“Huh.” Not that I’m particularly surprised.
“I know they’re not all sick, either! Only one out of three got this, right?”
“I suppose the rest are home taking care of their people,” I say.
“Must be nice. The way I see it, I don’t work, I don’t get paid! God knows where those people are getting their money!”
“Well, did someone at least pick up some doughnuts and brew some coffee?”
“As a matter of fact, I did, thank you very much! Would you like some?”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Oh, not at all! You have no idea how good it is to have someone to talk to!”
From Angie I learn there are a dozen or so flu patients booked here in the hotel because the airlines—on orders from Homeland Security, via the TSA—are refusing to transport obviously sick people. “Talk about closing the barn door when the horses are already out!” says Angie.
A very pale and irritable looking woman wearing a prominent MANAGER tag comes in. “I don’t like leaving my little boy at home the way he is but the show must go on, right?”
“Don’t put yourself out on my account.”
“Oh! Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that! This is just going to be a really hard day. We don’t have a kitchen staff and now there’s no one here to clean the rooms! It might be a couple of days on that, and for that we do apologize!”
“It’s all right. Look, I’m going out to find some breakfast. Good meeting you all—and good luck!”
“Let us know what you find open,” says Angie.
I nod, wave, and set off into the quiet city.
Bleeding Kansas is available from Amazon here
Brutal Planet: A Zombie Novel Page 37