by Ricky Sides
As for Dana, she complained about not being able to see adequately and asked the men for a light to use. Herb told her they couldn’t give her one of their lights and explained that they would need them if they had to use their weapons to defend the group. She made it clear that she was less than happy with his decision, but Herb ignored her.
“I wish we’d brought our night vision gear,” Randy said.
“So do I, but we didn’t anticipate being out so long,” Herb replied.
Finally, the group emerged from the woods. They signaled the gate guards with one of their flashlights, and then they made their way to the gate.
Once they were inside the refuge, Herb said, “All right, guys, you know the drill. We take the woman to the medical clinic, and then we decontaminate.”
“What happens to me at the clinic?” Dana asked.
New arrivals were screened with care during their mandatory medical examinations. Acceptance into the refuge required that they take the nanobot injections. Most people were eager to take the shots. However, a few did refuse for one reason or another, the most prevalent being mistrust of the government that had developed the immunizations. Those people were forced to leave the refuge because their refusal was a threat to the safety of the community. If they became infected with the parasites and turned into a zombie, they could kill or maim several people before being put down.
In some cases, men left their families at the refuge, where they would be safe, and went out alone to search for other family members. They did this in the hopes of returning with their loved ones, but most were never seen again.
“You’ve already had your vaccine shot,” Herb explained. “However, you still have to have a medical examination. It is mandatory for everyone seeking refuge here. There will be a blood test to see if you are carrying the parasites. In your case, you will fail that test because of the worms, so you’ll enter quarantine until your blood test results show you are no longer infected. You’ll have to go through decontamination, just as we will after being out and coming into contact with you.”
“But none of you have to be quarantined?” she asked.
“There’s no need. We’re immune to the parasites. The vaccine sees to that. You will be too, once those present in your body are killed. The doctor will see to your wounds as well,” Herb explained.
Forty-seven year-old Doctor Ezra Fielding met them at the Clinic. Herb held a private conversation with the doctor, during which, he told him about the zombie worms. Afterwards, the doctor took charge of the patient.
As the men were about to leave, Herb stopped and asked about the status of Bill Wiley. Dana interrupted and said, “You mean Bill made it here? You could have told me that. I’ve been so worried about him.”
“Really? I was under the impression that you couldn’t care less about what happened to the man,” Herb countered.
“Did he tell you that? That’s a lie. I do care about him. We lived together for months for God’s sake.”
“So you didn’t leave him on the highway because he couldn’t keep up with you?” Randy asked, making it sound like an accusation.
“You ever heard of tough love, mister? Well, Bill is soft. If you let him, he’ll slow you down to a crawl on the road. We had a zombie pack on our trail and I was trying to get him to pick up the pace. When he refused to do so and wanted to stop, I did the only thing I could. I took most of the food and water to lighten his load and told him that if he didn’t keep up, then we were through. I expected him to follow me and stay well within sight.” When the men looked at her with skepticism obvious on their faces, she added, “Look, you guys can believe whatever you like. I took care of Bill for months, and was expecting him to catch up with me any minute.”
“That would have been hard for a man on foot to do when you were bicycling,” Herb countered. When he noted the surprised look on her face, he nodded his head and said, “You didn’t know that he almost caught up with you, did you? He saw you riding a bike and being chased by three dogs. Did they bite you?”
“He said he saw me on a bike?” Dana asked. “Well, he was wrong. I haven’t ridden a bike in years. I’d probably fall off one if I tried.”
“But...” Randy opened his mouth to point out that they had tracked her from the bicycle, through the woods to the ravine, but Herb placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. The two men had worked out that signal to warn each other not to reveal information to other people. Randy’s eyes narrowed, but he remained quiet.
Jason and Ed noted the interplay between the two men and wisely kept quiet. It was clear to them that Herb wanted to see what the woman would say.
“Go ahead and process her, Doctor Fielding,” Herb instructed. “Then put her in quarantine.”
“All right. Oh, and to answer your question, Bill tested clean. Erma said she wanted to put him to work on the computer systems, since he said that was his specialty.”
“That’s good. We’ve been trying to link all of that gear into a proper security system monitor for months. Maybe he can help us solve the technical problems,” Herb replied.
“Hey, what about me?” Dana asked.
“I’ve got to give you a medical exam and treat your wounds,” the doctor explained. His blue eyes stared at the wound on her face. “That’s going to need a few stitches. We’ll do that first, and then we can do the rest of the examination.”
“I want a woman present,” Dana was quick to interject.
“That’s not a problem,” the doctor responded. “My wife is a nurse.” He stared at Dana for a few seconds, and then he asked, “Are you carrying any weapons?”
“What if I am?” Dana responded.
“Then I’ll have to ask you to surrender them. I don’t want my wife exposed to a dangerous situation, and frankly, you don’t seem very stable at the moment.”
“I don’t have anything on me,” Dana said.
The doctor looked at her dubiously. She had acted as though she might be carrying a weapon. He turned to see what Herb thought.
“Ed, frisk her,” Herb ordered.
“Oh hell no!” Dana said angrily. “If you want to search me, get a woman to do it.”
“I’ll get Nancy then, but I want you men to wait, just in case,” Doctor Fielding insisted.
“Why? So the woman can put on a show for these men?” Dana demanded angrily.
“You know what, forget it. I’ve had all your mouthy insults that I intend to take,” Herb said, permitting his own temper to show. “If you can’t cooperate, then you’re on your own. We’ll take you to the gate and you can leave.”
“You can’t turn me out from the refuge. The military set it up for people like me,” Dana protested.
“That’s where you’re wrong. They set it up for people like us. People who are willing to help other people survive,” Doctor Fielding said. He nodded his head toward the four man team and said, “Those men have risked their lives dozens of times over going out and rescuing people like you and bringing them back here. Herb there owns the land where this building sits, so he owns it too, as well as about half the refuge,” he said, pointing to Herb.
“Okay, okay, sorry guys. Sheesh, you’d think I was being a pain in the ass or something,” Dana protested.
“You are,” Randy observed.
“Okay, we’ll do all this stuff your way since it is obvious that I don’t have a choice,” Dana said. “I wouldn’t want to get kicked out of your refuge in the middle of the night.”
The doctor looked to Herb to see if he would relent and permit the woman to stay, at least for now. Herb nodded to the man. “Get your wife,” he said. “We’ll wait a few minutes, but then we need to decontaminate.”
The doctor left and returned less than three minutes later with his wife, who had been in one of the examination rooms restocking some supplies. Nancy Fielding approached Dana and said, “Ezra says I have to search you for weapons.”
“Yeah? Well, did he also tell you
they were going to kick me out when I protested?”
“He did, and I agree with their reaction. We have trouble enough around here without having to worry about psychotic patients bringing weapons to the clinic.”
Dana’s eyes narrowed angrily, but she said nothing in response. Instead, she meekly submitted and followed Nancy’s orders. Nancy patted Dana down, locating hard objects in a couple of pockets that turned out to be a lighter and a small flashlight.
“She’s not carrying a weapon that I can find,” Nancy reported to the men.
“Are you satisfied now?” Dana asked irritably.
“All that could have been avoided if you’d just lost the attitude, cooperated, and stopped playing games with us,” Herb said.
Dana looked as if she was about to argue with Herb, but Doctor Fielding cut her off when he said, “Nancy, take her to examining room 1 and have her remove her clothing. Check for bites or other wounds we can’t see at the moment. Follow decontamination protocols. When you are finished with that, come get me for her medical treatment.”
“I’d like to see Bill after we’re through here,” Dana said. She felt alone and nervous among the strangers, and Bill’s presence would offset that unpleasant feeling.
Herb shook his head. “You’re going into quarantine, so you can’t have visitors.”
“How long will I be quarantined?” she asked.
“Until your blood test comes back clean of all traces of the parasites. At that point, you’ll have to decontaminate once more to kill any lingering microbes on your skin or clothing. After that, you will leave the clinic, join the other people in the refuge, or leave, depending upon whether or not we agree to permit you to stay,” Herb explained.
“You’re certain she will fail the test?” Doctor Fielding asked.
“Yes. Those worms weren’t normal, Doctor. Earthworms don’t burrow into the face of living people. Do your initial workup on her. When she fails, give it three days and test her again,” Herb instructed.
The doctor nodded his understanding. Normally, a patient would test clear within twenty-four hours, but some required up to three days. He was treating her like a patient on the verge of dying and changing into a zombie. Doctor Fielding thought it likely that Herb wanted to give Bill the chance to settle in to the community and establish himself before being exposed to the woman again. Bill seemed to be a pleasant man. In fact, he was almost the direct opposite of Dana. “We’ll see to everything, Herb. You men should get decontaminated. You’re all immune, but there’s no sense tempting fate. Besides, the areas you could potentially contaminate might have unexpected impacts on newcomers who aren’t immune.”
“You’re right, Doc. If she gives you any trouble, and I mean any at all, call for guards. I’m going to have a couple of men stand by in the waiting room,” Herb informed the doctor.
“Will you at least let Bill know I’m here?” Dana asked.
“He already knows,” Nancy informed Dana. “I informed him when the gate guards radioed that Herb was bringing you in for a physical. He said he’d see you once you leave quarantine.”
“How’d he know I would be quarantined?” Dana asked.
“Your face is wounded. I informed him that people with wounds almost always go into quarantine.”
Herb led the men out as Nancy escorted Dana to the examination room. “I’m glad I’m not the doctor,” he said to Randy as they exited the clinic. “I’d hate to have to spend much more time with that woman.”
“You can say that again,” Randy said. “Please tell me we’re not going to let her stay,” he added.
“Now, Randy, you know you don’t mean that. What chance would she have out there alone?” Herb asked his friend.
“Yeah, I know,” Randy said, his voice sounding contrite, “but she’s so rude.”
“She gets on my nerves too, but that’s not a good enough reason to let her die.”
“So you wouldn’t really have thrown her out because of her behavior?” Jason asked.
“No. Sure, she is rude, crude, and obnoxious, but that’s not a good enough reason to deny her sanctuary. I just wanted to scare her enough to get her to act civil.”
“It seemed to work,” Ed said with a chuckle.
“For the moment, yes, but I’ve got a feeling that’s going to be temporary at best. I just hope she doesn’t cause so many problems that we have to ask her to leave. I’m afraid we’d lose Bill, and he seems like a great guy.”
“We sure need his skill set, assuming he’s good with computers,” Randy observed. Then he asked, “Is that why you told the doctor to wait the maximum amount of time to retest her?”
“Yeah, I figured Bill could use a few days break from her company. Besides, the time apart might make her appreciate him even more and maybe, just maybe, she’ll treat him better. I can’t even imagine Erma abandoning me on the road because I was having trouble keeping up with her.”
“She’d stay with you, even if she had to drag you along the highway,” Randy noted. “But if you’re expecting her to make a complete change in three days, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.”
“I don’t expect that. I’m really hoping that he’ll adjust to his new environment and decide he likes it here enough to stay, even if she decides to pull out.”
The men went to the decontamination area, where they spent an hour and a half decontaminating themselves, their clothing, and their gear.
“I’ll see you all at breakfast,” Herb said to the men, and then he went to his cabin.
Chapter 4
Preparations.
Herb answered the knock at his door early the next morning and saw Trevor Williamson waiting outside. It occurred to him that during the excitement of the events following the zombie attack the previous day, he had forgotten about the man and his plan to meet with him to discuss his future duties. “Good morning. I’m sorry I didn’t get back with you yesterday,” he said.
“Things were hectic. I heard about the arrival of the new man and the capture of the dog. I also heard you led a patrol in a search of the woods and found another survivor,” Trevor said.
“It was a pretty busy day,” Herb acknowledged.
“I won’t waste your time this morning. I just came to say that I’d like another chance. It won’t happen again. I don’t want to be pulled off guard duty. It’s an important job. We guards are the first line of defense here at the refuge.”
“I can’t have a man manning the gates whose judgment is questionable,” Herb said bluntly. “Your actions yesterday could have led to the deaths of the men of the patrol.”
Trevor’s shoulders sagged in defeat. He nodded his acceptance and said, “You’re right about that, and I’m sorry. I’ll be apologizing to all of the men. I already spoke with Jason and told him how sorry I am.” He stood there waiting for Herb to inform him what tasks he would be assigned in the refuge. Everyone did their part to keep the refuge a safe and orderly environment.
The previous day, Herb had been inclined to drop Trevor completely from the guard details. However, his obvious contrition and earnest desire to help protect their little community altered his plans. “I’m going to assign you to tower duty for a few months. You’ll be joining the regular rotation. Remember the rules of engagement. You do not fire the moment you see someone outside the fence.”
“Right. We have to verify whether or not they are zombies and if they are friend or foe when they are humans. Thank you, Herb. You won’t be sorry.”
“Don’t thank me. It’s the least desirable duty for the guards. It gets hot up there in the summer, and it’ll be freezing cold in the winter. It’s also a lonely duty post. And don’t forget, we check our tower guards at random intervals daily. If you’re ever caught reading or sleeping on duty, you’ll draw latrine duty for a month.”
“Yeah, and that’s getting off light. Any guard doing that is putting everyone else at risk, so I’d deserve the punishment.”
“Good. I’ll get
you entered into the duty roster for the towers. Expect to start tomorrow morning at the east tower. You know the drill. You’ll serve a week at each tower, and then rotate to second watch for a month. After that, you’ll go to third watch for a month. Then, the rotation begins all over again.”
“You won’t regret this. That’s a promise. Thanks for the second chance, man,” Trevor said.
“Yeah, well, just so you know, there won’t be a third. If you screw up with this, then you’ll draw the crappiest duty here for months.”
“That’s fair enough,” Trevor responded.
Herb said goodbye to Trevor and closed the door.
“Breakfast is about ready,” Erma said from the kitchen.
“The guys should be here soon,” he responded. He walked back toward his wife, intending to help her set the table. “It’s good of you to cook for the team this morning.”
“You like to brief them on a coming mission here in the cabin after breakfast. I get that, and I don’t mind cooking for your team. They are all good people.”
“Still, it’s a lot of extra work for you, and I want you to know how much I appreciate the effort you put into doing this,” he explained. Herb placed his hands on his wife’s waist and pulled her to him. He gave her a lingering kiss, and she responded with passion. “Umm, I never get tired of those sweet kisses,” he said.
“I like them myself,” she responded with a grin. Suddenly, her smile transitioned into a frown as she pulled away from her husband and said, “My biscuits!”
“They’ll be fine,” he assured her. “You haven’t burned the bread in a month. I think you’ve mastered the stove now.”
As she drew the pan of biscuits out of the wood burning stove, Erma breathed a sigh of relief. “Another five minutes and they would have been ruined,” she said.