Economic greed was another as was poverty, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and regional wars. The only nuclear event had been a leak at the nuclear rea...tor outside of Marseilles, which poisoned a couple of million people and created the first metropolitan ghost town. The cause had been human error.The great die-off had been a long series of human errors, of fear and blind opportunism complicated by the predictable disasters of the day. Theoretical ideologies had been translated into absurd laws. His brother didn’t hear him over the sound of the pumps. Maybe Edwin had won the fight after all. For the moment he went back to tending to the milking.In a while they were done. The cows were led out to the pasture. The two men set about cleaning the manure out of the stalls and setting it on the conveyor to load it into the spreader. They came together again.“You’re the one I thought wouldn’t show up,” Cal said. “I figured you’d be out at your cabin shacked up with Roxie and I’d have to go. I started the count as instructed, and just as I was starting to panic and change my mind I was out. It was done. I woke up hours later, it was dark. Within seconds, the door opened and the same Nurse from the day before came in. ‘How you doin’ honey?’ she asked brightly. Well, I felt sick, swollen, sore and generally a mess. ‘All right.’ ‘Good. No food for tonight, just rest and stay still.’ I brought my right hand up to my breasts, bandages. I slept. It was the next day when Doctor Tillman. I pull them up real fast and do not notice Ipulled them up too fast and too hard because now I have a very noticeablecamel toe between my legs.As we walk to the locker room, Coach Beth hands me a uniform. We walkinto the locker room and she tells us too try them on now so we know wehave the right size."Thanks Ms Beth." That is Coach Beth... to you Carrie."I look scared at her as she just called me a girl's name, Carrie insteadof my name Barry."Oh sorry Coach Beth." I smile and Patti and I walk.