Apex Predator

by Glyn Gardner

  “The serenity prayer,” she replied as she wiped the last of the tears from her cheeks. “I see you never learned it did you?”

  “God, grant me the serenity to accept those things I cannot change…” he began.

  “The courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference” she added quietly.

  “Baby, we can’t change what’s happened,” he whispered quietly. “We can only control how we deal with it.

  “You’re right,” she finally admitted. “I guess I wasn’t finished with my pity party.” She took the cup of coffee from her husband. Maybe that was part of the problem. She usually had two cups of coffee by this time of the morning.

  Father Albright walked into the treatment room. Jen could tell immediately that he didn’t feel good. He was pale, and his eyes were sunken.

  “Jesus Father, you look like hell,” Mike blurted.

  “Mike,” Jen admonished. “Sorry about that Father. My husband can be a bit rude. But, he is right; you look like you don’t feel well.”

  “I don’t,” he croaked. “I woke up this morning feeling a little, well maybe a lot, under the weather.”

  “Mike, this is the part when you let me do my job.” She shooed him away. “Ok Father, tell me what seems to be the problem?”

  “I woke this morning feeling nauseous, with a terrible headache, sore throat, and I’m having trouble catching my breath.”

  Jen could see that the priest was short of breath. She asked him to take his shirt off, and sit down on the table in the next room. At first, she figured this was going to be a case of bronchitis. His lungs sounded more like a very bad case of pneumonia. His heart rate was 45. This was very unusual, especially since he had a fever of 104.5. His blood pressure was also low. To an experienced ER nurse, this closely resembled septic shock. Not good.

  “Ok, Father,” she began. “I think you’re right. You’re sick. I’m going to get an IV in your arm and give you some antibiotics. I’m thinking you have pneumonia. I think you also need some IV fluids.”

  “Ok,” he replied. He lay down on his back. She quickly found the supplies she needed, and returned. She inserted the IV, and hung both the fluids, and antibiotics. She also found some Tylenol in her backpack. He swallowed several of the little white pills.

  She now had two patients to care for, and neither one was in great shape. She was surprised she didn’t realize the priest was sick. Let alone this sick. She’d seen people this sick, and they usually ended up in the hospital for several days on strong antibiotics. She hoped she was wrong.

  A little while later, SSgt Brown returned. “I hear we have another casualty.”

  “Kind of,” she replied. “It seems our new spiritual leader has developed a nasty pneumonia. I think. Can’t tell without an X-ray, but his lungs sound like shit and it looks like he’s in septic shock.”

  “Septic shock,” he interjected. “How the hell is he in shock? He was fine last night.”

  “I know,” she replied. “That’s the problem. Whatever bug he has is aggressive. I’m going to pump him full of antibiotics and see if I can’t get ahead of this thing.”

  “So how long,” he asked.

  “No way to tell,” she replied.

  “Shit! I’ll go let the El-Tee know.” He turned and left the nurse to her charges.

  “El-Tee,” he started.

  “I already know,” the officer interrupted.

  “What, about the priest?”

  “Yup,” he replied. “I saw him this morning. He looked like death warmed over. How bad is he?”

  “Jen says he’s septic,” the NCO replied. “She says it sounds like pneumonia. She’s hitting up with fluids and antibiotics.”

  “Did she say how long this one’s going to keep us stuck here?”

  “No sir,” replied SSgt Brown.

  “Just fucking great,” Lt Cruzan cursed. He waived SSgt Brown to leave.

  SSgt Brown found Sgt Procell in the kennel area. He and several of the children were busy rigging a ladder to the skylight. He saw SSgt Brown walk in. “Take a break guys.”

  “How’s it going Procell?”

  “Just fine Sergeant. These kids are great. Did you know they were a science club? They got some real budding engineers in this group.”

  “Good. How much longer before we get the ladder up?”

  “Not too long. Had some problem mounting it to the frame, but I think we got it figured out.”

  “Good. How about getting the girl out?”

  “Well,” The younger NCO began. “I thought about it. We really don’t have enough rope to make a harness. So, we’d put her in one of our LBV’s if need be; then we’d carry her by the carry handle. I wish we had more stuff, but I figure it will work in a pinch.”

  “You better make that two LBV’s,” replied SSgt Brown. “It looks like the priest is sick too.”

  “How sick?” Sgt Procell asked.

  “It looks like he’s got a bad case of pneumonia.”

  “I’ve heard a couple of the kids with pretty nasty coughs,” Sgt Procell reported. “Maybe I should have Jen check them out.”

  “Probably a good idea,” SSgt Brown agreed. “Finish this first. I’ll tell Jen to expect a few coughing kids.” He left the room, as the young NCO got the kids back to work.

  Jen was not pleased. The priest’s fever had not come down at all. His breathing had become labored, and his pulse remained dangerously low. She could now hear the rattling in his chest without the help of a stethoscope.

  Sgt Procell knocked on the door jam. “Hey Jen,” he began. “SSgt Brown said to come by with a couple of the kids.”

  “Yeah,” she replied. “He told me you were coming. How many you got?”

  “Three,” he replied. “The rest are ok, but I thought these three ought to be looked at.”

  “Sure,” she said. “Let’s take them into the surgical area, one at a time.”

  She checked out the three children one at a time. All three were running fevers. The highest was a girl with a 101.4 degree temperature. They all had some mild wheezing upon exhalation. All had normal vital signs with the exception of the fevers.

  Jen concluded that these children most likely had bronchitis. This was no surprise. She understood that they had all been exposed to the elements with little or no food for several days. It wouldn’t take these kids long for malnutrition and dehydration to set them up for some kind of infection.

  She found several bottles of oral antibiotics. Some were strictly medications used for animals, but some names she recognized from the human world. She hoped that the dosages she was giving the kids would be appropriate. Without a Nurse’s Drug Reference, she was just guessing. She gave each child a baggie with the pills and told them to rest and to drink plenty of water. The children did as they were told and left for the living area.

  She found Kerry in the treatment room with the young accident victim. “How’s she doing this morning?” the younger woman asked.

  “Better. I think her lung re-expanded overnight.” She let Kerry listen over the base of the lungs. “Hear the air moving?”

  “Yes,” the girl replied. “That the only way to tell if the lung is inflated?”

  “No,” Jen replied. “If we had a working x-ray machine, we’d be able to see it.”

  “So now we’re just waiting for her to wake up right?”

  “Not exactly,” replied Jen. “We have another patient.”

  “Oh?”

  “The priest came in this morning looking like death warmed over. It looks like he has a nasty pneumonia: High fever, low B/P, low heart rate, and piss poor respiratory status.”

  “Wow,” replied the red-head. “How’d he get that sick so fast?”

  “I don’t know,” the nurse replied. “C’mon, let’s go give him the once over.” The two walked into the priest’s room. Jen thought that he looked worse now than he did thirty minutes ago. Kerry thought she could tell right then that he was dying.
She let out a slight gasp.

  “Why is he so grey,” asked the girl. Jen ignored the girl’s question. She was in full nurse mode.

  “Father,” she called out.

  He did not seem to hear her. She gave him the same kind of sternal rub she had used on the little girl earlier. The priest’s eyes opened. He let out a low moan as he turned towards her. He began to talk rapidly and incoherently. Jen knew this was very bad. She touched his head. He was still burning up with fever. She didn’t dare place a glass thermometer in his mouth to determine how high it was.

  He began to convulse. Shit, Jen thought, he’s seizing.

  “Get on the other side of him,” she barked. “Don’t let him fall off the table.” She’d never wished for a good old fashioned hospital bed before in her life, but now she needed one.

  “Mike! Sergeant Brown!” she yelled. “We need some help in here!” The two came barreling into the room, followed by several others.

  “He’s having a febrile seizure,” she announced to the group. “I need you guys to keep him from falling off the table. I’ll be right back.” The soldiers surrounded the table and helped keep the priest on his table, while Jen ran into the drug storage area. She knew the type of drug she wanted would be locked up. But where the hell would it be? She couldn’t find any of the controlled drugs anywhere. Finally she decided to look in the veterinarian’s office. She found a small refrigerator with a lock on it. Above it was a small locked cabinet. She knew the refrigerator would be warm inside.

  “Mike!” she yelled. “Bring me one of those pick axes or a crowbar.” He and SSgt Brown ran into the room. Mike was holding a pick axe, SSgt Brown a shovel.

  “See if you can’t knock those locks off,” she ordered. “Is he still seizing?”

  “Yes,” SSgt Brown answered as he knocked open one of the locks with the shovel. He quickly dispatched the other lock.

  Jen began rifling through the refrigerator first. She wasn’t sure if Lorazepam was a medicine commonly used by veterinarians, but it was her drug of choice for seizures. She did not find any in the refrigerator. She did find Valium, a relative of Lorazepam, in the locked cabinet. Not her first choice, but it would have to work.

  She grabbed a syringe, and drew up what she thought would be an appropriate dose. She ran into the room with the seizing priest, asked God to make sure the antibiotic and Valium were compatible, then unceremoniously shoved the needle into the port in the IV tubing and slammed the down on the plunger.

  It took several minute, but the seizure activity finally subsided. The group breathed one collective sigh of relief; all but Jen. She knew that the Valium would depress the respiratory drive of a patient who was already having breathing difficulties. So far he continued to breath. Ok, she thought, let’s see how this goes. She turned to some of the soldiers.

  “You guys go get me some towels,” she ordered. “Get ‘em wet, and make it quick.” Turning to SSgt Brown, “we need to bring the fever down. That Valium isn’t going to work forever. Hell, I’m surprised it worked at all. You guys start getting his clothes off.” They did.

  Privates Jackson and Jefferson ran into the room, pouring water bottles over a couple of surgical towels. Jen directed them to place them over Father Albright’s chest, arms and legs. She wished they had ice, but this would have to do.

  Throughout the rest of the day, Jen and her nurses-in-training would continue to monitor and care for Father Albright and the little girl.

  SSgt Brown asked Mike and Sgt Procell to join him on the roof. Mike found the roof flat, covered in pea gravel, and surrounded by a 2 foot wall. Mike was sure that the wall was more for looks than anything else.

  He could see the surrounding area. There was a stand of trees about a quarter mile south. The land east, west, and north was flat, and mostly empty. The highway passed in front of the building traveling to the eastern and western horizons. There were few buildings visible. He could make out something like a farm house or barn a mile or so north. There was a gas station about half-a-mile west of them. That was about it. He knew from the map that the interstate ran east-to-west about half-a-mile south of them.

  There was absolutely nothing alive that he could see. The trees swayed gently as the breeze rattled their branches. He could see the first few leaves falling from their lower branches. Mike couldn’t help but feel like he was standing on the bridge of a ship floating in a gentle current.

  “What do you think gentlemen?” SSgt Brown asked.

  “Nice,” replied Mike.

  “Good,” replied the NCO. “This is the new guard post. We have better vision here, less chance of being surprised. We keep the same guard rotations tonight as last night. We just do it from up here. We get into trouble, everyone moves up here.”

  He looked to Sgt Procell. “Sergeant Procell, I want you to move the MRE’s and two cases of water up here permanently. We eat the civilian food until we run out. If we have to evacuate, we abandon the stores down there. Make sure everyone keeps there rucks inside the citadel.”

  “Roger,” replied the young NCO. “I’ll get my guys on it.”

  “Mike,” SSgt Brown turned to the civilian. “You mind walking the roof first? I’ll send Jackson up in a few hours.”

  “No problem Sergeant Brown,” Mike replied. He walked to the edge of the roof, and began a slow circle. The world goes to shit and I’m still a damned security guard. Fuck it. He continued his small patrol.

  “Hey Sergeant Procell,” Pvt Jefferson called from the citadel. “Check this out.”

  Sgt Procell could hear the dog barking before he turned the corner. He did not expect to see the big German Sheppard in such a frenzy that it was almost foaming at the mouth. The dog was on its back legs with its massive front paws on the front fence of the citadel. Two of the children were unsuccessfully trying to calm and quiet the dog they had named Duke. The other dogs were huddled in the corner. Sgt Procell noticed that all three were sitting in puddles of their own urine with tails tucked and heads down.

  “What the hell happened?” the NCO asked.

  “Fuck if I know,” answered the young engineer. “They were just sitting there playing with the kids and then those three ran whimpering to the back corner, pissing the whole way. Then this one went fucking ballistic.”

  “Kids,” Sgt Procell said. “Why don’t we get away from the dog?”

  “But he’s scared,” replied one of the kids.

  “I know he’s scared,” the NCO said impatiently. “Get away from him before he bites you.” The children backed away from Duke. “As the matter-of-fact, let’s get some chow. I bet Duke and the others want some dinner too.” He led the children out to the reception area.

  “What’s all the noise?” asked Lt Cruzan.

  “I’m not sure sir,” replied the young NCO. “Something’s got the dogs spooked. The big German Sheppard is flipping out, and the other dogs are in the corner pissing themselves.”

  “Shit!” he cursed. “If it’s not one thing it’s another. Shut that mutt up! I don’t care if you have to kill him, just shut him up.”

  “Yes sir,” he replied as he continued towards the food.

  The group sat down to eat dinner. Nerves were on edge. Everyone knew the sound of the dog barking would eventually bring zombies. SSgt Brown considered shooting the dog. He dismissed the thought for now. He knew that the kids would shut down if he shot the dog. A few minutes after they sat down Duke stopped barking. He settled into growling loudly now and then, but at least the barking had stopped.

  “Jen,” SSgt Brown asked. “How are the patients?”

  Jen had been expecting and dreading this question. She finished chewing the food in her mouth. “The little girl seems to be doing better,” she reported. “She’s started making some noise. She hasn’t opened her eyes, but her neurological status is improving.” She shoved another bite of peanut butter and jelly sandwich into her mouth.

  “How about the priest,” Lt Cruzan demanded.

&nbs
p; Jen swallowed her food and collected her thoughts. “I think he’s dying,” she stated matter-of-factly.

  “How sure are you,” the officer asked.

  “Pretty fucking sure,” she shot back. She stood up and walked to the priest’s room without another word.

  No one spoke for the remainder of dinner. SSgt Brown finished eating and walked to find Jen. “Don’t say it,” she announced before he could talk. “I know. I’m fine. He’s just pissing me off. If he thinks he can do better, get his snot-nosed ass in here and let him save these lives. If not, he needs to get the fuck off my back.”

  “You’re right,” he responded. “I’ll talk to him. He’s just frustrated.”

  “We all are,” she raised her voice. “Tell him to get in fucking line.” SSgt Brown didn’t know what to say. He just turned and walked out.

  Jen checked the priests vital for the fifth time in ten minutes. Shit! His heart rate was in the 30’s and he was gasping for breath about eight times a minute now. She couldn’t get a blood pressure, and he actually felt cold now. Jen was sure it wouldn’t be long now. She considered removing the IV, but decided to leave it in until this last round of antibiotics finished.

  She couldn’t help but think how his death was different from other deaths from sepsis she’s seen. His pulse and breathing should be up at least for a while. Usually a body fights to keep itself alive until the very end. His body seemed to have given up hours ago; like it was just waiting for the inevitable. It didn’t matter anyway. She didn’t have access to any of the crash cart drugs she was used to.

  Theresa walked in a few minutes later. “Is this what it’s like when someone gets sick and dies?” asked the girl.

  “Not exactly,” replied the ER nurse. “It usually takes longer.”

  “So why did he go so fast?” asked the young girl.

  “He must have been sick before we rescued him,” Jen replied. “Maybe he had some kind of heart condition or something.”

  They both watched as the priest gasped one last time. Then the air escaped from his lungs. His mouth hung open, and his eyes became empty as they gazed unseeing at the ceiling. Jen placed the stethoscope on his chest. She could hear neither a heartbeat nor breathing. She looked at Theresa, then her watch.