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Trudy still has flashbacks of her parents, and
of the day she had to leave them. It was too late for them but
for kids like herself, there was a chance she might survive.
Her schoolfriend Bray has taken it upon himself to look after
Trudy, to find a safe place to for her to live and have her
baby. He believes their best chance is in the City, a day's
walk from her home.
Setting off at dawn they walk along the coast. Before nightfall
they reach the outskirts of the City where Bray leaves Trudy
at the end of a tunnel.
Bray later returns for her with some food. He has found a safe
place to take her.
Bray leads Trudy in through the Mall sewers. But the people
living there are ready, fearing they are under attack from invaders.
Trudy politely asks to be allowed to stay.
Salene takes Trudy to the Café for a hot meal of hamburgers
and beans. Trudy doesn't make life easy for herself, she eats
only the beans because she's a vegetarian! |
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| Lex objects to Trudy's presence from the start, labeling
her as a liability, especially with a baby on the way. Amber calls
a vote. It goes against. As Bray and Trudy turn to leave, Trudy's
waters break. This changes everything. |
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Trudy is made comfortable in the Furniture/Bedding
store. Amber generally organizes people to fetch necessary items,
such as hot water, soap, and clean cloth. But it is Bray who
takes charge of delivering the baby. At the end of an arduous
day, Trudy gives birth to a girl.
In Ep.5 Salene moves both mother and daughter next door where
they sold crockery and kitchen utensils. She will have more
privacy in a room of her own.
Bray disappears without a word to anyone, and everyone assumes
he has done a runner. In fact he has gone in search of things
needed for the baby. |
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| Trudy becomes delirious and dangerously ill. Dal takes
her temperature and identifies puerperal fever from a medical CD.
He risks his life going to his father's surgery in Sector 15 to bring
back antibiotics. Without them Trudy would most likely have died.
She regains consciousness in Ep.7, and Dal brings her flowers. He
is in fact becoming fond of her. |
When Trudy is well enough, Salene brings the baby to
her, but it is soon obvious that Trudy hasn't bonded, and doesn't
really want her.
Bray has been talking to Zoot secretly. Trudy was once his girlfriend
and he wants to see her. Trudy doesn't really want to see Zoot. Lex
picks a moment when Trudy is alone and gives her 2 days to leave the
Mall with 'the brat', even though she is still very weak. This is
what decides Trudy into meeting with Zoot after all.
When Bray comes back in the room, he is pleased she has changed her
mind, but on one condition. Trudy will only meet Zoot inside the Mall. |
In the dead of night Bray escorts Zoot through
the sewers, then fetches Trudy. When Zoot sees her with a baby,
he is knocked off-guard. Trudy convinces him that he really
is the father. Bray tries to persuade him to forget being a
warrior, leave the Locos, and to look after his family at the
Mall.
In the meantime Patsy and Paul have woken Lex. He and Ryan investigate
and attack, both Bray and Zoot. |
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Zoot runs up the stairs and hides, followed by everyone
else. Lex and Ryan attack Bray mercilessly, punching him repeatedly
in the stomach. Zoot comes out of hiding to defend him. In a freak
accident Zoot falls over the balcony to his death below. Trudy is
distraught, admitting that she loved him.
When everyone hears that Zoot had come to see Trudy - and his daughter
- things start to fall in place. Lex checks the sewers and has to
agree that Zoot came alone and unarmed. Trudy confirms that Bray was
trying to make Zoot leave the Locos to look after his family.
Sympathy and opinion swing toward Bray and Trudy, and Lex is very
much out on his own. |
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Early the following morning Bray, Trudy, Amber,
Jack and Dal set out for the nearest graveyard with Zoot's body.
They go heavily disguised, as a precaution in case they are
seen. But the graveyard is already occupied by hordes of living
Demon Dogz. Jack suggests burial at sea instead.
Bray wants to give Zoot a Warrior's funeral, and to set fire
to the boat. Trudy agrees that Zoot would like that. In saying
his last good-bye Bray reveals that Zoot was formerly Martin,
his own younger brother. Until now only Trudy had known this. |
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Trudy is still suffering from post natal depression,
and not in a fit state to look after the baby, even if she wanted
to. She hasn't even given her a name yet. Salene looks after
the baby most of the time, because otherwise no one else would.
Besides, she likes doing it, and it gives her more contact with
Bray, which she also wants. But Trudy also wants Bray, and she
comes to resent Salene's constant presence.
Whenever she sees Salene and Bray together, for whatever reason,
Trudy's imagination works overtime. On one occasion Salene freaks
when she finds rats in the kitchen, and runs to Bray. On another,
at Jack's trial for hoarding food, Bray |
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sits next to Salene. Trudy comes to even resent Salene
looking after the baby, even though she can't be relied on to do it
herself.
Trudy's constant outbursts and tantrums, and generally sour attitude,
are what's most likely to drive Bray away from her and into Salene's
arms. Even Amber points that out to her. |
| Giving
the baby a name - Ep.12 |
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On the very night when the girls gather in Zandra's
room to agree a no-work protest against Lex's authoritarian
leadership, an unearthly sound carries through the Mall. Lex
orders all the guys to fall in line with him to investigate.
Bray refuses, laughs about it, as does Trudy. Amber guesses
they know what it is. Indeed they do. It is nothing more sinister
that Cloe's calf, Bluebell. But Bray and Trudy aren't telling!
When the truth is known, Amber reprimands both of them, for
allowing everyone to get in a panic while Lex humiliated himself.
She raises the question of their future in the tribe.
Later, first Trudy, then Bray approach Amber in her room. Trudy
doesn't really want to leave the Mall. She agrees to take responsibility
for her baby, and to treat Salene better. Amber encourages her
to give the baby a name.
The girls prepare a special feast to mark the naming of Trudy's
baby. All the boys willing to share the chores are invited.
In practice that's all of them except Lex. For the first time
ever, both Bray and Trudy are there, at the table. Ryan cuts
the pie, and Trudy announces the name - BRADY. |
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| Everyone is happy, except Lex. Since becoming
leader he has made the girls do all the chores. The other boys
are now prepared to do their share. All except Lex. |
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Trudy has seen a way to sideline Salene - by looking
after Brady herself. In the sweetest way possible (with a sarcastic
undertaste) Trudy thanks Salene for her help.
Next, she asks Bray to help move her bed round. It will enable
her to put Brady where she can look into her mother's eyes.
(Plus there will be more room for Bray to move in with her).
But her relationship with, and attitude toward Brady is unchanged.
It's all show, to make Bray love her. |
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