Stillness

by Eldon Farrell

  “Have a seat Lynne,” Roger motions towards a chair across from him. After Lynne lowers herself into it he smiles a fatherly smile at her saying, “I still warrant some favors in these halls you know.

  “I requested that I alone be the one to speak to you about Stillness. Despite protestations from Larry, Charles allowed it.”

  Lynne nods slightly at hearing the news but remains silent. Her thoughts are on the past two months and how she has barely uttered two words to Roger since she got back from Iowa.

  Yet he still has gone out on an ill-advised limb in his career for her. Choking down her rising emotion she wants to ask him why he would do that for her but can’t find the words.

  “How are you doing Lynne?”

  Finding her voice she answers, “I’m all right, I’m getting by.”

  Sighing, Roger begins to shuffle some papers around in front of him. “I haven’t seen you in a while Lynne,” he points out.

  Shaking her head she offers “I’m sorry about that Roger, I just…”

  Still smiling as she trails off Roger says, “It’s okay Lynne, you don’t need to apologize. I know the past months have been hard.”

  After arriving back in Atlanta, Lynne found that her career at the CDC had been halted. She’s still in the EIS program long after she should’ve graduated. Her promotion held off by the impending report on her conduct and the widely held belief that it will not be good.

  To say the past few months have been hard on her is certainly an understatement.

  “Well let’s not delay this any longer,” Roger says “The final report on the Stillness outbreak paints your actions in an unflattering light.”

  “I expected as much,” Lynne says.

  “Why?” Roger queries “Why did you expect a bad report?”

  “Serious?” Lynne asks.

  “I’d like to know your thoughts on the situation, yes.”

  Straightening her shoulders Lynne explains “Almost from the moment I arrived political pressures wanted me to conform to an assessment of a biological attack. This agency already made its mind up before it even saw any evidence to support them.

  “Bioterrorism could be big business for the CDC in an era where most life-threatening conditions are either chronic or non-communicable. The higher-ups wanted me to agree with them and I didn’t.”

  “That’s why you think you got a bad report?”

  “Tell me I’m wrong,” Lynne challenges him “Tell me I wasn’t removed from the lead of the investigation because I didn’t conform to the popular opinion.”

  Remembering his conversation with Charles Womack, Roger knows that he can’t tell her that she’s wrong. She was removed from leading the investigation because of her opinion on bioterrorism as the cause.

  “I’m sorry you got caught up in all this on your first assignment Lynne.”

  “It’s not your fault Roger,” Lynne curtly replies “Can we get on with the report’s findings?”

  Nodding Roger leafs through some more paper. Focusing on a few sheets in particular he spends some time reading through them before returning his attention to Lynne.

  “The most damning charges against you come from your disappearing on the investigation after Josh was placed in charge. He reports that he was unable to find you for days. What happened Lynne?”

  “I was with the FBI tracking down the real cause of the outbreak,” she snipes “I figured I’d let Josh chase down all the blind alleys the agency wanted him to investigate.”

  “An EIS officer may be sent out alone Lynne, but they’re still part of a team. I have to say that I’m disappointed in your attitude. I think your father would be too.”

  She shoots daggers across the table at the mention of her father. “Don’t you bring my father into this,” she condemns “If anything, my father would be disappointed in the agency that he helped build.”

  “Lynne.”

  “No,” she fumes “How many people died in Stillness?”

  “Final count was 627 cases resulting in 410 deaths. The last reported case was November 13, the last death November 9. The mortality was 65% while infecting 20% of the town.”

  “410 people are dead in Stillness alone,” she repeats “And how many more died in Des Moines or Nebraska or Illinois or Kansas? And what does the CDC do about it—nothing.

  “This agency is complicit in the ruination of every one of those families.”

  “Lynne,” Roger tries to calm her down again.

  “I helped the FBI to bring down the one man responsible for all those deaths. And what, because it’s not politically convenient to convict him, he’s let go and I face discipline for my actions?”

  She stands up and turns her back to Roger. Giving her a moment to calm down he says, “The recommendation has been made that you take some time away from EIS training, to think about what you really want to do.

  “I hope you’ll return to complete your training Lynne because I know that this sucks and that you’d make a great agent.”

  “So that’s it then,” she says facing the wall “I’m suspended for proving that the outbreak wasn’t bioterrorism.”

  Turning around she looks at the face of her mentor—of her father’s best friend—and doesn’t recognize him anymore.

  “The CDC is supposed to help people Roger. This agency wasn’t started to further the intentions of a select few who want a larger slice of the budgetary pie. You know who killed all those people; how can you remain silent and still look at yourself in the mirror?”

  “It’s more complicated than that Lynne,” Roger explains “The order came from the top echelons of government. They didn’t want Cummings prosecuted for national security reasons. Our hands were tied here Lynne. It’s not our job to prosecute criminals.”

  “No,” Lynne accuses “It’s our job to offer explanations to why people died. What will you tell those who are left behind in Stillness?”

  Ignoring the question Roger says, “I have some authority in deciding the length of your leave. How much time do you want Lynne?”

  Turning away from him she says, “Honestly Roger, it doesn’t really matter. I endured the past few months in the hopes that someone here would stand up and do the right thing—that you would do the right thing.

  “Give me whatever amount of time you want because I don’t know if I’ll ever come back here anyway. I don’t know if I can work for an agency that’s more concerned with appearances and politics than with truth.”

  “Lynne,” Roger beseeches her to stay to no avail. She leaves the room without even looking back at him. As a result, neither of them see the tears in each other’s eyes before the door closes on the whole affair.

  Stillness, Iowa

  Bright afternoon sunshine reflects off freshly fallen snow making the world glow. The temperature is crisp and cold across the windswept cemetery.

  Wearing a heavy winter coat with the hood off and leather gloves on his hands, Will Sullivan stands at the foot of his parents’ grave.

  Where it all began…

  The remains of his parents have been re-interred in their final resting places, the disturbed earth covered by the white snow.

  Stepping forward he sets a bouquet of flowers on their headstone. Already the blooms are starting to wither in the cold.

  But it doesn’t matter. He kept his promise to them to get justice—to find out what happened to them.

  Hey Mom, Dad, it’s me…William. You can rest in peace now. And so can I…

  The sound of boots crunching hard packed snow and ice draws his attention away from his thoughts. Looking across the rows of headstones he sees the familiar outline of his friends. Saying goodbye to his parents he walks over towards them.

  Approaching from the backside of the headstone that they’re standing in front of, it’s not until he walks around it that he can read the freshly inscribed name on the granite:

  Dominique Trembley

  Beloved Daughter and Friend

  And
beneath that a four line verse that reads:

  I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

  With my lost saints, - I love thee with the breath.

  Smiles, tears, of all my life! – and, if God choose.

  I shall but love thee better after death.

  “Hey,” he says walking up to Gaetano and putting a hand on his shoulder.

  Unashamedly Gaetano nods a hello as tears run down his cheeks—freezing to his skin in the cold wind. Beside him Jaime and Scott are wrapped up in each other’s arms for warmth and comfort.

  “Will,” Scott offers his hand after unwrapping it from around Jaime’s waist. “How are you doing?”

  “Getting by,” Will answers “And you guys?”

  Gaetano bends at the waist to lean over the headstone and tenderly kiss the top of the granite. After mouthing silent words of love to his departed, Gaetano straightens up saying, “Trying our best to find a way through, you know?”

  His eyes drifting over the rows back to his parents’ marker, Will nods “I know.” Looking at Jaime and Gaetano he adds, “I’m sorry that you guys have to go through it too.”

  “I still got my mom,” Gaetano replies.

  “And I’ve got Scott,” Jaime squeezes him a little tighter as she says this.

  “You bet,” Scott returns her squeeze.

  “And,” Gaetano reaches out and puts an arm around Will’s shoulders saying, “We’ve all got each other. Despite all our losses, none of us are alone. That’s worth something, isn’t it?”

  With nods of agreement, they each put an arm around the closest to them forming a protective circle. Gradually they leave the cemetery arm-in-arm, finding comfort in the closeness of good friends.

  The air seems cleaner, the sun seems to shine brighter, and there’s no longer a cloud in the sky. The outbreak of disease and death is over. Life has gradually crept back into this sleepy Midwest town.

  For a time it seemed as if the world would end for these three thousand people but now the specter of death has been repelled. The shattered pieces of normalcy have begun to be put back in place.

  The greatest sign of that this day is simply the open sign hanging in the window of Mary’s Café.

  Inside new rumors are starting—swirling frantically from ear-to-ear as old friends meet for coffee and new friends are made.

  Did you hear that Clark Starling is going to run for Sheriff? He’ll make a great one. I heard that Doc Abbot might run for Mayor—do you think he will? He really came through for this town. Who do you think killed Donald? Shame what happened to the Lincoln’s—when do you think they’ll catch the killer?

  The world never really ends, no matter how dark it gets, the light of humanity never goes out. It will always chase away the darkness that is forever there inside each of us.

  No matter what is lost, that light will always shine so long as life persists.

  So long as life goes on.

  Selected Bibliography

  Medical

  Barry, John M. The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History. United States. Penguin Group. 2004.

  Bliss, Michael. Plague: A Story of Smallpox in Montreal. Canada. HarperCollins Publishers. 1991.

  Cantor, Norman F. In the Wake of the Plague. United States. The Free Press. 2001.

  Drexler, Madeline. Secret Agents: The Menace of Emerging Infections. United States. National Academy of Sciences. 2002.

  Duncan, Kirsty. Hunting the 1918 Flu: One Scientist’s Search for a Killer Virus. Canada. University of Toronto Press. 2003.

  Farrell, Jeanette. Invisible Enemies: Stories of Infectious Disease. United States. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 1998.

  Fox, Nicols. Spoiled: The Dangerous Truth about a Food Chain Gone Haywire. United States. HarperCollins Publishers. 1997.

  Hoff, Brent & Smith III, Carter. Mapping Epidemics: A Historical Atlas of Disease. United States. Grolier Publishing. 2000.

  Kelly, John. The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the most Devastating Plague of All Time. United States. Harper Collins. 2005.

  Kolata, Gina. Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It. United States. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 1999.

  Levy, Elinor & Fischetti, Mark. The New Killer Diseases. United States. Crown Publishers. 2003.

  McCormick, Joseph B. & Fisher-Hoch, Susan. Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC. United States. Turner Publishing Inc. 1996.

  Nikiforuk, Andrew. Pandemonium: Bird Flu, Mad Cow Disease & Other Biological Plagues of the 21st Century. Canada. Viking Canada. 2006.

  Null, Gary & Feast, James. Germs, Biological Warfare, Vaccinations: What You Need to Know. United States. Seven Stories Press. 2003.

  Preston, Richard. The Demon in the Freezer. United States. Random House. 2002.

  Regush, Nicholas. The Virus Within: A Coming Epidemic. United States. Penguin Group. 2000.

  Ryan, Frank. Virus X: Tracking the New Killer Plagues Out of the Present and into the Future. United States. Little, Brown and Company. 1997.

  Wills, Christopher. Yellow Fever, Black Goddess: The Coevolution of People and Plagues. United Kingdom. Harper Collins. 1996.

  Genetics

  Drlica, Karl. Double-Edged Sword: The Promises and Risks of the Genetic Revolution. United States. Helix Books. 1994.

  Lyon, Jeff & Gorner, Peter. Altered Fates: Gene Therapy and the Retooling of Human Life. United States. W.W Norton & Company, Inc. 1995.

  Panno, Joseph. Gene Therapy: Treating Disease by Repairing Genes. United States. Facts on File Books. 2005.

  Ridley, Matt. Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters. United States. Harper Collins Publishers. 1999.

  Wingerson, Lois. Unnatural Selection: The Promise and the Power of Human Gene Research. United States. Bantam Books. 1998.

  Websites

  All the Virology on the WWW.

  http://www.virology.net/

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  http://www.cdc.gov/

  Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy.

  http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/

  Epidemic: The World of Infectious Disease. http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/epidemic/

  Human Skulls.

  http://www.innerbody.com/

  In Utero Somatic Gene Transfer. 2002.

  http://geneticsandsociety.org

  The Black Death, 1348: Eyewitness to History. 2001.

  http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com

  World Health Organization.

  http://www.who.int/en/

  About the Author

  Eldon Farrell was born in Guelph, Ontario, growing up just down the road in Brantford. A designated professional accountant, he’s a graduate of both Fanshawe College and Laurentian University. He still resides in South Western Ontario together with his lovely wife Emily and their young son Connor. An avid reader and writer of suspense fiction, he is a lover of language and an unapologetic fan of DC Comics.

  Also available on Amazon are Books Two and Three of the Descent series—Taken and Realm of Shadows.

  Please feel free to contact the author on Goodreads.