photo #1493416

Ed smiled when he walked into the house and saw the cup of hot chocolate sitting on the kitchen table. That dang old Peterbilt would wake the dead, especially waiting the five minutes for it to cool before he shut down. He hated knowing Deb had been woke up again. She came around the corner, then ran into his arms. He couldn't help noticing the embrace was unusually firm, and long lasting. They'd been married long enough that he knew better than to ask why, he'd just have to wait for her to tell him. He sat down, and took a sip of the hot chocolate, then glanced at the clock. 3:35am. He thanked her for the chocolate, then suggested she go back to sleep because she had first shift at the hospital. She'd taken up nursing again after the hospital had called her begging when the pandemic broke out even though she was already retired. With his long haul trucking schedule, time together was a precious commodity. At least they'd be able to pay off the Pete with the extra money in spite of all the new regulations, insurance rate increases, fuel increases, and tags. Or so he'd thought. This was going to be hard. Deb asked him why he was home a week early, and bob-tailed at that. He said have a seat, honey. She did hesitantly. He started by saying that in spite of his running the roads like a long lost dog for the past eighteen months in the face of the unknown pandemic, he'd been fired for refusing to do something medically to himself because he wasn't comfortable with it. Yeah, they never hesitated to dispatch him to all the epicenters of the outbreaks, they'd even told him how to fudge his e-logs so he could run overtime. Yes, he was paid by the mile, plus bonuses for early delivery, but he hated to think he was thwarting the law. In the past eighteen months, he'd "toured" the entire lower 48 to please his company in his owner-operated rig. When they'd brought up the shots, he'd gone to his doctor and asked him about them. Since he needed a current medical examination, the doctor advised him to play it safe until the effects were known, especially on those who worked as hard as he did. So,when the company mandated the procedure, he turned it down and was promptly terminated. He said he wasn't worried, because he would find another job quick, and with her nursing income, they were okay. Deb burst out in tears, and Ed jumped up and ran over to give her a hug, assuring her they'd be fine. Slowly, she told him she no longer worked at the hospital that had put her at death's door every day for the past eighteen months. In spite of their being understaffed, and calling back retirees in desperation, they terminated her without warning because she didn't take the shot the same day without allowing her to speak to her husband or her family doctor. The more she spoke, the madder she became until words wouldn't come anymore and tears fell in the place of them. There they were, Ed still on his knees holding her, and her sobbing slowly ebbing away. Ed kissed her on the cheek, and sat back down. Now, as they'd done so many times before, it was time to develop a battle plan to deal with their new reality. With their combined final checks, they could make the next farm and Pete payments, and keep their utility payments up to date. Where they went from there was brand new territory, but they had each other and options. They had plenty of fresh canned vegetables, and deer meat in the freezers. Their larder was still full from preparing when the pandemic first started. As they talked, they became stronger and more confident in their future. They'd win once again, by the grace of God.