The Clock Runs Down_The Servant

by Joe Kelly

  She looked up as Henry walked in, he gave Linda a brisk nod as he removed his coat hanging it beside the door, then made his way to the back to sit beside Stephanie’s bed. Linda’s heart went out to him.

  Some people had speculated the only reason Henry was with the girl was sex. She could understand why people thought it. But she’d had plenty of opportunity to watch Henry with Stephanie and she didn’t believe it for a moment.

  She had no doubt that Henry was in love with the twenty-three-year-old woman and it showed as he sat with her holding the young woman’s hand and keeping her company for hours on end, telling her stories and talking about the life he wanted to have with her.

  Today Henry was quiet, he just sat there holding Stephanie’s hand, hour after hour, watching her silently hoping that she would recover. Only moving to get out Linda’s way any time she needed to check Stephanie.

  Speaking of it was time to check her patient again, she told herself surprised to see that the afternoon had ticked past without her noticing. She rose and walked to the back nodding politely to Henry as she checked the portable equipment that monitored the younger woman. Henry said nothing, but Linda could tell he wanted to talk. Finished she patted him on the shoulder and returned to her books. When he was ready to talk about whatever was on his mind he would.

  Henry sat there watching Stephanie sleep, knowing he was watching her fight for her life against that one-eyed assholes poison. Around supper time he rose and kissed Stephanie on the forehead then walked to the front of the RV.

  “Doc, Linda… do you have any idea yet with what’s wrong with her” Henry asked softly as he absently rubbed the wedding ring he wore with his right index finger. He wanted so badly to tell Linda, but he couldn’t, or Stephanie would die because the one eyed monster would destroy the antidote.

  Linda toyed with the idea of lying to give him a little hope. Because she didn’t really have a clue what was wrong with Stephanie and neither did Doc Winston for that matter. But she couldn’t lie not even to give Henry hope it wouldn’t be fair to him or to her patient and if, when her patient died that false hope would end up destroying the man.

  “I’m sorry no, the round of antibiotics didn’t seem to help. And frankly I’m at a loss on how to treat her. Other than to keep giving her fluids.” Linda said keeping her tone professional.

  Linda looked in his eyes and saw desperation and fear. He cleared his throat, started to say something then changed his mind. He stood there looked old and drained, sick worry in his eyes. “what if she’s not sick?” he said suddenly with a surprising intensity.

  “What do you mean Henry?” Linda asked curious at what he might be getting at.

  Henry licked his lips nervously looking around the RV for a moment. “I’ve just started wondering if maybe it’s some kind of allergic reaction to something around here.”

  “Henry this is an illness, I promise you and I will figure it out.” She could tell he wanted to say something, to disagree. She was certain that this was not an allergic reaction and nothing she knew or had read indicated otherwise. She watched him for a moment and a suspicion built in her.

  He thought he knew what was wrong with Stephanie, Linda realized, and he couldn’t seem to say what he suspected. What the hell could he suspect that he is scared to suggest to me. It was the oddest thing she had ever seen. Henry just looked at her, chewing on his lip nervously like a man who had more to say. Then he shrugged gathered his things and walked out the door.

  The sunset was spectacular after days of snow, mist and clouds. Henry gazed at the bands of red and gold that shaded to blue and deep purple back lighting the mist covered mountains then shoved his hands in his pockets and made his way across the slush and broken ice to the Center. The vial in his pocket seemed to burn his hand.

  He was torn, racked by emotions upper most were fury and self-disgust. To save a life he had to take a life. That should have been enough, but it wasn’t. He loved Stephanie. No matter what anyone especially the one eyed scarred freak said and that should have made the decision a slam-dunk. But to take a man’s life, a man who had been nothing but friendly to Henry and Stephanie, to kill him to save her life. Which was the greater evil, to let her die when he could save her, or kill another man for the slim chance that bastard would live up to his promise.

  And that was the problem, would the he save her? Henry suspected deep down, he wouldn’t. The stranger would just let her die and laugh about it. His insults and total disdain lent weight to Henrys opinion, but could he risk being wrong and letting her die. And if Henry saved her could he live with having killed Kevin?

  In movies, men like One eye would kill them both at the end anyway. But what the hell was he supposed to do, he knew that he only had a few days to do this in. that was the impression he had gotten during his meeting with the slime ass and if that were true he had already wasted two days. But why the rush to have Kevin killed, was it anger or hatred, what was the reason. Did it even matter? He couldn’t shake the feeling that it was important.

  “Henry” He looked up to see Jared walking towards him. “Linda asked me to make plans to find and raid a hospital for the supplies and medicines she might need to treat Stephanie, if it turns out we have to go I wanted to ask you to go with us” Jared said.

  “A hospital. Why?” Henry asked, and then caught himself. “if she thinks it might help, of course I want to go.” He replied. What else could he say? If he believed she was sick, he wouldn’t hesitate. But he knew she was poisoned, maybe that was why he got the impression that one eye wanted him to hurry. So he would kill before Stephanie died. He wanted to drop to his knees and beat the ground till his hands bled. What was he supposed to do? What was the right thing to do?

  Jared watched him for a moment then clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s going to be all right” he said sincerely, offering the only support he could. It was the warmest and friendliest Jared had ever been to Henry. And it touched Henry, making him feel even worse.

  Jared excused himself and headed for the Rv they used as a clinic. Henry just stood there for a moment and watched Jared go, hating himself like never before. He walked slowly into the Center were most of the group had gathered to eat Dinner and get warm.

  His eyes focused on Kevin, he would have to be here. Why couldn’t he just leave for a month? Stay in his room anything but be where Henry could get to him.

  Stop staring you idiot. Henry told himself tearing his eyes away from Kevin. He made his way across the room to the table where the stew pot sat. it wasn’t really stew he thought, that’s what the labels on all the cans they opened to heat, had called the congealed mess inside. Stew, I would… his thoughts stuttered to a stop, Right I can’t even kill someone to save the woman I love much less kill for a bowl of real stew.

  No one that saw it or ate it this mess would ever mistake it for the real thing. At least there were real carrots and potatoes in it, taken from the Farms root cellar. He fixed a bowl and headed to a table where he sat by himself. Tension racked him, so did guilt and grief. The food was like ash on his tongue and his damned eyes couldn’t stop drifting to the man he was supposed to kill.

  Jared left a sleeping Pappy, and stepped into the Front of the Clinic RV, sitting down at the small table with Linda who tired as hell he noted.

  “How did your visit with Pappy go?” She asked, glancing towards the back..

  “Same as usually, his hand writing is getting better though, its easier to read fuck you when its legible” Jared replied. Linda managed a laugh, and then closed the book she had been going over. “Any progress with Stephanie?” He asked hoping for good news.

  “Her fevers up, she has been unconscious since early this morning. What I hope is that her fever stays up and breaks tonight. In fact I think it’s likely.”

  “Have you told Henry” Jared asked, leaning forward trying not to feel hope. He refused to let himself hope till the woman was awake and recovering.

  “no not yet.” She s
ighed and rubbed her eyes. “Jared I don’t know if I can do this, if I can be of any real help. I'm no Doctor”

  “You already have been a huge help and Doc Winston said you’re coming along nicely.”

  “Jared I can’t even figure out what’s wrong with that girl. She’s 23 years old and might die because I have no idea how to treat her.”

  “She might have gotten torn apart and eaten alive too Linda, she might have died a hundred times since the Day. We are all living on borrowed time. Hell your not even sleeping because your reading every medical text we have scrounged trying to find something to help her,” Jared said Linda opened her mouth to protest but Jared held up a hand. “Don’t, don’t say it. what’s your solution, quit? Move to another town? Give us all the bird and laugh when we break bones or get shot?” he asked, she shook her head. “Okay then, that’s settled. I’ll go tell Henry what you said, and we will see how it goes.”

  He found Henry in the Center, standing near the serving table just staring at the wall. “Henry” Jared said, the man almost jumped out of his skin. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you” Jared apologized. “Linda thinks you might want to go sit with Stephanie.” Henry turned the blood draining from his face.

  “why?” he asked with an obvious attempt to control the fear he felt. He was sure he was about to hear something really bad.

  “She thinks there is a chance that Stephanie’s fever might break tonight, and thought you might want to be there.”

  “Fever break, that’s good right” Henry asked

  “Yes it is.” Jared replied, suddenly empathizing with Henry. If that was Jill laying there he would be close to being out of his mind.

  “But if she is…… but would it happen if she was allergic to something.” Henry said almost desperately. If she is, Jared wondered exactly what Henry had started to say. “never mind I’ll ask Linda” Henry added.

  Henry walked beside Jared, hands in his pocket trying to ignore the vial he carried. The silence stretched out and lasted till they reached the RV. as Henry started to open the door Jared laid a hand on Henry’s arm.

  “Can I ask you something?” Jared asked. What Henry had started to say had been gnawing at him, hell Henry’s behavior the last two days had been off. Oh he had been worried, worried sick and only a total idiot would think Henry didn’t love the woman. But something had been, off, that was the only word he had for it.

  “What?” Henry replied, feeling that sick at his stomach nerves ballet begin.

  “What did you mean by… But if she is…” Jared asked softly.

  “I just meant if she was allergic, Linda doesn’t think it’s likely but it’s just what I thought might be wrong.” Henry looked nervous as hell, and Jared knew Henry was holding something back. “Henry I know we didn’t get off to a good start, and we still don’t really know each other well. but you have, over the last couple of months come out of your shell more and more and I appreciate it. So, if there is something you want to talk about or need to talk about. Just tell me. I’ll never spread a word of it to anyone.” Jared said softly and as far as Henry could tell, sincerely.

  Henry felt so damn guilty, he wasn’t used to any one, especially not a guy Like Jared or Steve to accept him or at least appear to accept him. And now that they were accepting him, he was--, he was trying to work up the nerve to kill another man, a man they both liked.

  Jared stood there for a moment and then finally Henry nodded his head. “Thanks I really appreciate that” Henry said and meant it, god he wished he could just tell Jared, let him deal with that scary ass one eyed Bastard.

  “Well It just seems like you need to talk to someone. I know this has to be hard as hell on you, especially considering everything else going on.” Jared said vaguely indicating the world around them.

  “I can’t right now, its.. I don’t know, I can’t figure out what to do or how to put it.” Henry said softly as he opened the door and stepped inside the RV. Jared climbed in behind him and sat at the table with Linda, to give Henry some space as he headed into the back to sit with Stephanie.

  Time rolled by in the Rv, silent except for Henrys occasional whispers to Stephanie, and the sound of pages turning as Linda continued to pour thru the books and making notes. “I may have figured it out” she said excitedly three hours later, she stood and grabbed a blood collection kit and headed into the back.

  Jared sat there waiting as she brought back the blood samples and set them on slides. Then placed them on the microscope. “Hand me that book” She said absently holding out a hand. Jared passed it to her and sat back vaguely amused. She stared into the microscope then consulted the book. “I think its Methaeglobinemia, its rare. But it explains all the symptoms.” Seeing the blank look on Jareds face she explained “it’s a blood disorder, it typically happens when an individual is exposed to particular drugs or chemicals, or sometimes its genetic. In this case I’m betting on the drugs or chemicals. More particularly in this case Nitrate contamination in the water.”

  “Shit you mean we are all in danger.” Jared asked.

  She shook her head slowly reading. “No, probably not. I’ll have to figure out how to the test the water we’ve been drinking.”

  “well this is great but how do you treat it.” Jared asked. “can you treat it?”

  “I think so, I need Methylene blue, and its possible we have some in that haul you got from the Bergstown Hospital.”

  “ And if we don’t”

  “Then we need to find it, because this can sometimes be fatal.” She rose calling out “Henry I need to talk with you”

  Henry sat at the table, stunned at the news. “but… are you sure. Its not poison.” He exclaimed.

  “why would you think it was poison?” she asked puzzled. Henry sat there silent for a long moment staring at the tabletop.

  “that one eyed bastard told me he had poisoned her.” Henry said softy, there was so much anger in his tone that it took Linda aback. She gave Jared a puzzled look; there was no one-eyed man around the farm that they knew of.

  “Why would anyone want to poison a 23-year-old College girl.” Jared asked. One eyed, who was it… Jared racked his mind searching for that elusive reference.

  “he wanted me to do something for him.” Self-disgust almost dripped from the words.

  “but I couldn’t do it…” and then suddenly as if a dam had broken he told them the whole damn story placing the vial and a note on the table as he talked. Jared sat there stunned, but he had to believe it, just the way Henry sounded as he told them of the one eyed mans insults told him the entire story was real.

  No one could have missed the volcanic fury and humiliation in the mans voice. Even if he or anyone else had doubts the note that the asshole had left in Henrys RV and the Vial of liquid would have clinched it and then he remembered, Ori had reported seeing a one eyed man with the raiders scout force. Son of a Mongolian sheep herder, Jared cursed. He had no idea why the man would want Kevin dead, but he believed.

  Could it… I bet this is the guy Kevin shot, the sniper up on the ridge.

  “Henry, I want you to stay here. do not leave this RV.” Jared said, wondering what he would have done if that was Jill lying back there.

  “Why, I want to go with you. That’s what you’re going to do isn’t it. go up to the cemetery.” Henry said. Jared nodded his head as he rose to his feet.

  “it is, but I want you to stay for two reasons. The first is, that girl back there needs you. The second is he might just decide to shoot your ass from long range for not doing what he wanted. So, stay in here with her. Help Linda here look thru all the stuff we lifted out of the pharmacy and see if you can find that medicine.”

  “you don’t hate me?” Henry asked nervously playing with his wedding ring again. Jared paused by the door and looked back at him.

  “No, I don’t. I don’t know what I would have done in your position. And I wont pretend I would know what I’d do. But next time some jack ass slips you a note a
bout a secret meeting, you had better tell me two seconds after you find it.”

  Jared stepped outside, angry at himself. They had just coasted along without any real security for a while now. And someone had slipped into the camp, without any one knowing possibly poisoned one of his people and was trying to kill another one.

  Why the charade though? if he wanted Kevin dead who not just snipe him from a distance and escape. Why this way?

  Starting tonight, they would establish real security. Jared decided, And tonight they would be paying Mr. One eye a visit. Assuming he was still up at there at the cemetery. Which Jared really doubted but he couldn’t ignore the possibility either. First, he had to speak to Ori, Steve and the others and get their input on the basic plan that was already forming in his mind.

  It was bitterly cold up on the mountain flank, a barren white wasteland filled with the skeletal remains of trees. Jared scanned the cemetery from his position and saw nothing but green tinted headstones jutting up like bones from the snow covered ground. He clicked the radio twice then moved forward. Ori using the other NVG goggles covered him.