Affliction

by Daniels, Dottie

  “Oh thank God!” I exhaled. “I tried to call them once I found out what was going on but all I could do was leave a message. Have you heard from…,” he knew right away I was referring to my own brother and remained solemn as he shook his head and replied, “We’ll double back and check for him again, soon. Here, sit down,” he said as he directed me back to the couch.

  “Is this virus thing everywhere?” I said as I followed his direction and sat down almost exactly in the spot where I woke up. Uncle Lloyd went to a cabinet, opened it and took out a box of tissues. He sat down next to me before he started filling me in.

  “I’m sorry to tell you, but yes, it is mostly everywhere. The government, health officials and many others tried their best to hold it off for as long as they could. It’s been a week now since it surfaced and many, many people are dead and missing. There are many people in hiding and I hope that is the case with your brother.” He looked at me very carefully with full eye contact.

  “It’s like a dream, like fiction. I can’t believe how quickly things have gotten out of hand,” I said, looking out at the peaceful treetops from my view of the window.

  “Unfortunately it’s not a dream, Seanna. It came to be this way simply because no one ever expected something like this. You’re safe here though, first and foremost, you understand? I know it’s been a rough time for you here. There is a lot going on and a lot you may not yet realize or know but you will understand it all in a short while,” he calmly explained.

  He was making a mental note of my every movement and reaction as he looked me over and finally down at my left arm. I had so many things I wanted to know, it would be impossible to rank them in priority. Just because I was safe meant nothing if my family and the general population were not.

  “Are you a part of this?” I said as I looked around me referring to the research center and its vast campus. “Is this where you work?” I continued on.

  “I’ve been here doing research on various projects for years. You all were aware of that, which is why I haven’t seen most of the family in a while. After the divorce was finalized and I had to pay alimony and other expenses related to our cost of living, there was nothing left for me to do but work. Nathan went off to college and Melanie took half of everything,” he said referring to his first born and ex-wife, smiling a little.

  My uncle and his wife Melanie divorced seven years ago after twenty-four years of marriage. Lloyd was always a workaholic, and shortly after their youngest of two kids, my cousin Paige, died in a hit-and-run accident, just weeks after her fifteenth birthday, Lloyd buried himself further into his work while my aunt Melanie was never the same. She still calls my mother occasionally and sends a Christmas card every year. I was just two years older than Paige when she died. I remember it being so sudden and tragic because the four of us—Nathan, Paige, me and my brother Junior—got along really well. Her accidental death was part of the reason why I chose to become a paramedic.

  He continued on, “While our focus was on several projects regarding research for cancer-fighting medications in the eighties as well as for drug therapies to preserve life at the cellular level, some time ago we were presented with a unique opportunity to begin looking into cellular regeneration, much like the anti-aging regiments sold over the counter these days. In order to stay competitive and continue to be funded adequately, we had to shift our focus a little. The company I worked for merged with another laboratory and we’ve since merged yet again. Through countless hours of hard work, I’ve been fortunate enough to advance myself and I am now in charge of this division,” he spoke pointedly as if he were being interviewed.

  At the same time, I couldn’t help but think of my Aunt Melanie’s description of this, which I’d overheard through hours of conversations with my mother about how my uncle missed most of his children’s achievements and how his absence turned into guilt after Paige died. They were always well to do and it was easy to see all of his success materialize into things like second homes, expensive cars and social clubs—none of which Melanie wanted at the price of his absence. She just wanted her husband after a normal eight-hour day.

  “I recall hearing of your successes through the years,” I replied.

  “Indeed. All that you see here is a result of decades of steady progress and many sacrifices, including my marriage. You’re alive now because of it,” he said as he made a reference to my arm again.

  “How am I still alive?” I interrupted.

  “That is a long story that will require your complete attention and cooperation at a later time as it’s probably time for more medication,” he replied as he glanced at the clock on the wall, stood up and walked to the door. He opened it ever so slightly and spoke in a low tone to someone on the other side. A few seconds later he was handed a few syringes and he returned to where I was seated. Instead of sitting next to me, he placed the syringes on the end table where I could clearly see them. He also sat on the end table across from me.

  “These things here are now responsible for your continued survival, your life,” he stated simply.

  “Those are the antivirals, right?” I questioned, because I assumed nothing at this point.

  “Yes and the pain medications and some Valium, just to prevent agitation,” he tried to assure me. “The antiviral has been specially made to fit your needs, though it is not a cure.”

  It was not difficult to be a little suspicious. “The Valium is not here to make me more compliant, is it? Because that’s what comes to mind when I think of Valium.” I eyed him intently, waiting for his response.

  “No, sweetheart, it’s not like that at all. The people in the lab are trying to figure out all of the symptoms associated with your condition. Agitation is a common symptom for almost any serious ailment and anything I can do to make you more comfortable, I will. It’s the least I can do,” he responded.

  Lloyd paused, then grabbed the first of the three syringes. He softly patted the side of my arm and said, “These can go right in your arm, about every four hours or so, okay?”

  “Alright.”

  He started the injections one after another and told me that my arm would be a little sore; this was the least of my worries though. I’d had enough pain for three sore arms so far. Once he finished he carefully replaced the tips on the needles and took the empty syringes to the door where he opened it and handed it off to the person on the other side for disposal. I wasn’t surprised there wasn’t a sharps container in the office because, well, why would there be? Lloyd told me to relax a little and offered me water to drink, which I accepted. Feeling the effects from the pain reliever and the Valium, I rested my head back on the couch and closed my eyes for a few seconds. It wasn’t long before someone knocked at the door again, awakening me from my temporary respite. My uncle Lloyd quickly went to the door again and exchanged more words and was back near my side within a minute.

  “How are you feeling, my dear?” he asked, seeming honestly concerned.

  “I’m lightheaded but looking at the bigger picture, I’m okay.”

  I decided to probe a little further into the earlier events of the day. Maybe a little less inhibition was one of the side effects from the Valium.

  “Uncle, I know they told you what happened with me earlier today. Would they have killed me if they had no other option?”

  As if he knew the question was coming, he stared down at the floor as he contemplated his answer.

  “What we’re dealing with is something serious, Seanna. I believe the plague of the dark ages will soon be shadowed by this event. The same day you came here one of our own employees and one of their family members, both of whom were unknowingly afflicted from the slightest contact, managed to get through despite our aggressive and repeated screening procedures. While there are no guidelines for this kind of situation, everyone who could get here showed up, regardless of our request that only non-afflicted employees report in. We had to tell dozens of our own to go to the local hospital instead. In
hindsight, it was to be expected. People want the opportunity to save their own lives and while I can’t say I blame them, it cost us dearly. Those people who were once alive are now roaming the streets committing heinous acts and have no will of their own anymore. Their numbers are growing exponentially.” He paused for a few seconds before giving me the short and final answer.

  “While I apologize for the extreme measures they took, if those officers had determined your will was gone, yes.”

  I wasn’t surprised by his confirmation. By now I was beginning to not take it personally anymore. After what I experienced earlier with Darin, I would probably volunteer for the firing squad myself if things went sour. Lloyd spoke up and tried his best to smooth things over and said, “I know they seemed a bit forceful but trust me they’d only been through a similar scenario earlier with a deadly conclusion.”

  “I hate to sound like a broken record but I only wanted to see Graham and not just hear that he was okay. I want to see him and my parents,” I tried to reason with him.

  “You will, Seanna. They all are anxious to see for themselves that you are alive. I’ll report to them myself after I’ve finished getting you settled in and tell them that you are doing well. In the meanwhile, I have decided to change your room to somewhere a little more comfortable so you won’t feel so…”

  “Incarcerated,” I said as I came up with my perfect description.

  “Yes, right,” he chuckled. “It’ll be more acceptable to you, I think.” He stood up and went to the door where he opened it again and returned with a wheelchair. I wanted to walk. He wasn’t surprised by my request for independence, though it was more for my own dignity. They all probably wanted me in the chair because in order for me to rebel or escape I would have to get out of it first, which would give them extra time to react. After a second or two of contemplation my uncle agreed that it would be okay and he helped me to stand up and cautiously escorted me through the office door. Once we were out of the office we walked into a hallway that was similar to the hallway from earlier. The Valium started to take effect because I no longer felt offended by the presence of the extra people around us. Two armed men stood guard outside the immediate area and another at the elevator just yards away with no sign of Davenport around. I was still barefoot and would’ve gladly walked all the way there as such but by the time we got into the elevator and down to the ground level there was someone there with footies for me to put on.

  I was thinking that by now everyone would know every minute detail about my stay here, down to whether or not I had shoes on, which was kind of scary, if not intrusive. I became a little relieved about their meticulous treatment because perhaps my uncle was right about NGT being safe. By the time the footies were on our escort had grown by two more officers, bringing the count up to five. Two officers led my uncle and me while three were only a step behind us. I thought about what might happen to me if I so much as jumped suddenly and yelled “boo!” It must’ve been the effects of the Valium again, helping me find ways to wind up getting shot again. I wondered now if we were in the same building as before because of the same colored walls and decorative plants in the corner.

  “Am I being moved to a different building?” I asked as my curiosity overrode my silence.

  My uncle leaned closer into me as he said, “We’re going to a different building this time. It’s more secure but you’ll also have a few more amenities.” He put his arm around my shoulder like we were old pals or something but I was sure it was his attempt to comfort me while showing his support regarding my unique situation.

  Glass walls surrounded the entrance of building we were leaving. The sun was shining still as it made its approach toward setting for the evening. There were more armed guards at the door, which were readily opened for us. Once outside, we walked a short distance before being seated into modified golf carts that were parked next to other utility vehicles. Now that we were outside I could see the surrounding area, which was quite beautiful and well kept, even in these times. There was a similar building next to it, which we passed heading west and north toward the setting sun. We rounded the second building where I could see at least three smaller buildings, all were four stories high. They were all evenly spaced and I could see a courtyard in the middle of all of them. There were manicured bushes and semi-mature trees dotted along the pathways that led to every building. The building we were headed to was the farthest away westward of all the buildings, which I now realized made a loose triangle shape. Once we arrived there were more guards waiting and they escorted us into the building. Each of them addressed my uncle and gave him a nod while only giving me a quick look, the kind meant only to confirm my identity in their minds. The interior of this building was decorated in more comforting and soothing colors. The walls were a light taupe color with stripes of maroon in between. As we walked further into the atrium, there was a small fountain in the middle. Off to the side of the entrance there was a desk with an attendant who was on the phone, most likely announcing our arrival.

  “Upstairs is where your new room will be, which is just on the second floor. The first floor has another lab and living quarters. Some of security lives here too, they reside in every building except the one you just came from, which is mostly administration. Here they’ll be able to monitor you closely and meet all of your needs,” Uncle Lloyd spoke confidently.

  “It’s looks nice,” I said, attempting to be appreciative.

  We went straight to the elevators and to the second floor. Once we made it down the hall to my room I saw a more spacious and comfortable environment than my previous room. This space provided a living room area near my bed. A small bookshelf with a few books and some small houseplants sat underneath a window. It also had a private bathroom with a tub and a shower. The area with the bed looked more normal with the exception of a machine for monitoring blood pressure and pulse rate nearby. The room was painted a pastel yellow and seemed like all but something from home but again, it was better than the last room. I noticed several men from the security detail left once we were there. One of them rattled off on their radio about how the transport was completed. There were now just three men from the five we had before.

  “So, how do you like it?” My uncle spoke up after a minute or two.

  “It’s nice, it’s better than before,” I answered while still looking around.

  “That’s great to hear. They’ll still need to do tests but they’re able to carry on from here as well as the last space. Please don’t give them such a hard time; they are doing as I say under their recommendations and experience, okay?” Lloyd advised me, kindly.

  “Okay, but I need to know what’s going on too. I care,” I told him.

  “Alright, fair enough. It’s getting late and you need to get settled in,” he said while stepping toward me to give me another hug. “I’m so glad you’re alive,” he remarked as he gave me a squeeze and kissed the top of my head. He concluded, “I’ll see you again shortly,” and walked out of the door. As it closed it locked automatically. So much for not feeling incarcerated, I said to myself as I sat on the couch and looked at the TV, which was off. I looked for the remote, which I found on the end table and turned it on. The first channel that was on was the news network, which had nothing but pictures of destruction and gore from Jersey City and the Camden area. The newscast described the infection of hundreds of thousands within the viewing area along with hundreds of thousands of people dead and missing. I sat in shock as I discovered nearly a week had gone by since that morning I overslept and woke up to all-out hell. It was now Wednesday evening and the reporters vowed to stay on air for as long as they could. They made claims that their building would be kept secure and they were on lockdown as well from the public. I watched repeated images of fires and more amateur video of people being attacked and killed. Before I knew it, the tears began to fall. The Valium I’d been given a short while ago prevented a full outburst but from what my own feelings could manage it was still the
greatest combination of both sorrow and shock.

  After an hour or so the sky was almost completely dark and someone new arrived at my door. There was a knock, which I paid no attention to at first. By the second or third time though I yelled out, “I can’t open it from in here!” in my laziest tone. A few seconds later someone with a key card must’ve swiped it open because there was a clicking sound and the door was opened. At first glance I thought a teenager walked in with a food tray but as she walked over and sat down I noticed she was just a really young looking adult. It could’ve been due to her straight black hair, tanned skin and heavy eyeliner. Her short height and tiny frame helped her youthful look as well. There was something about her that gave me comfort though. She seemed a lot less authoritative as she said, “Hey there, Seanna,” and sat down the tray, removing the cover that concealed a few slices of pepperoni pizza and a salad.

  “Thank you, it looks good. I’m starved,” I told her as I sniffled a little.

  “Yeah I figured you might be a little hungry for something other than broth and bread,” she joked. “I’ll be your nurse, most of the time from this point on, by the way. My name is Mia; it’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s interesting to meet me I’d say. Did they tell you I’m-,” I said, referring to my health status.

  “Of course I know, silly, I have your chart right outside,” she interrupted and chuckled again.

  I gave her an awkward look, though the way she said it was funny to me too. “I thought they were sending in a candy-striper or something because you look about fifteen,” I replied.

  “I’ve been told, though I’m not much younger than you.”