Before The Cure (Book 1): Before The Cure

by Gould, Deirdre

  “I’m not sick. But they want to make sure I don’t get sick. Or make anyone else sick.”

  “What’s going to happen if you get sick? What’s going to happen to Grandma?” He could hear the panic rising in her voice, pitching it slightly higher. He knew the stricken look that would be on her small face. Stay calm, he urged himself.

  “They’ll find medicine for Grandma. Make it so she wakes up from the bad dream. But it’s going to take a little bit because it’s a new sickness. They’re working very hard to make the medicine, Randi. So you just— just stay away from her until they give it to her. You don’t want to scare her, right? Her bad dream will make her think you’re something scary.”

  “Okay.” It came out small and soft. “What if I get sick, Daddy? Are you going to leave me here? Miriam is nice, but— I want to go home.”

  “I’ll never leave you there, Randi. Mom’s coming. And even if you got sick, I’d bring you medicine. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I promise. And until then, I’ll call you, okay? Who’s taking care of you?”

  “Miriam.”

  “I’ll talk to Miriam after I’m done talking with you. I have to— they’re changing my room. Going to a nicer one. I’ll call you when I get there, okay?”

  “Don’t go, Daddy,” she pleaded.

  “It’s only for a little while, Bunnypop. Just until I get to my new room,” he said. The helplessness felt physically draining. What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to do? “We’ll have lots of time to talk after that. You can read me a story, hmm? I’m jealous, you’ve got lots of books at the library. Nothing but old magazines here. Find me a good story, ok? Ask Miriam.”

  “Okay,” said Randi, but Neil could hear her reluctance. Don’t drag it out, he told himself. It’ll only make it harder for her.

  “You remember what I told you, sweetheart. You see anyone acting funny, bumping into things or tripping or— or biting their nails too far, you hide. Even if it’s someone you know. Even if it’s Grandma or Tommy. Hide and don’t watch. I want you to think of a good hiding place. Maybe the puppet show booth. You remember where that is?”

  “Yes, Daddy. I remember.”

  “Good, that’s good. You hide and don’t come out until there’s no one around that’s acting funny. You understand?”

  “Like the drills we do at school?”

  “Yeah, Randi, just like that. Hide and stay quiet. I’ll be there before you know it.”

  “Miriam’s here now,” she said. He could hear her breath breaking in short gasps and knew she was crying.

  “Okay, gonna talk to her now, so I can call you later. I love you, Randi.”

  “Don’t go,” she pleaded again.

  “Got to, baby. I have to move to the new room, remember? I’ll call you soon. You won’t even be through your next storybook, you’ll see.”

  “Love you, Daddy.” Her sob diminished and he could hear someone else speaking to her.

  “I love you, too, Randi,” he said it quickly, almost shouted it into the receiver, trying to push it through like she might forget or she might not know if he didn’t say it, if she didn’t hear it.

  “Hello?” asked a woman’s voice, “Is this Mr. Newton?” He couldn’t help but resent the woman.

  Neil wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. “Yes, that’s me. I’m Randi’s father. I wanted to talk to the person caring for her.”

  “I’m in charge of her wing, sir. My name’s Miriam Chase.”

  “Good. Thank you, Ms. Chase. Where are you keeping my daughter?”

  “Oh, uh we’re at Swem Library on the—”

  “I know where it is. She says you’re keeping her in one of the study carrels with a sleeping bag.”

  “Yes, that’s correct. It’s a temporary arrangement. We have cots being delivered this afternoon and—”

  “A cot’s not going to protect her. How are you keeping the sick separated from her so they can’t attack? Where’s she going to the bathroom? What’s she eating? When will she be released to her mother? How are—”

  “Slow down, Mr. Newton. What are you talking about, attack? If one of our charges starts becoming symptomatic, they are transferred to the university hospital, that’s why we’ve established the quarantine here, the proximity makes it ideal. All of Randi’s needs are being met. We have an excellent nutritionist and there are ample bathroom facilities for our current population. She’s checked on every fifteen minutes, if she needs to use the restroom, she’s able to do so when we make those rounds.”

  “And hygiene? There are no showers at the library.”

  “We will have portable showers set up at the end of this week, if necessary. We don’t anticipate holding anyone that long, however. Your daughter should be released in a day or two as long as her blood tests remain clear.”

  “You get that from whoever’s in charge? Or is that just what you heard around the quarantine water cooler?” Neil snapped.

  “There’s no reason to get hostile si—”

  “Because you know where I am? Do you know why I’m not there with Randi or over in your hospital with my mother? I’m at Wing Memorial. I’m locked in here with a bunch of sick people who are trying to kill us. They tell you what happens after people get ‘symptomatic’? Bet they didn’t. Bet they also didn’t tell you that the quarantine’s got to go twenty-one days from exposure. Unless there’s some different type of rule for you, Randi’s not leaving there anytime soon. Maybe you should ask your superiors. Ask them about what happens if one of the sick people get left too long. Ask them what you’re being exposed to—”

  “Mr. Newton, please calm down. I’m here to help Randi.”

  Neil took a deep gulp of air. She was right. There was no reason to antagonize her. “I’m sorry. You’re right, of course. Not your fault. But you need to know. For Randi’s sake and anyone else in that place. Yours too. The people who get sick with— whatever this is— it starts slow. They get clumsy first. Tripping or bumping into things. Start slurring. Kind of sounds like they’ve had a stroke. Or like maybe they’ve had a little bit too much to drink. It takes them time to think of what they’re trying to say. Sometimes they just sort of— tune out. Like there’s nothing going on in there. A doctor told me they start getting irritated with small things. Get angrier and angrier. I haven’t seen that part yet, but I believe her. They want to bite things. A friend who’s with me has started biting his nails. Bit em right to the nub and kept going. His hands are all bloody. He’s still trying to bite them through the bandages—”

  “Look, Mr. Newton, I’m sure you’ve been through a lot but—”

  “Wait. I’m trying to help you. And trying to help my daughter, so listen. I don’t know if there’s a step between the finger biting and the end result, I’m sure I’ll see soon. But I know what happens in the end stage of this. The sick person goes into a rage. Kind of anger you see in people who are high as a kite on something bad or who just have some kind of— of mental snap. Just homicidal. The same doctor said she thought it looked like cath— catha something. Those bath salts things, even though it’s not. They attack everything. One guy attacked a vending machine. Plenty more attacked other people, me too. Doesn’t matter what you say to them, doesn’t seem to matter whether they know you or not. They try to bite and then they— they eat you. If you aren’t ready— I saw two take down an armed policeman in about thirty seconds. One almost killed me in five. A little girl like Randi’s not going to be able to escape them. Does that study carrell have a lock on it?”

  “Y—yes, sir, but not from the outside. She’s not really locked in there.”

  “Best of both worlds. You make sure she locks it between rounds. That way, if you aren’t there, she’s not just a ready meal for someone you missed.”

  “We won’t miss anyone, that’s part of why we make the fifteen-minute checks.”

  “I’m not questioning how you do your job. Randi says you’ve been kind and you seem to be interacting with her a lot. I’m
very grateful to you. But you haven’t seen how fast this stuff can change. I’m trying to help you learn what to watch for, and I’m sure they’ve listed out the symptoms but it’s easy to brush them off or to hide them until it’s too late. You need to be ready. What if you’ve been exposed? What if you get sick? Is her room close to an exit?”

  “Well— yes but she can’t—”

  “Show her where it is. Next time you take her to the bathroom, show her where it is. Show her the quickest path and where to hide on her way to it.”

  “I can’t do that! Everyone here is in isolation, they must stay here until cleared for the public—”

  “She’s nine, Ms. Chase. Even if she made it to the door, she wouldn’t know what to do or where to go. She’s not going to make an escape. Not unless she really has to. Maybe—” He sucked in a shaky breath. “Maybe not even then. You tell her it’s like a fire drill. If there’s an emergency, if someone sick gets loose, that’s where she goes—”

  “There—” Miriam lowered her voice to a whisper. “There are soldiers outside, Mr. Newton. They’re under orders— I don’t— it’s not up to me but—”

  “I know. That’s how the doctor I was with got killed. That’s why you tell her only for an absolute emergency. I’ve been bitten. The people I’m with have been, too. I know how badly it hurts. If something’s going to— if something’s going to kill her—” He took the phone away from his ear and sobbed.

  “It’s ok, Mr. Newton, it’s okay.” Miriam’s voice was distant but clear.

  “It’s not okay,” he managed. “Nothing’s okay. I need you to help her. I know there are other people there that need you. Other kids maybe. But she’s all alone. I’m not there. I would be if I could. Even if it meant exposure, I’d still come. Her grandmother’s sick, hopefully, you moved her to the hospital. Her mother is on the way, but she’s not there yet. For the next several hours, you’re the only one she can rely on. You’re the only one I can rely on. Your people want me to stay put. Stop trying to find a way out of my own quarantine. Randi’s the only reason I want to keep trying. If I can believe she’ll be safe with you, then I can hunker down and wait this out like you all want. We don’t have fifteen-minute checks by friendly guards. Or state of the art nutritionists. There are bodies lying in the hallways. There are people ready to kill us all over the hospital. But I’ll still find a way to hide and wait it out if you can persuade me she’s going to be okay. You have kids Ms. Chase?”

  “N—no sir.” She sounded teary. Neil was glad she seemed shaken.

  “Younger siblings?” he pressed.

  “Only older.”

  “Your older sibling ever get hurt? Get bullied? You ever want to protect them so badly you physically ached?”

  “I— I know the feeling you’re talking about, sir. Yes.”

  “She’s a good kid. She wants to be a scientist. She always looks for people to help. She’ll be a decent per—”

  “You don’t have to tell me all this. I’ll take care of her,” said Miriam.

  “If I don’t tell you, you’ll take care of her because it’s your job. You’ll take care of her like it’s your job, too. Even the best workers have off days. Go on a few more breaks than they should. Leave a task for later because they’re tired. Cut corners to save time. But if you know her, if you know that she likes books about ragdoll cats and that she’s scared of moths because of the way they bump into lights, if you know that she hums when she’s waiting and she cries when she sees a panhandler, maybe she’ll be more than a task to you. I’m not sure how to make you really know her except to tell you these things about her. I need you to see her as more than a job. I need you to care. Because I can’t be there to do it instead.”

  “I understand, Mr. Newton. Randi’s safe here. I’ll keep her safe until her mother or you are able to come and get her. It— I heard things went wrong at Wing. I’m sorry. We’ve learned. We’re prepared here. I don’t— I don’t know how things are going to turn out for you. Or for Randi’s grandmother. But for Randi, things are going to turn out ok. She’s going to be ok.” She paused for a second, and then her tone shifted, more clipped, more formal, and he knew she’d stepped into someone else’s range of hearing. “I need to let you go, Mr. Newton. I’m late for this round of checks. Randi informed me you wish to call again. Do you have something to write with? I will give you a suitable phone number to reach us.”

  “There’s a boy,” Neil said quickly, “His name’s Tommy Owens. I’m here with his father. Is he safe? Is he with Randi?”

  “We have a Tom Owens. And his mother. Do you want me to find him before I let you go? I could pick up the phone on my way back through if his father wants to talk—”

  “No. No, his father isn’t— he’s gone. Somewhere in the halls. I needed to make sure Tommy was okay. For him.”

  “I— see. Tom is here. With his mother. They haven’t been transferred. I can let you speak with them if—”

  “I— I’m not certain what to say to them. I just— I wanted to make sure— they’re like my family. But I don’t know what to tell them. I don’t know what happened to Dante—”

  “Mr. Newton,” Miriam said gently, “They have enough to worry about here. If you had good news, it might help them be patient. But no news or bad news— whatever has happened to your friend, good or bad— his son can’t change it. His wife can’t help him. They’re safe. And together, as of the last rounds. I— won’t tell them that you called. If you’ve found your friend the next time we speak, then that’s a different story.”

  “Yes,” he agreed, “Yes, that’s probably best.”

  27

  Neil was sorry they’d roused Cody. It had taken several minutes and they’d argued over it for a few more before starting. Shay had tried to warn his wife over the phone, had tried to gently explain what was happening to Cody. But when Cody’s wife asked to speak to him, neither one of them could bring themselves to refuse her.

  “Your wife, your daughters, Cody,” Neil said, shaking his shoulder for the fifth time. “Come on, sit up at least. It’ll help.”

  Cody managed to blink blearily at him. It was an improvement, anyway. His eyes were opened, even unfocused as they were.

  “Don’t you want to talk to them?”

  Cody sat up with a groan and his back slumped against Neil’s legs as if he might change his mind.

  “No,” he mumbled at last. “Shouldn’ talk to ‘em ‘ike thish. S— sscare ‘em.”

  “You don’t think they’re scared already? They don’t even know for sure that you’re alive. They need to hear your voice.”

  It took Cody several seconds to speak again. “Not e’en sure whatta shay. All ssounds bad.”

  Neil knelt to get his good shoulder under Cody’s arm. “Tell them you love them,” he offered, hauling Cody to his feet. They swayed unsteadily for an instant and then Cody stabilized. Neil let him go. “It’s what they want to hear. Besides, there’s no ‘s’ sound in that.”

  Cody was already stumbling around the corner by the time he laughed. “No ssssses,” he said, laughing again. “Like that.” His bandaged hand drifted up toward his mouth and Neil had to catch him as he careened sideways into a shelf. He stopped laughing. Shay turned a chair toward him and held out the phone. Neil gently pulled the hand from Cody’s mouth.

  “Sit on your hands. Shay can put it on speaker. It’ll keep you from biting,” he whispered.

  They’d left him sitting there curled over the phone, his hands under his thighs.

  “We need to figure out what to do with him,” Shay warned Neil. She paced in front of the counter, glancing out the window to the hospital hallway. “Security room’s on the third floor of the east wing. Ideally, it’s all closed off because of the evacuation but— I doubt it. Those policemen probably opened it for the quarantine. Might take us hours to get there. It doesn’t seem like Cody has that long.”

  “We don’t know that. We have no idea how long this stage of the dis
ease lasts. Even Harlain said it could be days—”

  “She said he was an hour or two from snapping, Neil, you heard her.”

  “Maybe he’s different. They don’t know anything. That’s what she said.”

  Shay sighed, threw up her hands in surrender. “Fine. Think of his comfort then. He can’t go on like this. He’s falling apart, mentally I mean. He’s terrified. You don’t know because you never met him before a few days ago, but I do. And his hands— I don’t think his hands are ever going to be the same. We have to stop him from chewing anymore or something worse will happen. He’ll peel the skin right off or get an infection, I don’t know, something bad. We need to put him somewhere he’s not going to hurt himself. Or us. Psych ward’s on the second floor of the same wing. There— there are restraints there.”

  “That’s way too far from the cafeteria, Shay. How are we going to get him food and clean him up?”

  “We? We’re not going to, remember? We’re getting the healthy people out of their rooms and then making some kind of distraction in Physical Therapy. Then we’re out of here. Cody— can’t come with us. He’s sick, Neil. He can’t go.”

  Neil scraped his fingers over his head in frustration. “Them then, the people who decide to stay. We both know Maisy will. Maybe more. How are they going to get food to him?”

  “Don’t you get it yet? They aren’t. Not Cody, not the guy in the bathroom or the girl in the wheelchair or anyone else we put somewhere to keep safe. No one’s going to risk their neck to feed them.”

  “Then— then I’ll stay and do it,” said Neil.

  Shay shook her head. “No, you won’t. You’ve got a daughter in danger. You need to face reality. And so does he. The government’s written us off already. Unless they come up with a cure for this real fast, we’re done. Sure, they’ll make food drops from a helicopter onto the roof or in the courtyard or something, but that’s going to be it.”

  “If you really think that, then why the fuck do you want to put him in restraints? Why not just let him— go. In here maybe. Why do you care if he chews off every last one of his fingers?”