by James Evans
“As a matter of fact, I asked Carolyn if I could court her. She said yes.”
“Court her?” Kevin laughed. “Nowadays people don’t even call it dating. It’s hooking up or hanging out. I’m glad for you, Doc!” Kevin said. “But I want you to promise me something. Promise that if you two ever, you know, get intimate, you’ll never, ever use Crisco to lube your Johnson. Never!”
Doc looked at Kevin askance. He knew he was being set up, but his curiosity got the better of him. “Why shouldn’t I use Crisco to lube my Johnson?” he asked warily.
“Because it’s shortening.”
Doc burst out laughing, loud enough to be heard in the hall.
Doctor Nunn and Teresa looked at each other. They never expected to hear laughter coming from Kevin’s room.
“I’m afraid Kevin might be cracking up,” Doctor Nunn said quietly. “I’d better check. He wouldn’t be the first to flip out, but I don’t want to restrain him.”
As soon as Michelle and Carolyn left the room, Carolyn noticed a change in Michelle. Her face was all scrunched up. They walked quickly away from Kevin’s room, Carolyn hurrying to keep up. Abruptly Michelle ducked into an empty room. Carolyn followed her and closed the door.
Michelle collapsed onto the floor into a sitting position and buried her head in her hands. She began sobbing loudly. Carolyn immediately knelt next to her and gathered her in, saying “That’s right, let it all out. It’s okay. I knew you were barely holding it together. It’s okay. You’ll get through this. I’m so sorry, Michelle.”
Whether Michelle heard or not, she didn’t respond. Her whole body was wracked with sobs, and her breath came in ragged gasps.
“I have some benzos if you need some,” Carolyn offered. Michelle nodded. “Okay, I’ll be right back, sweetie.”
Michelle sobbed harder when Carolyn left, but after a few moments her sobs lessened. She went into the bathroom to wash her face. When Carolyn returned she was sitting on the bed, drying her face with a towel. She was still crying, but she wasn’t hysterical.
“Kevin was my hero,” she said as much to herself as to Carolyn. “If he hadn’t taken me in, I wouldn’t have survived. He let me move in, he shared his food and supplies, and he didn’t ask for anything in return.” She paused as a few more sobs erupted. “A lot of guys would have expected sex. Kevin didn’t. I practically had to beg him to show interest in me. Did he tell you that?” Carolyn shook her head. “I liked him from the moment we met. I started flirting with him but he didn’t respond. I even ‘accidentally’ let him see me topless through the window. One time I put his hand on my breast to feel my heartbeat. I even kissed him once. He didn’t respond to any of my advances. I thought he might be gay!” She couldn’t help but laugh at the memory.
“He had so much baggage. He and his wife had a baby, but it died. A year later his wife died, too. It was a one-two punch. He was too scared to love again. Once he started to love me, he freaked out and became paranoid. He kind of went crazy. He made up this whole scenario where I was in love with my old boyfriend, the one who got me pregnant and walked out on me. But even when he was accusing me, I knew it was old damage. I never questioned his love for me. I knew what was in his heart, no matter how he acted.”
Michelle was speaking a mile a minute and Carolyn let her go on. “And I saw how much he loved me. The way he looked at me made me feel beautiful and sexy. I’ve never felt a man’s attraction the way I felt it with Kevin. We were so perfect for each other!” She began sobbing loudly again. “And now I’m speaking about him in the past tense!” she wailed. Carolyn handed her a Valium and Michelle swallowed it with a sip of water.
“When I got pregnant, I was worried Kevin would walk out on me like my boyfriend did, but he was so happy and excited. You know, he told me once that if his headstone said He was a good husband, a good father, and a good friend then he’d lived a good life.
Carolyn spoke up. “I know this won’t help, but you are a lucky woman. Most couples don’t have the kind of love you have. You’ve seen it: after the initial rush, most couples barely tolerate each other. I’ve never had a love like you and Kevin have. I’m hopeful Doc and I—well, never mind, I don’t want to jinx it.”
“You and Doc?” Michelle asked, looking up with reddened eyes.
“Yes. I like him a lot, and I can tell he likes me. I know he’s a few years older than I am, but I don’t think age matters anymore. Grab love where you find it and hold on tight.”
Michelle hugged her. “I’m happy for you! Doc’s a good man. Did he tell you how we met? He was just fine, living near Atlanta, when we started talking with him on the radio. When I told him I was pregnant and worried, he left his cabin and drove to Ann Arbor to live with us. That’s practically half the state away! He fought zombies and bad guys just to take care of me.”
“I didn’t know that. I knew you were worried about preeclampsia, and I knew Doc lived with you. I didn’t know the rest.”
Michelle sighed. “I want to get back to Kevin. Thank you for letting me vent. You know, I was threatened by you at first. I was afraid you and Kevin had something going on.” They walked back down the hall.
“I picked up on that. When we were at the festival I made it a point to let you know nothing happened. I tried to get him interested, but all he could talk about was you. I said it before, he’s a good man.”
And I’m losing him, Michelle thought morosely. She pushed the thought away. I don’t want Kevin to see me falling apart. That would make it even harder on him.
“I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s been an honor, Kevin,” Doc said, holding out his hand. “Godspeed, my friend.”
“Likewise,” Kevin said, not wanting to get emotional. “Hey, Doc, how many mice does it take to screw in a light bulb?”
“I don’t know, how many?”
“It only takes two, but the hard part is getting them inside the light bulb!”
Kevin and Doc were laughing as Michelle and Carolyn walked back in. “What’s going on in here?” Michelle asked.
“We’re being men, dealing with tragedy the best way we know how: by telling bad jokes,” Kevin said, still laughing. Michelle’s eyes were red and puffy. It was obvious she’d been crying. But Kevin was glad the ladies seemed on good terms. Michelle would need a lot of support.
“I decided to give you a Lortab,” Carolyn said, handing him a pill and the cup Michelle had sipped from. “Just don’t tell anyone you got it from me. We don’t usually give pain killers when this happens.”
“I’ll take the secret to my grave,” Kevin intoned just before downing the pill. Nobody thought it was funny.
Doctor Nunn walked in. “Hey, Kevin,” he said. “I told you I’d check on you. Are you holding up?”
“No, not really, but I’m surrounded by people who love me and I’m only a few hundred yards from Lake Michigan. Things could be worse. I could have died alone in Ann Arbor, or in Sammy’s house.”
“I brought you something,” the doctor said as he pulled a small bottle out of his pocket.
“I hope that’s bourbon,” Kevin said.
“You guessed right. It’s not the best, but it’s all I have in my office.”
Kevin took the bottle, opened it and took a whiff. “I love the smell of bourbon.” He tipped the bottle back and enjoyed the liquor as it flooded his mouth. It only held about two shots, but those shots felt good as they warmed his throat and stomach. “If that’s not your best, I don’t know a damn thing about bourbon. I appreciate your generosity.” He felt his eyes grow misty when he thought That’s the last bourbon I’ll ever drink. He mentally smacked himself. Quit being maudlin!
“I’m sorry it’s the best I can offer. Do you need anything? Have any questions?”
Kevin looked at his friends around the room, then glanced out the window. “There is one thing I’d like,” Kevin said. “I’d like to watch the sunset on Lake Michigan.”
Doctor Nunn looked at his watch. “The sun
sets in about a half-hour. I don’t see any harm. You’ll need to come right back.”
“I’d like to go too,” Carolyn said, thinking of the hour she and Kevin spent on the beach, the night she pretended he was her boyfriend.
“Same here,” Doc chimed in.
“Take the cart,” Doctor Nunn suggested.
CHAPTER Thirty
Kevin felt worse by the minute. It had been over an hour since he’d been bitten; he knew he’d be unconscious in an hour, maybe sooner. He pulled on a pair of sweats from the bag Carolyn carried in, and a plain black t-shirt, then led the way out the door, motivated to get to the beach. As he passed the nurses’ station, none of the staff made eye contact or said anything to him except Doctor Nunn who nodded.
Carolyn drove the cart with Doc in the passenger seat. Michelle rode in back with Kevin, who cradled his wrist to minimize the jostling.
It was a short drive to the turnaround; Carolyn did her best to avoid any bumps but, even with the Lortab, Kevin felt the pain in his wrist and shoulder. His shoulder burned, and the burn was spreading.
Kevin momentarily forgot his pain when they reached the parking lot. The sun’s reflection sparkled on the water and a fishing trawler headed into the bay from the north. A handful of people strolled along the breakwater in the golden-red light of a June sunset. The surf was fairly calm; no big waves sprayed over the boulders and onto the cement wall. A small flock of gulls congregated on the shore, meandering about. Occasionally one would call out and several would respond.
Inside the breakwater, the water was quiet. Only light riffles washed ashore. Kevin could barely hear them. The sound of the surf outside the bay, rushing onto shore, was much deeper. To the north a slight haze interrupted an otherwise clear view of the dune bluffs.
Kevin stepped out of the cart and walked the few steps to the beach. He took his shoes off and rolled up the bottom of his sweat pants. The sand tickled and caressed his feet as he walked toward the shore. It feels like sugar! he thought. He crested a shallow sand ledge and stepped into Lake Michigan, the sand tumbling into the water where his heel had nudged the ledge.
The concept of time overwhelmed him. The eons it took to pound stone into rock, rock into pebble, pebble into sand. How exceedingly fleeting was his time on earth compared to a grain of sand! His joys and sorrows, the inconsequential things which filled his days, his moments of ecstasy… they were meaningless. Whatever happened, happened. It didn’t matter what he did, how he responded. He could go crazy and kill everyone. He could kill himself. He could run into the Benzie County woods and hide until he turned. He could turn into a zombie and eat people. Compared to the amount of time it took to create this great lake and this sandy beach, how he spent his time and what he experienced were tremendously inconsequential.
Rather than depress him further, those thoughts emancipated him. Nothing he did ultimately mattered. He bore no burden of responsibility or ethics or expectations. No matter what he did or didn’t do, life would go on.
Kevin did something he hadn’t done in a while: he prayed. God, if you’re there, and if you answer prayer, please take care of my wife and baby. I never stopped believing in you. I was just angry. I’m sorry, please forgive me.
Doc, Carolyn and Michelle sat in the car and silently watched him enjoy those last few moments. Watched him prepare to die.
The edge of the sun touched the horizon. He waded into the water. It was very cool, but not cold. If it was February and I was wading in the water, now that would be cold! The waves brushed over his feet, occasionally lapping around his ankles. Small pebbles adorned the shallows, the colors muted but still discernible. A black pebble here, a brown pebble there. Knowing how many eyes had gazed into the water at this spot, he still couldn’t help himself; he searched the stones. His heart leapt when, against all odds, he spied a beautiful quarter-sized Petoskey Stone. His demeanor changed. He bent over and picked up the fossil to examine it. It was a very nice specimen! This is one of the best ones I ever found! With fingers dripping, he turned to Michelle with a grin.
As Kevin turned to Michelle, she was aware of Carolyn and Doc both sitting silently in the front seat. One of them was sniffling. She loved them for being with her. With Kevin.
His face alight with a childlike grin, he motioned for her to join him. The golden-red sun was sinking fast as daylight died; the reflection sparkled on the waves. Kevin was nearly in silhouette against the sun.
Michelle had already stepped out when Kevin turned to her. He looked content, he looked happy, he looked like the Kevin she would always want to remember. She was barely aware of the sun or the beach or of sounds as she went to him. He was, for that moment, her everything.
Kevin felt like an amplifier whose volume knob suddenly went to eleven. There was no way he could feel more complete. He was here, in a place he loved, surrounded by friends and the love of his life, who just so happened to be carrying his baby. How he got here and why didn’t matter. For one of those eternal split-seconds, he was complete.
He gazed at Michelle, eyes lit. “Isn’t it wonderful?!” he asked in a joyfully quiet voice. He feasted on her image as she walked toward him through the beach sand. The light gave her a golden glow. It’s the golden hour, he thought. Michelle had a golden aura about her, in fact she was nothing but an aura. Her aura became a glow and her glow became a blaze. He looked around. Everything flamed like liquid phosphorescent gold. He realized he was dying. He wasn’t ready.
As she hurried to his side, she saw his expression change. He looked around with a slightly puzzled expression. Just as she got to him, his eyes became unfocused and he collapsed. Heat radiated from his body. He was turning.
Doc and Carolyn watched Kevin fall into Michelle’s arms. They jumped out of the car, dreading the next few hours; caring for a dying friend is a burden and an honor. They ran to her side and helped carry him to the cart. He lay unconscious across Michelle’s lap as Doc drove back to the hospital.
In his room, they monitored his vital signs. Over the next eight hours, with breaking hearts they watched his blood pressure drop, along with his breathing and heart rate.
When Kevin’s pulse dropped to thirty, Michelle felt the end of her world draw near. At that moment, the baby moved. Then moved again.
Just before sunrise, across the bay Lee watched a great blue heron rise from the water into the pre-dawn azure sky. With slow, deep wingbeats it flew north along the coast. Just before it disappeared from sight, it rose above the shadows and was bathed in bright, radiant light. Then it was gone.
CHAPTER thirty-one
Kevin heard sounds, noises he couldn’t identify, like a faraway TV was on. But far away from what? Where was he? He realized the sounds were voices, so distorted he couldn’t make out the words.
One voice became clear. It was the voice of a young man. “Some Petoskey Stones are never found,” he said. “Some found stones become lost again. Your stone has not been lost.” The voice was familiar but he couldn’t place it; he was too confused. His vision was unfocused; he couldn’t tell where he was. A dark fog seemed to surround him. He heard pulsing sounds as if from machinery deep underground.
The image of a Petoskey Stone emerged from the dark fog. It grew too large to be contained within his field of vision and he felt himself swept into the eye of one of the cells. The eye became a tunnel which surrounded him and pulled him in. A mighty rushing sound filled his ears; the darkness of the tunnel consumed him.
Doc, Carolyn and Michelle watched Kevin fade. Michelle held his hand, comforted with every beat of his heart. Between beats, her mind was filled with blackness. Doc and Michelle didn’t know what to expect, but Carolyn had seen it before. His temperature would continue to rise, his breathing and heart would slow and finally stop. Then she would do what had to be done.
The baby kicked again, just as Doctor Nunn rushed in with two men Doc hadn’t met.
“Is he still with us?” he asked.
“Barely. It won’t
be long now,” Carolyn said in a near-whisper.
“Doc, this is Eric and John, the scientists researching the disease. Michelle, they think they found a cure. They have a compound which kills zombies. They think it might also prevent a bite victim from turning. They don’t know what will happen, but with your permission they’d like to try it on Kevin.”
“Yes, please try!” Michelle whispered.
“The serum has to be administered in darkness to work,” John said. “The fungus goes into hibernation at night. It weakens in darkness. Turn off the light.”
Doc looked at Michelle, who nodded. He reached up and flipped the light switch. Working only from the ambient light coming in through the open door, Doctor Nunn uncapped a syringe filled with amber fluid and injected it into Kevin’s arm.
“Please close the door,” Eric said.
Sitting and standing in the dark room, the six people stared at the monitor, waiting to see if there was any change in his vital signs. A few of them silently prayed it would work.
“It’s unrefined,” John said, “we didn’t have time to purify it.” He sounded apologetic.
The intervals between Kevin’s heartbeats increased. His breathing slowed even more and began to sound like a death rattle. The compound wasn’t working. If anything, it seemed to hasten his demise.
Kevin heard myriad harsh voices and felt his fall from the tunnel come to an abrupt halt. He found himself standing on what seemed like a dark battlefield. Unrecognizable debris littered the ground. He felt a presence behind him and knew it was evil. He began to run. The presence pursued him. It was only a step or two behind him as he tried to run over the uneven ground.
He tripped over something resembling a tree root writhing on the ground. Light flashed in the sky, illuminating the landscape. It was a compendium of organic shapes with faint crystalline formations and strange hair-like appendages swaying and fluttering in a non-existent wind. Kevin tried to rise but felt the ground beneath him move as the hair-like appendages sprouted around and underneath him. They pierced his skin as pain coursed through him. He tried to scream as he felt the growth invade his body, but he had no voice. His eyes were open and shifting, waving shapes crowded the edge of his vision. He felt his eyes invaded and everything went dark.