Searching for an hour, Arthur finally gave up and tried his message boards and found they were still down. He opened his e-mail and typed ‘Call home’ and sent it to Wendy.
Getting another idea, Arthur typed the website of a hospital he used to work at in Little Rock that had ER wait times posted on the website. To him, that was the stupidest shit in the world. You only go to the ER for an emergency, but he was an ER nurse and knew eighty percent of who they saw could’ve been seen in a doctor’s office.
When the site popped up, he leaned back in his chair. “Seventy-one hours and twenty minutes?!” Arthur gasped.
Knowing a few more hospitals that did that, he searched for their websites as his internet speed seemed to crawl. One in Dallas had a wait time of sixty hours and the other three were unavailable. “There is no fucking way any organization or government could blanket out this much information.”
‘Ring’ sounded from the phone and Arthur jumped in the chair, spilling his coffee on his bare legs. “Fuck!” he shouted, putting his cup down and wiping the coffee off, then grabbed the phone and saw the international number.
“Hello,” he answered.
“Hey, Hun, what ‘cha need?” Wendy asked and he could hear music and cheering behind her.
“Have you heard anything about the flu?”
“Yeah, the captain came over the intercom yesterday and said a flu outbreak was in the states and China and if anyone felt sick, they should report to medical. Five or six people were taken off at the last stop at St. Kit and sent to the hospital,” Wendy told him.
“What about when you went ashore?”
“Yeah, flights to Mexico City were cancelled at our last stop. The couple next to me and Gloria tried to fly home,” Wendy told him. “They couldn’t reach their family, but that’s not unusual. I tried three times to get through to you this time.”
“Wendy, you think you can catch a flight home at your next stop?”
There was a pause before Wendy spoke. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know, but this is weird. I can’t find any information on this flu,” Arthur said.
“Hun, there are long delays on airplanes. They are screening passengers to make sure they don’t have this flu. The ship’s doctor spoke last night at supper and said the information he got was that this was a nasty one, putting people in bed for over a week. He said many needed care while they were sick. That’s why he offloaded the ones on the ship,” Wendy explained.
“How are you feeling?”
“I feel great,” Wendy laughed. “How are things there?”
“Just running the farm,” Arthur said, not wanting her to worry about him. “But Joseph won’t be coming home.”
“What?” Wendy snapped.
“His leave was cancelled,” Arthur said, then lowered his voice, “because of the flu.”
He could hear Wendy’s breathing increase into the phone. “Did he say anything else?” Wendy asked with a shaking voice.
“He couldn’t,” Arthur told her. “He’s the one who told me to get you to fly home.”
“Arthur, I would have to stay on the island to catch the plane and that’s if the flight isn’t cancelled. I really feel this boat will get me back the fastest way,” Wendy confessed and Arthur noticed all the cheer was now out of her voice.
Giving a long groan, Arthur held the phone tight as he spoke. “Babe, you keep safe.”
“I will, Arthur,” Wendy said. “There is a line to use the sat phones but I got lucky, and you wouldn’t believe what they charge the credit card!”
“I don’t care. You need something or need to tell me something, you call.”
“Arthur, I will, but the internet will be the fastest way for us to talk. I got your message when you sent it. I just had to wait in line for the phone for half an hour,” Wendy told him.
“Okay, babe. You stay safe. I love you,” Arthur said, feeling helpless.
“Love you too,” Wendy told him and Arthur heard the phone click.
Looking at the phone with a sigh, he carried it back to the bedroom and put it back in the base on Wendy’s side of the bed. He looked on her pillow to see the cats side-by-side like sphinx, ruling over their land. “I’m telling Wendy neither of you were worried about her,” Arthur huffed and neither cat even cracked an eye open.
Grabbing his workout clothes, Arthur headed to the bathroom and just started the day ahead of schedule. Brushing his teeth, he said a prayer for Wendy and Joseph but even now, the visitor was slowly multiplying through Wendy’s body.
Chapter Ten
Only those in charge need to be safe
May 2
Hearing a tap behind him, Dr. Sutton stepped back from the lab table and turned around. He saw Jackson at the view window overlooking the lab. Inside a pressurized lab suit, Sutton reached down and pressed the radio box connected to the outside intercom. “Yes?” he said and saw Jackson motioning with his hands. “Look to your left and you will see a communication box. Press the green button to talk.”
Glancing to his left, Jackson stepped over and pressed the button. “Sutton, the president has arrived and wants an update,” Jackson told him.
“I need ten minutes,” Sutton snapped. “I’m almost finished with these dishes.”
“I’ll let him know and will be waiting outside the airlock,” Jackson said, then walked away.
Moving back to the microscope, Sutton went back to work spreading the virus on the prepared culture medium. When he had the
