Plague Book: One Final Gasp

by Druga, Jacqueline

  “You’re doing a report through a computer. It will be choppy,” Silas said. “Why are you so worried about it?”

  “You never know. And I can’t believe I left my make up at home.”

  Silas snickered. “Seriously, things are looking pretty dire for the world. Don't you think being vain is a little overboard?”

  “Says the man with a better make up bag than me,” Eve said. “Plus, it’s a story about a virus. I don’t want people watching this and thinking I have it. Which …” she looked in the mirror again. “They will.”

  “Your exhaustion will sell the story.

  Eve groaned. “I look horrible.”

  “Why do you worry?” Silas asked. “You’re a beautiful woman.”

  “Yeah, if I’m going to the grocery store at midnight. Or you know, I’d be a hit at the bingo hall. Woman is the key word. How many mature women do you see on the news that aren’t behind a desk? The vanity is a habit now. Television can be cruel. The K in 4K does not mean kind.”

  “You’ll be fine. You look fine, people aren’t going to care what you look like,” Silas said. “Has Glen sent any new footage?”

  “Not yet, but I'm sure the station will probably get it first. My story is just to tell what is happening here.”

  “You’ll do great. Did you want a drink or something before you go on?”

  “No, I’m good,” Eve replied. “I may not look good. But I’m good.”

  “Oh, stop.”

  There was a bleeping electronic ring that came from Silas’ tablet.

  Eve hurried and positioned herself in front of it. “It’s Garth from BNN.”

  “Good luck,” Silas stepped out of the way and gave a thumbs up. “And remember, you look great.”

  Eve answered the video call. “Hey, Garth,” she said brightly.

  Garth sat behind the news desk. He was the main anchor. He spoke through a regular camera to her. “Eve, thank you for doing this. We’ll be going live in two minutes. You just tell your story, okay?”

  “Okay. I’m ready.”

  “Then I’ll ask some questions and we’ll show the footage. You should be able to see it as our audience does, so we’ll need you to narrate.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Are you sure you’re up for this?” Garth asked. “The network can find another way to break the story …”

  “No, no, biggest story of my life. I want to break it.”

  “That is very brave of you. Please let me know if you need to stop, okay.”

  “Why would I need to stop?”

  “You ... you have the virus, right? I mean you look …”

  Eve cut him off. “I don’t have the virus. I’m absolutely fine. I just … I don’t have my makeup bag.”

  “Oh, whew, thank God. That makes sense.”

  Eve looked over her shoulder at Silas.

  “Let’s do this,” Garth said. “We’re on in three … two …”

  Eve sat up and positioned herself and prepared. She listened as Garth introduced the story by saying, ‘we are in dire times’.

  He then went on about a man named Elias Marcum. Eve paid attention, this information was new to her as well.

  It was the moment in her journalist career she had been waiting for. She was long past her prime, but the break finally came.

  Not only the biggest story for Eve, but the biggest story ever.

  Sadly, for Eve, it would probably be the last news story people would listen to for a very long time.

  ◆◆◆

  UPMC Northwest, Seneca, PA

  Matt moved at such a quick pace the double sliding automatic doors of the emergency department almost weren’t fast enough. He had to pause in his stride before racing in. It took him almost as long to park as it did to make the ten mile trip to the hospital, finding a spot on the street by the driveway. His heart raced out of control and it didn’t help that he had ran from the truck to the hospital.

  It was his mother and every ounce of his being sunk at the thought of something happening to her.

  He wasn’t a big prayer person, but he prayed the entire drive there.

  His father was already in the car, on his way when he called Matt.

  A part of Matt believed it wasn’t that bad. After all, his mother was a healthy woman. Always on the go, she even took exercise classes once a week. Surely it was something mild.

  As soon as he rushed into the emergency room he had to look around. The ER was crowded, then again, being the nearest place on a Saturday, this was typical. In making his way to the desk he spotted his father.

  “Dad,” Matt called out. “I’m here.”

  His father turned around. “Good. Maybe you can make some progress.”

  Matt furrowed his brow when he saw his father, pale, eyes dark. “My God, Dad, go sit down. You don’t look so good.”

  “Eh,” he waved out his hand. “I’m fine. Just a bug. I keep trying to get answers, but they keep telling me to take a seat.”

  “Who?”

  His father pointed to the registration desk.

  Three people stood at the desk.

  Matt made his way over there trying to see around those who were waiting.

  “Excuse me,” Matt called out.

  He was ignored.

  After another attempt to get attention, the woman behind the desk merely glanced up and told him, “I’ll be with you in a minute, please have a seat.”

  Thinking, ‘this is ridiculous’, Matt took his father by the arm and led him into the waiting area. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  “Where are you going?”

  Matt pointed to the doors leading back to the emergency treatment area.

  “You’re going to find her?” his father asked.

  “Yeah. Stay here.” Matt walked to the doors as if he was supposed to be going through, slipping unnoticed behind a nurse. The area had eighteen bay treatment areas, he knew she wouldn’t be in the trauma center, so he walked the other direction. He moved slowly, looking in every room he could. Peeking to see if he could find his mother.

  Every room … twice, then he moved to trauma. Nothing. She wasn’t there. Finally, Matt approached the nurses’ desk.

  “Excuse me,” he called the attention of the clerk. “We received word my mother had a heart attack and was coming here. I can’t find her. Can you help us?”

  “How long ago?” she asked.

  “I drove here as fast as I could. Ten minutes maybe, fifteen tops.”

  “Name?” she faced the computer.

  “Margorie Hader. She’s sixty-three.”

  The clerk’s fingers clicked on the computer. “We don’t have her. Is it possible they aren’t here yet or they transported her to Cranberry?”

  “Any way you can find out?”

  “I’ll try. Will you be in the waiting room?”

  “Yes. I will be. Thank you.” Matt tapped his hand on the counter and began his journey from the rear section of the ER. It was frustrating not knowing where she was, but if his mother was on the way to Cranberry, that was a good sign. That meant she was stable enough to make the thirty minute trip as opposed to a few minutes to Eastwood.

  He emerged back into the waiting room and it seemed for some reason, it was less crowded. His father stood alone by an interior column. “Hey,” He reached out for his father.

  His father had been staring off and turned, startled, at the touch of Matt. “Oh, you’re back. You found her?”

  Matt shook his head. ‘She’s not here. Either they aren't here yet or she went to Cranberry.”

  “No. No. Nash told me personally they brought her here. He used the word ‘brought’.”

  “Chief Nash called you?”

  His father nodded.

  “Well, then this is easy enough to solve.” Matt lifted the phone.

  “You calling Nash?”

  “Yeah, and Dad, honestly, sit down, you look horrible.”

  “If I sit I can’t see the televisi
on.”

  Matt brushed off what his father said, not really letting it absorb into his consciousness. He dialed Nash. He had his number in his phone. For as much as he had called him about Hailey’s accident, he should have had Nash’s number memorized. Matt brought the phone to his ear and when he did, he noticed not only was his father engrossed in the television, but so was everyone else in the emergency room waiting area.

  The president was on the screen with the words, “Special Alert’ scrolling across the bottom. Matt would have read more or listened, but Nash answered the phone and Matt headed to the doors to take the call.

  “This is Chief Nash,” he answered.

  “Hey, Nash, this is Matt Hader,” he said stepping outside.

  “Matt, I …”

  “Nash, I’m sorry. My dad called, said you called him and told him my mom was coming to Eastwood. We’re here. We can’t find her.”

  “Did you ask?”

  “Yeah, she’s not in the system.”

  “No one has spoken to you?”

  “No. What’s going on?” Matt asked.

  “Um … I … uh,” He stammered his words some. “I know they took her there, that’s what they told me. Stay put,” Nash said. “I’m on my way and I’ll make some calls.”

  “Thank you. Thank you very much.” Matt ended the call and looked at the time. He turned to go back inside but stopped. He had a few minutes before Nash arrived and his nerves were wrecked. While he didn’t do it often, Matt opted to head to his truck and have a quick cigarette. He was parked on the street and would see Nash arriving.

  His father wouldn’t mind, he was watching the news like everyone else.

  If Matt remembered, he’d ask his father later what it was about. At that moment, nothing on the news was more important than what was happening with his mother.

  ◆◆◆

  Boston, MA

  It wasn’t the cheapest hotel, but by far it would be less expensive than incarcerating him.

  Conner Banes of WHO along with Senator Graham came up with the idea. It was met by slack from the president but considering the way things were, it was poetic justice.

  Allow Elias Marcum to watch what he had done first hand. Granted he could have been behind bars, instead, until things died down, he was placed in a hotel room with a window overlooking downtown Boston.

  It served two purposes. He would be forced to have a front row seat to the epidemic, and secondly, he would be available, scientifically, should they need to ask him anything. He wouldn’t be safe in prison, not with his name out there and his crime exposed.

  With the country going on mandatory self-containment, Elias was given the exact same thing every prisoner in America was given. Rations and water.

  Although he wouldn’t have to fight anyone for the case of MRE’s or water he was given, he was told he had to make it last.

  Two armed guards would be placed outside his door and he wasn’t to come out.

  Conner didn’t believe for a second Elias would survive. There was no way he wasn’t exposed to the virus. Most people were by now. The next day would tell.

  Conner told the president, “After the virus has run its course, if Elias Marcum is still alive he will pay for his crimes.”

  “Then let’s look at worst case scenario,” the president said. “What happens if the virus brings us down, if there is no more government or law and order to deliver justice? Suppose he lives, then what?”

  “In a worst case scenario,” Conner replied. “If everything ends and he lives then he will live in the world he created.”

  Conner had hopes it wouldn’t come to that. He believed if people followed the self-containment order, the virus would do its damage and a chunk of the world would emerge and say, “Okay, we’re alive, let’s rebuild.”

  There was no doubt in his mind the virus would take its toll on humanity. Chaos would erupt, violence, with minimum law and order, it was going to be a nightmare. But the virus would weed out the good from the bad. Those out there robbing, looting, were out there with the virus and they would succumb.

  Eventually, and hopefully, the end result would be a selective extinction.

  Elias should have taken in every bit of the conversation he overheard and even internally absorbed the responsibility, perhaps felt guilt.

  But he didn’t.

  He supposed it would come eventually … the guilt. As of that moment all he felt was anger. To him it was Frederic’s fault for being sloppy, it was his lab’s fault for not informing anyone of the breach even as they lay dying.

  That irresponsibility was what was bringing out the greatest historical outbreak since Black Plague, it wasn’t Elias’ fault.

  A part of him believed Conner and the others knew that, hence why he was imprisoned in a pretty nice hotel.

  Sure he didn’t have internet or phone access, but he had a television to keep on top of the events, and he had a laptop with research on it. This allowed him to review things just in case he saw something.

  Elias would work on it the best he could.

  More than anything he didn’t want to be the bad guy, he wanted to also be the guy who figured it all out. Yet, he knew this virus, it was already far too late.

  Even if he figured out how to beat his own monster … billions would have perished before the first trial vaccine could be delivered.

  He wanted an extinction level virus ... he sure got one.

  The mini bar was fully stocked and Elias grabbed a small bottle to drink. He’d ration them just like he’d ration his food. When he finished any of the bottles, water … booze, soda, he would refill it with water.

  Just in case.

  Sipping on his tiny bottle, Elias placed on the television. The news was on.

  He switched the channel … news … news … news.

  It seemed focused on an aerial view of a cruise ship stalled in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The voice of some reporter on board talking about how most of the ship was infected. How she was alive because she stayed in a room.

  Part of it preaching self-containment to the people.

  Despite the gruesome pictures of people lining up at hospitals in Europe and a quarantined ship, to those in America watching, they saw something happening far away.

  Not a reality to them.

  Knowing the bug the way he did, Elias figured within twenty-four hours, America would know that same reality.

  ◆◆◆

  Franklin, PA

  A steady stream of traffic left the hospital lot, some driving erratically down the driveway. Matt wasn’t sure why that was. He was outside by his truck for about ten minutes when it started. First a car or two, then a whole bunch.

  He spotted Nash’s police car coming up the road and Matt made his dash for the driveway. He didn’t make it too far before Nash picked him up.

  “Where’s your father?” Nash asked as soon as Matt got in the squad car.

  “He’s in the ER.”

  “Good. Good.”

  “Nash, what’s going on?”

  “I’d like your father to be present.”

  It didn’t sound good to Matt. Not at all. Nash wouldn’t really look at him. Something was happening and it wasn't good.

  Unlike everyone else, Nash didn’t need to seek out a parking spot. He pulled right in front of the Emergency room. Matt got out of the car and walked inside, he was surprised to see half the people were gone.

  Had the emergency room suddenly gone into fast mode?

  “Dad,” Matt called out.

  His father was seated close to the television, he didn’t respond.

  “Dad.”

  A slight jolt of his body and his father turned around.

  “Jesus Christ,” Nash sputtered. “Bart, are you okay?” he rushed over to him.

  “Feeling a little bad. If it wasn’t in the ocean or overseas, I swear to God I have this.” Bart pointed to the television.

  “Dad?” Matt questioned. “What are you talki
ng about?”

  “It’s not overseas,” Nash said.

  Matt shook his head. “Can someone tell me what is going on? And what is happening with my mother?”

  “Yes,” Bart said raspy, standing up. “Where is Marge?”

  Nash lowered his head. “I wasn’t expecting to be the one to tell you this …”

  “Oh my God,” Matt gasped. “No.”

  Nash nodded. “Your mother, we thought she had gone into cardiac arrest at the store. All attempts were made to revive her.”

  Matt closed his eyes tightly. He could feel the shock, the numbness taking over him.

  “In fact you need to know,” Nash said. “Lucas and Melinda Bridges were there in the store, they were administering CPR to your mother when the paramedics arrived.”

  Matt looked over to his father, he listened intently, not showing much emotion. Matt, however, wanted to run out and scream it wasn’t happening. He held up his hand to Nash.

  Nash continued. “They worked on her and brought her here.”

  “Where is she?” Matt asked.

  “I called them here, they’re supposed to have a doctor come out,” Nash answered.

  Bart asked. “Did she go fast? Please tell me she didn’t suffer.”

  “She didn’t suffer,” Nash replied. “According to Lucas, they were talking, she was smiling, she was fine one minute and then ...”

  “Did he say anything else?” Bart asked. “Anything?”

  “Why do we care?” Matt snapped.

  Bart have a scolding look. ‘Because he was the last person with your mother. I want to know.”

  Nash answered. “He said she turned, froze and looked back at him. He said she collapsed and that was it. Her heart must have been weak. An undetected problem.”

  “Fucking obviously,” Matt said.

  “Matt,” Bart scolded.

  “No, Matt,” Nash said. “The virus preys on a weakness. It strikes the most vulnerable weakness in a person, seeking out their vulnerability instantly.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Matt asked.

  Nash pointed to the television. “Haven’t you been watching?”

  Matt shook his head. “No. Are you talking about the flu that’s overseas?”