“No, I was planning to get it after lunch or work.”
“Hmm, I’d wait as long as I could if I were you. Well, back to the grind,” he says crushing his cigarette butt in the ash can and starts off across the sandy strip towards his building.
“See ya later,” Lynn says, heading back to her building.
With her hand on the door handle, its heat radiating into her palm, she hears a shout from behind her. Turning to look over her shoulder, she sees Sergeant Drescoll standing mid-way between buildings looking at her.
“What?” She says shouting back.
“Lunch?” He calls back.
“Sure,” Lynn answers opening the door and steps into the darker and cooler building, wondering if there is anything to what Drescoll said.
The same rumor from two different sources, but rumors were rumors and she has tried to stay away from the rumor mill during her fourteen-year career; thus far being mostly successful. Even so, Drescoll worked in Intel and so may have more of a clue than others. And, he wasn’t one to pass on rumors or talk just for the sake of hearing himself. Shrugging it off but keeping it in some small part of her mind, she settles into her desk to finish some paperwork before lunch. The others inside have also settled into their seats working on their assigned tasks.
Finishing up her lunch with Sergeant Drescoll, Lynn and he step out from the dining facility with the sun hammering down; the heat instantly bakes them and causes a sheen of sweat to quickly appear on their foreheads. A squeal over the loudspeaker mounted on a pole close by them greets them as well indicaing a coming announcement. “Attention all personnel. The Cape Town Flu vaccinations are temporarily suspended at this time. Repeat. All Cape Town flu vaccinations are suspended at this time.”
“I guess that takes care of that,” Lynn says after the echo of the blasting loudspeaker silences.
“Guess so,” Drescoll says. “Glad I waited.”
“Me too,” Lynn responds and they part company, each heading back towards their respective areas.
On her way, Lynn wonders again at the validity of the rumors. The military loves their shots so wouldn’t cancel a vaccination unless there was something very wrong. What if people were actually getting sicker from the shot? How long until people are back? I sure hope this doesn’t delay my return home, she thinks arriving back at the office. Oh my god, I hope Jack didn’t get one. What am I thinking? Of course he didn’t. He wouldn’t even go to the doctor for his knee.
Back at her desk, there is an email from brigade stating that the flu vaccinations are suspended verifying the loudspeaker announcement. With the other personnel out sick, there is actually quite a bit to do and the day passes by quickly. There has been no sign of Captain Braser and most of the others in the office left at 1600. At 1700, Lynn logs off her workstation and heads out of the now almost empty building. An odd feeling settles over her, this building has never been this empty, she thinks heading out into the late afternoon after making sure there is coverage through the night for the operations center.
The suffocating heat still permeates the outdoors but is cooling somewhat as Lynn finishes her dinner and heads back to the barracks. I hope the internet is up, she thinks approaching the door to her convex barracks. Only a couple of weeks and I am outta here. Opening the rear door to the barracks, the coolness of the interior rushes out, chilling her and causing goose bumps to run up her arm. The large interior is broken up by bunk beds with wall lockers breaking the area up into smaller, more private cubicles.
Her “roommate’s” bunk is just inside the door to the left sharing the private space with her own against the left hand corner. Her roommate is lying on the lower bunk. Just as the door begins to close, the loudspeaker squeals once again. Knowing retreat has already sounded, Lynn turns to hold the door open and listens, “Attention all personnel. Anyone experiencing flu symptoms are to report immediately to zone 2. Repeat. Anyone experiencing flu symptoms are ordered to report to zone 2. If you notice anyone with flu symptoms, you are to notify security immediately. That is all.”
Wow! This is getting serious, Lynn thinks heading to her corner and grabbing her laptop out of her footlocker. Finding that there is still not an internet connection and suspecting it is purposely being blocked, she reaches for her book as a chill runs up her spine accompanied by a sad and lonely feeling. Tomorrow is her day off and this was supposed to be one of the times that she and Jack could talk longer. I hope he’s okay, she thinks settling onto her lower bunk and opening her book. She reads until the lights go out at 2000 and falls asleep in her fatigues with her boots by the side of her bunk.
A groaning sound awakens her in the middle of the night. It sounds as if it is coming from the bunk next to her; her roommate’s bunk. Groggily, Lynn opens her eyes to a mostly dark barracks lit only by the exit lights at either end of the building. Accustomed to the various sounds of people sleeping in close proximity, she rolls over and closes her eyes attempting to get back to sleep. The moaning sound penetrates her sleepy mind once again. I can’t wait to get out of this place and have some privacy, she thinks, the sleepiness slowly vanishing. Not wanting to get up but remembering the loudspeaker announcement, she shucks off her blanket and sits up, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes.
Swinging her legs over and setting her feet on the cool concrete floor, she reaches overhead grabbing her flashlight. Flicking the light on but cupped in her hand, letting only a little light shine through her fingers, she stands up and quietly walks over to where her roommate is.
“Are you okay?” She asks, letting a small ray of light illuminate her roommate’s face.
Although there’s only a small amount of light, Lynn clearly sees her roommate lying in the bunk with her blanket pulled up to her chin, her fingers gripping the blanket edges as if it might fly away. Only her face peeks out from under it. The sight of her roommate’s face sends a chill crawling, well, not crawling but racing up Lynn’s spine. Peeking up from her sweat-soaked pillow, her roommate’s eyes squint against the light; they are swollen and her face is ashen. Beads of sweat form on her forehead and run down her temples and cheeks. Drool has formed at the corner of her mouth, ready to join its compadres on the journey down her face.
“I’m fine,” her roommate half breathes and moans attempting normal speech.
“You have to go to zone 2. I’ll help you,” Lynn says reaching a hand out to her.
“I said I’m fine,” her roommate says shrinking further back into the pillow.
Lynn stands, walks back to her bunk, sits on the edge, and slips her boots on by the light of the flashlight placed next to her on the bed. Lacing up her boots and donning her fatigue top, she picks up her light and, shielding it once more, passes by her roommate’s bunk and heads to the back door.
“Where are you going?” A whisper calls out from the bunk.
“Out,” she responds and opens the back door into the night.
Her plan is to locate an MP on the way to her office, or, failing that, call from there. Not wanting to walk all of the way to the security shop or a gate, this will be the quickest way to notify security that her roommate is exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Plus, there is the fact of not wanting to be in a close proximity to someone with a reported highly contagious sickness. Stepping out into the chill of the night air and into the circle of light cast by the light over the doorway, she starts off toward her work building and is swallowed up immediately by the dark. The stars overhead cast a clear brilliance that only the desert can bring; the ground around is lit only at intervals by rings of light cast by the camp lights with the areas in between an inky black.