They didn’t start the same.
Eventually, everyone threw up. It was a given. They were choking and swallowing their own melting lungs.
Everyone started out feeling bad. Those with the respiratory, went down for the count immediately. Fever, chills, slight cough and sore throat. A hardcore case of the flu. They were sick longer, slept all the time, and died slower.
But not those with the stomach bug. Like any stomach bug, it hit them fast. They probably were sick before they went down, but didn’t realize it. Once it hit them, it hit them.
They were down, then they were gone.
That fast. They threw up so much blood, there was nothing left.
If JJ got the bug, he wanted that form. Yeah, it was worse, but for a shorter time.
He was on his ninth body that evening and the sun hadn’t gone down. At the rate they were all dying, there would soon be no one left.
What was it about that particular body? Another empty bed, laced with blood. JJ lifted her onto the banquet cart and wheeled her out of the ballroom. They took them to the CDC Mobile.
What was it about her? Maybe because she was young. Maybe because she said to JJ as she lay dying that she was his biggest fan.
That killed him. Her final thoughts were on a singing pop star with a fake persona.
It was so heartless and cold to just take the bodies to the CDC mobile labs and leave them, as if they were numbers and not people. It wasn’t Joel’s fault or Rayne’s. There was nowhere to put them and keeping the remains in the hotel wasn’t safe for the few who weren't sick yet.
The wheels on the cart squeaked loudly and steadily as JJ pushed the cart. Somewhere before stepping outside, it hit him.
He was pushing a body.
What made him so special that he wasn’t sick yet?
Did he do something so wrong that he was being punished and condemned to watching people die?
Even the facemask didn’t stop the horrendous smell that pelted him the second he opened the CDC mobile door.
Put her in, shut the door.
Then her hand flopped out from under the covering.
JJ reached down to replace it and he felt how frail her teenage wrist was.
She was just a kid. She hadn’t even experienced life. Nobody had.
He slipped his arms under her body and whispered, “I’m sorry this happened to you.”
He carried her to the mobile, stepped inside and placed her next to the other bodies.
Bodies.
Men, women, even a child was in there.
JJ felt his throat swell up, and his eyes instantly burned.
What was he doing?
He flew from the mobile and his first through was to run. Just run.
But where would he go?
More than anything he wanted to go home. He wanted to see his mother. He was scared to death that she was sick or even worse.
He looked at the sky and saw the large dark cloud he determined was from the Cleveland destruction.
Back against the CDC mobile, JJ slid down to the ground and sat there.
<><><><>
Bianca was doing her last round in the ballroom before she relieved Rayne. Rayne was with Landon in Joel’s old food and beverage office. The office was far removed from the main part of the hotel. Bianca remembered Joel loved that office because no one wanted to walk there and bother him.
But it wasn’t a matter of just relieving Rayne. It was a sequence of events. Change clothes, wash down, sanitize, and then spray a disinfectant all over herself, before even walking into that hall.
They were precautionary measures they had all agreed upon.
They agreed to keep Landon far away as much as possible.
Her duties in the ballroom were different. She checked each person, wiped them down if needed and looked to make sure the IV wasn’t backing up. She gave them medicine for comfort if they stirred a lot.
She hated cleaning up the bloody vomit, but what choice did she have? What choice did any of them have? When she was in the third row of cots, she noticed that JJ hadn’t returned. Worried, Bianca stepped from the ballroom and into the courtyard. She didn’t see him.
Thinking maybe he went to the lounge, she headed that way when she stopped.
She saw him outside.
Just a speck in the distance, but the vision of him was clear. Bianca exhaled heavily and with sadness. They kept giving him things to do, running him here and there taking bodies, all the while forgetting he was just a kid.
He wasn’t even old enough to drink.
The sight of JJ broke her heart. He was there, knees bent up, his head buried in his legs. He was crying.
She decided right there and then, no more.
He was going to be on Landon detail all the time.
He didn’t need to see any more death.
What Bianca wanted to do was go out there and give him a huge hug. She didn’t think that was exactly what he needed. He needed to hear it was okay to be down, to cry, to not handle it.
She sought out Joel.
Reluctantly, Joel agreed to check on JJ, and Bianca continued her rounds, confident that her husband was much more compassionate than he gave himself credit for.
<><><><>
Joel wasn’t as saddened by the sight of JJ as his wife, but it affected him. He felt genuinely bad for the kid. It was apparent, the teenage boy, no matter how hard he tried to be cool and grown up, had done enough.
“Well,” Joel exhaled as he approached, “had I known this cool space existed, I’d have taken it hours ago.”
JJ didn’t look up.
“So, um …” Joel was going to sit next to JJ but stopped. “Don’t make me get down there; I’ll never get back up with my knees.”
Finally, JJ lifted his head and wiped his eyes with the back of his arms. “That was funny.”
“I’m a funny guy.”
“Yeah, you are.”
“Even though you know, I don’t feel like being funny. I probably won’t feel like being funny for a long time. But … eventually we’ll all have to smile again.”
“I’ll never smile.”
“Yeah, you will.”
“I feel so weak. I just … I want to be strong for those people, but it’s hard. I don’t want to cry.”
“Why?” Joel asked. “Why don’t you want to cry? You have to cry, especially if you feel it. I cry. Rayne cries. Rayne cries all the time. You need to be human through all this. We may be losing everything around us, but we have to hold on to our humanity.”
“What’s the point?” JJ asked. “It’s over. It’s all over. There’s no hope. We’re out of options.”
“Joel!” Bianca cried out with an excited voice. “Joel.” She rushed over to them.
“What’s wrong? What is it? Is it Landon?” Joel asked. “Rayne?”
“No.” Bianca shook her head. “We have someone getting better.”
Row five, cot seven. He was a man in his forties and no one knew his name. He never gave it, he came in to the hotel with the other strangers and passed out ill not long after getting there.
Bianca remembered him because his fever was so high and she was upset because he never gave his name,
“How do you know?” Joel asked, as he and JJ stood by the cot.
“Look at his color,” Bianca stated. “And …” She lifted an aural thermometer. “His temperature is 99.4. That is five degrees lower than two hours ago.”
“What did we do for him?” Joel asked.
“Nothing more. Nothing less. Nobody has a reduction in fever Joel. No one.”
“We still can’t determine he is recovering.”
“Yes, we can.” Bianca reached her gloved hand down to his closed eyes and lifted his eyelid. “Look at his eyes, Joel. They aren’t blood shot any more. He had respiratory infection and his eyes were filled with blood. Not now. Listen to his breathing.” She placed her head close to his chest.
“Bianca, stop that.” Joel warned. �
�Don’t get that close.”
“Joel I clean up bloody vomit. If I’m gonna get sick, I’m already infected. This man is getting better. I can see it.”
JJ interjected. “They did say in New York a couple people recovered at the airport. But they had slipped into some sort of coma and we don’t know what happened after that.”
“That’s what he’s in,” Bianca said. “Some sort of body shut down, and I think it’s to rest and repair. I don’t know how long, but I feel it. This man is going to recover. This is good, Joel. This is really good.”
“You’re right. This is very good.” Joel then looked at JJ. “And you see,” he said with passion, “we aren’t out of options. There is still hope.” He glanced to the man on the cot. “There’s still hope.”
<><><><>
Rayne needed a nap. He was so tired and worn out. He hadn’t slept much at all. He lay on the office sofa with Landon perched on his lap, as he closed his eyes. He was able to get a good twenty minutes sleep while Landon colored.
The child didn’t talk much. He looked sad and spoke very little. Minute by minute he withdrew further, with valid reasons.
After his power nap, Rayne stood and stretched. He looked out the window and saw that it was getting dark. He’d need more battery lights in the room.
“Are you hungry?” he asked Landon.
“No.”
“How about I make you a peanut butter sandwich and you can nibble on it?”
Landon shrugged.
“Well, I want a peanut butter sandwich.”
“You like them?”
“Oh, yeah. Ate them my whole life,” Rayne stated, “like Charlton Heston. You probably don’t know who he is.”
Landon shook his head.
“Great actor. His movies were like what we’re dealing with now. Anyhow... he never went anywhere without peanut butter. It makes you tall.”
“Is that how you got so big?” Landon asked.
“Yep.”
“Okay. I’ll have one.”
Rayne smiled at the child and after he made the sandwiches, he handed one to Landon and the door opened.
JJ walked in with his guitar.
Rayne was surprised. “Where’s Bianca? Is she all right?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. She wanted me to sit with Landon. Play some music. Get him to sleep.”
“You all right?” Rayne asked. “You’re not sick, right?”
With a pouty mouth, JJ shook his head. “Nah, just been crying.”
“Me, too.”
Rayne watched JJ walked over and sit on the floor next to Landon. “Peanut butter huh? Good stuff,” JJ said. “What are you doing?”
“Coloring.” Landon answered. The child stopped, dropped his crayon and stared up to JJ. “I miss my mom.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” JJ reached out and rubbed Landon’s head. “I miss my mom too.”
Peanut butter sandwich in hand, Rayne figured it was a good time as any to slip out.
<><><><>
There was no instruction manual. No CDC pamphlet entitled, ‘So you have the Flu’. Nothing to give Ava any indication as to what was happening with Calvin.
She knew one thing. The boy was sick. He was so sick.
He wanted to cough so badly and his body fought to do so. But the only thing he could do was wheeze air in and getting it back out was a struggle. It was a high pitched squeal sound that shot into his lungs and a snap and choke was his exhale.
Each cycle was worse. She doubted he was even conscious enough to be aware, or at least she prayed that was the case. But his body reacted and panicked. His body convulsed as he fought to breathe, to expel whatever it was that blocked his lungs....to get one good gasp of air.
No human being should suffer like that.
She thought of the parents who had held their children in plagues of the past.
Bubonic, Spanish Flu. She supposed they had felt as helpless as she did now.
Calvin’s eyes opened as he went into a last fight to breathe. His arms extended, grabbing for something. She could see his eyes fought to focus.
“Calvin, it’s okay. I’m here.”
Wheeze. Wheeze. Wheeze. Gasp.
She didn’t know what to do, how to help him. There wasn’t anything she could do for him but be there and comfort him.
When Calvin vomited, and it wasn’t a lot, Ava knew.
The bloody regurgitation was a sign. Ava didn’t need to be a doctor or have a pamphlet to know Calvin was going to die. There was no turning back. No saving him. His body had battled but was losing the fight.
In the best comfort move she could, after cleaning up Calvin and making him comfortable, Ava climbed into bed and braced the teenage boy against her. His back to her chest, holding him upright, cradling him. Hoping he could breathe.
He rested.
How long were they like that?
It had to have been after midnight, when Ava heard the knock on the door.
Joel called out. “It’s me.” Then he stepped into the room. “I came to change his IV. I’m still not good at it.”
Ava’s voice cracked, she kissed Calvin’s head and glanced up to Joel as he approached the bed. “You don’t need to.”
“Yeah, it’s important, Ava. We have to keep him hydrated.”
“He’s gone, Joel. He just passed away a few minutes ago.”
Joel’s head immediately lowered. “I’m sorry. I am so sorry.”
Ava closed her eyes tightly. “Me, too. But he’s done suffering. I’m gonna hold him for a little more. Then Rayne can come for him. How ... how is Landon?”
Joel cleared his throat. “He’s sleeping.”
Ava nodded. “When he wakes up and is awake fully. I need to see him.”
“Maybe you should go down and see him.”
Ava shook her head and wiped her eyes. “No. I can’t do that. He needs to come. Figure out a way I can see him. Hear him. Tell him I love him.”
“Ava, if you disinfect and …”
“It’s not that,” Ava said with a squeak to her voice. “I can’t, Joel. I can’t.” She coughed, then coughed again. “Because I’m sick now too.”
Chapter 22
Monday May 11
Solon, Ohio
It was cold all night at Scooter’s Motor Mart. Cold and dark. Amita found an old suit jacket in the closet, one that smelled like dust and cigarette smoke, but it would keep her warm. She made a bed in the back of the small trailer office building and slept deeply.
During her dream, just before she woke up, she dreamed of someone coughing.
They were coughing horribly and then as she teetered in between that sleep and waking state, she knew it wasn’t a dream someone was coughing, loud long and continuous.
They were in close proximity to her; close enough for Amita to hear. As she woke up, just before she opened her eyes, she worried someone else had slipped into Scooter’s Motor Mart. Someone ill.
She opened her eyes and sat up.
Her eyes hurt.
And at that moment she realized it wasn’t a dream, there was someone coughing … her.
Sitting up straight, she started to cough and choke. Her throat was raw and a continuous tickle streamed down the back of her throat causing her to cough some more.
She shivered out of control, more than likely the fever.
Amita, without a doubt, had the virus.
Her bottle of water, sat on the desk, she grabbed it and took a drink. It barely passed down her throat.
Coat wrapped around her, Amita grabbed the keys to the blue Honda. With her water in hand, she stepped outside.
There was an eerie quiet to the predawn morning. No cars, no movement, no lights.
There was just a feeling of ‘final’ that hung over the town.
Staggering, Amita walked to the blue car. She had prepped it the night before.
Even if the sun wasn’t up, it was time to go. Time to drive. No matter how much of a task it was. Sick or no
t, she had to try. She had to see her family, even if at a distance, one more time, before Amita, like the rest of the infected … died.
<><><><>
Ambassador Suites
“Stop it, Rayne, stop it.” Bianca scolded as Rayne moved recently deceased. He was pushing the cots hard to the corner of the room. “This isn’t helping matters, and it’s disrespectful to the people that just passed away.”
“I can’t do this.” Rayne shook his head. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“Then don’t. Stop. It’ll be over soon.”
A moan of pain escaped Rayne.
Bianca walked to him. “I know this hurts. You of all people have done so much. Take a break, Rayne. Stop.”
“It’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not. It’s not fair to anyone. To him…” Bianca pointed to a body, “or to her.” She pointed to a woman who was sick. “What about him?” She pointed to the man who was recovering. “He’s gonna wake up to everyone being gone. It’s not fair.”
“Ava didn’t even look at me. She walked out of the room and went into another.”
“She’s sick.”
Rayne’s head lowered. “What do I tell Landon?”
“You tell him nothing. You hear. Nothing. You do as she requested. When he wakes up, when he gets his wits about him, you take him to see her. You let his mother tell him.”
“How are you being so strong?”
“I’m not.” Bianca reached out and grabbed Rayne’s wrist. “Trust me I’m not. The only thing that keeps me strong is Joel. I thank God, every day that my husband was spared.”
“He was pretty upset last night,” Rayne said.
“Yes, he was.” Bianca stated. “My heart broke for him. Like you, he thought Ava was spared. Speaking of which …” Bianca looked down to her watch. “I’m gonna go wake him. He’ll be upset if I let him sleep too long. Do you mind?”
“No. I’ll start taking the bodies out.”
“You don’t have to.”
Rayne glanced around. “Yeah, I do.”
Bianca squeezed his wrist one more time. “This will be done soon.”
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