Pat went over to Anna, "After the girls are in their rooms and you're sure they're asleep I want to have a meeting with all of the adults. Make sure that none of the girls comes down with you. It's very important."
"Who in the hell put you in charge?" Anna snapped.
"God damn it, shut the hell up Anna," Pauline snapped, "Just do it. You know, a little of you goes a long way."
Pat walked out of the kitchen with Pauline right behind him. They walked for a while checking out the amenities of the motel. Pat opened a door and saw that the motel had a gym room. In the corner was a large hot tub.
Pat looked at Pauline, "Is there a lock on that door?"
Pauline looked and nodded and Pat told her to lock it. Pauline locked the door and when she turned Pat was next to the hot tub and was taking off his clothes. Pauline walked over and began to strip. They both entered the hot tub at the same time.
Pauline sighed, "Oh this is so good. I could stay here for hours."
"This is a God-send," Pat grinned, "I was hoping that we'd find something like this. This will work the kinks out."
Pauline got a serious look on her face, "We haven't found anyone else alive since that black hole passed. Do you think that we'll find anyone?"
"I really don't know. I don't even know how we survived unless the lead and the radiation in that cave combined somehow to protect us. If it had to be a combination of lead and radiation we just might be the only ones left on earth. There's not too many places with both lead and radiation in the same combination as that cave."
"You scared me when you started talking about how the animals might become vicious," Pauline said, "Do you really think that will happen?"
"I promise you that it will happen. We'll have to learn to live with the new dangers. Animals that we have always thought were so cute will now become our predators. Animals will always be searching for ways to make us their next meal. That's why I want to teach everyone about guns and gun safety."
Pauline became quiet and they sat in the hot tub each with their own thoughts. After about fifteen minutes Pat said that they ought to get out and go find Anna and see if the girls were asleep yet.
They dried themselves off without speaking and then made their way to find the other adults.
Pat and Pauline waited in the kitchen for a while until the other two adults came downstairs. Anna and Sarah came into the kitchen. Anna was leading the way trying to put herself in charge of the group.
"Now, what's so important that you had to call a meeting," she said haughtily.
Pauline almost shouted at Anna, "For God's sake Anna let him speak before you snap his head off."
Pat pulled out his pistol and Anna gasped, "Where did you get that. Throw that away right now. I won't have guns around my girls."
Pat started talking to the women, "Look, we haven't seen any signs of humans since that black hole passed. If there are people out there we have no idea if they will want to do us harm or not. If all authority has vanished people are going to start to make their own rules. Another problem is the animals. Pretty soon the animals that have relied on humans to feed them are going to get hungry. When that happens they're going to start to revert to their wild state."
Anna snapped, "I won't have guns around the girls."
Pat continued, "I want each of the adults to take a pistol and four magazines. I'll give you a quick course on how the use the weapons. Make sure that the girls don't see the guns. They'll jump to conclusions and we don't need twenty terrified teenagers right now."
Anna started to say something but Pauline cut her off, "Anna, what he's saying is for our protection. We have to get used to this new world. Nothing is like it was when we started out on this trip."
Anna blustered, "Well ... I just ... I don't think the girls..."
Pat spoke to Anna in a low voice to calm her, "Anna, there's a good chance we might never have to use the weapons. But then again, if we need them ... well, I'd rather have them if we do need them."
Pat saw Anna pondering what he said, "You don't trust me anyway Anna so you'll have a gun handy if I get out of line."
Even Anna smiled at that. Pat began to instruct each of the women on how to carry, use and safety the pistols. He warned them again not to let the girls see the guns.
"One last thing ladies, none of us want to have guns around the girls. Keep the guns with you and out of sight at all times so the girls don't stumble on them by mistake."
"What are your plans for getting the girls back to their homes?" Anna asked none too nicely.
"I don't think that there is anything back there for the girls anymore. They've been trying to raise someone at home for the past twenty-four hours and no one has gotten an answer. I believe it would be traumatic if we went back to their homes and they found that everyone that they knew and loved was gone. I think that we just better stick together and try to see if others have survived."
"I demand that you take us back to where you picked us up. The girls want to see their family," Anna snapped.
Pat had enough, "Well, I'll tell you what lady. I'll leave you here and you can lodge a complaint against me with the next person that comes through town."
Pauline grabbed Anna's arm, "Damn it Anna, Pat is doing his best to make sure that we're all safe. He only has our interests at heart. Why can't you give him the benefit of the doubt at least until you find out that he doesn't deserve our support?"
Anna started to bluster, "I'm responsible for these girls. It's my duty..."
"Your duty shit," Pauline snapped, "We just might be the only ones left on earth and even we wouldn't be here if Pat hadn't had the sense to get us protection in the mine. Pat is right. We have no idea if anyone else is still alive and if they are what kind of people they are. Pat's right about the animals too. I think that we'll begin to see changes in a matter of weeks with the animals. I don't relish being dinner for a pack of dogs."
"Well, I don't think all of the decisions should be made by a bus driver," Anna said sarcastically, "I think that my education will keep us out of trouble and will help us to get back home."
Pauline grinned, "Hate to tell you this Anna but Pat has his Batchelor's degree in science and his scientific knowledge just might keep us alive."
Pat shook his head, "I have a Master's degree in Physics."
Pauline grinned at Anna, "There! That's just the type of knowledge we'll need if we are the only ones left on earth."
Anna looked at everyone like she wished they would all disappear. She turned and left the room without taking the gun.
Sarah spoke up, "I think we're in for some rough patches with that one. She has a burr under her saddle and she's not about to let anyone tell her what to do. Pat has one major flaw."
"What's that?" Pauline asked.
"He's a man. As long as he stays a man Anna won't have anything to do with him. I wish that I knew what her problem with men is."
Pat tried to change the subject, "Pauline tells me you're pregnant."
Tears came to Sarah's eyes, "Yes this is our first."
"How do you feel about maybe not being able to get back to your husband?" Pauline asked her.
"I was hopeful when we came out of the mine but I've seen that there aren't any people left in the towns we've driven through. I'm beginning to think that we are the only ones left. Every town has cars that have crashed and there's no one in the car. It's as if everyone was sucked into the black hole at once. Why I feel this way I don't know; but I doubt that I'll ever see my husband again. I'm as scared as I can be and I'm terrified of what lies ahead. I do know that we can't be fighting each other or we'll all be dead. If someone has any ideas ... any ideas ... I'm willing to listen."
Pat put his arm around her shoulder, "We'll get through this. Talk to Anna and see if you can find out what her problem is. See if you can get her to work with us instead of against us."
Sarah put her head on his shoulder, "You said that you have a degree in Physics. What would have made the black hole make everyone except us vanish from the earth?"
"First, we might not be the only ones left on earth. Second there are no laws of Physics that would explain what happened when the black hole passed us. I think that the black hole has its own laws and we know nothing about them."
Pat stood up, "I'm going to my room."
"I'm too keyed up to sleep," Sarah said.
"Let's go to Pat's room and talk for a while," Pauline grinned.
They all started for the rooms. As they passed the kitchen Pat had them stop while he got each of them a large glass of milk.