by Maira Dawn
She still wondered who was supposed to be taking care of them? It was hard to believe that things were broken to the point where disoriented patients were just walking around in this state.
A jolt had gone through her the first time she saw ill people meandering the streets. A quick call to 911 had reported their whereabouts so they would get help, but her sadness over the situation lingered.
This morning the traffic had zipped by the Sick, the near-misses making her gasp. When she dialed 911, she got a recorded message explaining their inability to help her. She hated that what was once a rare and startling sight had become commonplace, even she was getting used to it.
Last night's news told of a society in turmoil. Crowds held demonstrations for the Infected’s rights. They said it oppressed people to keep them in quarantine away from their family. Riots on the South side of the city started a ferocious fire that lit up the skies for over three days. Now that side of Fenton had disappeared.
The President had given broadcasts every night for over two weeks to help reassure the people. Now, he seemed to be gone. He hadn’t been seen by the media for at least four days. Was he ill?
On top of all that, there was a sharp uptick in assaults, robberies, and muggings. As if people didn't have enough to deal with.
Skye could feel herself getting wound tighter and tighter. She felt like this would be about more than the sickness. It was the beginning of something else, and she was desperately afraid of what that would be.
For now, she was taking one day at a time, hoping it would all turn around and be, if not the same as before, something like it.
Well, I am done today at 12:30. Yippee, Skye’s thoughts turned sarcastic. So many short workdays and friendless evenings made for some long stretches of time to fill. Reading and Netflixing her hours away should have been a dream come true. But when those were the only activities available it became old real quick, and now the blackouts started.
The rolling blackouts meant she needed to do everything when the power was on, no matter what time that was. So when the lights came on at 3 am, with bleary eyes, Skye woke to vacuum, do laundry, start the dishwasher and cook food. This was also the only time to plug-in all electrical devices so she could use them later. And if the electricity turned on when she was at work, she was flat-out of luck.
The lack of power put Skye on edge, not so much because of the inconvenience, but because it meant a massive employee absence. Many of the utility companies called on any healthy people able to come help during this crisis, and still there weren't enough workers to stop the blackouts.
Who will be left when this is all over?
Once home, Skye put her keys and purse on the hall table and stood for a minute soaking in the absolute silence around her. A silence that was becoming oppressive and eerie. Skye missed the usual squeals and giggles of neighborhood children playing. They were gone.
Today the only sound was the wind rushing through the trees and an occasional car passing by. The houses closest to Skye were empty. Some neighbors had gotten ill, and some had stopped by before they left town to stay with family until this was over.
Maybe I should just pack up and go to Mom and Dad's for a while. At least, I would have people around me. If this keeps up and I don't go to work... well, that would be very lonely.
It had been an ongoing topic between Skye and her parents. They wanted her with them, but the five-hour drive concerned them. Until today, Skye hadn't thought it possible because of her job. But now with her work ending, going to her parents was something she could do. She could phone the neighbors who were left and ask if any were making the trip up north, perhaps she could follow them.
Skye reminded herself to give her parents a call tonight and see how they were doing. She checked the battery on her cell. So far, the service had been much better than she expected, and she was grateful she could keep up with friends and family.
She headed to the kitchen and looked through the cupboards.
Nothing, not much and nada. Ugh! Which is pretty much what the stores have, but I should have stopped and checked if they had gotten any shipments in. And if any of it was left.
It had been harder to get food from the grocery store. People snapped up whatever was available even if they didn't need it, and she was sure there were people out there with boatloads of food.
Whatever Skye managed to bring home seemed to go so quick even though she tried to watch. She opened the cupboard that held her emergency supplies.
Another night getting into this. It's slim pickings in here too. I'll check a store closer to the city, more supplies may have arrived in that area.
The idea frightened her. It was one thing driving through all that chaos and quite another to stop and hang out there.
Seven days, it has taken me to get up the courage to look for groceries. Seven days. But between avoiding anyone who looked ill and watching out for those causing trouble, shopping just wasn't what it used to be.
Tom had stopped and given her two bags of food that Tricia had scraped together for her, getting Skye through a few more days. Tricia had also sent over some of her homemade biscuits, still warm from the oven. A blue and white handmade card sat by the dish. It said: "To everything, there is a season. We have to go through the bad days to get to the good ones. Hang in there!" Skye had almost lost it. Tears flooding her eyes and she wrote out a thank you note for Tom to take back to her. Skye joked with Tom that only Tricia could come up with an appropriate Thinking of You during the Apocalypse card.
Tom gave her all the stern obligatory cop warnings along with a few personal cautions he liked to throw in. Skye stood and listened with bowed head, nodding at all the right times. But he didn’t need to concern himself, this disaster was sinking in.
Every day brought news of work shutdowns, riots, robberies, and chaos. People were scared, and when people were frightened, especially with nothing to do, some of those people will do stupid things. Skye laughed to herself. I went to school for years to learn that little tidbit.
Skye had two last appointments in the city today. Then everything was on pause until the AgFlu was over. She wasn't concerned about the office itself. It had only been a few days since her last trip there, and the building had still been over half-full of workers.
The traffic was lighter than usual as Skye drove to Fenton. But when she arrived, the tall, windowed office building was quieter than she had expected.
Skye enjoyed the afternoon with her young clients. Once again, she assured them, when this was all over, they would start up their sessions again. In the meantime, she promised phone calls to those that wanted them.
With final appointments done and goodbyes to her kids said, Skye headed out of her office. As she walked to the elevator, the only sound was the sharp strike of her heels echoing off the shiny, beige floor and taupe hallway walls. It felt eerie. When Skye pushed the button for the elevator, goosebumps raised on her arm.
Images from news reports flashed through her mind. She looked to her right and left as far as she could in the shadowed hallway.
Nobody. Stop it! You are just scaring yourself over nothing.
She pushed the button again, thinking the elevator seemed to be creeping. At last, the doors creaked open. Have they always screeched like that?
Skye jumped into the elevator and pushed Floor 1. Then hit the Door Closed button over and over until they shut. As the elevator descended, she sagged against the back wall in relief.
Skye exited the elevators and burst out of the front door of the building, heading straight for her car. The usually busy street was almost deserted. Only a small group of people gathered at the end of the block.
Intent on her goal, she would have paid them no mind except for a movement she caught out of the corner of her eye.
Skye turned her head ever so slightly to see them better. They were behaving oddly. The men and women huddled together. It wasn’t normal. Most people kept their distance from one anothe
r nowadays.
They exchanged whispers, whispers she couldn't hear. They murmured as if worried someone would overhear, but no one was there to eavesdrop. Their behavior was strange, more than strange, it was bizarre.
The uneasiness that started in the hallway was building. Skye's stomach tensed and goosebumps again swept up her arm.
Skye glanced the group’s way just as one man looked over at her. He turned and said something to the group. All eyes shifted to her.
Her heart rate fired up as she gauged the distance to her car. Parked across the street. To the left. Toward the weird people on the corner.
Skye looked up and down the street again. No businesses were open. No one else was on the sidewalk, and no cars were coming. She was alone. A chill ran up her spine.
You're scaring yourself again. Over nothing. The group probably have a perfectly legitimate reason for being there. Weird people can have reasons too. It's more likely, they're wondering what I am doing here.
She took a deep breath, stepped onto the street, and with a brisk walk, started toward her car. One of them called out to her. She didn't make out what they said. Skye made the mistake of glancing at them again.
Great! Now I have to acknowledge them.
She gave a half smile and a nod but continued walking. A different one yelled saying, "Are you Infected?" Skye shook her head.
He started toward her.
Her eye's widened, and she almost yelped. Skye sped up and glance over her shoulder. None of them have a mask. That is weird. Everyone wears a—
Skye gasped. They are infected! The thought spurred her feet into action, and she fled to her car. Their steps pounded on the pavement behind her.
The leader shouted, "The world is dying, why should you get to live?"
A cold sweat burst over her body. Skye's heart hammered against her chest. She worked to haul in every breath.
As Skye closed in on her car, her gaze darted between it and her purse. "Please, please, please!" she muttered as she raced there.
Her hand plunged into her bag but came out empty. She tried again. Fingers grasped anything that remotely felt like keys only to push them aside again and again in frustration.
My keys are at the bottom of my purse! These people will infect me! I will die because I ignored every woman's safety video out there!
Frantic, she continued to grab for her keys while running, but the two actions were at odds with each other, and she slowed. The Sick were so close now she could hear them gasping for air. She realized, as her hand felt the thin cloth as it lay in her purse, she was not wearing her mask.
If they catch me, I'm dead. All they have to do is breathe on me!
She sped up, hope against hope that her fingers would land on the keys in time.
A sudden screech of tires grabbed Skye's attention. A woman shouted, "Get in!" As she looked over her shoulder, Skye saw an open car door.
Not taking any time to think about it, she lunged for the vehicle. Her body bounced on the hard seat as she landed. The Sick surrounded the car, clamoring around it.
Before they could get to the open door, Skye reached the door handle and pulled it shut.
Thirteen
A Goner
"Are you infected?" the woman screamed at Skye as she floored her vehicle. With adrenalin still pumping through her veins, Skye had trouble focusing and didn't respond for a moment.
"Are you infected?" the woman shouted again.
"No! No." Skye said as she brought a trembling hand up to brush a few hairs that had strayed near her eyes. She dug through her purse for an anxiety pill and popped it in her mouth. Then squirted a bit of sanitizer on her hands as a shiver ran through her at how close they had gotten to her.
The woman's eyes flashed at Skye. "Why aren't you wearing a mask?"
"I... No one was around. The building was empty. I didn't see them until it was too late," Skye said waving toward the Infected. "I should have had it on." She gripped her knees to stop her hands from quivering.
"I would've." The woman was blunt and angry. "You shouldn't be here. It's dangerous! I wouldn't be but, well... no choice. You'd be a goner without me." She took a deep breath to compose herself. "We've met before. At that medical convention, the city had a while back. I recognized you, or I'm not sure I would have stopped."
Skye nodded, then with a thready voice asked, "Why were they coming after me?"
"Some of those in the early infected stages are banding together. They call themselves Assassins and other weird names. They can see their end, and they're bitter about it. They go after healthy people."
Skye's jaw dropped. "This is a thing now?"
"Yeah, it's a thing."
Skye's racing heart slowed some, but she still trembled. "I cannot thank you enough. I would've been dead, as good as dead if you hadn't stopped."
The woman's voice gentled as her temper cooled. "We healthy need to help each other now. If we don't, no one is gonna make it." She introduced herself. "Anna Lynn Fisher, ER Doc. We can come back later for your car."
Skye agreed and slipped on her white cloth mask. "How are things going at the hospital?"
Anna Lynn made a hard left into the emergency room parking lot, drove past the many parked cars and as close as she could to the ER doors, then turned off the car. She twisted toward Skye and gave her a hard look as if wondering how Skye would handle what she was about to see. "Well, we are in a mess of something or another, and it isn't good. Prepare yourself."
The hospital was far worse than Skye imagined. Anna Lynn told her that there were no Sick here. If someone became ill, a group moved them to the local high school a few blocks down the road. What little they could do for those with the AgFlu was there.
These people were those injured by the city's chaos. Frightened to be alone, or under medical care that was no longer available anywhere else, they had sought the best the city now offered. Still others had simply run out of food or had nowhere other than this to go.
The air in the building felt stagnant with a strong scent of sweaty bodies and dirty diapers. Though the hospital ran on emergency power, the air conditioner was not a priority and only turned on a few times a day. Skye looked around the room. Given the number of people in the lobby, it could be worse.
The open waiting area they entered was floor to ceiling men, women and children, young and old. Bunk beds lined the walls. Floor space looked as if it had been devoured long ago. Families and individuals sat on the tattered blankets and sleeping bags claiming their spots as they waited out the day. As Skye made her careful way through the room, she found it hard to find an empty place to put her foot down.
Noise came from every direction, and Skye stayed close to the doctor so she could hear her speak. Some parents tried to conduct some sort of schooling with their children while others rocked crying babies. Still others grouped together and visited. At least three different types of music played loud enough for the whole room to sing along if they chose to do so.
Skye gaped at the scene. Are things this bad? How did I miss that things are this bad? Although Colton had been hit hard by the AgFlu, it seemed it was also sheltered from the full effects of the turmoil. She realized she probably had Tom and his police force to thank for that.
"I didn't know," Skye choked out.
"Well, in your defense, the reporters stopped talking about us long ago. They are too busy spreading the more exciting news about fires and protests."
As they crossed the room, Anna Lynn told Skye about some of the patients. "George," Anna Lynn said, pointing out a healthy-looking older teen. Large squares of gauze covered his lower arms and a part of his face. "Pulled a bunch of glass out of him after he and a group of his friends smashed up the city a bit. George doesn't do that anymore, do you, George?"
"No, ma'am." George looked like he regretted the fact he wouldn't be smashing anymore.
"Amy Lee Smith. Mid-pregnancy." Dark hair covered part of Amy Lee's face as she smiled, dipped her
head and rubbed her growing belly. "She needed a little medical care. Stayed, seeing as how things are now.”
She nodded to the next patient. "Old lady McGlothlin. Ran out of food. Too dangerous to be home alone." Old lady McGlothlin's red face stood out against her white hair and mask. Either she had a fever, or her blood pressure was high. Anna Lynn noticed it too and asked a nearby nurse to take the petite woman into one of the exam rooms.
"People have sorta migrated here. All the rooms, offices and even closets hold people now. The lobby was the only room we had left. Now it's gone. Not sure what we will do next," Anna Lynn said shaking her head.
Skye tried not to let her concerns show over what had become an oasis in this city. How anyone is getting any good sleep is beyond me. Tired, cranky crowds with nothing to do equal trouble. There's no place to walk around or get any exercise unless they go outside, and I just saw how that can go!
This group is only a small part of this. Ten floors of this is a real concern. How are they getting enough food? Are medical supplies running out? If someone becomes Sick, how do they get them out before they infect the whole floor?
Skye adjusted her mask tighter to her face. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"
Anna Lynn walked down the hall to what used to be a closet. Inside was a cot and a few of the woman's belongings. "This is my 'home, sweet, home' right now. That way I'm close if I am needed."
Skye's opinion of the doctor, which was already high after seeing her situation, went higher. The woman certainly could have commandeered a larger space if she'd wanted but she hadn't. That was admirable.
"I can tell you care about these people. You have done so much to help them," Skye said, "but this set-up..." She trailed off hating to criticize an impossible condition.
Anna Lynn grimaced. "I know, it's band-aids over a gaping wound. But it's all we got. I've tried to get help from Emergency Management, from anyone to get something better. But everything is so chaotic. We get food, and as far as places to go, they tell me this is one of the best."