“I know that.” Another kiss to Chris and Mick lifted Tigger.
“Hey!” Tigger squirmed. “I’m not a baby.”
“You’ll always be my baby.” Mick gave a quick hug and kiss to Tigger.
“Aw, man, Mick,” Chris complained. “Now why’d you have to go and get all mushy like? You better get going before you lose the macho badge after your arm wrestling match with Jonah Briggs.”
Doc stepped into the conversation. “We’re ready to go.” He pointed to the jeep. “You and uh, Jonah had an arm wrestling match?”
“Yes.” Mick nodded then pointed to Chris. “Remember your promise.”
“I swore,” Chris said. “Ain't telling no one.”
Mick flashed a grin to Doc, told him he’d meet him at the jeep and then he walked to Briggs. “Hey.”
Briggs extended his hand. “You have instructions from the virus guys on what to do?”
“Yep, and my phone is charged. Hopefully, the signal extends to there and I can call them.
“Good. And we’ll keep in touch as well.”
“Sounds good.” Mick paused. “Briggs, I know this is an easy thing. And I’m sure everything will turn out fine. But on the outside chance something happens to me, can you make sure my boys get home to the rest of their family?”
“Absolutely. And Mick, awesome show of strength last night.”
Mick grimaced and grumbled ‘Humph’, extended his hand to Briggs and headed to the jeep. He waved once more to the boys as he opened the door.
Doc stood outside of the jeep.
“What are you waiting for?” Mick asked.
“Who won?” Doc asked.
“You will never know.”
“Seriously, come on. Who won?”
Mick simply tightened his lips in a snide smile, shook his head and got in the jeep.
Erie, PA
Lars performed what he called a ‘raw surgical procedure at best’ on Rose. He did what he could with what he had. He set the bone, cleaned out the infection, sealed the wound, hooked her up to antibiotics and hoped for the best.
She was resting now, much easier than she had been.
The young woman named Lola stopped by and Lars asked her to keep an eye on Rose while he stepped out. He’d learned that, until his arrival, Ace had been keeping her captive in the room with Rose.
It was a brisk day; he imagined a lot of the colder air was coming from the lake. The evening before, not surprising to Lars, Ace’s men had brought three children to him to examine, stating they were found while on supply runs.
That was another reason Lars left Rose. He needed to find Ace.
He walked around for a good hour; no one seemed to care or notice him. Then again, most of those in the small four block militarized section were all Ace’s men. A few women, not many.
He was just at the end of the blockage, where the main road left the tourist area and headed toward a residential area and downtown, when Ace called to him.
“Where are you going?”
“Actually looking for you.” Lars saw Ace emerging from the Dairy Queen. “Oh, you were having ice cream.”
Ace looked behind him. “Are you always this sarcastic?”
“Yes, comes with the territory. Tell me, dear tyrant, why is the Dairy Queen so heavily guarded? Are we protecting the last of the chocolate and vanilla?”
Ace bit his lip and moved in a storming manner to Lars. “I would prefer you to stay contained to one area, please.”
“I’m not a prisoner, remember? And while I prefer to be in my quaint little house in Lodi, I cannot. So since can’t, I would like those three children to be sent to Lodi.”
“What children?”
“The ones you brought me to examine last night.”
“They are orphans.”
“Really? Because one of them told me they were at a campsite and it was raided. By your men, who killed almost all of the adults and took the children. Two of the camp’s survivors are in Lodi, and one of the children here gave me their names. When I send for someone to get Rose, the children leave too.”
“You’re really demanding.”
“How is sending children where they belong demanding?” Lars asked. “They don’t belong to you.”
“I am doing a great service for this country. Building, making it strong, getting people together. Organizing.”
“So burning towns, killing innocent people, kidnapping children and raping women are a good service? These are reports I get from people.”
“Steps are taken. Sometimes they’re right, sometimes they aren’t, but they’re all for a good cause,” Ace argued. “Sometimes it takes strength and chaos to bring peace.”
“In whose world? I believe your motive is to strike terror into everyone. For what? So you can rule the country? How absurd is that? Are you holding the city of Erie hostage as well?”
“No, actually they’re grateful, things were falling apart there.”
“Then allow me to check. I’m sure some may need medical attention. Someone may need help.”
“They have their own doctors.”
“Then why do you need me?” Lars asked.
“You have a purpose here,” Ace stated, and began to walk away.
“I’m not finished speaking to you. I need to call Lodi and ask for a trusted opinion on Rose.”
“Whatever.” Ace tried to walk by him. “I suggest you do your job.”
“And what job would that be?”
Ace didn’t reply. He looked once over his shoulder then didn’t look back again.
“Asshole,” Lars murmured. And since no one really paid any attention to him, before he made that call to Lodi, Lars looked around a little more.
Las Vegas, NV
Slot Machine Charlie died. Despite the new respirator and Lexi’s best efforts, he passed away from respiratory distress.
He was the only one so far that had died from SARS. Matt’s mother was showing signs of improvement.
Charlie had died while Lexi was in the room. She tried her best to revive him, but it didn’t work. She had just finished removing the medical items from him and covering him, when Matt walked in.
“They’re back,” he said through his facial mask.
Lexi exhaled. “I’ll be right there.” Hurriedly, she exited the room. She’d make plans for his removal after she spoke to Bill. She removed her gloves, gown and mask, then washed up and raced to the elevator and finally to the lobby.
Bill wasn’t there. Her heart beat steady and strong, and she feared something had happened to him.
“I’m sorry to make you rush,” Matt said. “When I said they were back, I meant they were pulling into town.”
Hand to her chest, Lexi gasped then raced outside. The heat blasted her. As the wind whipped and sand blew in her face she saw the car pulling up.
When it slowed and Bill stepped out, Lexi raced to him and wrapped her arms around him. They embraced as if it had been days.
“Well?” Lexi asked.
“It was a hot zone. Like we knew,” Bill replied.
“And you destroyed it?”
“Yeah,” Bill said. “Burned the lab.”
Lexi saw the look on his face. Was it concern? Exhaustion? “Bill, what is it? It’s over. That part is over.”
“No.” Bill shook his head. “Lex, you should have seen the animals, the deer, the people. Those were the ones killed. Yeah, we may have burned out the virus in the lab. But all those animals that pass through, the deer that people shoot to eat. We will never get all the carriers.”
Lexi’s eyes widened. “It’s an unending battle.”
“For the time being. We stopped the bleed,” Bill said, “but we far from healed the wound.”