by E A Chance
“I’ll pass,” Adrian said, and picked up a box of raisins.
Dashay tore the box open and sniffed. “Suit yourself. Riley and I will split yours.”
She handed Riley a donut before shoving hers into her mouth whole. Riley took a bite, savoring the delightful taste on her tongue, then covered her mouth and got to make a dash for the front door. She made it onto the porch just in time to deposit everything she’d just eaten into the shrubs. She vomited until there was nothing left, then rested her forehead on the railing with a groan.
Coop came up behind her and rested his hand on her back. “Remember when I got to the ranch after not eating for days? You told me not to eat too fast because my body wasn’t used to so much food.”
“Yes,” she croaked. “You ignored me and tossed your entire meal. I should have listened to my own advice.”
“Let your stomach settle, then try taking nibbles instead of chunks.”
She straightened and nodded as he guided her toward the door. “We should unload the gear and get the horses settled. They’re as exhausted as we are.”
“I’ll get Brooks. Dashay and Adrian can help Nico. You find a bed and climb into it. I’ll be up soon.”
Riley headed for the door with no argument. She squeezed his hand as she passed and waved goodnight to the others before dragging herself up the stairs. She wasn’t happy that she’d lost the best food she’d eaten in weeks, but she’d learned her lesson, and it had been worth it.
She found the bathroom at the top of the stairs, and after using the flush toilet, dropped into the queen-sized bed in the room across the hall. She was out before Coop made it upstairs.
Riley opened her eyes to the dark room, in the strange house, in another unfamiliar city. Her only comfort was the feel of Coop sleeping soundly beside her. A glance at her watch told her it was 3:17. She leaned against the headboard and wrapped her hands around her knees. It was their first night under a real roof since leaving the ranch. She should have been out cold like Coop, not sleeplessly awaiting the dawn.
Coop stirred beside her, and whispered, “What’s wrong, babe? Did you hear something?”
She shook her head and reached for his hand. “I can’t shake the feeling that trouble’s coming.”
“Trouble’s always coming these days. You haven’t figured that out yet? Come here.” She laid next to him and he pulled her to his chest. “You’re exhausted and overwhelmed after everything that’s happened the past week, especially finding out your pregnant. That’s huge in any circumstance. More so in this insane world, but you’re not alone. We’re in this together. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you and get you home.”
“Thank you, Coop. That means everything to me.”
“Close your eyes and let your mind rest. Tomorrow will be a better day.”
She snuggled against him and took a few relaxing breaths, then fell into a restful sleep.
She woke to Coop shaking her shoulder after what felt like five minutes.
“Wake up, Riley. It’s Nico,” he said, then climbed off the bed.
She rolled over and looked up at him, trying to force herself awake. “What time is it?”
“Six-thirty,” Dashay said from the doorway. “I’m sorry to wake you, but he’s in bad shape.”
Riley swung her feet to the floor. “We’ll be right down.”
She and Coop dressed in a hurry, then raced downstairs to Nico’s room. Riley could tell from the doorway he’d take a turn for the worse. His complexion was gray, and beads of perspiration dotted his forehead. He didn’t even respond when Dashay slid the thermometer under his tongue. Riley took his pulse while Coop checked his blood pressure.
Dashay held the thermometer for Riley to read. The digital reading flashed 103.7 degrees.
“His infection’s back with a vengeance,” Riley said. “We’ve got to find the hospital. Dashay, wake Brooks so he can help us get Nico in the litter. I’ll tell Adrian what’s happening.”
They jumped into action, and Coop and Riley were soon mounted on Echo with Nico trailing behind on the litter. They had no idea where they were headed, so Coop guided Echo toward the gate where they’d entered the night before.
The first person they passed was a woman holding the hand of a young girl. Riley leaned toward them, and said, “Can you point us to a hospital?”
The woman shrugged. “Sorry, we’ve only been here for a day.”
Riley thanked her, and Coop snapped Echo’s reins. They didn’t pass anyone else until they were half a mile from the gate when they saw two men in fatigues coming toward them, holding rifles across their chests.
When they reached them, the man on the left held up his hand to stop them. “What are you doing out? Curfew doesn’t lift for another thirty minutes.”
“We just got here last night,” Coop said. “We’re surgeons. We need to get this man medical help immediately.”
The other man eyed Riley, the doubt obvious on his face. “You’re a surgeon?”
“Yes, I’m Dr. Riley Poole, Orthopedic Surgeon. Ask Maggie if you don’t believe me. Where’s the hospital?”
The other man elbowed his companion. “Quiet, Barnes.” Turning to Coop, he said, “Turn around and go back five-hundred yards, then turn left. You can’t miss the hospital a quarter mile down the road.”
Coop dipped his head in thanks, then got Echo moving. When they reached the hospital, Riley dismounted and ran to find a gurney and someone to help them lift Nico onto it. She was shocked when the doors slid open as she approached. She marched inside and introduced herself, then started barking orders like she owned the place. She didn’t have time to stop and explain.
A man in scrubs came towards her, pushing a gurney. “I’m Flynn Jamison, OR nurse. We weren’t expecting you until after orientation, Dr. Poole. What do you need?”
She studied him for a second, then nodded. “We have a dangerously ill man with us. Help me get him inside. Tell someone to have saline and Vancomycin ready if you have it.”
Flynn called out her orders to a passing woman in a nurse’s uniform. She ran through a set of double doors as Riley and Flynn headed outside. Nico’s color was worse, and he was moaning and incoherent. Flynn helped Coop lift him onto the gurney, then guided them to a trauma room.
A man wearing a white coat with Dr. Powell stitched above the pocket was waiting for them. “What have we got, Dr. Poole?”
“One-week post-surgical infection,” she said in a rush. “Possible peritonitis or sepsis.”
“We operated in the field and have had limited meds. We’ve been on the road the past several days,” Coop said.
Dr. Powell pried Nico’s eyelids open and shined his penlight at his pupils. While he continued working, he said, “You’re in luck. I’m an infectious disease specialist. Leave him with me. We’ll take care of him. What’s his name?”
“Nico Mendez,” Riley said, “but we’d rather not leave him.”
Dr. Powell glanced up at her. “Orientation is mandatory. You can check on him after you’ve registered.”
Coop wrapped his hand in her elbow and nudged her toward the door. “Thank you, Doctor,” he said.
“Call me Hank. Why did you perform surgery on Nico?” Riley explained the bear attack and Nico’s accident. Hank gave a low whistle. “You people have been through it.”
Coop shook his head. “I’m Coop. This is Riley, and we’ve just scratched the surface.”
“I look forward to hearing about your adventures,” Hank said and went back to work.
Riley looked around in disbelief as they walked out of the hospital. The lights worked, and she heard monitors as they passed some rooms. How could this place be so far ahead of everyone else in having functioning electricity? It reminded her of the senior community she and Julia had stayed in briefly, but that was just one facility. It looked like the entire city had power.
“We should just bring Julia here and wait for the baby to come,” Riley mumbled as they unstrapped
the litter and stashed it inside the hospital entrance.
Coop stopped and stared at her. “Not a terrible idea. She might not be happy about leaving Holly and the rest of the family, but she’d love this place, and I know she’d rather be with us.”
Coop helped her onto Echo’s back, then climbed up behind her.
Riley settled into place and said, “Once we’re satisfied it’s safe here, let’s go get Julia. If the rains stay away, the return trip will be much faster now that we know the route.”
Coop flicked the reins and pointed Echo toward the capitol which was easy to spot from any point in Charleston. “Let’s keep that option tucked in our hats and go find out what the deal is with this place.”
Coop directed Echo to the main street instead of traveling along the river. As they plodded along at a steady pace, the pedestrian crowd thickened around them, all heading in the same direction. Riley wasn’t surprised to see so many newcomers after the throng trying to get in from the day before. What she hadn’t expected were the rows of armed and uniformed men and women lining the road. It reminded her of footage she’d seen showing soldiers going off to fight during the world wars, but these soldiers weren’t parading. They were mustering for battle.
When they reached the green space across from the capitol, they dismounted, and Coop tied Echo to a tree behind the waiting throng. People who Riley assumed were volunteers sat at six-foot tables lining the outer edge of the open area. They stepped in front of a middle-aged, balding man at the closest table.
He was looking down, reading something in a file folder. When Riley cleared her throat, he said, “Name?” without raising his head.
She sighed and said, “Drs. Riley Poole and Neal Cooper.”
That got his attention, and he glanced up. “It’s about time you got here.” He leaned back in his chair and waved to get the attention of a tall, thin woman seated at the opposite end of the table. “Your doctors are here.”
The woman picked up a thicker folder, then got up and walked toward Riley and Coop. She held her hand out and smiled. “I’m Mrs. Samuels, Vice-chair of the hospital board. You may call me Natalie.”
Riley’s eyes widened as she shook Natalie’s hand. “Your hospital has a board?”
“Certainly,” she said, then turned and walked briskly toward the capitol building without another word.
Natalie crossed several yards before she realized they weren’t behind her. When she did, she spun around and marched back. She stopped a few steps from them and put her hands on her hips. “I meant for you to come with me.”
Riley stood taller and crossed her arms. “We refuse to follow anyone who doesn’t tell us where we’re going.”
Natalie cocked her thumb at the bald man. “Didn’t Brian explain?” Riley shook her head. “I apologize. We have a separate orientation for medical personnel twice a week in one of the capitol conference rooms. We’re running late, so please come.”
Riley gestured for Natalie to show the way, then she and Coop fell into step beside her.
As they worked their way through the mass of humanity, Riley said, “I have a million questions about this place. We’ve seen nothing that comes close to what you’ve accomplished. How is this possible without communications or power?”
“Most of the residents had hardened generators, and we’ve relied on our coal reserves and solar power to keep functioning. Once we were up and running, Governor Mitchell sent representatives to surrounding communities, asking them to migrate to the city. Many of the survivors came, but some, especially those with land or their own fuel sources, stayed where they were. We continue to exchange materials and provisions with them.”
“Remarkable,” Coop said. “It’s encouraging to know this can be done but brings up another question. A scientist told us that power generation is based on huge transformers, and those were destroyed by the CME. If I understood him, no matter the fuel source, it’s useless without transformers. So, what good is your coal?”
“Simple. Power companies in the state began hardening the transformers after 9/11. Not all of them were finished, so parts of the state have to rely on solar and natural gas generators.”
Every word Natalie said convinced Riley even more that they needed to get Julia to Charleston. Though the city hadn’t entirely escaped the destructive effects of the CME, they’d survived remarkably unscathed. She understood why they were so reluctant to allow entry to everyone who wanted in. Even with their infrastructure relatively intact, their resources would still be severely limited.
Natalie paused to let a column of soldiers pass. When they reached the entrance to the capitol building, Riley said, “One more question. What’s with the heavy military presence. It looks like you’re prepping for war.”
Natalie studied her for a moment, then handed Coop and Riley their folders and opened the door for them to enter the capitol. As they passed, Natalie said, “We are.”
“What?” Riley said, but Natalie had moved away to speak to a guard. They tried to catch up with Natalie and make her explain the cryptic comment, but she entered a conference room and took her seat at a front table with four others.
“Riley,” Dashay called from behind her.
She spun to see her grinning from where she sat at a long table. Riley let the matter with Natalie drop for the moment and followed Coop to their seats. She lowered herself into the chair between Coop and Dashay and dropped her folder on the table.
Dashay squeezed her hand. “What’s wrong, Riley?”
“We need to talk,” Riley whispered as a distinguished-looking man with salt and pepper hair stood at the front table and cleared his throat.
When the buzz of conversation in the room quieted, he said. “My name is Dr. Nigel Prichard, chair of the hospital board. Welcome to Charleston. We know many of you have been through harrowing journeys to get here, but we’re glad you made it this far, and we’re grateful for your willingness to contribute your talents and expertise to the wellbeing of our city. Before we begin the orientation, please enjoy breakfast on us.”
Dr. Prichard stepped out of the room, and Riley heard him mumble something to someone in the hallway. He came back in, followed by four people pushing trolleys piled with covered plates. The servers handed each person a plate, utensils rolled in a cloth napkin, and a bottle of water.
Riley set her plate on the table, and before she could get the cover off, a violent wave of nausea washed over her. She covered her mouth and ducked out a back door into a deserted hallway. She made it just in time to vomit into a large garbage can.
Coop came up behind her and stroked her back until she finished. “I can’t believe you have anything left in your stomach to bring up. You haven’t kept anything down since yesterday afternoon. We need to treat this before you get dehydrated.”
She straightened and he handed her his napkin to wipe her mouth. “It’s because I waited too long to eat. We’ll deal with it later.”
Dashay peeked her head out the door. “You two all right out here? Natalie is asking about you.”
Coop smiled and said, “On our way.” Dashay gave a small wave and closed the door. “Let’s get back in there before we arouse suspicion. Feel up to trying breakfast?”
“I’ll do my best,” she said and headed to the conference room.
She felt the stares as she took her seat, but ignored them and uncovered her plate. There was an omelet with actual cheese, two pieces of whole-grain bread, and a bowl of fruit cocktail. She would have preferred oatmeal, but the food was far better than anything she’d eaten in weeks.
She took a small bite of bread and followed it with a sip of water. Her stomach cooperated, so she tried the omelet. It was lukewarm and rubbery, but she couldn’t remember tasting anything so delicious. She ate at a sensible pace, and by the time she finished, her head had cleared, and she felt her strength returning.
As she pushed her empty plate away, Dr. Prichard stood and tapped the table. The room quieted and everyone
turned their eyes on him.
“Let’s move on with the orientation so all of you can settle in and begin your duties. Our other staff is eager for you to get to work. You’ll find information in your packets about housing, use of your generators, shopping, and currency, but it’s all self-explanatory, so you can read that on your own time. The purpose of this meeting is to cover hospital protocols and operations. These are perilous times. We have much to prepare for and little time to do it.” He held up a packet of stapled papers. “Please take out your handbooks that look like this and scan through them. We’ll cover each section in detail during your breakout sessions.”
Riley pulled her packet from the folder as visions of mind-numbing HR. intake meetings flashed into her mind. She would have sacrificed anything to be sitting in one of those at her home hospital in Colorado Springs. She flipped through the pages, but what she saw wasn’t anything like HR. handbooks of the past. It read more like a frontline field-hospital instruction manual.
“What is this?” she heard a man at the adjacent table ask.
People seated around him started nodding, and a chorus of mumbling broke out.
Natalie stood and raised her hands to quiet the crowd. “We’re aware this information may not be what you expected, but it’s what will be the most useful to you in the coming days.”
A hulking brute of a man with arms as thick as tree trunks jumped up and said, “I was an OR nurse in Afghanistan. This information could have been taken straight from our training manuals. What’s this about? You’re not at war.”
Natalie bent down and whispered to Dr. Prichard. A man on the other side of Natalie leaned over and joined the conversation. The three of them whispered back and forth until Dr. Prichard said, “You might as well tell them.”
Natalie hesitated a moment before saying, “As I’m sure you are all aware, President Kearns is ordering her troops across the country to create her residential zones. When reports reached us of the terrible conditions in these zones and atrocities being committed, Governor Mitchell sent his officers out to investigate. What they discovered was shocking. After meeting with his advisors, Governor Mitchell called for a vote to see if his citizens would stand with him against Kearns’ forces. The overwhelming response was yes.”
