There's Blood on the Moon Tonight

by Bryn Roar

  Ham Huggins had on a hangdog face. “Now, about this rabies business...If any of you have been bitten or scratched, you’d tell us, wouldn’t you? I mean, like Mr. Bidwell said…this ain’t nothin’ to fool with.”

  “None of us have been bitten or scratched,” Rusty said truthfully. “You have my word on that, Dad.” He was hoping his father wasn’t going to pursue it any further than that. He wasn’t sure he had it in him to lie to his old man.

  Ham’s eyes searched his son’s face, and finding no deception there, he visibly relaxed.

  “Ralph,” said Emma, wringing her hands. “I don’t want you going into those woods. You hear me?”

  “He won’t, sweetheart,” Frank said, stroking her neck. He smiled at Tubby. “Will you, son?”

  “No, sir. I promise!”

  Josie and Rusty readily concurred.

  It shouldn’t be any surprise at all that Bud Brown made no such promise. That boy, he just stared off to sea.

  Chapter Thirteen:

  Sunglasses at Night

  Even though the Moonlite was for the time being closed on Sundays, Frank promised to run My Bodyguard that night for Ralph and Rusty, who’d missed most of it the night before, yakking away on the front porch. As Tubby liked to say, it was one of the “neato” perks of living on the lot of a Drive-In. In the interim, the two boys were huddled now over the controls of the Space Invaders game at Moon Man’s, battling for the coveted High Score.

  Meanwhile, Josie rode back to the museum with Bud and Bill Brown. She’d changed into a baggy T-shirt and gray sweat pants, cut off at mid-thigh. Her usual workout attire. Since Shayna still hadn’t returned, Joel was staying over at the Huggins’s until Josie got back from her babysitting gig, scheduled for later that evening.

  Bill’s worried eyes slid over to the rearview, finding his son and Josie in the Jeep’s mirror, the two of them gazing contentedly at the road ahead. A smile stole over Bill’s face, erasing the furrows on his tanned brow. Josie was in the backseat behind Bud, her arms draped loosely over his shoulders, her hands tapping his chest in beat with the song on the radio. For a second, Bill didn’t recognize his own son, beaming ear-to-ear like he was.

  Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! I haven’t seen Bud smile like that since his mother was alive!

  Bill did a double take, to make sure that wasn’t an imposter sitting there in the front seat. Seeing it was indeed his son, Bill’s heart filled with joy. He’s actually happy!

  It was like watching a homeless man win the lottery. The look on his face as he realized the hard times were at last over. It looked as if the sun had finally broken through for that luckless son of his. Bill couldn’t help wanting to give that sunshine a helping hand. Anything to keep that smile on his son’s face.

  “How’s about joining us tomorrow, Joey.”

  Pulling the wind-blown hair from her face, she smiled. Only Ham and Bilbo called her Joey. “To Beaufort? Bilbo, are you encouraging me to play hooky?”

  Bill returned her teasing smile “I won’t tell, if you don’t tell, pretty girl.”

  She tapped her chin in thought. “Hmm. If I can get Rusty to walk Joel to school in the morning, then yeah…I think I'll take you up on that kind offer. Will we be back before school lets out? I don’t want me brother going home to an empty house.”

  “We should be. Your mother’s not home?”

  Josie flipped her hand in the air, as if to say: ‘Who gives a shite?’ “I haven’t seen the woman since she left for Beaufort last night. She’ll show up sometime today. I’m thinking she might have spent the night with me Aunt Sissy on the mainland. It’s her usual M.O.”

  Bill knew better than to delve any deeper. Next to his son, Josie was the proudest teenager he’d ever known. “I see. Well, we’ll pick you up at 8:30 tomorrow morning.”

  “I can meet you at the museum,” she said.

  “I’d rather you didn’t walk by those woods by yourself. In fact, I’m glad you reminded me.” He pulled in front of the museum and killed the Jeep’s engine. He turned in his seat, facing his son and Josie. “I’ve been thinking on this thing, as you know, Bud, and while I don’t trust Bidwell or the sheriff anymore than you do, I think you and your friends are ignoring something crucial here.”

  Bud eyed his dad warily. “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “Bidwell’s right. About the check ups, I mean. You guys need to go see him as soon as possible.”

  “What?!” Josie and Bud blurted together.

  “Och! Bill, you cannot be serious!”

  He shook his head. “Hear me out. You’re both jumping to conclusions without considering all the facts.”

  “I don’t understand you, Pop. I mean, didn’t you tell me this very morning that Dr. Bidwell may have held me at the Center against my will?”

  “Excuse me?!” Josie practically shouted.

  “I’ll explain later,” he said, waving it aside.

  “Look here, I can’t stand by and watch any of you get hurt because you’re too pissed off to see the obvious!”

  Josie made a face. “The obvious?”

  Bill looked into her eyes, hoping to reach her. “Yes, sweetheart. The obvious: that one, or all of you, may have already contracted this damn virus.”

  Bud opened his mouth to protest—and then the image of all that saliva and virus-rich foam covering Rusty took center stage in his head. Bilbo had a point. “Don’t you have to be bitten or scratched to get rabies?”

  “And none of us were!” Josie insisted. Bill had planted the seed of doubt in her mind as well, though. She remembered giving her brother a good night kiss the night before. Could it pass on so easily?

  “I did some research on the Internet last night, and here’s what I found: Rabies, a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis, is almost always spread through bites. And yet…since 1980 most human patients with rabies did not have definitive wounds!”

  “Definitive?” said Josie.

  “Obvious bites or scratches,” Bill started off calmly, his ire beginning to grow. “The result of which is in most cases an inconclusive mechanism of transmission!” Seeing the still unconvinced looks on their faces, he sighed. “Look, as it stands there’s enough mystery surrounding the known rabies virus! And God only knows what the Center’s concocted. If it weren’t for their involvement I’d take the lot of you to the Beaufort Hospital—but that’s out of the question now. We can’t afford to scare off the one man who’s on intimate terms with this nightmare bug.”

  Bud saw the wisdom in what his father was telling them. In fact, this was exactly why he’d brought the matter to his old man’s attention in the first place. Even so, trust Bidwell? “Yeah, I see what you’re saying, Pop. But once Doctor Bidwell has us alone—”

  “Give me some credit, will you, son? I didn’t say you should walk into his office, waving a white flag of surrender. I’ll be there with you, watching his every move.” Bill smiled a rather vindictive little smile that sent a chill down Josie’s spine. She made a mental note to never piss off Bud’s dad. “In the end, he’ll get his, don’t you worry. Once this hurricane passes, and after I’m convinced none of you has the disease, I’m going to wring the truth out of that bastard. And God help him if he had anything to do with your mom's death. Bidwell’s going to answer for his crimes, son. That I can promise you.” He sighed and shook his head. “But for the time being…we need that bastard. So you and I will be going in tomorrow morning.” His tone brooked no further argument. He looked at Josie and smiled. “And I’m sure Shayna or Betty Anne will be glad to attend your examination.” The smile left his face, replaced again with that worried look. He pointed his finger at them. “Now listen. Either I can call their families myself, or you can tell Rusty and Ralph what I just said. Either way, I want them checked out as soon as possible. Especially Rusty Huggins! By tomorrow, you hear me?”

  Bill shuddered. “Ever since you told me he was covered in that saliva, I’ve been worried sick about the little guy.
That’s how an infected animal sheds the virus, you know, through the excess saliva. I’ve already spoken with Bidwell, and he said—”

  Bud paled. “When did you do that?”

  Josie answered for him. “On his cell phone, down by the bluff while Ham was giving us the third degree back there.” She stared daggers into Bud; her look said it all: This is what you get for trusting adults! They’ll screw you over every feckin’ time!

  Bill didn’t miss the look in her eyes, the lack of trust, and it broke his heart. He thought the world of Josie O’Hara. “I know you’re upset with me, Joey, but my first responsibility lies with my son’s welfare. That’s the only reason I called Bidwell.” Bill saw the despair on their faces. “No, I didn’t betray you. I didn’t tell him a thing. I simply asked the man for a timetable. That is to say, if you had theoretically encountered this animal on Friday afternoon, and somehow contracted the virus, when would be the latest you could safely come in for the vaccine…”

  Bud didn't like it that his dad's voice trailed off like that. “Well? What’d he say?”

  Bill sighed. “24 hours, son. A significantly different timetable, I might add, than conventional rabies. After that, according to Bidwell, it would probably be a waste of time to administer the vaccine.”

  “48 hours,” said Bud, gulping. “Shit. It's been at least twice that, hasn't it, Joe?”

  Her eyes huge, Josie nodded her head.

  Bill grinned, putting the kids somewhat at ease. “I know, and watch your dang mouth, boy. A gentleman doesn’t cuss in front of his lady. But that timeline you just mentioned is exactly why I’m sure nothing is wrong with any of you. Well…98 percent sure.” Bill shrugged helplessly. “I don't mind telling you, that other two percent still scares me. I wanted to bring ya’ll in right away but Bidwell said he was too busy right now. And as he pointed out to me, a vaccine at this stage would be useless anyway.” He looked at them, more determined than ever of his convictions. “Which just underscores what I’m trying to say here! That there’s more to this virus than meets the eye. And Bidwell…” Bill bared his canine again, “well, he’s our best bet in ensuring you don’t get it.”

  “What else did he have to say?” Josie asked him. She hated to admit it, but Bilbo was making a lot of sense. Truth was, they had been hiding their heads in the sand, trying to wish the whole thing away. Just like Bidwell said!

  “He asked about your eyes.”

  Josie wrinkled her nose. “Our eyes?”

  “Whether or not they were bloodshot. He said if any of you had bloodshot eyes, or if you were complaining of headaches or any other flu-like symptoms that he would need to see you right away. Otherwise, it could wait till Monday. He could tell I was really concerned, so he knew I wasn't going to bullshit him.” He smiled a little, trying to allay their fears. “Let me tell you, when I told the man you were all clear-eyed and bushy tailed, he lost all interest in the conversation. And his sudden disinterest in your welfare is the only reason we're not marching over to his office right now! It tells me he thinks you're in the pink. And it's in his own best interest that you all stay that way! When Bidwell says ‘He’s busy,’ I believe him. I assure you, the exams tomorrow are more for my peace of mind than anything else. Which is also why I’m not going to say anything to your friends’ parents right now! Rusty’s and Ralph’s. Especially Ham and Betty Anne.” He frowned, knowing he was shirking his adult responsibility on that front. “There’s no sense in scaring them just yet,” he said out loud, more for his benefit than the kids.

  Bill couldn’t help himself. He put his hand on Bud and Josie’s foreheads. Cool to the touch. Their eyes clean and sober. “No headaches or fever, right?” he asked them, the scared, plaintive tone in his voice surprising them both.

  “No, sir,” they replied, in unison.

  Visibly relieved, Bill left them alone in the Jeep.

  Huddled together, they agreed they'd let Bidwell give them a check-up, sometime tomorrow. When pressed for a specific time, Josie said she'd take care of her end. “I'll get Shayna to hold me hand. You just make sure Bilbo doesn't leave you alone with that arsehole.”

  “Good. I'm glad that's settled,” said Bud, pulling on Josie's arm. “Let's get started on our workouts.”

  “I'll meet you down in the cellar,” she said, shooing him inside the museum. “Let me go over to Moon Man's first and tell the boyos the bad news. Make sure neither of them is feeling any ill effects. Especially Rusty.”

  Crossing the street, the guilt gnawed at Josie's guts. She had no intention of seeing Dr. Bidwell, tomorrow or any other day, and she damn well knew it, too.

  *******

  Andy Noonan came home from a night of barhopping to find his singlewide trashed. And given the trailer’s usual state of squalor, this was really saying something. It hardly mattered. Except for maybe the cases of cheap booze he kept locked in his bedroom closet, there wasn’t anything of value in the Noonans’ home.

  The thought of his precious juice made Andy forget his manners. He left his date in the living room, searching for a relatively clean place to sit down.

  After accounting for his hootch, Noonan entered his son’s room to see if Lester knew anything about the godawful mess in the living room and kitchen. Lester’s room was in even worse repair than the rest of the trailer. Puddles of vomit lay steaming or congealing on the clothes strewn floor. The mirror on his dresser was shattered, the glass everywhere. It crunched underneath Andy’s worn out brogans. The room stunk to high heaven. Smelled like the boy was shitting in the corners or something. Andy teetered on his feet, his alcohol-fogged brain trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Out in the living room his date asked where her promised cocktail was.

  “Boy got hisself some Boone’s Farm and had too much to drink,” he deduced, weaving his way out of the room. He was feeling proud of himself for figuring out the mystery when he stumbled on Lester’s torn apart schoolbooks. He fell to the floor, his hand landing in a puddle of cold puke. “Motherfuck! I’m gonna kill that kid!”

  Now Andy Noonan must’ve said that a thousand times concerning his sons, and had even come close on a few occasions to doing just that, but this time he thought he might actually accomplish the task.

  He got to his feet, swayed there for a moment, and was beginning his trek across the garbage heap, when a mewling sound stopped him cold.

  There! The bedroom closet!

  Andy threw open the closet door and grinned viciously down at his son, cowering in the corner like a pill bug. He’d brought home a bitch to bang, but Andy Noonan had always preferred a fight to a fuck.

  He dragged Lester out by his dirty feet, laughing at what he was going to do to the boy.

  “The light!” Lester growled demonically.

  The voice was not his son’s and Andy was too stupid to notice. Lester had his face concealed tightly in his hands. Shit, piss, and puke covered his clothes and exposed skin. Andy didn’t think he’d ever seen anything more disgusting in his whole life, even though he’d been in the same sickening condition himself many a time.

  “The light, it buuurrrnnnssss!!!”

  “I’ll show you the damn light, you miserable little turd,” Andy said, unbuckling his belt. He pulled the heavy leather through the loops of his green Dickies and smacked it as hard as he could across Lester’s face and hands.

  “What in the world are you doing to that boy?” cried his date from the open doorway.

  Andy Noonan didn’t hear her. He was lost in the bright red eyes staring back at him. The belt dropped to the floor. “Lester?” he quavered, forgetting his outrage from before. Dirty foam dripped from Lester’s mouth. His jaws chattered as if he was freezing. “Are you sick, son?”