Eves of the Outbreak

by Lilith Assisi

  “Shoulder’s dislocated. I can put it right, but maybe we should get her somewhere safer and tackle everything at once,” he said after making his assessment.

  Daniel had joined his father. “I can help carry her,” he said.

  Travis and Daniel helped hoist her up. Diana took baby steps towards the elevator, River staying just behind her each step of the way.

  “What about these losers?” asked Linda.

  “Let’s lock them up in one of these cages until we think of what to do with them,” suggested Greg.

  Judy had quite a few suggestions of what she would like to do to these losers.

  Chapter 70

  Three days since their rescue and reunion, the crew had rounded up all the conspirators from the trap in the basement. What remained seemed like good people here in a community of children and adults working together. Of course, Judy was starting to question how much she could really tell about people on the surface. She was starting to realize that telling good people from bad was going to be a lot more difficult in this new world.

  But Travis and Diana were going to be a good addition to their group. She smiled over at Diana, who was handling her new disability pretty well.

  Judy had spent most of the last day with Diana, for whom they had made a make shift hospital room in one of the upstairs classrooms. Greg had gotten Diana’s shoulder back in place, but the residual dysfunction led Diana to suspect that she had a brachial plexus injury, damaging the nerves that controlled her arm. It would likely be temporary, but for now her arm was in a sling and not functional enough to be used. It was frustrating her beyond belief.

  Diana had to instruct the others how to treat her other wounds, including how to stitch up one of the deeper cuts on her right shoulder. Judy admired the woman’s strength after everything she had been through, and kept telling her that there was nothing to feel guilty about while Diana struggled with her new disability.

  Judy had spent much of the time updating her new friend on what she knew about the virus. Though it was much more limited training then Judy’s, Diana’s summer student work on the rabies virus in veterinary school was actually turning out to provide useful information to them understanding this new hybrid. It seemed the hybrid was traveling by axonal locomotion just like Judy had suspected, and might have components of a lyssavirus in it. This might be the key that Judy had been looking for in uncovering what other parts were in the hybrid.

  With regards to Anthony and his gang, none of them had it in their blood to be judge, jury and executioner. So they released those involved in the conspiracy from the school. Still, they let them go with their hands and mouths bound in duct tape, giving them a distinct disadvantage and lowering their chance of coming back to the school. They also informed them that they would be shot on sight if they tried to come back to the school.

  All the supplies that could be collected from the lower floors of the school were collected and with them in the gymnasium and cafeteria now. Greg had held an open forum for all of them and offered to take any of them that wished to travel to Boston with them along. He also tried to help prepare those staying behind for the potential challenges they would face, and how to start trying to build their own sustainable community within the walls of the school if that was necessary. Walter already had some ideas about a roof top garden, wanting to plant a tree there in memory of Mary.

  Judy was helping Diana ice her shoulder when Greg and Linda came back in.

  “You guys almost ready?” Greg asked.

  They nodded.

  “Ready to roll,” said Diana.

  “We’ve got two new vehicles and five new people in our entourage now. I’m sure there will be obstacles along the way, but hopefully we can get to Boston in a decent amount of time,” Greg said.

  “That’s what you said last time,” joked Linda.

  “Sounds like a plan,” said Diana.

  Judy helped Diana stand but Diana pushed her away.

  “My legs work just fine,” she protested, holding the ice pack on her left shoulder with her right hand.

  “Well we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help when we need it, and to offer it when we can spare it,” replied Judy.

  River barked, giving the impression that she agreed with the advice, and making her human counterparts laugh.

  “Good point. Do you mind sitting next to me in the car and holding this ice in place?” Diane conceded.

  “I’d be happy to,” replied Judy with a smile.

  Ten minutes later and they were all settled in the back of the Subaru, with Travis in the driver’s seat and Daniel in the passenger seat.

  They watched the Suburban take off in front of them, Linda and Greg leading the way.

  Two more vehicles followed behind them.

  “I think this moment calls for some celebration music,” announced Travis.

  Daniel groaned beside him. Travis clicked through his Ipod that was hooked in to the car and selected a song.

  The lyrics to This Magic Moment started to resonate through the car.

  “You know, I couldn’t agree with you more Travis. And I think River agrees, right River?” Diana said, looking at River who was paying full attention to her now.

  “Show them River, SING RIVER!” she shouted. And on command River began to howl along with the music.

  The car filled with laughter, howling, and the sounds of friendship and survival.