by E A Chance
Dashay came in carrying a small plastic box and set it on the bed. Riley peeked inside and was delighted to find crackers, cheese, a tuna packet, and applesauce. There was even a pack with two cookies in it. Her stomach growled at the sight of the food and she had to admit she was ravenous.
She tore open the tuna packet and said, “Tell me about Coop.”
Dashay dropped into the recliner and rubbed her face. “It was rough for a few hours. Severe vomiting and diarrhea, fever spikes, and erratic vitals. But he seems to have turned a corner and is stable now. Loraine’s not sure the infection is mosquito borne, but she’s not ruling it out. She has Adrian and a few nurses pouring over those books. You and I can help now that you’re rested and fed.” When Riley started wolfing her food, Dashay put a hand on her arm. “Slow down. Five extra minutes won’t matter, and we need that food to stay down.”
Riley took a breath and chewed slower. “You’re right, Dashay. I’ll be no good to Coop or this baby of I don’t start taking better care of myself.”
Dashay held up her fingers in a victory sign. “Glad to see you’re recovered from whatever this is.”
Riley finished her second cookie and dusted off her hands “I’m ready to get at it. Am I allowed off this bed?”
Dashay got up and pulled on sterile gloves, then removed Riley’s IV. “Get up slowly. We don’t need you passing out.”
Riley sat up slowly and gave herself a few seconds to equalize before sliding off the bed. She held the bed for a moment but felt perfectly stable. “I’m good. Take me to Coop.”
“He’s just next door.”
She followed Dashay to Coop’s room and gasped when she saw him. His skin had a gray hue, and his hair was a matted mess on his head. He slowly turned his head toward them when he heard them come in. Riley rushed to his side and grasped his hand, but he was too weak to squeeze back. Though she was relieved to see him awake, his sunken eyes rimmed by dark circles were a shock. She laid her head on his chest and gently wrapped her arms around him. He lifted an arm and rested it on her back.
“Just the sight of you looking so amazing makes me feel better,” he said, in a hoarse voice.
She straightened and looked into his eyes. “Glad to hear it, Babe. I’m strong and so is our baby. Dashay got to hear his heartbeat. I’ll make sure we both get to hear it later, but right now I’m going to figure out what’s wrong with you and cure you. You stay here and do whatever they tell you. Promise?”
He raised his hand and made a cross over his chest, then closed his eyes. Riley ran out of the room so he wouldn’t see her cry. Dashay followed her out and pulled her into a hug.
When Riley regained control of herself, she stepped away and said, “You’re telling me this is better than he was earlier?”
Dashay eyed her for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“I’m glad I was passed out for the worst, then. I’ve seen dead people look better than he does.”
“He is improving, Riley, but I have a feeling we’re stuck here for the long haul, so get comfortable. Figuring out what he’s got would help us zero in on a treatment. Before you go, I forgot to tell you that librarian dude wants to see you first thing in the morning.”
“Who does he think he is? He’s not even an elected official. He’ll just wait until I’m ready to see him.”
“I recommend you don’t make waves, Riley. People here seem either in awe or a little afraid of this guy. I’m not sure which, but I’m guessing we need him on our side.”
Riley suddenly felt the weight of the world pressing down on her. How many more of these eccentric rulers would she have to deal with before they made it home?
“Fine. I’ll ride over to see him after breakfast and I promise to be on my best behavior.”
Dashay turned up her palms and shrugged. “That’s all I ask.”
Riley sat back in her chair and rubbed her neck. She’d been scanning through medical books for hours between trips to check on Coop and was no closer to finding an answer. She glanced at her watch out of habit, but her wrist was bare.
“What happened to my watch?” she asked Adrian.
He shrugged. “They must have taken it when you passed out. Ask Dashay.”
She jumped out of her chair and headed for the door. “She’s asleep.”
“Where are you going?”
“To find my watch. It’s the only thing I have left that came with me from Colorado. It’s my good-luck talisman.”
Adrian stood and pointed at her chair. “I’ll go. You’re more valuable here than I am.” He pointed at the wall clock on his way out. “Since you were wondering, it’s two in the morning.”
“I’ll give it two more hours, then I need to sleep.”
“Me too,” Adrian said as he left.
Riley was glad for a moment alone. She appreciated Adrian’s help, but he had little knowledge of medical matters. He was a methodical researcher, but so far hadn’t come across a single helpful idea. He was so eager to help that she didn’t dare ask him to leave, but he jabbered or asked questions incessantly and made it hard for her to focus.
She got up and went to the whiteboard Jace had found for her. She erased the mess of notes they’d all made for the past twenty-four hours to start fresh. She started by making an updated list of Coop’s symptoms, then she wrote down any infectious diseases that even remotely fit his symptoms. Finally, she listed the treatments they’d tried. She drew lines between the symptoms and diseases that matched but didn’t come up with anything conclusive. She was missing something.
She stared at her work for several minutes but got no inspiration. She went back to the table and started flipping through one of the books. It opened to a page she’d missed the first time through. A picture on the page gave her the answer to Coop’s illness. She picked up the book and started for the door just as Adrian rushed in, calling her name.
“They need you in Coop’s room, stat.”
As she ran alongside him down the hallway, she said, “Did they tell you what the emergency is?”
“All I heard was ‘anaphylactic shock.’ I know what that means because my daughter has severe allergies to nuts.”
Riley picked up the pace and raced into Coop’s room in time to see Jace giving him an injection.
“What is that?”
Jace held up the vial. “Epinephrine.”
“Who prescribed it?” she demanded as she pulled on gloves.
A tall, dark-skinned man with strands of gray in his short, tight curls turned toward her from where he stood by the sink. “I did,” he said, raising an eyebrow at her. “Who are you?”
Riley noted the white coat he wore but ignored his question and leaned over Coop. His face was blue, deepening to purple, and his lips were swollen. “When did this start, Jace?”
Jace’s eyes widened as he backed away, shaking his head. “Dr. Williams should answer that.”
She dropped the book on the bed by Coop’s feet and snatched a stethoscope off a tray. “I don’t care who answers me. Just tell me what’s happening to my husband,” she ordered as she pressed the end of the stethoscope to Coop’s chest.
Dr. Williams stepped to the opposite side of the bed. “My apologies. You must be Dr. Poole. How are his cardiac and breath sounds?”
“Weak but steady beat. His breath sounds are good. The epinephrine’s working.” She let out her breath without taking her eyes off Coop. “They told me there wasn’t a doctor at this hospital.”
“There wasn’t. I was in Atlanta when I got stuck after the CME. I’m making my way back to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. I’m a cardiac surgeon who assisted Dr. Cooper with development of the Xavier Procedure. What are the odds?”
That got Riley’s attention. She ran to his side of the bed and threw her arms around him. He stiffened and left his arms at his sides. She let him go and stepped away. “Pardon me. I’m just so thrilled to have another doctor here, and you knowing Coop makes you like family.”
He gave he
r a warm smile. “He still insists on being called Coop?”
She wiped her eyes and returned his smile. “Of course.” She picked up the book and flipped to the page with the picture. “Look at that rash. It matches Coop’s.” She handed him the book and uncovered Coop’s chest. “Jace, do we have a magnifying glass?”
As Jace started for the door, Dr. Williams said, “Don’t bother. I recognize that rash. You’re right, Dr. Poole. Coop has Typhoid Fever. Excellent catch. Let’s just hope he wasn’t reacting to the Cipro.”
Riley was so relieved that her diagnosis was right, she almost hugged him again. “Please, call me Riley. Coop’s never mentioned allergies to any meds, and he would have reacted much sooner if it were the Cipro, but we can’t take the chance. We’ll have to stop everything and try something else.”
“Were you giving him azithromycin?”
“No.”
“It’s a reliable alternate treatment for Typhoid.”
“I’ll go to the pharmacy and see if we have it,” Jace said and ran out of the room.
Coop’s eyes flickered open, and he turned his head toward Riley. “What now?” he whispered.
Riley wrapped his hand in hers and lifted it to her cheek. “Welcome back. Almost lost you again. Dr. Williams saved your life.”
“That’s a coincidence. I know a Dr. Williams, but this is the last place he’d be.”
“Hello, Coop. Glad to hear you remember me.”
Coop slowly turned his head to face his old colleague. “Mack!” he croaked and raised his other hand. “What are you doing here, you old dog?”
Mack grasped his hand. “Something told me you’d gotten yourself into trouble again and needed my help.”
“He got here just in time,” Riley said. “You reacted to one of the meds. You never told me you have drug allergies.”
“Didn’t know I did. What have you been pumping into me?” Riley rattled off the list and he gave a dry whistle. “I should have asked what you weren’t giving me. How are we going to know which it was? You can’t allergy test me.”
“Ever taken Cipro?” Mack asked.
“Many times.”
Riley rubbed her forehead. “It’s not likely that then.”
“We should go with the azithromycin,” Mack said.
Coop tried to sit up but was too weak and fell back onto the bed. He looked up at Riley, and said, “Hold on. Why do I need antibiotics? You said this is viral.”
“I was wrong. It’s Typhoid Fever.” She showed him the picture, and he looked down at his torso to confirm. “The mosquito bites threw me. If I hadn’t seen that photo, I never would have guessed that.”
“Where could I have contracted Typhoid? We don’t even have that in the US anymore.”
“When you dove in to save Dashay. She got it too, only a much milder case. The flood waters must have been mixed with sewage.”
Jace came in carrying an IV bag. He held it up and grinned at them. “Azithromycin. And there’s more where this came from.” He hooked it up to Coop’s IV, then glanced down at him. “Good to see you’re still with us, Dr. Cooper. You gave us a scare. More than once.”
“Let’s give these two a minute alone,” Mack said. He patted Coop’s shoulder. “Does my heart good to see you again, old friend.”
Coop shook Mack’s hand. “Mine, too.”
Riley watched them leave before pulling a chair next to the bed. “Are you ever going to stop scaring the hell out of me?”
“If I did, what would we have to talk about?”
“I can think of a few. Let’s give it a shot.”
“You can start by filling me in on what I’ve missed the past few days.”
“Not much to tell. You and Dashay came back to the camp deathly ill. Adrian and I rushed you here, and I’ve spent the past day trying to cure you.”
Coop looked around the room. “Where’s here?”
“Madisonville, Kentucky, I think. The bridges up north are washed out from the flooding. We had to go south. When you’re strong enough, we’ll go northwest.”
“Is it safe to wait with those people after Adrian?”
“First off, you were almost dead just minutes ago and you’re far too weak to travel. We’ll be here two weeks, minimum. Second, no one here had mentioned Kearns or the military. They haven’t recognized Adrian, so I think we’re safe.”
Coop scooted away from her and patted the bed. “Come here.” She climbed up and snuggled against him. “You did a superhuman thing getting Dashay and me here and saving our lives. You never cease to amaze.”
“I couldn’t have gone on without you. When are you going to learn I’ll do anything for you?”
“You are more than I deserve.”
She lifted her head and looked up at him. “I won’t argue with that, but I can’t take all the credit. Adrian was a huge help and poor old Biscuit dragged your butt here.”
He smiled, then grew quiet and closed his eyes. Less than a minute later she could feel his slow, rhythmic breathing. She found Jace and asked him to monitor Coop, then dragged herself to the next room and collapsed on her bed, exhausted but to afraid sleep. She worried Coop wouldn’t be there when she woke. Fearing it had all been a dream.
Riley held her breath as she walked into Coop’s room at nine after a fitful night’s sleep. When she found him propped up sipping broth, she sighed in relief. It hadn’t been a dream. His coloring was still bad, and he looked weak, but that was to be expected after his ordeal. She glanced at his monitors and flipped through the chart, then blew him a kiss.
“I’d give you the real thing, but Mack says I should keep my distance for a few more days. He’s prescribed prophylactic antibiotics for everyone that had contact with you.”
“He came to see me earlier and told me. I agree with that treatment. I wouldn’t wish what I just went through on my worst enemy. Will you stay and keep me company?”
“I can later. First, I have to go see the eccentric guy that runs this town.”
“The Librarian? Jace told me about him. What do you think he’ll ask in payment for all this?”
“Jace said he’ll probably ask for my skills as a physician, so I’m not worried. I should be back in an hour. It’s incredible to see you awake and talking.”
He lifted his mug in a toast. “It’s great to be alive.”
She blew him another kiss on her way out and went to find Dashay and Adrian, who had offered to go with her to see Dr. Himes. She found them laughing over a breakfast of muffins, mixed nuts, and dried fruit in the deserted cafeteria. Dashay pushed a chair out with her foot for Riley when she saw her in the doorway.
“Good to see you looking halfway human this morning. Sit. Eat.”
Riley took two muffins and a packet of fruit. “Where does all of this come from?”
“It just magically appears,” Dashay said, and grinned at her.
Adrian shook his head. “Don’t listen to her. Jace’s sister left this for us. She found a nice stable for Biscuit and the cart, too.”
Riley stopped chewing and stared at him. “With all of our stuff?”
He shrugged. “Everyone keeps telling me no one will take it. I don’t know how they can be so sure.”
“Once I’ve eaten, we’ll go get some answers from Dr. Himes,” Riley said.
“Rain’s back,” Dashay said. “Adrian, why don’t you see if you can find us ponchos or umbrellas.”
He got up and left without a word. “Where’s he been sleeping?” Riley asked between bites.
“Jace tucked him into an empty room. If we’re staying until Coop is recovered, we should ask for a place to stay. The hospital’s fine, but I’d like a real bed.”
“You and Adrian can go. I’m not leaving Coop. I’ll get a bed moved into his room. Have you met Mack? I wonder where he’s staying?”
“He examined me this morning before prescribing the azithromycin. He says I’m lucky to get off so easy. He’s an impressive man, and handsome, too. Distinguishe
d. He hasn’t seen or communicated with his wife or family since the CME. He doesn’t even know if they survived.”
Riley stared down at her plate. She knew how Mack felt. “Is he traveling alone? He’s come a long way and has even longer to go.”
“He stayed in Atlanta working in a clinic until three weeks ago when he found a way home. He was with a convoy, traveling by truck until they ran into Kearns’ troops. They confiscated their vehicles and all their provisions. He slipped through the cracks and has been traveling alone on foot since.”
“That is impressive. I’ll have to hear his story when we’re through this crisis.” Riley took her last bite of muffin, then pushed her plate away and wiped her hands. “Let’s get this parley with the librarian out of the way.”
Adrian came in with his arms loaded with ponchos and umbrellas.
Dashay’s eyes widened when she saw him. “Where did you find all that?”
He dropped them and the table before doling them out. “Grandpa gave them to me.”
“Grandpa?” Riley said as she pulled a poncho over her head.
Adrian handed her a flowered umbrella that matched the color of her poncho, and said, “That’s what he likes to be called. I’m not sure if we’ll need all this. The rain’s slowing.”
Riley glanced out the window. “It’ll be back if I know our luck, but let’s make the best of it.”
They left the hospital and hurried to the library in the misting rain. The front entrance was open, so they made their way in, discarding their rain gear in the foyer. The first person they saw inside was the girl from the checkpoint.
“Hello again,” Riley said. “You never told us your name.”
She shoved the book she held onto the shelf, and said, “Kendra.”
Riley extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Kendra. So, you do double duty at the library and as a security guard?”
“I was just filling in with Logan at the checkpoint. How are your patients, Doctor?”
“This is one of them here. Dashay, meet Kendra.” Dashay flashed a smile and gave her a chin jut. “My other patient, my husband, will survive, but it was a close one. We’re here to meet with the Librarian.”