Apokalypsis Book Three

by Kate Morris

  “Yo, Alex!” he called out. Elijah figured his brother must’ve gone upstairs or something to shower.

  Elijah dropped his backpack near the back door and removed his shoes. He’d finish his schoolwork Sunday night like he always did every weekend when most of his friends were out partying or enjoying the final hours of their free time.

  When he walked into the kitchen, he knew something was wrong. The refrigerator door was standing wide open. Their bag of salad that Alex had cut up last night for today was laying on the tile floor. There were blood droplets next to it on the marble floor. He dropped his bottled water. It clanked noisily.

  Elijah snapped out of it and went to the back door again where they kept a baseball bat. Had someone broken into their house? It looked like it. Someone could’ve hit his brother over the head or shot him. That twisted his gut with anxiety.

  First, he closed the fridge. Then he searched the first floor and found a bloody towel in the laundry room. Had Alex just cut himself preparing food? Elijah wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t taking any chances, either. Someone could be in their house. As he crept back through the first floor toward the stairs, he sent his brother a text. He heard it buzz. He sent another and tracked it to the dining room where he found it on the table.

  “Shit,” he whispered and went to the stairs. The first one creaked under his weight. A few more did, as well. So much for being stealthy.

  At the top of the landing, Elijah heard something. A man’s moaning. It was Alex. He shot forward and looked in Alex’s bedroom. He wasn’t there. A light was on in the main bathroom they shared in this wing. When Elijah pushed the door open, he found Alex on the black tile floor.

  “Alex!” he yelled and ran in, kneeling beside his brother.

  “Get back, Elijah,” Alex warned. “I’m sick, man.”

  “What? How? There’s blood downstairs…” he started but stopped. There was blood on the towel near his brother’s face on the floor.

  “I know. I was coughing it up,” he said.

  “Concrete dust?” he questioned, knowing that sometimes they inhaled too much of that damn dust.

  Alex shook his head and held out his hand. “Go away, E.”

  “No way, man,” he said. “I gotta get you to the hospital.”

  “No!” Alex yelled and began coughing. His face was pale and sweaty, blotchy with color, mostly pale and ghostly white to dark, angry red. “Get back, dammit. You’ve got a game tonight.”

  Elijah didn’t care about his game. “So what? You need a doctor.”

  “It’s nothing that can’t wait a few hours.”

  “Are you fucking crazy?”

  Alex held out his hand to indicate Elijah should stay back before demanding, “Go to your game. Go get ready. I’ll be fine for a few hours.”

  “Fuck that,” Elijah swore as he rarely did so crudely. “Let’s go, asshat.”

  Alex swore with more fervor as Elijah stepped close and got his arm under his brother.

  “Come on, Alex,” he said forcefully and got really scared because up close, his brother’s eyes looked bloodshot. He swore again, this time not from being exasperated by his brother’s stubbornness but from fear for him.

  He was also terrified because just last night, Alex was fine. They’d even played video games for a while before Elijah worked on his homework and Alex crashed for the night.

  “Ya’ gotta help me out, bro’,” he told his brother.

  Alex slumped against him weakly. This scared him most of all. His brother wasn’t a sissy. He was tough, ran drills with Elijah in the summer, was in the Army for shit’s sake. He was a tough son-of-a-bitch. This took him down in less than twenty-four hours.

  He practically had to carry Alex down the stairs because he wasn’t much more than dead weight. His bare forearms were searing hot against Elijah’s hands. He had one hand wrapped around his brother’s waist and Alex’s arm hooked around his own neck. He missed a lot of steps, and Elijah could tell he was supporting most of Alex’s hundred and ninety-five pounds. He could. It wasn’t too much. He bench-pressed three-twenty-five. It wasn’t that. It was just that his brother felt so frail in his arms.

  On the first floor, Elijah had to jam his feet into his leather loafers and hook them with one finger to pull each on all the way. He opened the rear door and saw Wren sneaking back down the porch stairs.

  “Wren!” he called out, startling her.

  She spun slowly and said, “Sorry, I was just dropping off…”

  She stopped in the middle of her sentence because she realized something was wrong with Alex.

  “What’s going…?”

  “He’s sick,” he told her. “I’m taking him to the hospital.”

  “Oh, my gosh,” she exclaimed. “I’ll drive.”

  In that moment, he wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to be standing there in his backyard.

  “Thanks,” he said on a breath of relief and helped Alex down the steps.

  “I got the door,” she said and rushed up the steps behind him. “I’ll lock it.”

  “Thanks,” he returned over his shoulder as he hoisted his brother again and kept going to her Honda. She still beat him there, running around Elijah and opening the back door.

  She got in and fired it up.

  “We’re in. Go,” he ordered.

  Wren was heavy on the gas pedal, he was learning. Today was no exception.

  “I don’t know where to go,” she said, making him remember she probably didn’t know her way around being new to the city. He noticed her dash didn’t have a GPS system, either. Where it should’ve been already installed in this car, there was a gaping hole like it had been removed, severed wires sticking out of the space. He wasn’t sure how she got around in a city she didn’t know without one. Maybe she used her phone. He’d never heard of GPS dash systems being hot commodities on the black market. All cars had them.

  “Right,” he said. “I’ll navigate.”

  Beside him, Alex slumped against the door. He couldn’t worry about him right now. Wren needed him more. She drove as fast as she could as he told her which way to go and where to turn. They made it to the hospital in about ten minutes, which was really good timing. Of course, she ran the many yellow and some red lights all the way there.

  “Pull in there,” he instructed.

  “I see it,” she answered about the red Emergency Room signage by the road.

  It was a massive complex taking up entire city blocks. The Cleveland Clinic had bought out or merged many hospitals in Ohio in the last three or four decades.

  Wren swung the Honda into an open spot across the street from the Emergency Room doors and parked. Then she got out and met him at Alex’s door. They were able to get him out of the car, but Elijah realized his brother’s condition had become even worse.

  “Thanks, Wren,” he said gratefully.

  “Absolutely,” she answered.

  She shut the door as he started across the street. Elijah had assumed she’d leave now, but a second later, she was at his side again.

  “Hang in there, Alex,” he said to his brother and didn’t get an answer.

  She even sprinted ahead through the automatic double doors that opened with a whoosh. He could see her as he hefted Alex onto his shoulder again. She was in there yelling and waving her hands to get someone’s attention.

  “It’s gonna be okay, Alex,” he said. “Just a few more feet, okay?”

  That’s when Alex slumped completely, and Elijah had to carry him over his shoulder like a sack of very heavy potatoes.

  By the time Elijah got to the building, an orderly came out with a wheelchair. He, with the help of Wren and the hospital worker, eased Alex into it gently. However, Elijah became even more frightened because his brother’s eyes were closed.

  They followed the orderly, who took his brother immediately through the double doors that led to the treatment area.

  “Sorry, folks,” he said, holding out his hands. “You’ll have to
wait out here. I’ll get him in ahead of the rest, but you need to give his information to a nurse or one of the registration girls.”

  “Okay, yeah, okay,” Wren answered for them. “Thanks, Reggie.”

  He nodded, gave Elijah a firm nod of sympathy, and left with Alex. Elijah ran a hand through his hair with distress and looked around. That’s when it hit him. The place was packed. There were literally hundreds of people in the waiting room. Some were glaring at him. Had he just jumped line? There were also police officers everywhere. It was loud and chaotic. Nurses were yelling behind the double doors where they’d just taken his brother. A doctor went flying past them, the tails of his white lab coat flapping in the breeze as if propelling him. He nearly ran into Wren, who Elijah snatched out of the way. He kept a firm hold of her arm, then slid his hand down to press his palm flat against her hip. She didn’t step away.

  “Thanks,” she said and sidled a little closer even. “Jesus. Look at this place.”

  He was. He didn’t need her to tell him. This wasn’t normal, not for a mid-sized city like Canton, Ohio. It didn’t make him feel any better about the care his brother was about to receive. Others in the waiting room seemed just as sick, if not sicker.

  “Wonder why they took Alex before some of these people?” he asked as his phone buzzed.

  “As soon as I announced that the Massillon Tigers quarterback was coming in, he and a security guard were more than willing to help.”

  “Wow,” he said. “Thanks, Wren. I mean it. Thanks.”

  “Well, if you can’t take advantage of your celebrity every once in a while, then when can you, right?”

  “I think you’re supposed to do charity work, not jump ahead in line at the E.R.”

  She shrugged. “Oh, well. At least he’s gonna get treated quickly.”

  He nodded with a hard frown, thinking of how Alex went limp in his arms.

  “Come on,” she said and pulled at his shirt. “Let’s get him registered.”

  They went to a window, which took about twenty minutes of waiting in line to finally get up to and gave them Alex’s information. They were told they would be called when they knew something. He gave them permission to tell Wren, too, in case he was in the bathroom or something when the news came. Then they were both given a wristband that was neon green. The nurse also handed them something that looked like a car remote.

  “What’s this?” he asked the lady, who looked exhausted.

  “It tells us what section your brother was taken to,” she explained. “When it buzzes or vibrates, you’ll report in at those doors,” she said, pointing to the doors where they’d taken Alex. “You can go anywhere on the grounds or up to one mile away, and it’ll flash and vibrate. Show the nurse the bar code on your wristband. She’ll know you’re with him.”

  “Okay. Sure,” he said. “Do you know when we’ll hear something or how long…”

  “Honey, go get some dinner and relax. It’s going to be hours. And use plenty of that hand sanitizer over there.”

  Elijah was stunned. That didn’t seem like a normal time frame.

  “Thanks,” Wren said and led him away by linking her hand through his arm. Near the door, she pumped the hand sanitizer and globbed a few tablespoons onto his hands, too. “Rub it around. Elijah,” she said, trying to get his attention. She sighed and rubbed their hands together, lathering both at the same time. He was too numb to move, even to think. Then Wren used the available paper towels and dried them both off before tossing them in the already full waste can. She looped her hand through his bent arm again and led him through the emergency room doors to the outside again, urging him toward a gazebo about twenty yards away. His ears took a moment to adjust to the silence.

  “Are you okay?” she asked and encouraged him to sit on the built-in bench inside the gazebo.

  He nodded jerkily.

  “Was it…what was it?”

  Elijah shook his head and planted his hands on his thighs, unable to do more. He knew what she was asking. He’d already run that scenario through his brain the second he saw Alex on the floor of the bathroom. He was just glad his own brother hadn’t charged him with a knife.

  His phone kept buzzing in his pocket, but he ignored it. Whatever it was could wait.

  “Elijah?” she asked beside him.

  He felt her thin, cool fingers on his chin putting pressure there until he turned to look at her.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Yes, I’m okay,” he finally answered, the veil of shock lifting just slightly. “Thanks for coming with me.”

  She nodded, her eyes softening. This was a side to her he hadn’t seen before. It was gentle and tender. It was hidden most of the time. She even placed her hand over his in a calming manner.

  “Is he sick with that flu?” she finally asked after a long time of just sitting in silence with him.

  His eyes narrowed, “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Was he acting…”

  “No,” he said quickly. “He was just complaining of not feeling good. I found blood in the kitchen. Then I found him upstairs on the bathroom floor. He wasn’t…violent.”

  “Fever?”

  He nodded. “He was burning up.”

  “Bloody ‘ell,” she swore without trying to cover her obvious accent.

  “Yeah,” he said.

  “Elijah!” she exclaimed more loudly. “Your game! You have to play tonight. Crap, what time does it start?”

  He consulted his phone. “In an hour.”

  “Oh, my gosh. You’d better get going!”

  “No, way,” he stated. “I’m not leaving my brother here.”

  She immediately volunteered, “I’ll wait.”

  “No, I’ll wait. You don’t have to. Wren, you could get sick being here. You should just go.”

  “That’s not gonna happen, Golden Boy,” she attempted a joke. “You go. I’ll stay. How long’s your game?”

  He looked at her with surprise. How could she not know how long a football game was? It made him smile.

  “Three hours give or take,” he said. “Usually wraps up around ten o’clock.”

  “Then go. I’ll wait for him. If they tell me anything, I’ll text you. Can you check your phone?”

  He chuckled. “Not exactly. I’ll be a little busy.”

  “Maybe at the halfway break?”

  “You mean half-time?” She nodded with a naivete that made Elijah glad she was here. “Yeah, I can check it then,” he said. Not really, but he would anyway.

  “Then go. I’ll be here. I’m not leaving. I promise.”

  He remembered something key to the idea of her staying, “What about your uncle?”

  “He’s at a meeting up north,” she said and instantly looked regretful of doing so.

  “Okay, but I can call my coach and tell him to put in the sub.”

  “No, you can’t,” she argued softly. “This could affect your scholarship, couldn’t it?”

  He wasn’t sure. Possibly. He had to have a great season in order to get the full ride.

  “Maybe.”

  “Then go, Elijah,” she said. “I’m not leaving until you get back. Go! Go get lots of goals or whatever.”

  He grinned and stood. She followed and looked up at him.

  “Take my keys.”

  The level of gratitude he felt toward her in this moment was the same way he felt about all the sacrifices Alex had made for him. There were no words to convey it. He couldn’t imagine most of his friends in school with the exception of Jeremy who would do this for him.

  “Thanks, Wren,” he said again. “You…you’re a really good friend.”

  Her dark brows pinched together. “Sure.”

  Without pause or thinking it through, Elijah wrapped her up in a tight hug, lifting her easily off her feet. He set her down gently and stepped back.

  “I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

  She nodded, and he liked that her cheeks looked a little pink. Then
he turned and jogged away. He had to get through this game tonight. Nothing was more important to him than Alex. He was afraid he was starting to feel the same about Wren.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Every vibration of her phone made her jump. Wren kept thinking it was going to be the hospital pager, but it wasn’t. Mostly it was her uncle. He told her he probably wouldn’t be back until tomorrow night. He was flying to a new meeting. She sat outside in the gazebo and walked around the landscaped grounds of the hospital until it was too cold to do so. Then she went in. The waiting room was a walking cesspool of germs and bacteria. They were even handing out paper face masks, which she took and immediately put on. Then she went to the restroom, used the facilities, and scrubbed her hands in scalding water for a long time, probably more than what was necessary. When she looked up at the mirror, she was shocked. The mask took up more than half her face. It reminded her of the severity of the situation. They didn’t just hand stuff out like this unless there was some sort of bird flu or swine flu or something like that going around. It made her feel a little panicked. Her eyes betrayed her anxious feelings.

  When she was done, she checked her phone again for the hundredth time and saw that it was almost nine-thirty already. She bought a coffee from the vending machine to help her brain stay frosty. She almost dropped it when the buzzer finally went off in her hand. It glowed an ominous red. That just seemed wrong.

  Wren rushed back to the E.R. and handed the pager to the nurse waiting with a chart near the swinging doors that locked the second anyone went through.