Mad World (Book 1): Epidemic

by Samaire Provost

  Risa ran off to try and catch a moth that had wandered into the patio. It was pure white and fluttered around her head as she laughed and tried to jump and touch it. Fluttering off, the little moth alighted on a leaf about 8 feet above the ground. Risa stopped right under it and gazed up, mesmerized by the little creature.

  I smiled.

  Jacob and the others joined me on the patio a few minutes later, holding sodas. Caitlyn handed one each to Risa and me, and we popped the tops and took long, deep swigs. The frosty liquid burned slightly as it made its way down my throat and into my stomach, but it tasted like heaven.

  “I can’t wait to get to Arizona and meet up with my family,” DeAndre said quietly, drinking his soda.

  “I know,” I said. “I figure we should maybe get a couple of motel rooms for the night and then set out for Phoenix in the morning. I’m sure there’re some nearby places. And we need to get some real food in us.”

  DeAndre nodded. “Sounds good, Alyssa.”

  Jacob came over to me and silently wrapped his arms around me in a gentle hug, laying his chin on top of my head. We stood there, swaying a little back and forth to some silent tune, for many minutes. I closed my eyes in bliss as he started to rub my back. A warm glow filled my heart.

  Just then, the glass doors opened and Holly stepped out.

  “Hey guys!” She said with a smile. We all crowded around her.

  “How are you feeling, Holly?” I asked. Her arm had a neat white bandage around it, and her scrapes had been cleaned up. She smiled and held her belly.

  “I heard the baby’s heartbeat, it sounded strong. It was so good to hear!” she said enthusiastically. Risa giggled and patted Holly’s belly, then hugged her. Holly hugged her back, smiling.

  “Let’s go check on Mike and Paula,” I said to Jacob. He looked into my eyes for a minute, then leaned over and kissed me gently. He then took my hand and nodded to the others and we went back into the Emergency Room lobby, leaving a bemused group of friends behind on the enclosed patio.

  Jacob led me up to the nurses’ desk and asked about Mike and Paula. We were led back through the hallway and into the first room. Mike looked up at us, smiling.

  “Hey guys!” He said.

  The nurse turned to us, “I’m finished with him. He’s all yours,” she said smiling. To Mike she said, “Try to stay out of trouble, okay Mike?” He smiled and shrugged. She left the room to give us privacy.

  “Mike, we’re going to get rooms here in the city and then head to Phoenix in the morning. Do you want to stay with us and drive out? Or?” Jacob trailed off.

  “I’d just as soon stay with you guys and drive out to Phoenix with you,” Mike said, easing himself off the exam table and steadying himself with the crutches the nurses had supplied.

  “Okay, sounds good. Let’s go check on Paula,” I said.

  Moving on down the hallway, we found her room and knocked. The nurse popped her head out of the room. “Yes?” she said.

  “Is Paula okay? Can we talk with her?” Jacob asked.

  “Actually, I believe the doctor will be admitting her overnight. Her head wound is pretty bad, and she has a bad concussion. She’s been vomiting,” the nurse said.

  Jacob wrote on a notecard and handed it to the nurse. “Can you be sure she gets this? It’s our phone number. We’ll be leaving for Phoenix in the morning,” he said.

  The nurse left the room and closed the door softly behind her.

  “Are you sure you want to do that? She’ll probably get discharged in a day or two. She’ll want to see her relatives,” the nurse said.

  “Oh, no. We’re not related to her. We just gave her a ride from Bakersfield,” I said.

  “Oh, I see. Well, I’ll see to it she gets your number then,” the nurse said, waving the card Jacob had given her as she re-entered the exam room. “Have a safe trip,” she said as the door closed.

  We walked back down the hall and out to the lobby, where the others were waiting, gathered around a T.V. set bolted up in the corner of the ceiling. It was airing a story about the plague reaching Los Angeles, and about how the evacuations of people from the north were set to continue into tomorrow. No mention of the chaos of the escaped zombies at the observatory.

  “They probably don’t want to start a panic,” Caitlyn mumbled.

  Just then the news reporter cautioned that people were advised to stay away from the Griffith Park area of L.A. and that police were being sent in to “control the situation.”

  “That’s it, there you go,” gestured DeAndre in disgust. “Now why don’t they feel they can tell people why those police are being sent in? Censoring this information is just going to cost lives.”

  “I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head, “but it’s not a good idea, that’s for sure. Come on, guys. Let’s get out of there and get something to eat. It’s nearly 10 p.m., and I’m starved. Listening to this is just going to make us more upset.”

  “Alyssa’s right, let’s just go,” said Holly, looking angry.

  We headed on out to the van, piled in and drove down the road to a nearby restaurant called Maxcy’s Grill. Once we were seated and eating, we started to relax a little more.

  “I’m really concerned about the censorship going on with this infection problem,” DeAndre said.

  “Yeah, you can get more accurate news on Twitter than you can on a local news station about an epidemic,” said Holly, “What are they trying to cover up?”

  “I don’t know, but remember the police barricades Coach Turner got us around when we were driving west? That was less than a week ago. And the situation getting out of control at Griffith Park. And the news censorship. Guys, I smell military action,” I said.

  “I would not be surprised if they tried to quarantine the whole state of California,” Jacob said quietly, laying down his fork. “The military usually has the mentality of containment. And we’ve seen how well containment efforts work on a small scale. The Griffith Park Observatory situation was completely out of control.”

  “Do you really think they might try to quarantine the whole state?” I asked just as quietly.

  “They might. They probably will,” he said, looking at me.

  We continued to eat in silence, all of us deep in thought. The meal revitalized us, and when we left the restaurant, we felt immensely better. We found a motel a bit further down the street, and got a couple of rooms and bedded down for the night, dogs and all. Before we all went to our rooms, we conferred in the parking lot.

  “I think we should all meet at the van early. Say 6 a.m.?” Jacob asked. “That way we can get an early start. I have a bad feeling about this quarantine possibility, and I think we should get out of California as quick as we can.”

  “Agreed,” Mike said.

  “Yes, absolutely,” chimed in Holly and Caitlyn.

  “I say we try for 5 a.m., just in case,” said DeAndre. The others nodded.

  “Okay, 5 a.m. it is,” I looked at my cell phone. “It’s just before 11 p.m. now. Set your alarms and meet out here at 5. Have a good night. I know I will. Come on, girls, let’s head to bed,” I said, rounding up Caitlyn, Holly and Risa and heading for our room. Jacob, DeAndre and Mike all headed to the second room.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I was so exhausted I didn’t even bother removing my clothes. After setting the alarm on my cell phone, I kicked off my shoes and fell back onto the bed. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow, curled up with Risa next to me on the king bed. Scooter and Blackie snoozed on the floor, snoring gently. As I dozed off, I could hear Holly taking a shower, then Caitlyn after her. I wondered how Holly’s arm was, bandaged in the shower. Right before I slipped to unconsciousness my thoughts turned to Holly’s baby. I imagined it faintly calling to me for help, through water and darkness …

  I awoke to the quiet yet insistent beeping of an alarm drifting into my dream. I had been dreaming about a trapped kitten that was crying for help. Except the kitten wasn’t mewi
ng, it was crying out, ‘Help me,’ very faintly. I was searching for it, but so were some rats, and there were a lot of them, looking through rubble for this kitten. It was dark, and I could hardly see a thing. Then in the darkness, a faint yellow light grew, from just a pinprick, to a soft, dull glow, just enough to see by. I reached for where I thought the kitten was …

  The alarm finally reached my unconscious mind and forced it to awaken. I groggily opened my eyes, vaguely upset that I would never save the kitten from the rats. Damned dreams, I thought.

  “Alyssa, wake up,” Caitlyn said softly. Holly was sitting up in bed and Risa was still asleep, tucked next to my belly. Was she the kitten? I shook my head.

  “I’m going to take a quick shower. What time is it?” I asked.

  “About 4:30 a.m.,” Caitlyn answered, yawning. I grabbed my backpack, got my toothbrush out and went to clean myself up. It would be good to be clean, I thought. I hoped I had a fresh t-shirt left. Behind me, I heard Caitlyn rouse Risa.

  Stepping into the shower, I quickly lathered up my hair and body. The hot water steamed up the room and felt like heaven on my sore muscles. For a few minutes I sighed and leaned against the shower wall and just enjoyed the feeling of nothingness. After a while I shook myself and finished rinsing off. Wrapping a towel around my head, I emerged from the bathroom and found Holly and Caitlyn mostly dressed. Risa was jumping on the bed. Where did the girl get all this energy? Scooter and Blackie barked at Risa, and jumped up on the bed with her.

  “Risa, go in there and take a shower, Sweetie. You stink,” I said smiling, patting her on the back as she giggled and ran into the bathroom. I turned to the others.

  “How’re you guys doing this morning?” I asked. The shower had washed away the remnants of my sleep, and I felt energized.

  “I feel great, but I want to get out of this state as soon as possible,” Caitlyn said.

  “Me too,” said Holly. “I rebandaged my arm last night, and it feels fine. I just have this unsettling feeling in my stomach about staying any longer. I’m happy we’re heading out this early.”

  “Your stomach?” I looked worriedly at Holly’s midsection.

  “No, no, ha ha! I’m fine. It’s just butterflies,” she said, patting her stomach, “Baby is doing just great. He kicked me half the night, but he’s settled down now,” she said with a smile. “I just want to get to Phoenix ASAP.”

  Nodding in agreement, I gathered up my things and headed out the door to check on the van. Jacob was already out there, straightening up the back compartment that held our supplies.

  “Good morning,” I said, poking my head in next to his. “Want any help?”

  “I’m mostly done, but thanks,” he said, backing out and straightening up. He smiled at me warmly. “You look all freshened up!”

  I smiled at him and leaned forward. “It’s amazing what five and a half hours of sleep will do,” I whispered conspiratorially to him. Winking and giving him a kiss on his cheek, I patted my stomach and added, “but I am famished for some reason. After that meal last night, I didn’t think I’d eat for a week, now I want to stuff my face!”

  Chuckling, he said, “I’ve got some granola bars and soda up front already.”

  “You saint!” I said, and went around front and grabbed a granola bar. Popping open a Pepsi and munching on the bar, I walked back to the room to check on the girls’ progress. Caitlyn has Risa out of the shower and toweled off, and they were looking for a clean t-shirt for her.

  “I think all your stuff is pretty filthy, Risa,” Caitlyn said.

  “Here, use one of mine, sweetie,” said Holly, tossing Risa a small white t-shirt. Holly was a tiny girl, but still, the shirt hung down nearly to Risa’s knees. Giggling, I ruffled her hair.

  “Maybe we’ll get a chance to do laundry soon,” I said. She smiled up at me. I reached down and, going all around her waist, tucked the shirt into her jeans. “There now. That’s better,” I said.

  Caitlyn and Holly had gathered up the dogs and everything, and we all headed out to the van. Mike and DeAndre were there, loading up.

  “Jacob went to the motel office to check out, he’ll be back in a minute,” said DeAndre, taking the dogs out to a strip of grass off to the side.

  I nodded.

  “Mike, how do you feel?” Caitlyn asked as she tossed her bag into the van.

  Mike hobbled over on his crutches. “I’m getting used to these things. My leg feels okay. They did a good job,” he said, tapping the side of his cast with the rubber knob of the crutch. “Anybody want to sign my leg?”

  “Ooh! I do!” chirped Risa.

  We all settled into the van, Risa next to Mike, already drawing away with several markers.

  I belted myself into the driver’s seat and put the key in the ignition. Soon, Jacob came around the corner and hopped in beside me.

  “Ready to go?” I asked.

  “Yep,” he answered, returning my smile. “Next stop, Phoenix, Arizona!”

  Pulling out of the parking lot and onto the freeway, I let out a sigh of relief. Hopefully we’d find our families in Arizona. Maybe we would get some real answers to the questions we all had about this plague. Was there any hope for containment? How could they hope to fight an infection that spread so rapidly? Was there any cure for someone infected but not yet turned? And why did some turn so fast, within hours even, and others takes more than a day? A dozen more questions swirled around in my mind as I drove.

  I had been driving for about two hours, chatting intermittently with Jacob as he perused the Internet for news of the infection. We were both becoming quite fond of each other, and sometimes, he’d lay his hand on mine as I drove, rubbing it softly. Then we became aware of some odd sounds behind us.

  DeAndre came up to the front to inform us. “Guys, Holly’s feeling a bit ill. Can we stop somewhere?”

  “Sure, D. What’s she feeling? Is it her stomach again?” I asked.

  “I don’t think so. I think she’s having some contractions,” DeAndre said. My eyebrows rose in alarm. Jacob unbuckled himself and wordlessly made his way to the rear of the van. DeAndre sat down in his vacated seat. He looked relieved to be up front.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah. It’s just that pregnant ladies make me nervous,” he said with a laugh. “Holly looks about ready to pop. Then all of a sudden she clutches her middle and doubles over. Caitlyn was with her, and she seemed fine after a minute, but it was freaky. I’ve never seen a baby delivered. And she’s so thin,” he said, sounding worried. Scooter came up to him then and whined, and he rubbed her head.

  “I know. She’s had a lot of nausea. She said the doctor back at Kennedy told her she was underweight. But she didn’t seem to eat much at dinner last night,” I said.

  Nodding, DeAndre said, “I noticed. She only ate about half of her dinner.” He glanced behind him at the commotion in the back of the van and shuddered.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, trying to concentrate on both the road and the sounds coming from Holly behind me.

  “I can’t see too well. Caitlyn is beside her, and Jake and Mike are trying to talk to her. She’s just kind of moaning every now and then.”

  I chuckled. “You sure are nervous, D,” I said, smiling. Just then, Jacob came back up to the front. DeAndre got up to give him his seat, and then sat behind him instead of going back to the rear of the van.

  “Holly seems to be having contractions. She thinks they might be Braxton Hicks contractions. You know: those practice ones they get toward the end of their pregnancies?” Jacob said. I nodded. He continued, “but they seem pretty painful for just practice contractions. I think maybe we should stop for a bathroom break and maybe get her something for the pain. Tylenol or something,” he finished.

  “Okay,” I said. “Sounds reasonable. I think there’re some gas stations coming up in a few miles, I saw a sign, and we need to fill up anyway.”

  After a few more minutes, I took the exit and pulled into a tr
uck stop/gas station/minimart setup. Jacob hopped out and hooked up the gas pump. Caitlyn and I helped Holly out and headed to the bathroom. Risa hopped back and forth, asking questions like, “Is Holly going to have her baby here in the gas station?” which made Holly give her looks of disgust.

  I laughed.

  “No, sweetie. Holly is just feeling a little sick. She’ll probably be just fine in a little while. Why don’t you go with Mike and pick out a snack, okay?” I said.

  “Yeah, kiddo. Come with me, let’s stay out of Miss Holly’s way. I think I’m going to get some Twinkies!” said Mike. At that, Risa squealed and ran ahead into the minimart. I looked gratefully over at Mike.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  He smiled. “No problem. I hope Holly’s feeling better soon. If there’s anything I can do…” his voice trailed off, and he looked mildly helpless.

  I smiled. “I’ll let you know,” I said, and then he walked off to join Risa and we headed into the hallway to the bathroom.

  In the bathroom, Holly immediately headed for a stall and stayed in there for quite some time. Caitlyn and I finished and washed up, then we waited for her outside in the hallway.

  “Do you think she’s going to be okay?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure. She was feeling some bad pain in the van. She looked kinda worried,” Caitlyn said.

  “Hmmm…”

  Just then Holly emerged from the bathroom, looking very pale.

  “Oh my God, I just threw up so bad I thought I’d see the soles of my feet in the toilet, guys,” she mumbled.

  “Holly, are you going to be okay?” I asked. She looked strange. Her face was paler than ever. She looked white as a sheet.

  “I think so. I feel better for the moment. I think I just need a cold drink, maybe just ice water. My stomach just can’t hold down much right now. This feels like it did my first trimester. I couldn’t keep hardly anything down for weeks.”

  “Well, come on. Let’s see what kind of drink we can get you,” said Caitlyn, taking her by the hand and leading her around the corner and down the hallway. I trailed behind, lost in thought. I was trying to remember how it was for my mom right before she delivered my baby brother. I wondered if Holly was going into labor. After a while, it seemed clear that she wasn’t. Her contractions seemed to have stopped.