by Ami Urban
"What's the 4-1-1?" I asked, heading back out into the lobby.
"There's really no way to tell. We got here just in time. I might have been able to wash the infected saliva out of the wound. Only time will tell."
"Who's hungry?" The statement was more of a joke, but nobody was in the mood for any jokes. I couldn't win. Lisa's response surprised me.
"I could use something. We should all eat, really."
"There are still some patties and stuff in the kitchen," Kevin said, wincing as he sat.
"Yummy." Alex looked up at her mother. Sylvia just rolled her eyes. No doubt wondering what kind of chemicals were in each and every bun.
"Can't be that hard." I went into the back and searched for any kind of food. Luckily, I found about ten burger patties, a bunch of buns and even some French fries. It wasn't until Alex, Rex and Sylvia had already eaten that Lisa approached me in the back.
"What's up, doc?" I sat on the front counter in between two blank registers.
Lisa took a deep breath. "It doesn't look good."
"No?" I turned to look at the poor bitten kid. Sylvia and the kids were sitting around him completely clueless to his pale sweating face. "No shit."
"It's really only a matter of time."
I grimaced. "Yikes." After jumping off the counter and side-stepping the blood, I got their attention. "I think everybody but Kevin should head to the back office and lock the door."
That's when they all noticed his face and listened to me without a fight. But Lisa didn't immediately follow. I gestured her inside, but she stayed put.
"I'd rather stay out here with you. I'm a doctor."
"You don't say." It was meant to be a light-hearted joke, but the look on her face made me think I'd gone too far. I instructed Sylvia to lock the door behind her and joined Lisa in the lobby, making sure I had my sharpened stick. We were silent for a few moments while Kevin's breathing became heavier. He didn't even seem to be aware of what was happening.
"Sorry if that was a bit harsh. I didn't mean anything by it."
Lisa shrugged without taking her eyes off the teen. "I'm used to snarky people. I can't tell you how many patients think the Internet is a good place to get medical advice."
I looked at her, widening my eyes in the most cartoonish way I could. "It's not?"
She arched an eyebrow at me, but I could see the hint of a smile on her pretty lips. "It's not."
We remained in a staring contest for a few seconds. I was able to see that she was, indeed, super cute. While pretty petite and thin, I had no doubt she could kick a set of testicles hard enough to rupture them. Why had that thought entered my head? What the fuck?
A groan interrupted our unique moment. We turned to look at poor Kevin who had knocked over a cup of water and was freaking the fuck out. As soon as the water touched his arm, he stood and screeched like a toddler.
"Oh boy..."
Lisa and I were already backed into the counter, so when Kevin saw us and began lumbering forward with an odd hunger in his eyes, I decided to push the wooden stick out in front of me and see if any of the kid"s brain hand't melted yet.
"Stay back!" I shoved my weapon toward him. He stopped in his tracks, but didn't retreat. "I mean it, kid!"
He took another step forward.
"I'll fucking rip you open and spill your guts on the floor."
"You do know that's not possible, right?"
"Huh?" I lashed out with the stick again, nearly hitting him.
"There's connective tissue and muscle holding our organs together. Cutting someone open doesn't automatically spill their guts."
"The more you know." I thrust the stick at the monster formerly known as Kevin once more, but that seemed to piss him off. He lunged forward and I did the only thing I could think of doing — I swept the broom stick in an arch, catching the side of his stomach and ripping a nasty hole in him.
Dark red blood and a string of intestines spilled down his legs and across the floor, splashing onto our shoes. Lisa didn't even hop back. Not even when Kevin let out his last breath and crumpled to the floor.
"I stand corrected," Lisa said after a moment"s silence.
"No." We looked at each other. "You stand in guts."
From the Desk of Dr. Lisa James
October 17
I decided I needed to clean the blood and tissue off my clothes after we left the bait shop, so we stopped by the first house we saw. Because there was really no one left in the town the family who lived there wouldn't mind if we let ourselves in to shower and change.
The house was a two-story on the corner of a quiet neighborhood. It was painted yellow with white shutters. It was cute. And the door was unlocked. Jack put a hand on my arm as I opened it.
"I'll go first."
I nodded, allowing him ahead of me. After a few moments, he motioned the rest of us inside. He then stood just inside the door, humming a song to himself that I didn't recognize. The house was quiet, but everything was in its place. It was such a difference from everywhere else we'd been. It was a home stuck in time.
I walked slowly through the hallway, feeling like an intruder in someone else"s domain. My fingertips brushed a stack of books. The covers were worn, scratching against my skin.
"Anybody breathing in here?" Jack's voice made me look back for a moment. His eyebrows shot up as if he were giving me a flirty look. Upon returning to my walkthrough, I noticed the door to what seemed like a dining room ajar. I could see a corner of an oak table peeking through. On top of that was someone's hand.
"In here." Without waiting for everyone else, I pushed through. The table was set with an elegant looking meal. A large turkey sat in the middle surrounded by several sides. The candles were unlit. Plates were clean.
A family of four was seated around the food. They looked as if they were in the middle of a prayer — heads down and eyes closed. But none of them seemed to notice our presence.
"Well, hello."
I turned to find Jack, Sylvia, Alex and Rex standing at the entrance to the dining room. I sighed while placing two fingers against the father of the family's neck. There was no pulse. I shook my head.
"You know, I always found it funny," Jack said, picking up a half full wine glass. "In every movie or TV show where a doctor looks for a pulse and there isn't one, they always look up and shake their head." He sniffed the wine and made a face. "Whew! I think this has gone bad."
I approached him and put my hand on his forearm to lower it to my height. Then I took the glass from his hand. Our fingers touched briefly. The glass made a subtle swoosh sound against his skin. I took a whiff. There was a strong garlicky odor.
"Arsenic. They poisoned themselves."
"Why would they do that?" Sylvia took a step back.
"They probably didn't think they'd survive. it's rather poetic."
"Can't say I blame them." Jack tucked his shotgun back in the waist of his jeans and sighed. "You know some guys just can't hold their arsenic."
I heard Sylvia make the noise she usually made when someone offended her. "that's disgusting! Why would you say that?"
In my peripheral vision, I saw Jack shrug.
"Lisa! Tell him that's gross. It's in poor taste!"
I echoed his movement. "I didn't think it was disingenuous. It's actually very true. Some people can't."
"Boo-yah! Up high, bro!"
I reluctantly patted the palm of his hand with mine while checking the pulses of the rest of the family. When I got to the young boy at the table, I felt the faint thump of a heartbeat. Immediately, I instructed Jack to help me bring the boy to the floor.
"We need to induce vomiting. Push him on his side."
Jack did as I asked and turned the child on his side. I reach my index finger inside his mouth, causing his body to push bile into his throat. Once the airway was clear, I began chest compressions. He needed CPR right away if we were going to save him.
After a few seconds, the boy's color began to resurfac
e and he coughed a few times. When his eyes opened, I could see confusion in them.
"Woo!" Jack stood up, throwing his hands in the air. "Shit yeah!"
"Where am I?" The child asked.
"Shh. Just relax." I sat him up and held his shoulders in place while he regained composure. However, once he noticed his family sitting around the table motionless, he stood on shaky legs and began to get upset.
"Daddy! Mommy! No! I shouldn't be here!" He ran to his father to shake him awake, but the only thing that accomplished was causing the body to slump over onto the table. Tears streamed down the child's face. I tried to stand to comfort him, but he saw the serrated knife before I could get to him. In a movement so quick no one could react, he grabbed the knife, plunged it into his throat and drew a dark line across his neck.
Sylvia put a hand over Alex's eyes as blood began to pour down his clothes and onto the white tablecloth. I ran to the child, placing both hands over the wound. But his heartbeat was strong from my resuscitations, and blood bubbled through my closed fingers. He gasped his last breaths while clinging to his father"s body.
"Jesus Christ on a cream cheese and smoked salmon crudités." Jack's words were softly spoken, but full of a sadness that was difficult to hear.
Once again, my clothes were soaked in someone else"s blood. After a heavy sigh, I stood to collect my thoughts.
"How in shit's sake are you used to this?" Jack rounded the table, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I motioned Rex to come to me. He did so, hugging my legs. "I once lanced a palm-sized fistula in the anus of a three-hundred pound woman."
"Forget I asked."
***
We'd been on the road for an entire day in the SUV Jack had allowed us to borrow. It was difficult to shake off the scene at the house we'd been to earlier, but the car was comfortable and made everyone somewhat happy. It was a sixteen hour drive, and a trip like that was nearly impossible to make in one go with Rex. Even after spending the night somewhere, we still had to constantly make stops because he was tired, carsick or hungry.
We were on highway 15, just an hour past the Nevada State Line. Las Vegas loomed in front of us. I'd only been there once about five years prior. Sylvia had taken me as a bachelorette present after I'd said yes to Chase"s proposal. Of course, he and I didn't even make it to the florist.
Even so, I remembered the city being vibrant"full of color, lights, and life. Now, as we drove past the main strip, it looked dirty and deserted. The electronic Mandalay Bay sign was blank, the large "M" hanging at an awkward angle, threatening to fall at any moment. Every once and a while, I'd see a spark shoot out of the giant screen.
"Stop!" Sylvia suddenly shouted from the backseat.
The car screeched to a halt, almost fishtailing into the Mercedes parked in the dirt. The vehicle"s two occupants dove out of the way in a flash. I stared at Jack in the driver"s seat.
"What are you doing?"
"Those people aren't infected. We should help them." He looked at me with hope in his eyes.
"Momma?"
"I turned to give Rex my attention. "Everything"s fine, Rex. we're just going to give the nice couple a ride."
He sniffed. "Kay, Momma."
"Stay here." Jack unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door to step out onto the empty freeway. I did as I was told.
"Such a man." Sylvia huffed. "Always thinkin" he's in charge."
"He saved our lives and he doesn't seem to have a problem getting rid of those things." I watched him walk in front of the car and toward the people. "don't be upset just because he hasn't agreed to sleep with you."
Sylvia leaned back in the seat and scowled, absently stroking Alex's hair as she watched out the window. "Whatever you say, Lisa."
I watched Jack talk with the couple. They spoke for a few moments, but his face remained blank. I'd talked to him quite a bit over the last two days, so I knew he felt like an education was what made a person smart. But he wasn't stupid. He was brandishing a pretty good poker face.
The woman gestured behind her, then off down the highway, then brought her hands to her face. Her shoulders started to shake with sobs. The man put his arm around her and said something to Jack who nodded.
I rolled down my window as he approached, his face too serious for my comfort. "what's going on?"
"They said they hit some spikes on the road a ways back." He looked down the highway from the direction we'd come.
"I didn't see anything."
"I didn't either. But their tires are shot and they're not going anywhere. Lady says while her husband was trying to put a spare on"wouldn't have done any good, anyway." He lowered his voice. "Lady says some...people came out of nowhere and held 'em up at gunpoint. Says they took their daughter."
"Their daughter?" I sat up.
"Mm..."
"What do you make of it?" Sylvia poked her head between the seats.
"Dunno... Way I see it, we can do one of two things. We can help these nice folks find their daughter, or leave 'em stranded here. I doubt another car's gonna come down this road for a while."
"We can't leave them here."
"We can't just go off on a wild goose chase, either, Lisa!" Sylvia said. "we've got our kids to think about!"
I spun around to face her. She was holding Alex close for the first time since she'd been born. "What if Alex had been kidnapped? If something were to happen to Rex, I'd do anything to get him back."
"Nothing happened, Momma. I right here." My son looked at me.
"I know, Rex." I leaned forward and patted his fine dark hair.
Jack cleared his throat. "I don't think they're lying."
"How can you be so sure?" Sylvia's question sounded more like a demand.
He glanced back at the couple who were now locked in an embrace. "Because their car is full of food and clothes. The guy"s packing, too. He doesn't look like the type to use it, though. They drive a Mercedes, nice clothes, and his wife's got enough ice to stop global warming."
"Cute..." Sylvia snorted.
"What I'm saying is...they have no reason to lie. All they want is for us to help them find their little girl."
"What do you think we should do, Jack?" I leaned both hands on the windowsill.
He paused, lost in a moment of thought. Whatever he said next, I would do without hesitation. It felt very strange giving my unconditional trust to someone I barely knew. But there was something about him that made me feel safe.
"We should help them," he said.
"Then that's what we're going to do." I pulled my door handle to exit the car. He stepped back so I could get out as Sylvia voiced her disapproval.
"you're gonna put us all in danger, Lisa."
"Then stay in the car." I slammed the passenger door.
Luckily, I didn't hear another protest out of my best friend. I followed Jack toward the couple. The woman was now wiping her eyes with a neatly folded handkerchief. My companion was right; she did have a lot of jewelry. It sparkled in the harsh sunlight.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Lisa James." I extended my hand out to the man. He looked at it for a moment, the beginnings of a sneer pulling on one corner of his mouth. But then, he ripped his arm away from his wife and shook my hand.
"Rupert Meyers. This is my wife Cynthia."
"We'd like to help." I nodded at the woman.
"You...you'd help us?" She sniffed.
"You should come with us," Jack broke in. "You won't get anywhere in that car of yours."
Rupert Meyers eyed the Jeep we'd been driving as if it were less precious than his opulent Mercedes. I had to remind myself to let the rich have their money. I'd grown up comfortably with the trust fund left to me by my late parents, but it wasn't enough to buy a mansion and a Mercedes. I would have opted for something more reliable and fuel-efficient, but I was far too busy with work and Rex to even shop for shoes.
"Very well." Rupert Meyers eyed us. "But we should go on foot to cover more ground. Just let us collect a few
things before we leave it."
"Right." Jack nodded his approval. I followed him back to the car, biting my tongue at the acidic remarks I would have loved to toss the couples" way. "didn't have the heart to tell the man he may never see his precious $80,000 car again." Jack had muttered so far under his breath that I almost hand't heard him.
"Eighty-thousand?" I kept my voice at a harsh whisper.
"Yup, all the bells and whistles. I'm sure he doesn't even know how to use the climate control to its full potential, either. And he has the nerve to look down at Silas's car." He shook his head. "That Jeep has a state of the art sound system and a GPS I built myself. he's gonna have a real hard time when someone sticks it to him. he's not rich anymore."
For the first time since the whole mess had started, I felt a twinge of humor run through me. What he'd said was utterly true as well as amusing. This man had yet to have a wake-up call, and it was going to be awfully rude.
"Upper class no longer exists."
Jack tossed me a sideways smile. He was actually not a terrible looking man. I found myself wondering what he looked like with grease and sweat covering his body after working on a vehicle. But I stopped myself before the thought was completed.
I opened the door to let Sylvia and Alex out before getting to Rex. He welcomed me with a tilt of his head.
When Rupert and Cynthia Meyers were finished collecting their things, they approached us, staring with blank, skeptical gazes at my best friend and the two children. Sylvia motioned gave them a smile.
"I'm Sylvia Hargrave. This is my daughter, Alex, and this little youngster is Rex, Lisa's son."
My son immediately turned red, buried his face in his hands, and whined. The rich couple gave reluctant hellos, encouraging us to begin our search. Within moments, we were off on what may have been a wild goose chase.
October 17
There was no reason not to trust the couple. I'd fixed a lot of expensive cars in my day, and rich idiots like them always made my skin crawl. They always, always argued about the amount of money they owed"like they couldn't spare it.
