by Bobby Akart
Tommy raced to the back of the house and looked through the sheer curtains in the kitchen. The dry grass in the yard had ignited and the pine trees surrounding the cabin were fully engulfed. The cedar shake roof of the cabin was smoldering.
Tommy turned his attention back to the boy, but the condition of the kitchen caught his eye. There were several empty cereal boxes on the floor and discarded Pop-Tart wrappers.
“Marcus! When did your parents tell you this?”
“A few days ago. I can’t remember. I didn’t want to go to Aunt Paula’s. She beats on my cousin and sometimes takes a switch to me. I was gonna wait on my folks to come back.”
Tommy ran to the boy and dropped to one knee. He looked the child in the eye and asked, “Marcus, are you sure your parents went into the cabin back there? The one in your backyard?”
“Yes, sir. Pa wasn’t feelin’ well and Momma said he needed his rest. After a day or so, when they didn’t come back, I knocked on the door and hollered for them. Momma said Pa needed more rest and go back into the house. So I did.”
Tommy scruffed the top of the young man’s flowing black locks and felt his forehead. He was sweaty and had a fever. He felt oozing sores on the back of his neck. Tommy’s hand recoiled from the child as if he’d bitten by a rattlesnake, but he couldn’t move away in time to avoid the boy’s sudden sneeze. A bloody mix of mucus flew out of the child’s mouth and nose, covering Tommy’s face.
Reflexively, Tommy used both sleeves and his hands to wipe off his face. His fingers rubbed his eyes, attempting to get the spray out of them. His breathing increased as panic overtook him, and then the boy sneezed again, covering Tommy once more. Tommy closed his eyes, his chin dropped to his chest, and he prayed.
Sneezes travel at close to one hundred miles per hour. A single sneeze can send more than one hundred thousand bacteria-laden droplets through the air. Tommy breathed in these microscopic infected droplets through his mouth and nose. They also got into his eyes and ears.
He prayed that this hellish nightmare was a dream, but the voice of young Marcus reminded him that it wasn’t.
“Mister,” the boy said, “I’m sorry.”
Chapter 49
Day Seventy
Pennsylvania Creek
Tommy got it together and rushed to the back windows again. The fire was slowly moving toward the house along the grass, but the wind had subsided. The tall pines were no longer whipping back and forth, and none of them appeared to be in danger of toppling onto the house at the moment.
He instructed young Marcus to go to his bathroom, strip off his clothes and wash his face and hands. Then he wanted the boy to pack some clothes because they were going to his aunt’s house. When the young boy protested, Tommy rushed him to the back door and showed him the fire. This gave the boy all the incentive he needed to move.
While Marcus washed up and changed his clothes, Tommy did the same. Fortunately, the boy’s father was a comparable size. Now dressed in a long-sleeve white tee shirt and blue denim overalls, Tommy retrieved two fresh masks out of the Jeep.
Marcus emerged on the front porch with his camo backpack that he and his dad used when they would camp out together on Mount Argentine behind them. The boy never spoke of his parents again, seemingly aware of their deaths.
As Tommy drove down the road, he noticed the fire was dying down. The entirety of the land between the road and creek had been cleared and the debris cluttered the valley below. The wind had died down, which took away some of the oxygen that fueled the massive blaze.
He waved his arm at Doc and a handful of men who were standing near the creek, washing off the soot and dirt. Tommy was anxious to deliver the boy to his aunt, but he had to speak to him first.
“Marcus, you have to be a grown-up for a minute, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re very sick, like your parents. They loved you very much and they tried to protect you from their illness, but they couldn’t. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. I think I’m in big trouble.”
Tommy fought back the tears. “Marcus, nobody is upset with you, if that’s what you think.”
“I know. It’s just, um, I’m in big trouble, like Momma and Pa.”
“Yes, son, that’s right.”
They drove around the base of Mount Argentine and headed through the neighborhood toward Breckenridge. After half a mile, the boy pointed Tommy toward his aunt’s house, or at least where it used to be. Tommy slowed the Jeep and looked through the charred trees. The remains of the home were smoldering.
Tommy instructed Marcus to wait in the Jeep while he inquired about the home from the neighbors across the street. Tommy discovered that the boy’s aunt, uncle, and cousins had perished in the fire. They were all the family the kid had, and now Tommy was gonna find a way to see Marcus through his final days.
It was pitch black, as nightfall had taken hold hours ago. Tommy drove back up the mountain to find Doc and Hunter. He raced around a bend, where he found Doc standing with Derek at their six-wheeler, which was illuminated by the Jeep’s headlights. Tommy put the Jeep in park and exited the vehicle, leaving the lights on so they could see one another.
“Guys, you did it,” started Tommy. “I’ve driven all the way down the mountain and back. There isn’t any trace of fire near the road, only a few flare-ups way up toward the tree line.”
“We did, Tommy,” Doc said as he wiped his forehead with a towel. He took another swig of water. “A big thanks to you and Hunter for standing with us. I’ll never forget this, my friend.”
Tommy looked around. “Hey, where’s Hunter?”
“We thought he was with you,” replied Derek.
“No. I haven’t seen him in hours. When I left to warn people up the mountain, he was working down here, clearing underbrush. Could he have left with your guys?”
Doc started walking toward the Jeep and Tommy casually retreated to provide plenty of space. “Tommy, the pickup was full of our people. Hunter wasn’t one of them.”
Tommy became frantic. He reached into the pocket behind the passenger’s seat and retrieved a flashlight. He started flashing the light into the woods, screaming Hunter’s name. Doc and Derek did the same and the three men spread out along the stretch of road where Hunter was seen last.
Marcus began to cough again and Tommy knew he needed to get him to a safe place where he could receive some medical attention. He debated whether to tell Doc now, but opted for later. They needed to find Hunter and not be distracted.
Tommy decided to take Marcus to Quandary Peak.
PART FOUR
WEEK ELEVEN
Chapter 50
Day Seventy-One
Quandary Peak
Mac joined Barb and Janie at the checkpoint after a full day in the lab. She continued to tweak her formula, hoping to hit on the perfect polypeptide to marry to the vancomycin. She kept reminding herself that this type of research and the resulting pharmaceutical breakthrough sometimes took years. Arguably, the human race only had months, or maybe weeks. She worked diligently out of a sense of obligation to humanity, her profession, and herself.
A full moon rose over Red Mountain, casting a bluish tone on the smoke covering the valley. Every so often, a gust of wind would blow off Quandary Peak and down the mountain, causing the ashen cloud to roll like a wave towards the south.
All of them were worried about the guys. As midnight approached, it had been eighteen hours since they’d left to assist Doc in fighting the fire. None of them would be able to sleep although each encouraged the other to do so.
At one point during the day, Barb had entered the first home next to the checkpoint and straightened it up. She found extra sheets and made the beds. The family who once lived there had been unfairly ripped from the world. Their home deserved the dignity of being restored to its beauty. It also might serve as a place for them to rest while waiting for the guys’ return.
“I hear a car!” exclaimed Mac, st
artling Barb and Janie out of their half-sleepy state.
“Yeah, me too,” said Janie. “Look. Are those the Jeep’s headlights?”
They left their weapons behind and ran up the incline to greet Tommy and Hunter. The Jeep illuminated the three of them standing in the middle of the road and then it suddenly stopped. For several seconds, the Jeep idled with the headlights washing them with bright light.
“What’s going on?” asked Barb.
“I don’t know,” replied Mac. “Something’s wrong. Let’s go.” Mac pulled her pistol and started to walk briskly toward the vehicle.
Tommy flung open the door and stepped out. “Mac, please stop. You can’t come any closer.”
“Dad? Why?” she asked.
“Honey, I’ll explain in a minute. I have a very sick boy here and you guys need to stay back, okay?”
“My god,” Barb groaned. “He’s got a sick boy and won’t let us get near him. Do you think—?”
“Hold on, Mom,” started Mac. “Maybe they wanna exercise caution? You never know.”
“Tommy!” shouted Janie, unemotionally taking charge of the situation. “Drive to the first house behind us, nearest the checkpoint. It’s been cleaned and straightened up. We’ll meet you over there.”
“Got it!” Tommy replied.
He reentered the Jeep and slowly drove past them and up the driveway. The women followed his path, talking about the ramifications of the guys being with a sick child.
“It’s probably just smoke inhalation or something like that,” offered Mac. “Maybe something happened to the parents and the guys don’t wanna frighten the kid.”
“That’s right,” added Janie. “With all that’s going on, it’s easy to assume the worst.”
A couple of minutes later, they approached the house and saw candles burning in the windows of the front bedroom. Just as they were about to climb the porch steps, the front door opened and a flashlight preceded Tommy stepping out.
“Don’t. Stop there,” he ordered. “Please, you guys. This is going to be hard enough. Just trust me. I need you to back up off the porch and leave plenty of distance between us. Don’t go near the Jeep either.”
All of the women stopped abruptly and retreated off the porch. “Tommy, you’re frightening us!” shouted Barb. “Why did you change clothes?”
“I know and I’m sorry. Please let me explain.”
For the next several minutes, Tommy recounted the day’s events and how he came upon Marcus. He described in detail the boy’s condition and the surrounding circumstances. The boy had passed out in the backseat of the Jeep and Tommy wanted him to get some rest.
“Okay. Okay,” started Mac as she began pacing back and forth in front of the house. “We can deal with this. First, we don’t know for certain this is the plague. We can figure that out with an exam. Janie, let’s go to the house and get our gear. The Jeep will take us halfway.”
“No, you can’t take the Jeep, Mac. Marcus was sneezing and coughing in there,” added Tommy as he sat on the stoop. “Barbara, I’m so sorry. I love you.”
Barb began to cry and started toward her best friend and the love of her life. Tommy scrambled to his feet and backed toward the door.
“Mom, you can’t,” plead Mac as she grabbed her mother from behind. “Daddy’s right. We have to be sure. It doesn’t mean anything, but we can’t take the risk.”
“Tommy—” started Barb before he interrupted her.
“Don’t worry, honey. Let’s just see, okay?”
Tommy stood and walked toward the door.
Mac, who had been overcome with emotion and shock at Tommy’s revelation, forgot about Hunter. She immediately began to panic.
“Daddy, wait! Where’s Hunter?”
“Dear, they’re looking for him now.”
“Whadya mean looking for him? You mean nobody knows where Hunter is? Was he exposed too?”
“No, Mac. He was fighting the fire with Doc and the boys. I’m sure he’s fine. Doc will be along shortly since the fire’s been put out.”
Mac turned and walked towards Mount Argentine. The smoke continued to waft through the valley and the moon was no longer visible except for the occasional peek through the haze.
Chapter 51
Day Seventy-Two
The Quarantine House
Quandary Peak
Barb continued to speak with Tommy, who monitored Marcus at the same time. After the emotions died down, the two began to discuss the realities. She’d calm her nerves and then begin crying again.
Tommy and Barb had also second-guessed helping Doc fight the fire. They knew it could unnecessarily risk their lives. Now Tommy might have the disease and Hunter was missing in the middle of the night after a long day battling a blaze, which he had no experience doing. They vowed to maintain a positive attitude for the sake of Mac, but also said they’d spend every waking moment together until it was over.
Janie and Mac returned with their gear and suited up. Although Marcus had been resting comfortably, the doctors wanted to give him a quick exam in order to confirm their suspicions. Tommy led them inside and gently woke Marcus. At first, he was frightened at their appearance but eventually allowed Janie to examine him.
While Janie and Marcus were alone, Mac pulled her father aside. In her PPE gear, she hugged her father and began to cry. Tommy shed some tears but attempted to calm his daughter. It was a difficult moment for them both.
“Daddy, I’ll work night and day to find a cure. It’s such a slow process. I can only infect and examine so many mice at a time. The disease has to take hold, begin to show symptoms, and then I test the vancomycin variants.”
“Dear, I understand,” he said as they looked through the bedroom door at Marcus. “Do your best to help this young boy.”
“Daddy, he’s only got a couple of days based upon his visible symptoms. I don’t know what I can do except delay the progress of the disease and hope I’m successful. But I’m worried about you.”
He hugged her again and grasped her by the shoulders. “One patient at a time.”
“I’m done,” interrupted Janie. “Tommy, do they still have hot water?”
“Yes. I washed my hands earlier and it came out hot. I’m guessin’ they have solar panels too.”
“Good. Meet us on the front porch. Also, if you don’t mind, stay out of the master bath and off the rear porch from now on. We’ll need to use that as our entrance and decontamination chamber. It’s the best we’ve got under the circumstances.
Janie walked to the front door and picked up a gallon of decontamination solution and a spray bottle. She and Mac made their way to the walk-in shower of the master bedroom and washed each other’s PPE suits. Then they stepped through the rear door onto the screened porch.
As they walked around the corner of the house to join Barb, a pickup truck pulled into the driveway. Tommy waved and the truck parked at an angle to allow the front of the house to be illuminated by the headlights.
Mac and Janie picked up the pace and moved toward the center of the yard just as a figure appeared in the light. It was Hunter.
Mac immediately bolted in his direction and then skidded to a stop. She stared in his direction for a second, unable to move.
“Hu-Hunter, are you okay? Are you sick?” she muttered.
“Well, I smell like I’ve been working at the Waffle House all night, but other than that, I’m fine.”
Mac giggled like a schoolgirl and ran into his arms, tears flowing down her face and causing the soot on Hunter’s face to smear. The areas around his eyes and mouth were white; everything else was covered with soot, which was now mixed with tears.
Doc exited the vehicle and was joined by Derek. Doc began to laugh. “Man, you look like Alice Cooper after he ate that bat.”
“That was Ozzy Osbourne, Pop,” added Derek with a chuckle, who was then caught off guard by a tackle-hug from Janie.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Janie said with a smile.
“Hunter, do you promise? Are you okay? You’re not infected?” asked Mac.
“No, I’m fine. A little crispy, but fine. Why would I be infected?”
She took him by the hand and walked toward the house. Tommy stood alone in his newly acquired overalls.
“Hey, Tommy. I never took you for an overalls kinda guy. What are you doin’ up there?” asked Hunter as he left Mac to approach the house.
“Hunter, please don’t come closer,” Tommy warned. “I found a sick boy. He’s inside. I’ve probably got it too.”
“What? The plague? No, Tommy. That can’t be. I mean, how?” Hunter was nervously stammering.
Janie and the rest of the group joined Hunter. “I’m afraid it’s a good probability. I examined Marcus and he has a fever of close to a hundred and one. His cough is sporadic, but it’s mixed with mucus and blood. Overall, he’s extremely weak. I’d suggest that Doc take a look, but there’s no sense in more of us being exposed to him if he has the plague. It wouldn’t change my suggestion that we get him started on fluids, pain medications, and antibiotics immediately.”
“Nothing has worked so far,” interjected Barb.
Janie nodded and shrugged. “I know, but at least we can slow the progression of the disease and make him comfortable. He’s such a sweet boy.”
Doc stepped forward. “Let’s get him to the ER. They only have a skeleton crew, but at least he can get treated. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Hang on, Doc. Let’s think this through,” started Hunter before Mac interrupted him.
“Hunter’s right. The town has avoided infected people entering thus far and it has saved all of their lives. We don’t want to run the risk of causing the spread of the disease. We also don’t want to cause a panic or anger towards the boy, or us. People can be brutal when they’re afraid of the unknown.”