Anchorage, Alaska
The final scream of the Barrow Flu rang out and echoed in the silent hospital corridors. The last one. Bill was far away from it. He paused in his task of moving bodies piled on carts to close his eyes. He felt bad for the woman. She had died alone, crying out in pain with no one around to care.
It was over.
Bodies were everywhere, and it was a hopeless cause. Not that Bill was making any order of them, he was just making room to walk, covering the bodies if he could, in his task of shoving them aside.
He heard the footsteps against the linoleum and he looked up to the end of the corridor. Lexi emerged from the last room. She carried a knapsack and no longer wore the hospital garb.
“There you are,” Bill said. “I was looking for you.”
Lexi walked to him. “You’re not cleaning up, are you?”
“No.” Bill shook his head. “Moving them aside.”
“Why?”
“Maybe one day, someone might be by to look for family. I don’t know.” Bill shrugged. “Do you suppose anyone will ever do anything with these bodies?”
Lexi chuckled. “No. Never. They outnumber those who survived by a large margin.” She started walking with Bill. “But our work is done here.”
“You’re all dressed up. Where are you going?” Bill questioned as he hit the stairwell with her.
“I spoke to the Center. There’s a small town in California that has a lot of ill, no medical help. The CDC plane is still at the airport and the pilot isn’t sick. We’re flying off there.”
“I see.” Bill nodded and opened the first floor door for her. “Then what?”
“Who knows?”
“Can I come?” Bill asked.
Lexi paused, “Why would you want to?”
“Lexi, come on. What’s left here? You yourself estimated about six thousand people. That’s it. That’s not a lot. I have nothing here. And I don’t think come Monday morning I’m going to be back at work at the paper. So can I?”
“Absolutely. I’d love the company.”
“Can I get some things from my home? It’s actually in walking distance from here.”
“Sure. I’d love to see where Bill Daniels used to…” Lexi stopped cold as she and Bill stepped from the front door of the hospital. Not only were there no more gunshots, car sounds, or fire smells, there were no noises at all. Not even birds. And the explanation for that came in the form of dead birds all over the sidewalks and street.
Horrified, Bill looked down. “They died of the flu?”
Lexi hit the tip of her boot against one of the birds. “No. I’d say they died of smoke from the burning bodies.” She swallowed and looked around.
“It’s almost as if no one is left. Where is everyone?” Bill led Lexi in the direction of his home.
“They’re around. They’re just not going to be so easy to spot anymore.”
“Do you think the people left in Anchorage will just let the buildings and bodies be?” Bill questioned.
“Yes. Wouldn’t you? They’ll sit tight for a while, those who beat it. They’ll be some who will try to do things. But all in all I think people are gonna wait.”
“Wait for what?”
“For the flu to run its course and be declared officially over. But they’ll be waiting a long time.”
“You don’t think the flu is gonna run its course?”
“Oh, it’ll run its course,” Lexi said. “I just don’t think anyone will care enough, when it’s all said and done, to make that declaration.”
Lodi, Ohio
“It’s a pissing contest,” Mick complained angrily. He pulled the wet towel from his ear and tossed it in the trash as he and Officer Haddock stepped into the station. “I don’t think the lot of them care if they get in here. I think they just want to see if they can. Like I said, a pissing contest. In the middle of the urine stream, I almost become Vincent fuckin’ van Gogh.”
Haddock chuckled. “Good one.”
“Thank you.”
“Maybe it’s a test, Chief. Maybe to see if you’ll really shoot them if they make in it.”
“If they make it in. And if they do, yeah, I’ll—”
“Mick,” Dylan called out from across the office.
Standing next to his office door, Mick turned around. “Hey, Dylan.”
“Mick!” She hurried to him. “I heard… AHHHHHHH!” Dylan screamed loudly, not only jolting Mick, but causing Haddock to scream, as well.
“What?” Mick asked “What?”
“Your ear is gone.” Dylan pointed, panicked.
“It is not.” Mick showed her. “Just covered in blood. I got shot. What’s up?”
Dylan blinked a few times. “Just like that? You got shot?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Chasing bad guys.”
“By yourself?”
“Um, yeah,” Mick snickered.
“Why would you do that all alone?”
“Because I’m that damn good,” Mick self-importantly joked.
“What the hell, Mick?” Dylan snapped.
Perhaps, he thought, he missed something, wasn’t paying attention, for that split second between the words that he heard and Dylan suddenly growing angry.
“Are you mad about something?” Mick asked.
“Asshole!” Dylan barked.
“What?” Mick looked to Haddock. “What?”
“I’ll tell you what,” Dylan said, poking Mick in the chest. “Do you even give a shit? You got shot, Mick, right on your head. You could have died.”
“I didn’t.”
Dylan growled. “While you’re off trotting around being Robin the Boy Wonder—”
“Why can’t I be Batman?”
Dylan tossed her hands up. “You know what? Just forget it. You don’t see my point.”
“What are you talking about?” Mick was confused. “The point is I was doing my job.”
“No, Mick, the point is… you weren’t thinking,” Dylan told him. “Yeah, run about, be the hero, but what the hell are me and the boys supposed to do if something happens to you? Huh? What?”
Officer Haddock cleared his throat and whispered to Mick, “She’s right.”
“Who asked you!” Mick barked then noticed Dylan walking away. “Dylan!” Mick’s hand raised then dropped. He grumbled softly, “Haddock, you’re a married man. Quick, what do I say to rectify this?”
Through clenched teeth, like telling a secret, Haddock moved toward Mick. “Just tell her you’re sorry, you weren’t thinking, and she should be foremost in your mind. That type of stuff.”
“Got it.” Mick nodded. “Thanks.” Quickly he trotted off after Dylan. “Wait.” He called out to her when he saw her on the street. “Dylan.”
Arms folded tight, Dylan stopped and turned around. “What? And don’t come too close, you disgust me.”
Mick paused in shock. “I disgust you?”
“Yes. Your ear is half gone.”
“It is not. See.” Mick turned his head, but the attempt to show her was in vain. Dylan closed her eyes. “Never mind. Dylan…”
“What? Mick, I have to go.”
“Where do you have to go?”
“To work. Thank you very much for opening businesses again.”
“Dylan, wait.” Mick took hold of her arm. “You were right. I was wrong.”
“About?”
“What do you think?’
“You tell me. You’re a man. You’ll apologize just to get peace, and you’ll never know what you’re apologizing for. So tell me.”
“For taking a risk.” Mick looked at her. “Was that right?”
“Go on.”
“OK.” Mick took a breath. “I wasn’t thinking. I was just acting. But I will not do that again. It was a dangerous situation and I should have called for backup. I’ll be more careful. The last thing I want is to leave you and the boys. Okay?”