up and looked like she wanted to throw hands with him. I guess she was still herself after the accident because she gave him the same look when I brought her to their cabin.

"Can I ask you a question Fredi?" he interrupted my train of thoughts.

"Shoot."

"How did Mara wind up in that car in the first place? I thought your enforcers were the only ones allowed to drive."

Ah, yes. That's one bit of memory she partially got back thanks to Riva.

"Yeah, enforcers or as Mara came to call them, crawlers, are the only ones to drive. What happened was that one of Mama's guard dogs licked Mara's face and she was one of those that came down with the rash. And you know Mara, once she gets to scratching she can ever stop. It got so bad that was making her arms and stomach bleed. She finally couldn't take it anymore and stole one of the keys from an enforcer and ran in the middle of the night.

"She was damn lucky she made it as far as she did but not lucky enough. Someone idiot texting while driving hit her real good. Thankfully someone called 911 right away, she was able to be treated for her injuries as well as the rash. After I picked her up from the hospital, I bought her a small decent house for her to get accustom to living normally."

I thought about the way she described it. The way she was saddened by the fact her house had no family photos, but I couldn't exactly but in pictures of us without her asking who we were and me trying to find a way to explain everything. I visited her as much as I could but in the chaos of her running away, the three of us took that as our opportunity to run too.

The brothers held up in their cabin and I found myself a nice place with little amount of neighbors and a decent job until that all came crashing down when my former friend found me. After I killed him, I didn't waste any time in packing my things and getting to Mara and the boys.

Along the way we were attacked by some of the men from Mama's main camp and Mara did what she had to to defend herself. I guess after living quietly for a few months to having to kill again broke her. That was when she began believing in the apocalypse. Having to run and fight for our lives from state to state trying to outrun Mama and her demented family until we were nearly killed made us believe it.

After the dealings with Mama's personal daughter, Andromeda, seeing how much more Mara was getting worst I had to seek help. Professional help.

It was definitely a risk. Confessing everything that we had done, they could've arrested us for so many things but with the amount of evidence we turned in as well with the promise to testify, we were free on the condition that we lived in the facility. None of us were mentally stable to return to society, especially Mara.

"Listen you've all been through so much, things I never thought another human being was capable of doing to another. This facility is much more suitable to your needs than the last, you guys don't have to move or keep running. You're safe now. I understand your reason for things you've done, for Mara's sake, but I'm not giving up on her. Somewhere in there is the chance for her to come back to the real world. A chance to be free of all nightmares that are holding her back." he reasoned.

I gave a sad smile to him. "I appreciate all the help you've given us doc, you have done more for us than any other. Most people would have let us suffer or let us rot in jail. You fought for us every step of the way, and for that I will always be grateful."

I didn't say anything about his last comment and he didn't say anything about my avoidance. It's not that I've given up on Mara. I just know that it's the real world that gives her nightmares. In the real world, she was broken, hurt and abused.

Even if it's wrong, I'll keep praying she never remembers. In this apocalypse, she'll never forget she's a fighter. A survivor.