The Dystopian Diaries

by K. W. Callahan

  Dan and Angie Highmore, who live on the first floor, said they’d just gotten back from shuttering their other home down in Palm Beach. They said they’d loaded the extra cases of bottled water and hurricane supplies they had there into their vehicle before locking the place up tight and heading back up here. When I asked them why they hadn’t stayed there, they told me that they just felt more comfortable riding out any sort of emergency situation here. They said they’d been doing it for hurricanes for decades, and now it was just kind of second nature to them.

  It’s kind of cute, all the old people stocking up like it’s a big hurricane rolling in or something. But I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry. And what else do they have to do? It gives them a sense of purpose and a little excitement that’s sorely lacking in their lives.

  Still, it sure seems like things are progressing quickly with this Su flu deal, far more quickly than I think any of us expected. It makes me thankful that I had Liz pick up some extra supplies at the store yesterday just in case something like this went down. That way, we have extra stuff so that when we leave for home, if for some reason we’re caught out – there aren’t hotels open on the way back, restaurants and fast food joints are closed, highways are jammed up, or whatever – we’ll have supplies in the car just in case.

  While I wanted to avoid it, I got my phone out and am checking things back home. In the time that I’ve been hiding from my phone, I’ve missed several all-staff messages sent out from the hotel regarding the flu. It looks like the hotel is taking measures to try to protect the guests and staff. Much like here, they’ve got hand sanitizer stations, face masks are available, and they’re reducing the cleaning of guest rooms to every other day in an effort to reduce guest/staff interaction. They also said that with occupancy down due to the flu outbreak, they are closing the hotel’s restaurant as well as the banquet and catering department.

  Ouch! That’s not good.

  I also had a message from AJ’s school. They’re delaying the start of school by a week. I’m not going to tell him just yet, because then the “Can we stay longer…PLEEAASE!” will begin.

  Sounds like things are starting to get rough back home. I guess it’s time for a conversation with Liz. We need to come up with some sort of game plan. I’m not sure if we should go back early or wait it out a few extra days. I don’t know if it’s better to be here or in Chicago during this sort of thing. I feel more comfortable here and not so clustered together with the masses. But home is our true comfort zone, so it’s hard to know exactly what to do. And leaving early would have us traveling on the Labor Day holiday, and I’m not sure that’s a good idea.

  September 2nd

  10:17 a.m.

  Liz and I were up late talking last night so we’re kind of off to a late start this morning. It feels like kind of a waste now since we really didn’t come up with anything concrete as far as a decision goes. We were debating whether to head back early or wait it out a bit since school has been delayed for AJ and the hotel is slow.

  By the looks of the news this morning, the decision might be made for us simply by the severity of the flu and the swiftness with which it’s spreading. They were showing shots from bigger cities around the U.S. as well as the rest of the world – London, Paris, Berlin, etc. – and things are starting to look REALLY bad!

  I was willing to look the other way for a while on this thing, expecting that it would fade away in a week or two like most major news events, but it’s not. It’s only getting worse. Frankly, it’s kind of scary. I mean, I still have faith that they’ll get it under control. It’s only a matter of time before the CDC comes out with a statement that they’ve fast-tracked a big batch of flu inoculations, and big cities like Chicago will likely get them first. But then there will be a rush to get shots. I wonder just how long we’ll have to wait. I might have Liz call our doctor today and see if he’s gotten any word on a timeframe for flu shots. Maybe he’s got the insider word. A lot of times the doctors are the first to know (got to get their insurance billing set up and all that), so it might be worth a shot.

  I hate this sort of stuff. There’s no clear answer as to what to do. That’s why I love hotel finance – it’s clear and simple, cut and dry. But this type of thing really sucks because you have no idea if you’re making the right call or not. Stay or go? If we go, then WHEN do we go? Is it better to get home now just in case this thing really breaks loose? Or is it better to wait for things to shake themselves out and then go?

  By the looks of the news, most grocery stores are empty, and there is violence on the streets of some of the bad neighborhoods in bigger cities. That could spread to the better neighborhoods, and we don’t want any part of that back in Chicago. In my mind, it’s better to stay in a smaller community like Cocoa Beach. The people who are still here are mostly regular residents, and they are a tighter-knit group, willing to help one another out in a bind. I’d rather be in that sort of situation than back in Chicago where it’s dog-eat-dog. Plus, we’re probably some of the youngest people in the town here, so if things get really bad, at least we’ll be the fittest, strongest, and most able. At least that’s what I’m hoping, and what I told Liz (mostly just to make her feel better).

  During our conversation last night, she began to cry. At first, I thought it was because she was scared about the flu. But after a minute of consoling her and asking her what it was that had her so bothered, I realized that it wasn’t that at all. Instead, she explained to me her concerns regarding her return to work. She is afraid that the flu is going to hurt her chances of finding a position. If the flu hurts the economy enough, like 9/11 did, it could affect the real estate market. And Liz is worried that after all this time she could be picking a terrible point for re-entry into the job market. She had taken a couple refresher classes and renewed her real estate license in preparation for just this moment, and now her moment is in doubt.

  I did my best to calm her fears, telling her not to get too ahead of herself on this, that this flu thing might not be as bad as the news is making out. But I couldn’t help but feel for my loving spouse. She’s been getting ready for this moment for so long. And while it might not seem like that big of a deal to someone like me who has been working full time for decades, I can see how it could come as a blow to someone who has been out of the workforce for so long. She wants to return to some sense of normalcy. I can’t blame her for that. I can only imagine what she’s been enduring at home over the past decade. I don’t think someone could have paid me enough to live that life. I need to get out and be among the world, not stuck at home, alone with a small child (even if it IS our son) for years on end. It’s just not me. I’d be bored out of my mind and pulling my hair out. Either that or I would have drunk myself silly. By noon, I’d probably have done everything I could have thought to do with a two or three-year-old AJ and would have had my first drink with lunch. It likely would have been all downhill from there. So I give her tons of credit for having made it through without having turned to alcoholism or some other form of dysfunction.

  I told her it would all work out, but that she might have to adjust her timeline by a few weeks. I have no idea if what I said helped. I mean, I’m worried about my own work situation.

  I texted Greg, our hotel’s general manager, last night to find out exactly what’s going on at the hotel and let him know our situation here. He replied saying that the hotel was VERY slow, and that if I needed a few extra vacation days, it would be no problem. I hope that’s not a hint that my services won’t be needed when I return. If that’s the case, we’re going to have far greater concerns than having to delay Liz’s return to work.

  Well, it looks like Liz and AJ have their suits on and are donning sunscreen. Guess that’s my signal to get my tail in gear. Got to put on a brave face for Liz and the boy and try to make our last few days of vacation here fun ones.

  1:40 p.m.

  Not many people on the beach today. It’s kind of nice in a way. It’s like havi
ng our own private stretch of beach on which to romp.

  I took the fishing poles out with us, and AJ and I spent a little time trying our luck. We each caught a whiting, both of which we returned to the sea. Sometimes we take our catches in, clean them, and do a little fish fry for happy hour. We usually only have enough for breaded fish bites as appetizers for the sizeable happy hour crowd, but it’s fun and we love doing it. Plus, there’s just something about fresh fish that makes it taste so much better than store bought, at least in MY opinion. Maybe it’s the taste of pride that comes with cooking and eating your own catch.

  Anyway, the fish we caught today weren’t big enough to make frying them up worthwhile. Maybe we’ll give it another shot tomorrow.

  On other fronts, Catherine and the girls were out today. While AJ and the girls were playing, Liz and I talked to Catherine. She said that like AJ’s school, the girls’ school start for the year had been delayed by at least a week. Catherine has been temporarily laid off from her work as a second-shift dealer on a casino boat. She said that no one wants to be trapped on a boat for multiple hours at a time with the flu floating around out there. She told us that the layoff drove home the point of just how bad things were getting with this new flu strain.

  Then we talked about the most recent news headlines. I hadn’t watched the news this morning, but I have it on now largely because of what Catherine told me down on the beach. She said (and I’ve now confirmed by way of the 24/7 flu headlines on television) that hospitals across the country are encountering masses of those who are either infected or THINK they’re infected with the flu. People are flooding in through their doors faster than the hospitals can process them. This in turn leads to further spread of the flu, since those who go to the hospital with what is only the common cold or a lesser flu virus are then being exposed to the Su flu while they’re there. Then they return home, thinking that they’re not infected, only to spread it to their friends, their family, their neighbors, their co-workers.

  I guess this thing is becoming a real mess!

  The people who ARE infected with the Su flu, and who arrive at the hospital, are immediately being quarantined. The problem is that the hospitals are out of space for new arrivals. This is compounded by the fact that since the Su flu is extremely contagious, many of the hospital staff members are becoming infected too. Then there are more people to try to house in quarantine and less people to treat them. And the “treatment” really isn’t a treatment at all. It’s really just trying to make the infected as comfortable as they can be as the virus goes systemic inside their bodies, shutting down organ after organ until they succumb.

  Sounds like a blast! I definitely WON’T be going to a hospital anytime soon.

  Catherine said that this was the last day out on the beach for her and the girls. She said that she was going to do a sort of quarantine of her own over the next week, just to be on the safe side. She has explained it to the girls in a clever way. She told them that since they’re off from school for at least another week, and since she is off from work, and the flu makes it impossible to travel, they’re going to do a “staycation” in their condo. They’re going to set up a tent in the living room, play games, watch movies, make popcorn and frozen pizzas, eat ice cream, and just have a blast indoors. She said she didn’t think the girls would care. They get so much sun and fun the rest of the year that they were excited about the idea.

  I don’t think AJ would be excited at all by the idea of a family staycation – just the opposite in fact. I think he would hate it. I’m not real thrilled at the thought either, but it might be something to keep in my back pocket just in case.

  With the way things are going, we might not have a choice. The news is saying that there are literally tens of thousands of Su flu cases, and the numbers are growing rapidly. They said the numbers are bordering on exponential growth, which is pretty scary. Government agencies are having difficulty estimating the spread of the flu and the number of people who may be impacted since so many government offices are closed. And hospitals have stopped reporting the cases coming in since they’re turning away so many people. Some reports are putting the number of flu cases by tomorrow in the hundreds of thousands if things keep up the way they are, and potentially tens of millions by week’s end or sooner. It truly is a national – if not global – emergency, catastrophe, whatever you want to call it. “Armageddon” is what I’m thinking it should be termed if it keeps up this way.

  The news reports are urging people to stay off the roads, and stay home if at all possible. Many gas stations are closed either due to lack of supply or lack of staff, and grocery store shelves are bare. The cases of looting, car jackings, and home invasions are soaring. Things are ballooning out of control so fast that local governments are unable to keep up with all the emergency calls coming in. The federal government is attempting to get state governments to call up their National Guard units. But the states are having difficulty due to offices being closed since workers are calling off due to being sick or fear of getting sick. National Guard units are apparently finding themselves in a similar bind. Those units are comprised of people – and many of those people are reporting as sick, caring for someone who is sick, or not answering the call to report (likely for fear of GETTING sick).

  It all just sounds like a mess of epic proportions out there. From the looks of the pictures on the news feeds, any hope of maintaining some semblance of law and order – at least in the big cities – are fading fast. There are scenes of fires burning out of control in part of Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, San Antonio, and yes, Chicago.

  The shots from helicopters hovering overhead are making me particularly thankful we didn’t go back home early. Those parts of town look like hell on earth.

  4:11 p.m.

  We took a walk on the beach this afternoon. I needed to get outside and away from the news feeds for a little while. I feel like I’m overloaded. I’ve had several messages from the hotel. They’re planning to temporarily close in several days. Our general manager said that hardly any of the room attendants are showing up, not that it matters since there are very few rooms to clean anyway with occupancy so low. Guess that negates our need to rush back home. I’m relieved in a way, since I won’t be missing any work. At the same time, it concerns me regarding what I’m going to return to. Will there be a job waiting for me? I sure as heck hope so. Makes me wish I’d put a little more in savings for a rainy day fund. Too late now I guess.

  On our walk, we noticed that the beach was quite sparsely populated. I suppose that makes sense considering the situation raging in the world around us. I don’t think people want to be close to others in this sort of scenario.

  We walked down the beach heading south, all the way to Pineapples. It’s closed, as are most of the other bars and restaurants in the area by the looks of the place. It reminded me of hurricane preparation scenes. Workers were putting plywood up over windows of area businesses, apparently shuttering them for the foreseeable future.

  It wasn’t a scene that inspired confidence in a quick end to this whole flu deal. We had a quiet walk back home. None of us really wanted to discuss what we saw going on around us or the possibilities ahead, although I think all of us – even AJ – were thinking about nothing else.

  Before, the flu was more of a curiosity, a nuisance, an inconvenience, another aspect of our vacation to be decided on that could affect our return date. Now, it seems to be morphing into something far more sinister. Over the past day or two, things have gone from bad to REALLY bad at a lightening pace. I wasn’t prepared – heck, I don’t think ANYONE was prepared – for how quickly this flu has spread and its wide-reaching effects.

  Now I’m having thoughts I haven’t had before – frightening thoughts. How long will stores be closed? Do we have enough food? Should we seclude ourselves away in our condo like Catherine and the girls? It seems ridiculous at first thought, but maybe they’re on the right track. Maybe we should shutter ourselves inside the
condo for a few days. We have plenty of food, water, booze. Catherine’s right, it might not be all that bad. And with the way the beach is looking, we might still be able to enjoy a little time out there without being close to other people. But the flu doesn’t sound like something we want to mess around with. I mean, do I want to risk our safety by going out in public when we don’t have to? It’s not just risking getting sick. This thing sounds like a death sentence if you get it – not something to be toyed with. I think that a lot of people are learning that – and WILL learn that – the hard way. And I don’t want my family to be among them.

  I think that our situation here at a largely empty condo building with a bunch of people who don’t work and remain at home most of the time, has helped keep us out of the flu’s grasp. But now, with the way things appear to be heading, we might have to work a bit more diligently to keep this vile virus at bay. I’m not sure exactly HOW to do that, but it’s time to start thinking about it.

  8:02 p.m.

  Happy hour tonight was a real dud. It was more of a meeting than any sort of socializing. Since the condo board members are full-time residents, they were all down there. John Reynolds is the board president. Ed Levine is the treasurer. Ruth Benson is the secretary. They were holding court tonight, letting the rest of us know what the situation was.

  John began the meeting by handing out white surgical masks and asking us to don them. Personally, I felt it was a bit weird, almost bordering on offensive, like we were infected with the flu or something. But he said it was simply a precautionary measure to make everyone feel more at ease during our get together.