Sealed In Part 24

"I know you are; at least some one is."

Andy stood. "No word?"

Andy shook his head. "Chad's been on the phone with our director. The President had no luck. This afternoon is the day, you know. When we level Hartworth, things will heat up all over. No one is taking the virus seriously, yet we're losing 98% of those infected. This time next week won't be good. Air travel should be suspended. Hopefully."

"V-vaccine?"

"Soviets are denying adamantly that they had any part in this, even though it is highly publicized that they did. Right now, we're trying to find Paltrov's colleagues. Something. I'm thinking, though, if this goes global, which it will because air travel wasn't suspended over the holiday, then we'll hear about a vaccine. Probably the former Soviet Union will emerge with a cure that they 'supposedly' just came up with. By the way ... the pagoclone is working wonders on that stutter. Fast too."

Andy nodded. "The more c-confident I was, the less I st-stuttered. But it is like when I got high or sang, it completely l-left. So I expected it to be fast."

"Another day that may be close to nonexistent."

"Until I run out."

"Just smoke weed."

"I would have. But I w-worked for the city. They d-drug tested." Andy shrugged.

"You don't have that worry anymore. We're kind of hoping that if we don't hear from the Russians regarding a vaccine, then maybe we can create something by watching your blood. Problem is, that takes time. If this moves too fast, then creating a vaccine will be in vain."

"Not really," Andy said. "Even if it t ... takes a lot of the population, there will be p-people who were smart. Like your wife. P-people who stayed away from others who will need it to in-integrate back into the world."

"That's true." Edward nodded. "Sort of like what you said in your book, about civilizations dying out because of stupidity. If the world hits an extinction level pandemic, it's only stupidity that caused it, and the smart survive. I was ..." He paused when he saw the crinkled nose look on Andy's face. "What's wrong?"

Andy shook his head. "Thought I heard someone."

Chad walked in.

Edward smiled. "I guess you did hear someone."

"So," Chad spoke as he entered. "How is our resident blood machine doing?"

"Fine." Andy replied. "Take as much as you need."

Chad grinned. "How do you feel about that medication? Giving you more confidence? It's working wonderfully."

"Very h-happy. An occasional skip. Better than when I smoked weed."

"Oh. Well, I have some if you want to test the combination."

Andy tilted his head, conveying that it wasn't a bad suggestion Edward immediately shot a stern look to Andy. "Excuse me?"

Andy cleared his throat and shook his head. "No. But thanks."

"I'm sure," Chad said. "The reason I am here isn't just to see how your veins are holding up. We had a survivor in Hartworth. We hadn't mentioned him by name to you, and this was for the purpose of privacy. Nor did we mention you by name to him. I think you two may know each other or know the same people. It may be good for the grieving process to talk to each other. We'll be down here quite some time." He reached back and looked out the open door, waving his hand. "Come on in."

Edward saw it. The 'throw back' head reaction given by Andy followed by a groan when Del walked in.

"You have to be s.h.i.tting me," Del said. "Him. He's the sole survivor of Lincoln?" He stepped to Andy. "How's the s-s-stutter."

"G-g-gone." Andy replied.

"What happened to my Emma, Cody ..."

"They're no longer with us."

Del huffed out emotionally. "So you were in charge of my family and you failed them."

"I didn't fail them," Andy argued.

"You let them die."

"I did not let them die!" Andy yelled. "Things happened. Things out of our control."

"They were my family."

"You lost your right to call them your family the day you walked out the door," Andy said. "Where were you if you were all that concerned?"

Chad interjected. "He's not immune; he just lucked out. He was arrested."

"I was shot," Del said.

Chad shook his head and spoke nonchalantly. "Minor flesh wound. Nothing to write home about."

"So you hid?" Andy asked.

"I had no choice," Del snapped. "I was trapped. You, on the other hand, had a choice and the ability to do something."

"Bull, I lost my choice and ability the second I watched your daughter die."

"You're an a.s.shole," Del remarked harshly. "Really. Go ahead, lose the stutter, but you're still the big town r.e.t.a.r.d who can't do anything. Who can't protect an innocent baby."

Andy closed his eyes.

"You know ..." Chad said in a singing manner.

"Chad," Edward warned.

Chad held up his hand to Edward. "You know, Andy, you're the much bigger guy. I don't understand why you let him speak to you like that. I'd deck him. But that's just me."

Edward saw the widest grin strike Andy's face as he turned his head slowly to look at Chad.

"Someone else once said that to me," Andy said.

Del held out his hands. "What the h.e.l.l, Dr. Walker?"

"Del?" Andy called his name.

"What?"

Andy decked him. Probably not as hard as he could have, but he nailed him anyhow, sending him spinning down to the floor. He walked to him, flipped him over, and grabbed him by the collar. "That was for Emma. Out of everyone, you don't deserve to live. Not you. You selfish piece of sh ... sh... c.r.a.p." Andy dropped him and walked out.

Chad cleared his throat. "Was it just me, or was there a lot of hostility between the two men?"

Edward grumbled, commented on how it was going to be a long lockdown, and pulled Del to his feet.

Andy didn't want to be bothered. As he stretched out on the bed, he stared at the photo of Emma, grateful she had printed it. So much was in a digital world; Andy supposed that if technology shut down, so many memories would be lost.

The photo was sealed in a bag.

Edward knocked and then walked in. "How's it going?"

Andy shrugged.

"So ... wanna tell me what that was all about?"

"I'm sorry."

"You seem so pa.s.sive. I am shocked. You hit him good," Edward said.

"Not my best. If... if you want to kick me out. You c-can."

Edward shook his head "Even if I wanted to, I can't. We're on lockdown. What's the story?"

"He's the ex of the woman I was involved with. The father of her k-kids. He left a long time ago and popped back up. I g-guess it was just building."

"Wow, so out of all the people, the ex-husband survived?"

Andy cracked a partial smile.

"Can you try to get along? You both have loved and lost the same people. Make it work for you instead of against."

"I'll try." Andy kept his gaze on the picture.

"What's that?"

Andy handed it to him.

"Is this the woman you were involved with? She's... beautiful."

"In every way," Andy said sadly. "It's all I have. It got dropped."

"What do you mean?" Edward asked.

"When the sickness started, she made this b-box. In it were pictures of her life. A notebook of her history. She wanted it to remain in c-case she didn't. So someone c-could find it in the f-future. And know her. This was on the floor."

"That was very smart. The box was left behind?"

Andy nodded.

"I'm sorry. I know it's not there now."

Quickly Andy looked at him. "It's fine. The bomb went off over Hartworth. I saw ... saw Lincoln on the news. It's f-flattened, but I know it's safe. It's there."

"You seem very certain."

"I am. When something means so much, you have to believe it's okay. When I get out, I am going to get it. Trust me ..." Andy returned to staring at the picture. "Nothing is stopping me from going back to Lincoln."

"Knock, knock," Chad called out from the other side of Del's door.

"Great," Del grumbled and opened it. "Hey, Dr. Walker."

"Chad. Call me Chad. Thank you. I'll come in." He stepped into the room. "How do you like your new accommodations?"

"Better than the hospital-style room."

"How's the cheek?"

Del touched his bruise. "Not too bad. Sore, but I have taken worse."

"It surprised me, too, how he just seemed to tap you. I expected more."

"And what happened to that stutter?" Del said.

"Well," Chad explained. "The emotional trauma of watching everyone he loved die snapped it right out of him."

"I didn't know that could happen."

"It can't. I'm joking. He's on medication."

Del shook his head in disgust. "You're an instigator."

"I run this facility, and we are on lockdown so I can do whatever I want," Chad said "Then let me out of here. I don't want to be down here."

"Del, you're not immune. Chances are, up there, you won't be so lucky. And aside from that, it's an automatic lockdown. I can't override it. You're not a prisoner; you can still make phone calls and go on the computer."

"I watched the news this morning," Del said. "They said they think it's under control, that after disinfecting Montana, the bug will die out."

Chad nodded. "I heard that, too, and my G.o.d, do I want to believe that is right. But Del, Billings was infected. The infection spread across the West Coast. The problem we have is it is highly contagious, and it's just started to spread. Air travel wasn't suspended over the holiday. This time next week, we'll know."

Del looked away then turned back to Chad. "Can this thing do to the world what it did to Hartworth?"

"I hope not. I am hoping for a cure or vaccine. But it isn't the virus that will destroy us, if things fall apart. Your 'town r.e.t.a.r.d' wrote an interesting book on why civilization died out. You should read it."