Doomsday America.

Chapter 290: Battle Imminent

Gavin looked up in confusion, shifting his gaze from old lady Anne's gradually calming face to Nikita, who was frantically vomiting in front of the toilet. Nikita hadn't actually vomited anything; after all, she had already performed two fountains of vomiting the night before, expelling most of what she could. So, Nikita was now mostly dry heaving—very intense dry heaving.

Gavin froze, a strange guess forming in his mind that left him momentarily overwhelmed with emotion. Behind Gavin, Eugene, watching Nikita vomit, burst into carefree laughter, pointing at her and teasing, "Boss, how much did you force-feed Nikita yesterday? She threw up once last night, didn't she?"

Eugene didn't know that Nikita had also vomited after returning to her room, so he assumed that Nikita had only vomited twice.

And Lao Feng.

Old Feng was a little different from Eugene. He looked at Nikita, who was dry heaving, and immediately fixed his gaze on Eugene, who was laughing loudly.

"Eugene!"

He called out Eugene's name to stop Eugene's laughter, then squatted down next to Gavin.

Before him, the old lady Anne was no longer the ferocious and terrifying woman she had been, but had regained her former kindness and gentleness.

Old Feng couldn't help but feel that the old woman's spirit was watching from the side, and the kind expression on her corpse was because she had seen something that made her happy. Thinking of this, Old Feng pursed his lips and leaned closer to Gavin, whispering something.

"Boss, could Mrs. Nikita... be pregnant?"

"Got it?"

Gavin repeated the sentence in a daze.

He was actually an exceptionally perceptive person. Even if he guessed something immediately, the more he guessed, the more confused he became, his heart filled with indescribable feelings. Seeing Gavin's rare look of bewilderment, Old Feng grabbed Gavin's arm and whispered.

"Yeah, boss, could Mrs. Nikita be pregnant? You two have been together for over forty days. If she got pregnant early, she should be experiencing morning sickness by now." "I'm pretty qualified to talk about this. I remember when my wife got pregnant and when she started vomiting. I also frantically researched a lot of information about pregnancy back then." "Women usually experience morning sickness between the fourth and sixth week of pregnancy, and Mrs. Nikita's symptoms are very similar!" "After all, Mrs. Nikita isn't some naive girl who's never seen a corpse before. She's a warrior, a warrior who's fought through countless hordes of zombies. How could she vomit like this just because of Annie's death? It doesn't make sense!" At this point, Old Feng glanced at Nikita again, then patted Gavin's arm.

The eldest brother, usually so smart, is suddenly stunned. Go help Mrs. Nikita! Look how badly she's vomiting. Gavin, after being patted several times and urged on by Old Feng, finally came to his senses and swallowed hard. "Gulp!"

Gavin's Adam's apple bobbed heavily as he stared wide-eyed, gripping Old Feng's arm with a mixture of anxiety and uncertainty, and whispered something.

"Are you sure, Feng? Couldn't it just be... a hangover?"

"Boss, be careful! Mrs. Nikita's not a novice drinker. She's young and in great health. She's never thrown up before, and she's drunk quite a lot in the past!" Old Feng quickly added, trying to persuade Gavin. Only then did Gavin seem to snap out of his daze, swallowing hard before hurriedly standing up. "Right, right, right, damn it, I... I'm panicking. This feeling is indescribable!"

As Gavin explained to Old Feng, he tried to approach Nikita, but then remembered his dagger was still stuck in the old woman's jaw. He hurriedly knelt down, slowly pulled out the dagger, and then gently smoothed the old woman's eyes, helping her close them peacefully. Then, still dazed, he strode up behind Nikita, patted her back, and leaned close. Gavin's arrival made Nikita turn her head in confusion, and the next moment, she looked blankly at the dagger in his hand. "Darling... Yue... are you going to kill me?"

"Huh? Oh no, no no! Damn it, are you alright, Nikki!"

Gavin quickly sheathed his dagger, nervously rubbed his face, and then gently patted Nikita's back with his warm right hand, saying, "You vomited so violently, and more than once. How are you feeling? Still nauseous?"

"It's okay... I'm fine... Yue, I just feel a little nauseous, a kind of inexplicable nausea, but I'll be fine soon."

Faced with Gavin's stiff and nervous concern, Nikita patted Gavin's hand, and then couldn't help but give him a small smile.

Meanwhile, inside the room, next to the old woman's body.

Eugene couldn't help but swallow, then looked at Old Feng in disbelief.

He gently approached Old Feng and carefully inquired about the path.

"Feng, what you just said? Is it true? The eldest brother has a son?"

"Don't talk nonsense. I'm not sure either, and even if I were, it might not be a son!"

Old Feng nudged Eugene in the chest, and after a moment of surprise, Eugene burst into laughter.

"Hahaha...hahahaha, damn it, this is really...really...hahahahaha, I'm going to find old Bert, hahahaha!!!" With a burst of laughter, Eugene rushed out of the room like a shot and disappeared through the door in the blink of an eye.

Even Nikita, who was trying hard to control her nausea, couldn't help but turn around and look at his departing figure, and whispered to Gavin, "What is he doing?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"It's nothing, he's just... happy for you and me."

"Happy for us?"

Gavin's answer made Nikita feel a little dizzy, and at the same time, she suddenly remembered the old lady's death.

She finally managed to control her nausea, then spat out two mouthfuls of saliva to clear the bile from her mouth, and grasped Gavin's hand, saying, "By the way, Annie... what happened to her..."

At this point, Nikita fell silent, a sad expression appearing on her face.

Although Grandma Anne hadn't been at the camp for long, she was one of Gavin's few elders, and a kind and likable person. Nikita had quite a bit of contact with the old lady; she'd always been interested in Gavin's life before the apocalypse, and had often sought advice from the old lady, listening to stories of Gavin's childhood mishaps. For example, the time Gavin first went to Ranch 6666 with his father to buy cattle, and he had a shooting contest with the ranch's cowboys, ending up breaking old Bonnet's treasured wine collection. In short, Anne was truly a very kind, compassionate, and beloved elder to Nikita.

But now…

For a moment, the sadness in Nikita's eyes almost overflowed.

Gavin, seeing Nikita's sadness, reached out and clenched Nikita's little paws in his palm.

Now, Gavin's intelligence has finally regained its footing.

He regained his composure, glanced silently at Nikita's lower abdomen, and then whispered to Nikita:

"Last night, I took Annie back to her room to rest. On the way, the old lady talked to me a lot, offering advice on life's journey, suggestions based on her experiences, and expressing her expectations for me and the future." "I took her back to her room and watched her lie down to rest, but I remember that she wasn't wearing this complete denim outfit back then." "The old lady usually wears simple dresses, but now, she was wearing proper jeans and a denim jacket, and even had her hat on. This is more like the daughter of a cowboy and the rancher and head of the largest ranch in Texas!"

"Obviously, after I took her to rest, she tidied herself up. She was prepared for this moment, and... she was exceptionally peaceful, wasn't she?" Gavin said, glancing back at the old lady again.

His gaze lingered for a moment, especially on the peaceful expression on the old woman's face.

Hearing his words, Nikita took a deep breath, pulling herself out of her sadness.

Outside, a commotion drifted through the wide-open door, sounding like Eugene shouting something in the hallway. Nikita couldn't make out Eugene's words, but the noise inexplicably irritated her. Normally, she would just chuckle at such sounds. But now, Nikita frowned, pursed her lips, and used Gavin's wrist to prop herself up from the floor.

Then, she straightened her pajamas.

Although her pajamas weren't revealing, and she certainly wouldn't shockingly show anything suggestive to other men,

But she still felt uncomfortable appearing in front of other people in her pajamas.

Now that she was sure she hadn't exposed herself, Nikita breathed a sigh of relief and then said to Gavin:

"Honey, I'll go back and change my clothes, and then... give the old lady a proper send-off."

"Anne... God, I know she wasn't young, and her passing wasn't painful, but this news is still so sudden. I need to wash my face and clear my head." "I'm a little dizzy. Maybe I drank too much yesterday. This time I'm especially dizzy, and... I feel so nauseous! My nose seems much more sensitive than usual!" "Wait for me, I'll be right back, I..."

"I'll take you, I'll help you, we'll do it together!"

Before Nikita could finish speaking, Gavin suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace, then turned to the four men waiting nearby, including Old Feng and Chandson, and said, "Feng, Chandson, you... get the old lady ready. Also, notify Corbin Bonnet to come and say goodbye to Anne, and inform Hogan; he's the only chaplain left in the camp." "Yes, boss, we'll take care of it right away. You look after Mrs. Nikita for now!"

Old Feng nodded solemnly to Gavin, and then, without waiting for Gavin to leave, he decisively began assigning tasks to the people in his hands.

The next moment, Chandson and another guy from Granite Beach left the room and went to knock on the doors of the old lady's nephew and Father Hogan, respectively. Old Feng himself went to find Thomas and brought him over.

Thomas, as the camp's head steward, always woke up very early and personally prepared breakfast appetizers and desserts for Gavin—his duty as steward. Therefore, Thomas and the kitchen staff were already awake at this time, unaware of Annie's situation.

Gavin then took Nikita back to the room, cleaned her up, and tidied himself up as well.

Shortly afterward, as Thomas strode toward Anne's room, he asked Old Feng incredulously.

"Wait, Feng, are you sure Madam is pregnant? Does Master really have an heir?"

Thomas's eyes widened at that moment, filled with anticipation.

These days, he is extremely satisfied with his life.

After all, he not only rose to prominence later, becoming a leader in the camp, but also the head steward second only to the initial group members. He became a figure like Zhuge Liang in Liu Bei's group, a steward whom even second or third-ranking figures like Eugene and Steve had to take seriously.

At the same time, meeting Gavin greatly satisfied Thomas's personal pursuits.

Although he held a master's degree in agronomy, his true desire lay in reviving the Schultz family's traditions, restoring their title as the family's royal steward, and reclaiming the inherent aristocratic glory of their surname. For him, as long as he followed Gavin, he believed that once humanity weathered the initial hardships of the apocalypse, a new human kingdom would emerge in the post-apocalyptic world! Indeed, unlike the pre-apocalyptic United Nations system, Thomas firmly believed that a kingdom would be born, not a more fragile federation, especially within Gavin's camp! Therefore, Thomas desperately hoped Gavin would have an heir—not just an heir, but a political successor to Gavin's camp and a beacon of hope for human civilization! After all, children are humanity's hope, and children born after the apocalypse are the hope of hope itself!

Especially... if nothing unexpected happens, as long as Nikita is indeed pregnant, then this child will be both the leader's child and the first child born after the apocalypse! This reality actually gave Thomas a sense of holiness!

Therefore, his voice involuntarily grew a little louder as he pressed Lao Feng for answers.

Faced with Thomas's persistent questioning, Old Feng swallowed hard, shook his head expectantly, and replied.

"Don't ask me, Mr. Butler. I'm not sure. After all, I'm just a soldier, not a pregnancy test!"

"But I think there's at least a slight possibility, because Madam looks quite a bit like my wife did back then. My wife gave birth a little over two years ago, and I remember all the details. Anyway, I think the chances are pretty good!" "Great! Pretty good chances! That's wonderful... Wait, um, I wasn't referring to Annie. Anyway... Annie also left this world peacefully, she passed away happily and peacefully, and Madam... That's wonderful, haha... ha... er..."

Thomas had just burst into uncontrollable laughter.

But his laughter abruptly stopped the next moment, because they had just passed Corbyn's room, and Corbyn was emerging from it, looking flustered and sad. On one side was Corbyn, his face full of grief, and on the other was Thomas, whose smile hadn't yet faded…

The two exchanged an extremely awkward glance.

At this moment, even Lao Feng, who was caught in the middle, couldn't help but want to dig out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes and hide inside, never to come out again.

Thomas stopped laughing, then put on a sad expression and whispered to Mrs. Anne's nephew.

"I'm sorry, Corbyn, but Anne's departure didn't involve any extra pain."

"I understand, God, but... I didn't expect it to be so soon. She... she left so suddenly, without even saying anything to me before she left. I'm her nephew, and I couldn't be with her when she left... Waaah!"

At that moment, Corbyn truly burst into tears.

He was really heartbroken.

It's important to know that Corbyn is the old lady's nephew, not her son.

Even so, the Bonnet family still gave Corbin the Bonnet surname and entrusted him with the important position of chief cowboy. Therefore, Corbin was genuinely grateful and also deeply loved Diane.

On the other hand, Anne is also an old lady who can see through people's hearts, and the fact that Corbyn was able to obtain those things means that, even without the necessary abilities, he truly possessed qualities that Anne could admire. So what was it about him that was admirable?

It is loyalty, it is deep affection, and it is the absolute principle of putting family first!

So Corbyn's tears came fiercely and suddenly, and his sorrow made Thomas, who had just been unable to suppress his laughter, feel even more ashamed and apologetic. Then, Thomas took Corbyn's hand and strode towards Anne's room, saying...

"I'm so sorry, Corbyn, but I know one thing: Anne is a strong woman, and she would never want to see her family, especially you, who inherited the Bonnet family name and surname, weeping like a cowardly child at her grave!"

"This is Texas, Corbin, the home of cowboys, a paradise for tough guys. Here, tears aren't celebrated; strength is!" "So, no matter what, don't cry!"

"Let's go see your aunt!"

"I see!"

Upon hearing this, Corbyn swallowed hard, then frantically wiped away his tears.

The three of them then continued walking towards Annie's room.

Their steps were quick and hurried, the sound of their footsteps mixed with Corbin's forced sobs.

As he approached Anne's room door, Corbyn finally regained his composure, and then...

then……

"Hahaha, that's awesome! Let's go, let's get tested right away!"

"Yeah, old Bert, hahaha, I really didn't expect it! The boss is so capable, he's just too capable, hahaha... Huh?" Just as Corbin was barely managing to control his emotions...

They were facing a door about 45 meters away.

A piercing laugh, accompanied by two radiant faces, came into full view of Corbin!

At that moment, Corbyn froze, stopping uncontrollably at Anne's doorway, his eyes fixed on Eugene and old Bert. "Uh..."

Looking at the silent Corbyn in the distance, old Bert narrowed his eyes in confusion.

When Eugene woke him up, he only remembered telling him that Nikita might be pregnant, but he didn't tell him that Anne was dead.

So, he was a little confused and somewhat dissatisfied at this point.

Nikita is probably pregnant, so why are you standing there looking so sad, Corbin?

Do you fucking have a crush on Nikita?

But before old Bert could say anything, a furious Corbin charged at Eugene, who, feeling apologetic, retreated repeatedly, only to be caught by Corbin and punched hard in the face. Before the punch landed, Eugene did feel somewhat apologetic, knowing he was in the wrong; his laughter was too grating.

But since he'd already been beaten up, Eugene didn't care about right or wrong anymore!

Fuck you!

He covered his nose and roared, and the two immediately began to fight wildly.