My Dead World (6 page)

Burying Julie would have to wait until the next day. We wrapped her in another sheet, and kept her behind the well house. Cade said he’d probably start digging the grave after nightfall when the temperature dropped. Not that it was hot, but it would be easier and cooler at night.

My father didn’t say anything when we returned, I guess he could tell by our demeanor that the mess had been dealt with. He didn’t ask about it at all.

Katie had taken that car nap and was super hyper, running about the cabin. My father looked tired, the day had taken its toll on him and it was still early. Lisa supported Paul, while I held the IV and my father and Cade carried the couch into the back room.

Paul tried to be a trooper. “I’m so sorry, Nilie.”

“No, this isn’t your fault.”

“You should have left me behind,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d get this sick this fast.”

“You’re gonna be okay,” I said.

“Nilie, if I’m not. If I’m gonna get bad, listen to your brother.”

“How do you know what my brother says?”

He huffed out a sickly laugh. “You never did talk quiet.”

I felt bad, really bad for him. Paul was a good man. He got sick from going to work. It just didn’t seem fair.

Once the couch moving was done, my father plopped into his easy chair. I stayed with the girls and Lisa and Cade got Paul situated in the sewing room.

He started to groan, telling us his body ached and stung when he was touched. After he was in placed on the sofa in there, Cade gave him morphine. At least he’d rest for a while.

I tried unsuccessfully to get through to Bobby. I guess I had to wait for him to call me. He seemed to sneak the phone calls in. The satellite phone was charged as well.

As much as I loved my brother, trusted him, and lived and breathed by what he said about viruses, there was something about Cade’s firsthand experience that helped ease my mind. Well, not ease. According to him things were bad. DC had fallen before I even heard word that it was dealing with the infection. Which made me wonder, was our city already battling it? The reported cases, were they one of many? And the other cities, the ones we heard about on the news, were they worse than what we had been told?

I could only believe it was. It was a lot worse. It was two and a half months since my brother called me about the ten cases in India. Now the world fought it. When did it turn? It was out of control and to me it was because all those in charge refused to believe it would get as bad as it did.

Cade was at the front lines. I had a million questions to ask him. His mood wasn’t the best, I didn’t want to dwell on Julie, and hoped to use the time in the SUV to get some answers to the abundance of questions I had on my mind.

The girls were upset that I was leaving. I told them I had to try to get their father medication.

“Why can’t Pappy go, or Lisa?” Addy asked.

“Because they need to stay here.”

“We want you,” said Katie.

“I know. But I want to go.”

Truth was, I didn’t. But I knew my father would be able to handle Paul if he turned violent. Cade didn’t think it would happen yet. It took Julie two days. On the outside chance he did turn fast, he recommended keeping the door locked and have someone sit outside that door … always.

My father wanted to play an intense game of Candyland with the girls, he did so with a rifle not far away and Lisa took first watch, holding on to her pint bottle of Jack with the sippy straw.

Lisa didn’t have a lot of pints. Just that one, the label removed and replaced with another that said Lisa’s drink box.

She constantly refilled that pint from gallon jugs. She wasn’t guzzling, because she knew she would have to ration.

Lord knows that amount of booze would last me years.

Evans City wasn’t far. After we left our property and drove down Mountain Road we would catch the highway. There were back roads, but I wanted to be fast. Even with a heavy flow of traffic, as long as it moved, we were good. It was a straight shot getting on the highway.

After my driveway, we hit Mountain Road. We made a right, toward Big Bear, because that was the best way to the highway.

Just as we passed the entrance, a black pickup truck coming our way, started to honk at us. They slowed down and so did we. I pulled my driver’s window right next to his.

It was Mr. Boswick.

“Hey,” he said. “You aren’t headed into Harmony or Zelienople are you?”

“No,” I answered. “Why?”

“Won’t sell you anything. I tried four stores for supplies, they won’t sell unless you’re local. Didn’t try Evans City, can you let me know?’

“Yes, but we aren’t getting supplies. Paul’s hurt.”

Boswick lowered his head some and nodded. “Bit?”

I was ready to say, ‘yes’, but didn’t. “No, he was shot coming out of the city.”

“There’s no hospital in Evans City.”

“I know, but they built that after hours care place there last year. I went there for my wrist.”

“I forgot about that.”

“What ... what did you need?” I asked. “In case we can get it.”

“That’s really nice of you, especially after I told him about that key.” He indicated to Cade.

“Not an issue. What did you need?” I asked.

“Bandages. Ointment. Ibuprofen. We have a few injuries from the city.”

“You wouldn’t let him in because his sister was sick,” I said.

“No, he was a stranger. These people have been coming to my camp for decades. I can’t turn them away.”

“I’ll see what I can do, okay?”

“Appreciate it. Just um …” He leaned over and grabbed something from the other seat. He handed it out the window to me. It was a radio. “Hit me when you get back. I’ll come down to the gate to meet you.”

“I will. But if I don’t find anything …”

“I appreciate you trying.”

I gave the radio to Cade. He shut it off to preserve the battery and after a wave to Boswick, we proceeded to make our way to the highway.

“How many people are at that camp?” Cade asked.

“I don’t know. But typically on weekends in the summer, there are hundreds.”

“Do you know any of them?”

“Some. I mean, we all fish at the lake. That’s a short walk from the cabin,” I said. “Cade, if some of them are bit, that can get bad.”

“Not if they’re on top of it.”

“Have you seen anyone bit that didn’t get infected?”

“One person. But it wasn’t thirty days. A doctor at the hospital told us it could take thirty days even if the wound healed.”

“Typically, it’s faster, like with Paul.”

“I think because he was bit so close to an artery,” Cade explained. “Things move faster that way. Just a guess.”

“How long ago was the first case in DC?”

Cade shrugged and shook his head. “I knew about cases a few days before the news broke in April. Two weeks ago it hit epidemic proportions. At least to me, it was.”

“So the hospitals were overflowing?”

Cade laughed. “Into the streets. It’s like a rippling effect. The only difference is, instead of people being bit and turning right away, they get sick. And we as humans try to help them.”

“So seeing them in groups is probably not going to happen?”

“Why would you say that?” he asked.

“Just with you saying they get sick….”

“They pack like dogs. I think it’s one following the other to find food or revenge. Whatever motivates them.”

“Sorry if I sound like a job interviewer.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s keeping my mind occupied. Ask away.”

That probably wasn’t a good thing to tell me considering we had a highway stretch in front of us. Since it was all right to ask him things, I figured I would take advantage and curb my curiosity about this virus as best as I could.

Evans City was as close to country neighborly as one could get. I couldn’t believe Boswick chose not to even try there. Maybe because he needed medical supplies and Evans City was a bit off of the main road compared to the other two places. Plus, Harmony and Zelienople were closer. The highway was easy and we hit route sixty-eight without any incidents. Evans City was just about a five mile drive down that road and we’d hit the east side.

To my surprise, I saw the flashing police lights before we even hit Evans City.

Had they been quarantined? Did they have an outbreak?

Two police officers stood in front of the squad cars that blocked off the road. To let them know we weren’t a danger, I slowed down until I was close enough to find out what was going on.

An officer held up his hand. He wore one of those paper medical masks as he approached the window.

“Road’s closed, you’re gonna have to turn around,” he said.

“We’re up at the campsite, and just need to get some supplies,” I said.

“Sorry, no one gets in. We’re protecting our citizens. We don’t have the virus and we’re attempting to keep it that way.”

“We’re not sick.”

He shook his head. “I can’t take that chance. Would you?”

“I guess not. What about Butler?”

“You can try. But … you can’t take Sixty-eight. Have to get back on Seventy-Nine and hit Route Eight. I will tell you, Cranberry is a mess. Lots of traffic coming out of the city. But if you’re low on supplies. I recommend north. Or just making do and waiting it out.”

“Thank you.” I wound up my window, backed up, did a three point turn and headed back toward the highway. A mile down the road, I slowed down.

“What’s wrong?” Cade asked.

“What are we gonna do? Should I try Cranberry? That’s the only way to get into Butler. I mean there are a string of small towns dotted about. We could hit them.”

“We’re probably gonna run into the same problem.”

“So what do we do?” I asked. “Can we make our own IV fluids?”

“Yeah, we could … but … get back on the highway,” Cade suggested. “I have an idea.”

He had an idea.

“It may seem farfetched,” he said.

“Whatever it takes.”

“Good. Head back north.”

I was grateful for that because I was drawing a blank. I followed his dictate. Trying anything was better than nothing.

<><><><>

Cade said he spotted a billboard not far from where we got on the highway after Mountain Road. That told me his idea was close to the cabin, but for the life of me I couldn’t think of what billboard he was talking about. Cade was vague.

We got off the exit and about a mile down the road we pulled into the empty lot and parked behind the building.

“No lights,” Cade peered through the windshield. “No one’s here.”

“Looks that way. What …”

“Do you have a tire iron?”

“Yeah, in the back with the spare.”

Cade opened the door.

I followed him to the back hatch. “Cade, what are you doing?’

He lifted the hatch and found the tire iron. “Breaking in.”

“Breaking in?” I followed him to the back door.

“Yeah, I don’t think we have to worry about police. Not today.”

“Well, if you’re not worried about the cops,” I said sarcastically. “Why don’t you break the back door window? Will be a lot easier.”

“Good idea.” He walked to the door.

“Good idea … Cade.” I rushed to stop him.

Crash.

He broke the window. There was no alarm sound, unless of course it was silent.

I watched Cade reach in through the broken glass to unlock the door. I wanted to tell him, ‘You know this is a veterinarian hospital and not a people hospital, right?’ but somehow I think he knew that fact.

Cade stepped inside and turned on the lights. We walked into a small back room with empty cages.

“Where are the animals?”

“They probably didn’t have any over nights, or else someone would be on duty,” he said. I followed as he walked from the room. The hallway was long. He looked to his left, then after glancing to his right, he went into the room.

He set the tire iron down on a long silver metal table and searched around. “Yeah, this has stuff. Not what I’m looking for. Probably in another closet. We’ll be fast, in case the police do come. Can you go get that bag from the car?”

“Yeah. I’ll be right back.” I backed out slowly.

He immediately started going through the small stacked, plastic bins of supplies.

It was then I understood what he was doing and walked back out to the car.

Cade was right. There was no one around, no police or even sounds of sirens. I grabbed the empty duffle bag from the car and the keys. Even though we were in a remote area, I didn’t want to take a chance of losing our only means of transportation.

When I returned back inside I realized Cade wasn’t kidding when he said he’d move fast. On the silver examining table were items he planned on taking. Some of which were intravenous bags with fluids.

“Start putting that stuff in the duffle. I found a box we can use as well.” He showed it to me. It already had items in it and he put it on the table.

“Is this right to do?” I asked.

“Yes, yes it is,” he answered without hesitation.

“Will it work?”

“Put it this way … IV fluids are IV fluids. Antibiotics are different but they’ll work, especially the ointment and wound cleaner. Bandages are bandages,” he said, “I think we have enough. And …” He tapped the box that also had supplies. “We can drop this off to Boswick.”

I loaded the duffle bag. “If we have enough already, what are you looking for?”

“I’ll know it when I see it,” He stepped from the room. Within seconds he returned with a small white box, and he put it on the table before walking out.

The tiny white box tipped and brand new capped syringes poured out.

“Cade?” I lifted a syringe and sought him out. He was in a storage room down the hall. “Do you mind telling me why we need …” I paused when I saw he was looking at a small bottle that fit in the palm of his hand, containing a liquid. “Needles?”

He didn’t seem to hear me.

I walked closer. On the shelf was a small open box with seven other similar small bottles.

“This is it,” Cade said in a soft voice. He squeezed the bottle then put it with the others and grabbed the small box.

“What is it?”

“Let’s just say, it could be a humane answer.”

I was curious about what he meant. I didn’t see the name on the vials and I doubted I would know what I was looking at anyway. I figured it was some sort of pain medication or tranquilizer, both of which would come in handy in the long run.

After getting all of our items, turning off the lights, we shut the door and got back in the SUV.

It wouldn’t be a long drive to the cabin and once we hit Mountain Road, I was able to get through to Boswick on the radio. Even over a static filled line he sounded grateful and said he’d meet us at the property gate.

He was waiting there with one other man I didn’t recognize.

Boswick was a few years younger than my father and they had a love hate relationship. For years they bickered, but it didn’t surprise me in the least that my father told him where the spare key was. I never minded Barry Boswick, he was nice to me. He reminded me a lot of my father, strong and a leader. He knew his way around the outdoors, although you couldn’t tell that by looking at him. In all the years I had known him I never seen him in anything but a golf style shirt, and tan casual pants. In the summer he traded them in for shorts. But, he was always dressed preppy.

I really thought when his wife died years earlier that he would close Big Bear, especially since his son didn’t live in the state. He didn’t close, in fact, he grasped on to it, treating the regular dwellers like family.

He, like my father was protecting that family.

Boswick didn’t just meet us at the gate with a relieved look, he greeted us with the charging base to the radio.

“Keep that on you. With this crisis, we could end up needing each other.”

Cade handed him the box. “This should help you out. If you have any questions, just radio.”

“How did you get it?” He asked.

“Well we couldn’t get into town, so we borrowed from the animal hospital.”

“That works, good thinking. I’m sorry I turned you away.”

“I understand. How many injured do you have?” Cade asked.

“Right now about ten. When they showed up, we just didn’t know. Now they’re showing symptoms. Tammy, our camp nurse, isn’t here and we’re just winging it.”

“It’s a scary time.” Cade said. “No one knows much. Just … do yourself a favor, keep them hydrated, separated from everyone else and secure. Those that are ill turn violent.”

“We’ve heard stories. Are you a doctor?” Boswick asked.

“No. Just a first responder who has some experience with this. I was in DC when it started falling apart. If you want … I can come back tomorrow and check on them. I can’t make promises that I can help, but I can check.”

Boswick clutched that box at that moment, almost as if shielding his emotions. “I … I don’t know what to say.”

I decided to give him the words. “You can say thank you.”

Boswick grimaced at me then looked at Cade. “Thank you. I’d appreciate it. And thank you, Nila.”

“I’ll be by tomorrow,” Cade said. “I’ll uh, radio before I come over. Just do me a favor and separate them.”

“I will.”

Cade didn’t say anymore, he waved while holding the radio and walked back to the SUV.

“You didn’t need to offer that,” I said, getting in. “I mean, he turned you and your sister away.”

“But if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have ended up at your place. Which is much cooler and I’ll bet a better deal.”

“You’re so nice. You’re probably some murderer.” I started the SUV.

“Oh my God, why would you say something like that?”

“Not that I believe it. I don’t. Not really, but you’re too nice. I mean, he kicks you out, you help him.”

“He gave me a better place to go,” Cade defended.

“I held a gun at your head and you helped us.”

“You didn’t shoot me,” Cade said. “I can come up with a positive to your every negative. That’s the type of person I was raised to be.  Boswick didn’t need to tell me about your father’s cabin and you could have shot me the second you saw me. But we’re all up on this mountain together, all in the same boat and all, still good people. We just gotta hang on to that.”

“Can we?”

“I believe we can try.”

“Then we will. Kind of funny, isn’t it?”

“What?” Cade asked.

“Well, it’s been happening for a while, but it seems like today everything just fell apart.”

“Yeah, it does seem that way. Why is it funny?”

“Today is May fifth,” I said. “Oddly enough, Cinco de Mayo,” I paused. “Day of the Dead.”

Silence.

Cade cleared his throat. “You know, for how really cool and dramatic that sounded. And yeah, it really is funny, because ‘Day of the Dead’ is in November.”

“For real?”

“Yeah. It is Cinco de Mayo, but Day of the Dead doesn’t happen on Cinco de Mayo, that’s a totally different Mexican holiday and it happens in November.”

“Shit.” I tapped my hands on the wheel. “Okay, forget I said anything.”

“It was a powerful thought. Funny as hell, though.”

I didn’t respond or reply, I didn’t want to open my mouth any more. It was kind of karma for calling him a murderer. After a couple minutes, I laughed at my mistake. And laughter at such a dark time was needed more than anything.

<><><><>

We were gone longer than I had hoped, but shorter than we could have been, and we came back with supplies that would be needed.

Cade had explained to me how antibiotics didn’t work on a virus, but it was possible that a bacteria could cause an infection that sped up the virus. He was going to try the canine stuff he found at the vet.

I asked if that was what was in the vials he was studying, he flatly answered, “No.”

It was as we pulled up to fence when I saw them.

My daughters were sitting alone on the front porch. I hurriedly undid the padlock, Cade stayed behind to lock it back up as I sped to the cabin and jumped from the SUV.

They innocently sat together on that porch, just staring out. I found it frightening and odd that my father would let them, especially in light of what was happening. Something else was going on.

“Why are you girls out here?” I asked. “Are you okay?”