Pandemic

by Tinnean

  “You can say that again.” They’d heat not only their meals but their beverages as well. “Okay, how are we gonna do this?” Laurie asked.

  “Just lie him on his side. If we prop him up with the pillows, he should be comfortable enough.”

  “Okay.”

  They worked together to get Wheat’s father settled, and then Wheat checked his pupils. “I think he’ll be all right for the time being.”

  “I’m sorry,” Laurie said, still avoiding Wheat’s gaze. Once he saw the scratches on Laurie’s neck, would he even want to be Laurie’s boyfriend?

  “Don’t be. You did what needed to be done. And you saved me from having to do it.” Wheat wrapped him in a hug, and Laurie couldn’t help the almost-sob that escaped. “What’s wrong?”

  What was the point in putting this off? Wheat was going to find out, and it would be better if it was sooner rather than later. Laurie stepped out of Wheat’s embrace and tugged down his collar.

  “Oh.” Wheat raised his hand to touch the scratches, but Laurie backed away.

  “I…I’m infected.”

  “Oh, baby,” Wheat breathed out. “But they’re just small scratches.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” He remembered what happened in all the zombie movies he’d seen. The slightest injury would be enough to cause the damage, and unsuspecting people could become the next victim. “I have to get out of here.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t want you to get sick because of me. Hey!”

  Wheat had grabbed his wrist and was dragging him into the main part of the cottage. “Althea!”

  “What’s wrong?” She came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a paper towel.

  “My father scratched Laurie’s neck. What do we do to keep him from coming down with this damned disease?”

  “Laurie!” Jo threw herself into his arms. “You can’t die!”

  “He won’t,” Althea said as she examined his scratches. “At least, not from these. We know the disease is airborne. He might get an infection from this, but that we can deal with. Get me some antibiotics, would you, Jo? And some antibiotic ointment.”

  His sister dashed off. “We don’t have any of that. I don’t think.” He knew there was none in the pharmacy bag, but beyond peeking into the first aid kit in the bugout bag, he hadn’t really checked it.

  “That’s okay. We do.”

  “I don’t know how you can be so prepared—”

  “It was my job,” Althea said ambiguously.

  “Huh?”

  “Never mind. It’s not important.”

  “Maybe not, but I can’t tell you how thankful I am that you are. I’ll…I’ll really be okay?”

  “You really will. Now come sit over here, and I’ll clean this off.” She led him to the breakfast nook and pushed him down onto a chair.

  Wheat sat beside him and took his hand again. It felt so comforting Laurie thought he’d start to cry. “I’m so relieved you’re okay. I’m…” He lowered his voice, even though Althea had returned to the kitchen to get some antiseptic wipes. “I’m so sorry. I can never forgive my father for putting you in danger like that.”

  Laurie squeezed his hand. “It wasn’t his fault.”

  Wheat rested his head on Laurie’s shoulder, and the realization settled around him like a warm coat in the middle of winter.

  He still had a boyfriend.

  Chapter 23

  Wheat could have wept with relief. Laurie wasn’t going to get sick and die after he’d just found him. His boyfriend was going to be fine.

  After Althea made Laurie swallow a couple of tablets and smeared the area with antibiotic cream, she went to give Wheat’s mother her tea.

  Things seemed to be under control. “I’ll get dinner started,” he said.

  “No,” Laurie corrected him. “We’ll get dinner started.” He took the platter piled with the freeze-dried hamburgers, and they went out to the patio.

  The charcoal had turned white, and waves of heat rolled off the briquettes, and while Laurie held the platter, Wheat placed the hamburgers on the grill.

  “I forgot to get the spatula.” He headed for the garden shed, relieved when Laurie let him go. He needed a few minutes to digest what had happened.

  They’d both known his father was going downhill fast. Father hadn’t appeared sick when they’d found him and Mother with Althea and Jo, but then he’d started coughing. How long had he been ill? Mother had seemed uncertain. But then for Father to explode as he had…Was the disease simply running its course?

  He was sad his father was going to die, but in the normal course of events, that was how it happened—parents died before their children. But if it was Laurie who was going to die…

  Wheat shuddered. Even though they’d met so recently, he didn’t want to think of a future without his boyfriend.

  He found the spatula and returned with it. “Father’s dying,” he said as he set about flipping the burgers.

  “I’m sorry.” Laurie rubbed his shoulder.

  “I don’t know how I can comfort Mother when that happens. They’ve been together for almost thirty years, and while I know it isn’t expected for people with our financial and social status to remain faithful to a single partner, they’ve been devoted to each other all that time.”

  “I heard the story about the lavender Rolls Royce.”

  “Father gave it to Mother as a wedding gift.”

  “The car’s older than you?”

  “It’s a classic.”

  “Just like you.” Laurie bumped his shoulder against Wheat’s, and Wheat smiled and leaned forward to brush a kiss over his boyfriend’s lips.

  “Thank you.” He became thoughtful. “My grandparents arranged my parents’ marriage.” He recalled how his father doted on his mother, and how she’d look at him when she thought no one would notice. “Father thought it was such a good idea, he tried a little matchmaking with me. Only it didn’t work. Adam was a good man, but…”

  “He wasn’t the one for you.”

  “No, and I wasn’t sure if Father would ever forgive me.”

  “But he did.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you found me on your own.”

  “Actually, you found me.” He took the hamburgers off the grill one at a time and slid them onto the platter.

  “And that was the luckiest day of my life.”

  Wheat could feel himself blushing. No one had ever said such nice words to him. No one assumed the rich kid needed to hear them. “I thought so, too.” He sighed happily and leaned his head against Laurie’s shoulder, pleased when he felt his boyfriend stroke his hair. He shivered. “The temperature’s dropping. Let’s bring these inside before they get cold.”

  “Too bad we don’t have cheese,” Laurie said as they went into the cottage. The space was lit up with a number of battery-powered lanterns Jo had announced were her contribution to the evacuation effort. “Cheeseburgers would have been nice.”

  “I wonder if we’ll be able to find a cow that will give us enough milk in order for us to make our own cheese.”

  “Wait, who’s making this cheese?”

  Wheat gave him a sideways glance and grinned.

  “No, no, no. I keep telling you. I’m not Lync.”

  “For which I’m eternally grateful.” All Wheat knew about Lync was what Laurie had told him and that Adam wanted him more than he wanted Wheat. But Laurie…Laurie made it more than clear he wanted Wheat.

  He proved it by kissing Wheat right there in the great room, and Wheat’s grin broadened.

  “What are we going to do about the charcoal?” Laurie asked. “Let it burn out on its own?”

  “Yes. But if Althea has some coffee in her supplies, we have an old percolator in the kitchen, and we can brew a pot in the charcoal.”

  “We never did that.”

  “I learned how when—”

  “Come on, guys,” Jo said. “We’re starving.”

  Laurie placed the
platter on the table in the breakfast nook, and Wheat had to admit he was relieved. Had he really wanted to confess exactly how he’d learned?

  “Why don’t you get started?” Wheat looked around. “Where’s Mother?”

  “She decided to have her tea in the bedroom where your father is.”

  “Is it safe for her?”

  “I think so,” Althea told him. “Your father seems to have calmed down.” She didn’t mention that could be because it was the beginning of the end, but she didn’t have to.

  “All right. I’ll go get her.”

  As Althea had said, Mother was in his bedroom, stretched out beside his father. She’d removed one of the pillows and rested her palm on his chest. Wheat approached uneasily. Although Father was still restrained and he didn’t seem to have made an effort to attack her, compared to Mother, he was a big man. He could do some serious damage with his teeth if he lost control again.

  “Mother?” Wheat kept his voice soft. “How is Father?”

  “He’s…asleep.”

  He couldn’t stop his shoulders from sagging in relief. “Dinner is ready. Would you like to join us?”

  “Not just now, Morrison. I have no appetite.”

  “Do you feel sick?”

  “No, I’m well.”

  “All right, we’ll save a plate for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  He turned and was about to leave when she spoke again.

  “I know things have been difficult lately, but you’ve been a good son. Your father and I both appreciate your kindness.”

  “Mother, I’d do whatever I could for you.”

  “In that case, would you do one more thing?”

  “Certainly.”

  “Would you bring my purse here, and perhaps a lantern, if you have one to spare?”

  “Of course.” The room was becoming dim. Wheat hurried out to the great room. His mother’s purse was beside the sofa, and he retrieved it and one of the lanterns Jo had provided and brought them to her.

  “Thank you. I thought I’d do a little reading.” She reached into the purse and withdrew a small book. She’d always preferred the weight and scent of a hardcopy of a book to an e-reader. He set down the lantern beside her cup and saucer on the night table. It should give her more than adequate illumination.

  “I’ll be right inside. Call if you need anything.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

  She smiled at him. “I will. You’re a good son, Morrison,” she said again. “You always have been.”

  “Uh…thank you, Mother.” Wheat lingered there a moment, until she tilted her head and sent him an inquisitive look. He sighed and returned to the main part of the cottage.

  “How’s your father?” Laurie asked.

  “He was sleeping.”

  “And your mother? Is she all right?”

  “Yes.” Wheat bit his lip. “Yes.”

  Chapter 24

  Dinner with just the four of them was quiet. Laurie’s gaze went from one of his companions to the other. If these turned out to be his last days, he was glad to have his sister and Althea with him. Jo was surprisingly helpful, and Althea knew more things than Laurie would have expected of a radio personality.

  And of course there was Wheat. Having him as his boyfriend made everything else unimportant. He lost himself in thoughts of them together forever. Well, as things were going, they would be.

  “These hamburgers are great,” Jo finally said to break the silence. “I love how they’re just a bit charred.”

  “Yeah,” Laurie agreed. “Pop always used a gas grill, and it’s not the same.”

  “As I mentioned, Mother has a weakness for charcoal broiled meat.” Wheat gave a rueful grin. “You wouldn’t think it to look at her, but she’s the real carnivore of the family, even more so than me or—” His voice hitched. “Or my father.”

  Althea set aside the remains of her hamburger, reached across the table, and touched the back of Wheat’s hand. “I’m so sorry,” she said.

  “You had nothing to do with this, but thank you.”

  A disturbed expression passed over her face, and Laurie was going to ask what was wrong, but then he looked into Wheat’s eyes, and it just about broke his heart to see the sadness there. He reached for Wheat’s other hand.

  “Everything will turn out okay.” Of course Laurie wasn’t certain of that, but if he could give Wheat some hope for a little while…

  Wheat leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” He shook himself and looked around. “Does everyone want coffee?”

  As it turned out, Jo had stocked up on coffee. “For Althea.” She’d blushed when Laurie had teased her about it. His sister wasn’t a coffee fiend; she preferred getting her caffeine fix from Coke or Pepsi, which was a sorry state of affairs, since even if they could find a supply of the soda, it wouldn’t be long before it went flat. “At the station, I was always running out for coffee for her.”

  Althea gave her a soft smile, and Jo blushed even deeper and ducked her head.

  Laurie was glad his sister had found someone to care for.

  Meanwhile, Wheat didn’t wait for a response. “I’ll make a pot.” He pushed back his chair and rose.

  Laurie gathered up the plates, scraped them clean, and then washed them while Althea and Jo tidied the breakfast nook and Wheat spooned coffee grounds into the percolator.

  “It’s going to take a while for the coffee to brew,” he said as he put the lid on the percolator. “Would you like to play a board game while we wait?”

  “What’ve you got?” Laurie asked, intrigued. The last thing he’d expected was a family as wealthy as the Dupuises to play the sort of games Laurie’s family had.

  “Clue, Monopoly, Yahtzee, Scrabble. There’s a chessboard in the games cupboard.” He pointed it out.

  “How about Clue? We can play chess another time.” Laurie was happy to see the sadness in his boyfriend’s eyes replaced by pleasure.

  “You play?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.” Laurie grinned at him. He was more than a has-been tin knocker/wannabe hairdresser.

  “Clue sounds good to me,” Althea said.

  “I’m in,” Jo agreed, and then she snickered. “You’re gonna be Miss Scarlet, right, brother mine?”

  “Why not? The woman has fabulous hair. Plus she always goes first.”

  Jo burst into laughter and shook her head. But how was Wheat going to view Laurie’s preference for a female character?

  “Okay, then.” Wheat winked at him. It seemed it didn’t bother him at all. “I’ll put the coffee on the charcoal.”

  Laurie watched as Wheat took a flashlight, then opened the door to the patio and stepped outside. He was comfortable in this house that was so much more than the cottage Wheat and his family called it. The cool evening breeze blew in, bringing with it the smoky odor of charcoal, and Laurie shivered. He left the dishes to dry in the drain, took one of the lanterns, and went to the games cupboard.

  * * * *

  “I’d like to make an accusation,” Laurie said, and a chorus of groans greeted his words. They’d been playing for a couple of hours, and he’d won the last three games. He took a final sip of his coffee, picked up his notes, and then glanced in turn at each of his companions, drawing out the suspense.

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake, Laurie. Tell us,” his sister demanded.

  “Very well, sister mine. Professor Plum did it, in the conservatory, with the lead pipe.” He reached for the envelope that contained the solution cards and withdrew them, then grinned in triumph and laid out the cards. His grin broadened when the others growled and tossed down their own cards.

  “That’s it, I’m done.” Jo yawned. “And just for that, you can put away the pieces.” She pushed back from the table and rose.

  Althea joined her. “This was a good evening. Thank you. And thanks for the coffee, Wheat. It was the best I’ve had in a while.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s the slow brewing
that does the trick. I’m sorry it took so long.”

  “It was worth the wait.” She yawned herself. “Sorry.”

  “Not a problem. I think we’re all wiped out.”

  “I think you’re right. Good night.”

  “‘Night.”

  Althea and Jo took a couple of the lanterns and walked to the room they’d be using, and just seeing their weariness tempted Laurie to leave putting away the game for the morning. But with his boyfriend helping him, they’d have it done in a couple of minutes. He gathered up the cards and the playing pieces.

  “I’m sorry we don’t have a more private room,” Wheat said as he folded the board.

  “It’s okay.” They’d decided it would be a good idea for them all to stay on the main level for this night at least. Fortunately, the large sofa in the great room opened into a king-size bed, which Wheat had told him the family used when cousins had come to visit when they were all little.

  “Not so much now,” he’d said. “We’re all busy with our own lives.”

  And who even knew if any of their relatives were still alive?

  Laurie pushed the morbid thoughts out of his mind. In the morning they’d consider what they were going to do in the long run. Wheat knew this area very well, and during breaks while they were playing, he’d mentioned scavenging for more supplies and possibly seeing if there were any survivors in town.

  “I’m going to check on Mother,” Wheat murmured as Laurie pulled open the sleeper sofa.

  “All right. I’ll make up the bed. Where are the blankets and pillows?”

  “They’re in the linen closet between the two bedrooms.”

  Laurie went to the linen closet as Wheat tapped lightly on his bedroom door.

  “We’re going to bed, Mother. Do you need anything?”

  There was no answer, and Laurie paused with an arm full of blankets and met his boyfriend’s concerned gaze. “Maybe she’s asleep?”

  He could see Wheat’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed and knocked again, this time a little more forcefully. “Mother? May I come in?” There was tension in his voice, and Laurie dropped the blankets on the sofa, caught up a lantern, and hurried to his side.