by Lynn Lamb
~~~
After I emerged from my room, I saw everyone pretty much where I left them in the living room. All except Bailey. I didn’t say a word as I went to her bedroom door and knocked softly.
“Hey, sweetie,” I said. “May I come in?”
She nodded her head that was buried in her pillow.
“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked as I stroked her hair.
“I have to go now that your real family is here,” she said through quiet sobs.
“Wait, what? Who said that?” I asked.
“I just know it,” her sobs became louder.
“You are wrong. You will stay right here with us, unless you don’t want to,” I curled up next to her and held her.
“I want to,” she said as she started to get her sobs under control. She turned over, so we were face to face.
“And what’s that business about real family? As long as people love each other they are real family. Bailey, we are real family. And now you have even more people in your family. Bri, and Ammie are your cousins, and Jake is your uncle.” I told her.
“I love you, Laura,” she said. I was relieved when she smiled.
“I love you, too, Bailey,” I said with an embrace.
We both walked into the living room to join Annie, Mark and Billy. Billy was holding Annie, quietly reassuring her that Jacob would be alright. I wasn’t sure that making that promise was a good idea, but I didn’t say anything.
I let Bailey hear my walkie conversations, hoping nothing upsetting was said. She needed to know that she was a part of our family. She took a seat next to Annie, and began helping Billy calm her. I watched on, amazed at her intuitiveness, even at her young age.
I began to call out to Doc or Jackson, when someone knocked at the backdoor. I opened it to see Malcom.
“Come in, Doc,” I said, leading him down the hall and into the grave mood of our living room. I sat next to Mark, and he took my hand, ready to brace me if the news was bad.
“I just rode up with Jacob on his way to the hospital. I helped him into the golf cart to get him through the forest. So, he is on his way up there to Doctor Riley. I feel comfortable with her seeing to him up there. She has been handling a lot of cases of the Yersinia pestis. I’m sorry, but your son, and brother, has a form of the plague,” Malcom said with a doctor’s compassion.
I knew he was still talking, but I couldn’t hear a word after “plague” for several minutes. When I came back to earth, the Doc was still talking.
“… and yet, I still think that he has a fighting chance. It’s not the 1400’s now. And even though the hospital is in shambles, there are still things we can do for him.” The Doc looked me in the eye, “What I am saying is, don’t give up hope.”
“I want to see him,” I said adamantly.
“He is in isolation for the next twenty four hours. No one in, and no one out,” he replied. “Laura, focus on your nieces right now. They are going to need you to be strong for them.”
I hate being forced to be strong, I thought.
We sat in the living room as it grew dark. Mark lit a fire, and we ate a bit of food that we had on hand. Billy took the toaster upstairs and plugged it into the generator, however that works. He brought us a feast of Toaster Tarts and Bailey ate several. I was happy that she had something in her belly. Even Hershey was treated to a Toaster Tart, and he swallowed it down so quickly, it made us all laugh.
“Laura, turn to channel twenty to talk to your nieces,” said Jackson over his walkie.
“Thank you, Jackson. Ten-four,” I said and waited for him to tell me how stupid I had been today with the girls. But he said nothing else.
“Ammie, Bri, Adam. Are you there?” I called out to them.
As soon as I took my finger off the button I heard, “Aunt Laurie, it’s Bri. Over.” With her military background she knew exactly what to do.
“Hey, sweetie,” I said. “We are all right here, kiddo. Everyone say hello,” I asked of our group. Hello’s rang out.
“Sounds like a lot of you, who all is there?” Ammie asked.
“Mark, Grandma Annie, me, our close family friend and savior, Billy Young, and the newest member of our family, Bailey. She is eight and she is your new cousin.”
“I can’t wait to meet you. My name is Amanda, but my nutty family calls me Ammie. You can call me that, too.
“Laurie, how is Daddy?”
I closed my eyes, not wanting to say the “P” word to them.
“He is in the hospital now,” Mark took over, reading my reticence. I looked over at him and mouthed the words “thank you.”
He nodded and continued, “I won’t lie to you girls. He is not well. When the attacks came, various chemical weapons were released into the air. One was called Yersinia pestis.”
“The plague,” said Bri. “That’s what we thought. How long does he have?”
“Doc Malcom said that the next twenty four hours are essential,” I finally found the courage to speak. If Bri could handle the reality, so could I.
“But he also said that they have doses of the antidote,” Billy added. The Doc must have said that when I took my little mental vacation.
“I want to be with him,” Ammie’s voice was breaking through the sobs.
“Me, too. Ammie. Right now I need all three of you to eat, drink, and get stronger,” I said. “I will get word to your dad to let him know that you are all doing okay now.”
“Aunt Laurie, what is your role around here?” asked Bri. “I talked to Colonel Jackson, and he said that you are in charge of some kind of Village. What does that mean? I’m confused.”
“Jackson has a big mouth,” I said. “But, yes. I am in charge of what we are calling the Monte Vista Village.”
Bri laughed out before she spoke, “What kind of a hokey-assed name is that? And you are in charge? Way to go, Aunt Laurie.”
“Why thank you for both compliments. I named it myself, as a matter of fact,” I kidded with her. Bri has always loved to tease. It felt natural engaging with her like this, all except the walkie.
“Now, talk to Grandma Annie,” I said.
August 26
I woke up early this morning not sure what to do. I checked in with the Doctor Riley, and she told me that Jake was resting comfortably now. They were giving him IV fluids and a cocktail of intravenous antibiotics. He was a high priority case, and she had been with him the whole night. I couldn’t thank her enough.
I went down to Town Hall and dropped Bailey off at school. I had Lizzie, who was in her office even before I was, call a Council meeting for 8:00. Everyone was there five minutes before, like usual. The Council took their job seriously.
“As you know, my family has found their way to the Village all the way from Phoenix, Arizona. My brother is gravely ill, and my nieces, accompanied by one boyfriend, are in the Hotel. I have communications set up with them, but I have not asked about what happened on the road here, and what they know about attacks in different places. When they are ready, they will tell me.
“My family, while happy to be together, are very concerned for my brother. I would like someone to fill in for Annie in the kitchen. Mark, will you be able to take over some of my duties when I need you to?”
“Absolutely, but if you need me as your husband, that takes priority. I can handle both,” he said. I was surprised that he would be so personal in front of all these people, but I appreciated it.
“Good, now are there any concerns about our new guests, beyond my sick bother? All precautions were used, but the Doctor can speak to that,” I said.
“He has the plague. In the Middle Ages, it was known as the Black Death. Like Laura said, we used all precautions, so I am not worried about it spreading from this one case. Amanda, Brianna and Adam are very malnourished, but they show no signs of being sick. I don’t know what happened with them, but I can theorize Jacob must have gotten hit by the chemicals when the others were not around. He spoke to me when I brought him to the H
otel. He told me to keep his girls safe. He also told me to tell his mother and his sister that he loved them. I was impressed that he could talk at all. He’s a strong man,” said Malcom.
I had to sit down at his words from my brother before I fell down. Jackson jumped up to catch me, but Mark was already there.
“I can take it from here,” said Mark.
Why had Jackson made me the leader here? I am so weak; so emotional.
~~~
I decided to try and go about my day because there was nothing else I could do.
I walked into sewing class at Mrs. Ingram’s house a few minutes tardy to class. The room went quiet when I entered, and I felt terribly self-conscious.
“Please sit on the couch, Laura. I only have four foot-pedal sewing machines, so we will have to take turns. First, I would like you to just sew a straight line,” she instructed the people sitting at machines at the dining room table. Those who did not have one watched from behind those who did.
I was the only one sitting in the living room, and I wondered if I should leave. I tried sewing class in school, but I couldn’t get the little bobbin thingy on right. I transferred out of that class back then when I realized that it would completely ruin my GPA.
I stood to leave, when Mrs. Ingram wheeled herself into the living room with a tray of packaged cookies.
“Don’t leave dear. Sit a spell and get your bearings. I heard what happened from Emma Winter, she’s the one who brings me meals and helps me out here,” said Mrs. Ingram, sympathetically. She looked at my face that betrayed my surprise. “Yes, news travels fast in the Village, especially when it comes to you, I am afraid. Your family is like the royal family of the Village. Some things never change.”
I didn’t want to know what kind of gossip was going on about me after the scene I made yesterday.
“Dear Laura, may an old lady offer some advice?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said out of politeness only. I really felt like crawling into a hole.
“Forget about the gossip, and forget about this damn Village. Focus on what you need to do to get you through your day until you get news of your brother. And then do what you need to do for you and your family. You have the Village up and running, and it can spare you for a few days,” she advised.
She made sense. For the entire class, I sat on Mrs. Ingram’s couch, ate cookies, and looked on as people buzzed away at the sewing machines. When they left, Mrs. Ingram asked if I would like to stay a while, and I gratefully accepted her offer. I blame it on the smell of the floral powder she wore. I felt like my grandmother was close by while I was at her house.
“Mrs. Ingram, does it seem like I am hiding?” I asked.
“Yes, but no one deserves it more,” she answered. “You want to go up to the hospital and be with your brother, don’t you?”
“Yes, but they told me that I couldn’t see him yet,” I answered.
“It seems to me that the old rules don’t apply anymore, child. In fact, it seems to me that you make the rules now,” she said, planting a seed in my head.
“I am afraid of what they are going to tell me, though,” I said revealing my weakness to her.
“Laura, do you wonder how your brother and nieces, along with your whole family here in the Village, survived?” she asked.
“All of the time,” I answered.
“It’s not magic, girl. It’s strength. And it runs in your family. Now, go up there and see your brother. He is going to be alright, you know. He shares your DNA,” she delivered her dangerous message to me with a confident smile; dangerous because it was one of hope.
I began my journey up to the hospital, but first I stopped by the house and left my walkie in front of the back door.
The path through the forest was becoming clearer, as it was being used a lot these days. It was still a foggy morning; the type someone not from this area would think was eerie. I have always loved the fog. It smelled fresh, there in the trees, unlike the Village which still held the remnant smells of decay.
When I reached the hospital, I stopped. I was told that it had taken some heavy hits in the war, but I was still not ready to see what had become of it. It had been the most beautiful hospital I had ever seen. It was designed so that almost every window looked out on a rose garden, with the backdrop of the open forest.
The building no longer looked white, but was now a dingy gray color. More than half the building had crashed in on itself. It looked like I felt in the moment, as I made my way to the part of the building that still stood.
Inside, the dim light gave way to another sad scene. A woman sat at a desk that looked like it had just landed in that spot when the ground shook and no one had bothered putting it back where it belonged. She looked up at me and asked, “How may I help you?”
“My name is Laura Balous. I am here to see my brother, Jacob Patton,” I said with all of the confidence I could muster.
“Laura. Hello,” the lady made her way from behind the desk, hand offered to me. “I am so glad to finally meet you. I haven’t been down to the Village, yet. I have been sleeping here, in one of the rooms since it happened. Thank you so much for supplying us with food and water.”
I knew that I should be offering her a place to live in the Village, but I wasn’t here to talk shop. I needed to see my Jake.
“Do you think you could show me to my brother’s room?” I asked rather meekly.
“Let me call Doctor Riley,” she said. She picked up a large, black, “industrial strength” walkie and paged the doctor. While she was busy tracking her down, I walked gingerly around the darkened halls. They must have been using only partial generator power. The lighting that did exist gave off a strange, green hue and it flashed on and off, dimly.
“Laura, follow me please,” said the reception lady. She didn’t offer her name, and I didn’t ask.
We went through a maze of halls, all glowing with that same strange green. A portion of one of the halls had a large hole, and the cold fog blew in and blended with the green lighting. I got a chill down my spine as I passed.
At one of the still standing nursing stations, Doctor Riley looked at me. “Laura, I am surprised to see you here.”
“How is Jake?” I asked, ignoring her intended admonishment. The lady had announced me.
“He is off the ventilator, but he still needs oxygen. When he came in, I didn’t think he would last the night. Now, if I were a betting gal, I would say he stands a decent chance. But his heart is weakened, Laura. He might never return to the same health as before,” she explained. “Would you like to see him?”
I looked at her, and she continued, “Of course, you would. Follow me, and be prepared. His skin has poxes, and it will appear slightly blue. You need to put on protective clothing, for the safety of both of you.”
I did as I was told, feeling very lucky to have this opportunity.
I walked into a scene from the movie ET. The one where they had up all of the plastic and the doctors and scientists were all but dissecting their alien visitor.
My brother did look awful. That shade of blue was alarming, even after the doctor’s warning, but I was determined not to let it show on my face. He looked up at me.
“Hey, you,” I said, producing a smile despite my alarm.
He went to pull down his breathing mask, but I tried to stop him. “Don’t. This might be the only chance I have to talk while you just listen.”
He forced a smile, too.
“Doctor Riley said that you are doing great,” I said with fake cheer. He seemed to see right through it. “I didn’t say that she said you can get right up and run a marathon just that you were progressing in the right direction.
“The girls are safe and healthy. They miss you, but Mom has been keeping them busy on the walkie. You know Annie. It would be a miracle if she let them rest at all last night.”
He gave a slight nod in recognition.
“Laura, how did you get all of this going?” he as
ked weakly.
“I also can’t wait for you to see our Village,” I said, avoiding explaining my role in it all. It didn’t matter now. “Jake, the people have come together. You know all of those neighbors who we never met. Well, we know each other now. And we are helping each other to survive. I don’t really know how our homes made it through, but many did. Annie’s house needs some work, but we are getting there…”
I continued to talk for almost two hours. When Jake’s eyes finally closed, I let him sleep.
“Not much one on listening these days,” came the familiar voice behind me.
“Nope,” I said without turning around.
“Doctor Riley says he’s improving,” said Jackson.
“Yep,” I replied. “How did you find me?”
“Heh, it wasn’t too hard. I made an educated guess,” he said in a quiet voice, as he made his way further into the room. “You dumped your walkie. Smart move, I didn’t expect that one. Here you go.”
He handed me back my abandoned walkie.
“What do you want, Jackson?” I asked.
“I wanted to see if you were okay,” he said.
“Doing great. But can’t you see that I’m busy here?” I told him.
“Busy sitting? Yep, I see. But the thing is, I think your husband is in a little over his head,” he said.
“Great, let’s go,” I said. Before I left, I placed a gentle hand on my brother’s hand.
The day droned on, and all I could think about was my brother and nieces. Once things were squared away in the Town Hall, I sat down at my office desk and turned my walkie to the private channel. I could hear Annie talking.
“Room for one more in this conversation?” I asked.
“Hi Aunt Laurie, hi Laurie,” came three voices, one male.
“Hi all,” I said. “I hope that you are finding your accommodations to your liking.”
“Are you kidding,” answered Ammie. “They delivered hot water for showers this morning. Nothing has ever felt better in my whole life.”
“And I am going down to kitchen today to bake chocolate chip cookies,” Annie said, sounding so much better. “I’ll send them up, warm and sweet.”