“We’re going to take care of you,” Amy assured him. “You might not even get sick, Pat, but I need you to be extra careful looking after Kara. I’ll have Buckle bring you a suit, too, and tell you how to monitor yourself for symptoms.”
Derek could tell that Pat was already agonizing over every feeling in his body, like how a person begins to feel itchy after thinking about insect bites. Pat’s breathing became more labored and he began to touch his face as if testing for a fever. Derek tried to calm his own pounding heart as Amy got the Walkie-Talkie. She watched Derek closely as she spoke to Buckle, who had been waiting nervously by the other walkie ever since Derek and Amy had left. He was quiet for a moment while Amy told him the news.
“And you’re sure it’s just a rash?” he asked
“Paired with the fever and vomiting, yeah, I’m sure.”
Buckle took a shuddering breath, the walkie crackling as if there was tinfoil rubbing against it.
“Ok. What should I tell the kids?”
Buckle referred to both Adam and Megan as kids, even though Megan was nearly twenty-seven. Amy told him to tell them both the truth, and to try not to worry. She had been very careful from the moment she stepped in Pat and Kara’s, so it was highly unlikely she or Derek had been exposed.
“The biggest question is how Kara got infected,” Amy said, standing naked and shivering in the shower.
Buckle had dropped off the bag of clothes, and both Derek and Amy were now intent on scrubbing their bodies down to the bone if necessary. Derek poured a pot of hot water over his wife’s head as she squinted her eyes shut and braced herself. He handed her a Loofah and the antibacterial soap in her medical bag. She had not been fooling around when she packed that bag.
“Maybe it’ll turn out to not be pox,” Derek offered, pouring the second pot over his own head and sputtering.
“Maybe.”
Amy sounded doubtful, and Derek didn’t blame her. They didn’t speak again as they finished up scrubbing themselves and rinsing as best as they could with the other two pots. These were less warm as they had been impatient to wait until the fire heated them through. They quickly dressed and zipped themselves in the white hazmat suits from the bag.
“Don’t forget your gloves,” Amy said.
After they had washed and changed, there was nothing much to do except wait for Buckle’s call. Pat changed as well, and was sitting in the bedroom staring at his sleeping wife. Amy had instructed him to take Kara’s temperature every hour and record it. The last time she had taken it, it was at about 103 degrees. Derek and Amy sat in the living room by the fire, side by side, holding hands. Time passed agonizingly slow. This was the closest either of them had been to the pox. At the hospital, Amy had been around sick people a lot, of course, some seriously ill, but never like this, in a world without hospitals or real medicine. Amy was a good nurse, probably one of the best at her hospital, but this was still way out of her depth. It was way out of anyone’s depth.
“You ok?” Derek asked.
Amy nodded. She was not allowing herself to not be ok. She was a nurse now, a medical professional, and people would be depending on her for information and assurance. Derek did not envy her, but wished he could be more useful. He thought about cleaning out the bucket, but people wouldn’t be too happy with him carrying around potentially hazardous waste. He would just have to settle for waiting. It was about 5am when Buckle called. Amy and Derek crowded together in the bathroom again so Pat wouldn’t hear.
“We decided that you and Derek can come out,” Buckle said. “It’s a risk, but people would rather have you available, and they trust you took care of yourself in there.”
There were others in the village with some medical experience, but none as much as Amy, and after Buckle’s gunshot wound, it was clear Amy was the leading authority on medical care. Buckle continued, his voice clipped and hoarse, as if he had been shouting.
“Pat’s gotta stay in there, ‘course. Some people got real scared, said to just board up the house with them both inside, but that’s just crazy talk, and we all know it. Some people even said it was Megan’s fault, she’s the newest one here, but that’s bullshit, too. She went through isolation and came out clean. We’re all just confused about how this could have happened.”
“I know,” Amy said. “I’m at a loss, too. And there isn’t really a way to find out. Maybe when she’s more lucid, Kara will have some answers.”
“Is she real bad?
“Her fever is really high,” Amy replied. “And she’s got spots on her arms and legs. She just has to be monitored.”
“People were ok with you coming out, but only to go back and forth from the two houses,” Buckle explained. “Just so you know.”
“Understandable.”
“Some people offered to take us others in, but I’d rather we all just stick together. Other people might get sick, too, for all we know.”
“True.”
“Well, better break the news to Pat, I guess,” Buckle said. “See you real soon.”
Pat was not surprised about the decision, but not happy either. Amy and Derek did not tell him about the idea to board him and his wife up, and he didn’t ask if anyone had offered up some crazy solution. He nodded when Amy said she would be back to check on them and gave him the Walkie-Talkie.
“Call anytime,” she told him.
He looked at her with helpless eyes, which looked startling against the white of his suit and mask, and said nothing. As they left, Derek couldn’t help but feel like he was leaving a tomb.
They burned the clothes and waste in the incinerator before going home. Buckle had built it years ago during his initial preps and the whole village used it during the winter when the ground was frozen. Amy and Derek covered their mouths and noses with their sleeves until the smoke abated. Their coats had to be burned, too, leaving them freezing on their way home. Buckle met them at the door with a squirt of Purel, to be extra safe. Amy went to restock her medical bag while Derek opened a can of pineapple juice. He took a long drink, the sweetness going right to his head. Adam hovered in the hallway, his eyes still tired.
“Are they both sick?” he asked.
“Just Kara. For now,” Derek answered.
Adam chewed his lip for a moment. He had gotten close to Pat and Kara the past few months, and in the blurriness of the past few hours, Derek hadn’t really stopped to consider that.
“Your mom will take good care of her,” Derek said, but he felt stupid saying that, like it would really help.
Amy returned from the bedroom with her bag and called for everyone to gather in the living room. Megan had dressed and put Britney back to sleep. She sat by Amy as the family stood around looking at each other nervously.
“So, let’s be real here,” Amy began. “It’s the pox.”
Buckle folded his arms, nodding slowly. Adam continued to bite his lip, but didn’t say anything. He looked much older than he had just a few hours ago.
“I’m gonna need Megan to help me, she’s had it already, and even though we don’t know if you can only get it once, it’s our best shot at not spreading it further. Even if Pat didn’t get exposed by the same source as Kara, she has symptoms now, so he could easily get sick. Megan, I’m going to run through the protocols with you, to keep you safe. Boys, you’re gonna need to hold down the fort here.”
Everyone nodded solemnly. Taking initiative, Buckle offered to make everyone breakfast before Megan and Amy went back to Pat’s. After oatmeal, jerky, and juice, Megan and Amy zipped themselves into full hazmat suits with hoods, gloves, boat coverings, and masks. They looked like they were on a movie set.
“Well, we’re off,” Amy said, raising her hand in farewell.
“Be safe,” Derek said.
He wanted to kiss her, but it wasn’t really a possibility. Instead, he squeezed her arm. She gave him a sweet look, her eyes begging him to stay strong for her sake, and left. A dusting of snow swept into the room as the door closed
behind the women, and the men were left alone. Adam erupted into a flurry of questions about Kara, what her symptoms were, how Pat was, and what they would do if Amy or Derek started showing signs of the pox. Derek answered as best as he could, but without a real tack. All he wanted to do was go to sleep. Eventually, Buckle asked Adam to help him count the medical supplies to make sure they weren’t running low, leaving Derek to his own devices. Immediately he went to the bedroom and lay across the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He couldn’t get the sound of Kara retching out of his mind and, now that he was alone, Derek’s skin crawled like it was alive with insects. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.
You’ve done all you can. Amy knows what she’s doing. You didn’t touch anything, you had a mask, you washed. All the clothes are burned. You’re clean now. Relax. Just relax.
Derek must have been more tired than he thought, or his body just shut down to avoid dealing with more anxiety, because when he woke, sun was streaming in through the window. He sat up, a little too quickly, and blinked dumbly for a few minutes. He glanced at the clock. 8am. Was there any news? Derek hurried to the kitchen to look for Buckle. Adam was there alone, reading a book aloud to Britney, who stared open-mouthed at the pages. The dogs were at Adam’s feet, less enraptured, and happy to see Derek when they noticed him entering.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Where’s your uncle?”
“Out. He said he would be back soon.”
Derek sat down across from his son and rubbed Roadie’s head, who had plodded over to stick his nose in Derek’s face.
“Any news?”
“Pat started throwing up,” Adam said after a moment’s pause. “It could be nerves, Mom said, but also he could just have started symptoms a little later than Kara.”
“Is it bad?”
“She didn’t really say.”
Adam turned a page in the book absentmindedly. Britney pointed to something on the page and screamed in delight. Roadie woofed in response and went back over to Adam to see if there was something to be concerned about. Finding everything in order, he curled back up with Bailey.
“How did your mom sound?”
“Oh, you know how she gets when she’s working. Really calm. Like, scary calm.”
Derek nodded. He looked at the door as if it would speed Buckle up, and tapped his fingers on his knees.
“You don’t know where Buckle went?”
“I think he’s just updating people on stuff.”
Derek went to the fire and threw in a few more pieces of wood, even though it didn’t really need it. As he was poking around in the ash, he heard Buckle come in, stomping his boots. He turned around quickly.
“Hey!”
“Good, you’re up,” Buckle said, clapping snow from his gloved hands.
“How is everyone?”
“Um, freaking out.”
Buckle went to the cupboard for a juice. He drank half of it in a large, single gulp. He seemed very tense, Derek thought. Tense and prickly.
“Please explain.”
“Well, Pat is sick now, too.”
“Adam told me.”
“People are still talking about getting Ams and Megan out of there, boarding it up with some medical supplies, and just waiting it out.”
“They might as well kill them!” Derek exclaimed. “That’s a shitty idea.”
“They’re scared. Thinking crazy.”
Buckle was about to continue when the door flew open, startling everyone. The dogs leapt up barking at the sudden noise. Britney began to cry. Isabelle, Fred’s grown daughter, stood there.
“Hey, I was just at your house, no one answered…” Buckle began.
“My parents are sick,” Isabelle blurted. “Throwing up. Fever. They’ve got it, too.”
Four people in the village were ill. Amy carried the Walkie-Talkie to Fred’s and informed Derek that they all had the same symptoms: fever, vomiting, and bumps on their arms and legs. The only bright spot was that Amy was able to guess at what had caused it. The only thing in common both houses had was the fresh venison they had shared. Isabelle had not eaten it.
“Did you know the pox could be caught that way?” Derek asked, shocked.
“I hadn’t heard of it,” Amy said. “But it’s not surprising. Ebola can be transmitted that way.”
“Well, damn,” Buckle said, listening from beside Derek. “Can we not eat fresh meat anymore?”
“I wouldn’t. We don’t know what an infected animal looks like.”
“Are the dogs ok?” Adam called from the couch, where he still sat with Britney.
“What about the dogs?” Derek repeated.
Amy was quiet for a moment. Derek glanced at Adam, praying she wouldn’t say what he was afraid she would say.
“There’s no reason to think they’re not ok, at least ours. Fred and Pat don’t have dogs.”
“What if they had?”
“Honestly, the safest thing to do...put them down.”
Derek winced. He rubbed the spot between his eyes and sighed. Buckle asked some questions about how Megan was doing, but Derek didn’t really listen. He handed over the Walkie and went to the window. People had gathered outside and were talking energetically, their breath rising up in pale flumes like smoke. Some looked angry. Derek opened the door to see what was going on. When they saw him, everyone grew quiet.
“Relax,” Derek said, closing the door by leaning into it. “I’ll stay over here.”
One man, a single guy in his 30’s called Bowflex because of his body-building past, pointed at Derek angrily.
“Your wife can’t be walking around here spreading germs, man!”
“What’s she supposed to do!” a woman (Annie) shouted back. “I don’t see you volunteering to help out!”
“Hell no!” Bowflex exclaimed. “Board ‘em all up, that’s what I say!”
“You’re insane!”
Harsh words were exchanged and Derek’s heart pounded. It looked like only Bowflex and his brother Matt were suggesting the craziest plans, but they were big and fear was turning them mean.
“Look, look,” Matt said, lifting his hands as if that would make him sound more reasonable. “We need to keep Amy healthy. She’s got the most medical experience, and if she goes, we’re screwed. You want her to stay safe, right, Derek?”
Derek bristled at the manipulation. Now it was his turn to get angry.
“Don’t give me that shit, Matt. We’re not boarding people up, we’re not goddamn monsters! Amy knows what she’s doing, she’s staying safe!”
“What if she isn’t? She could be spreading shit all over! We got four sick in less than 12 hours! Do we even know how that happened?” Matt cried.
“It was the venison,” Derek said, lowering his voice a little.
“What?”
“The venison. Fred and Pat killed a deer last week and cooked it up fresh. Looks like that’s how they got it.”
Everyone got quiet, shocked. They looked at each other as if to ask themselves if they had eaten anything similar recently. Nobody moved, so it looked like they were safe for the moment.
“How...does that happen?” Annie asked, her pale face tinted pink from the cold.
“Looks like it.”
“I hadn’t heard about that.”
“It happens with other stuff, like Ebola, Amy said.”
“How did the deer get it?”
“No idea. But ya’ll shouldn’t get any fresh meat. Same for your animals.”
There were two other animals in the village besides Roadie and Bailey. One old St. Bernard that stayed indoors most of the time and Annie’s cat, Cinnamon. Roadie and Bailey were responsible for most of the hunting, but thankfully, had not gone out recently. Matt and Bowflex were quiet for a few moments, processing the information, but their fear had not been quenched. They began whispering to each other in a sinister way, alerting Annie and Derek of some bad energy.
“What are you jerks up
to?” Annie asked, her tone sharper than a razor.
“Nothing,” they replied.
They sauntered off back to their house without another word, leaving Annie and Derek alone. Annie stepped closer to Derek, clearly not worried. She smiled weakly at him.
“How are you holding up?” she asked.
“Ok. I just wish I could help Amy out more.”
“How were Kara and Pat when you were there?”
“Not good. Pat was really freaking out. Thinking people were going to kill him. He wasn’t really far off.”
“Do you think they’re going to die?”
Derek hadn’t wanted to think about it, but he had just assumed they would die. Blood pox usually took people within a week within symptoms, sometimes sooner, and that was with full hospital care. He had full confidence in Amy, but the best doctors in the country hadn’t been able to stop the pox’s spread, and he didn’t really think she was treating them to cure them. She was treating them because, well, because she was a nurse. That’s what nurses did. They helped people. Now that Annie had forced him to really think about it, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was safer for Annie to just step back. He immediately felt guilty though and just gave Annie a cliché, hopeful answer. She clearly didn’t buy it, but didn’t push him. Derek went about the chores he had put off by his nap and waited for Amy. He sometimes saw her suited figure, along with Megan’s, walk back and forth between Fred and Pat’s. He waved once, but she didn’t notice him.
They waited for them to return before dinner around 6pm. The women peeled off their suits by the incinerator and scuttled to the house without coats. Their hair was flat and stringy with sweat. They didn’t say much, but dug into dinner eagerly. Amy looked exhausted. The little wrinkles she had had deepened and pinched the corners of her eyes and mouth. After dinner ended and Buckle cleared the plates, she just sat at the table twisting a napkin in her hand. Everyone could tell Derek and Amy probably wanted to be alone, so they retreated to other rooms.
Band of Preppers (Book 2): Life is Hope Page 5
