The Rabid (19 page)

I stepped over the thing's body to get a closer look at his bite. "Jesus
Christ. It bit right through your Achilles tendon."

"Oh shit. Oh Jesus. What's that mean? I'm I gonna die?"

"Will he be okay, Jack?" Raychel's tears were coming in torrents.

I
looked up at them. "I know a doctor."

From the
Desk of Dr. Lisa James

December 19

The
days were beginning to shorten. Darkness fell upon the Huntington house around
five every evening and the children were asleep by seven. Ms. Huntington always
invited me down for tea afterward and we'd talk about anything and everything.
Besides Jack. Whenever his name was brought up, I'd change the subject. I
didn't need to be made to feel guilty for him anymore. He wasn't my
responsibility.

Snow
had started to sneak into our lives. During the day it was a refreshing sight.
While it didn't match my moods most the time, I grew accustomed to the
transition. Inside was very warm and inviting. People would come in and out of
the house. For some, it was just another pit stop on their way somewhere else.
For others, it was a permanent residence. I'd met many new faces.

The
nights we're only getting more and more difficult. I never did have a chance to
figure out why. I suppose deep down I knew. But I hand't made a mistake. My
head had never steered me wrong. The heart was weak. There was no way I could
follow it to a correct decision ever again after what had happened with Chase.

And
because of that, I had a decision to make.

It
was a Tuesday. There had been a snowstorm sometime during the night. The
driveway was muddy and puddles had built up. Rex and Alex were out jumping from
one dirty gray patch of snow to another. I watched them from the window. Clouds
still hung low in the sky, but it seemed the snow had stopped for the most
part.

I
can't recall how long I stood in the kitchen, but it felt as though hours had
passed while I steeped the green tea in my cup. The kitchen was bustling as it
was right after breakfast, so I waited until everyone had filtered out to go to
the far cabinets.

Inside,
I found a large box of rat poison. Taking another quick look around, I dumped
several spoonfuls into my tea and stirred it up.

"I'm
telling you, Scotty, you have no idea what it's like."

I
looked over my shoulder to see the chef and his friend waltz into the room.
Scotty, the chef, was the taller of the two. He was a young redhead full of
ambition and hope.

His
friend, Tango, was short and scruffy. He seemed to like arguing and making up
stories. The two of them stopped at the kitchen sink.

"Dude,
I know." Scotty's voice sounded exasperated.

"No,
man, seriously. I was on the SWAT team that raided that guy's house, man. You
have no idea what weed does to you."

Scotty
picked up a rag and slung it over his shoulder, then he turned to face me.

"Oh,
hi Lisa. How are you?"

"Hey,
Lisa." Tango glanced at me briefly, seeming eager to continue the conversation.

"Hello.
I'm fine. Just going to have some tea."

Scotty's
eyes glazed over with something that looked like concern. His features went
from excited at my presence to wonder.

"Ooh,
make sure you don't get any of that in there." He came over to grab the box of
poison. After placing it back in the cabinet, he tossed me a flashy smile.
"Can't be good for you."

I
nodded my agreement.

"Oh, yeah,
yeah. I know what you mean." Tango began to rant once again while Scotty rolled
his eyes. "I swallowed rat poison once in the army and was sick as a dog for
days, man."

I
excused myself while the two continued to argue about arbitrary things. Eagerness
flooded into every fiber of my being. I just wanted to end it.

Alex
and Rex had moved to the sun room to play, so I sat in the loveseat across from
the window, watching them teach each other about life.

I
stared down at my reflection on the surface of the tea. Deductive reasoning
told me I looked tired and haggard. But I felt oddly at peace. The children
were taken care of. My presence was no longer a requirement of their wellbeing.

I
took the first sip of tea. It was bitter. Not awful, but enough to cause my
cheeks to pucker on the inside. I'd had a good run.

Somewhere
upstairs, a door slammed. Running footsteps echoed around the hall. Scott and
Tango emerged from the large kitchen.

"What's
all the noise?" He wiped both hands on his apron.

"I'm
not sure." I looked toward the stairs as Ms. Huntington stumbled down. I stood
as she passed the sitting room.

"Oh,
Lisa! Dear, I need your assistance!" She seemed frantic. Ribbons of her hair
had come loose and were falling around her face.

"What's
going on?"

"Someone's
been bitten. they're bringing them in."

"Oh,
shit! I'll help! I have training." Tango ran toward the front door.

"I
see. Scott, please boil some water and fetch me as many towels as you can find.
I'll need antibacterial soap, something to make a tourniquet with and we'll
need to tie the patient down in case they turn." I handed him the cup. "And
please pour this out. Make sure all of it goes down the drain."

Scott
nodded, confusion knitting his brows together. Then, he disappeared into the kitchen.
Ms. Huntington showed me to a room adjacent to the kitchen where they would
keep individuals who were ill. We cleared a bed for the newcomer. Scott came
back with a large bowl of steaming water and towels.

"I
couldn't find anything like a tourniquet," he said.

"It's
fine." I turned and snatched a sheet from the neighboring bed and began tearing
it into pieces. Ms. Huntington paused for a moment while watching me. "I'll
gladly replace these."

She
nodded just as the front door smashed open. There were voices and cries of
pain. Scott and Ms. Huntington rushed toward the parlor while I continued
ripping the sheets into pieces. A few moments later, the shouts continued, but Tango
and Scott were carrying someone I'd never seen before. They brought him into
the room and laid him carefully on the bed.

"The
bite is on his right ankle." I said the words more to myself than anyone else.
The man squirmed. "Can you both please restrain him?"

Scott
and Tango nodded and they each held down his legs and wrists. Luckily, the man
did not fight.

"I'm
sorry, sir. This is for everyone's safety. When were you bitten?"

"Uh...um...about
an hour ago?"

"What's
your name?"

"Gregg."

"Okay,
Gregg, I'm going to wash the wound. It's going to hurt very very much. The
water is quite hot, but this could potentially stop the spread of the virus
through your bloodstream."

"Whatever
you say, doc."

I
instructed Scott to find some kind of liquor for Gregg to dull the pain. He
didn't seem to be struggling, so I made the decision to not restrain him as
harshly.

"Mmm."
Tango came around to see the wound. He then put one hand to his chin as if he
were thinking. "That's a nasty bite, son. A dog bit me there once. Not fun.
Needed stitches."

Scott
came back with the whiskey and shoved the bottle at Gregg. He happily began
chugging it down.

I
grabbed a towel, dunked it in the hot, soapy water and pressed it against the
bite wound. Gregg immediately tensed and shouted a curse. But he kept as still
as he could. I occasionally squeezed the towel to allow more hot water into the
wound.

"Who
found him like this?"

"A
guy named Jack Reynolds brought him here," Tango said.

I
tried to still the jump of my pulse.

"Jack
said you were the best doctor he knew. He said you could help me." Gregg's
voice was hoarse with pain.

"I'm
the only doctor he knows." I turned for more hot water.

"Should
I tell them anything, Lisa?" Scott took a step toward the door.

"Them?"
I didn't look up from my task.

"Jack
and Raychel. I'd assume they'd want to know your, uh...."

"Prognosis."
Tango finished the sentence for him.

The
thought of Jack with some new woman was not one I had time to dwell on as much
as I wanted to.

"Tell
them I'd like to speak to them. I won't know anything until I clean the wound.
Have them come see me when they're ready."

Scott
left. Tango stayed and helped me work. It took about fifteen minutes to
properly clean the bite. I tied the tourniquet just below the knee and placed
fresh towels under Gregg's leg as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

When
I was done and Tango had gathered the supplies to bring back to the kitchen for
a thorough cleaning, I went to the window. It overlooked the garden and outside
I could see Jack speaking with a lovely young blonde woman. They smiled at each
other while they spoke. She touched his face.

He'd
grown a goatee, but it was neatly trimmed around the sides. The two of them
talked for a few more moments before turning to go inside. I fell back from the
window.

"Jack
was right."

I
looked toward Gregg.

"You
are the hottest doctor I've ever seen."

"Thank
you. Try and rest, Gregg. Your body requires some hibernation after such a
trauma."

"You
got it, doc."

Jack's
voice came to me from the hallway. Ms. Huntington was asking him about his
female companion. He introduced her as Raychel. He hand't mentioned anyone by
that name to me. For some reason, the realization I'd made caused my heart to
sink a few metaphorical inches into my stomach.

I
stepped out into the parlor and shut the door to the room myself. A twinge of
dull pain spiked in my insides. I'd have to remember to induce vomiting at some
point.

The
three of them stopped talking and turned toward me. Jack seemed to visibly
deflate when he saw me. The woman's expression registered some recognition, but
I was sure I'd never met her before.

Ms.
Huntington turned back toward them. "Raychel, dear, I'll show you to your
room"

"I've
got it." Jack interrupted the woman and grabbed Raychel's hand. "She'll stay
with me."

With
that, he whisked her up the staircase and out of sight. Her gaze seemed to
linger on me, but I didn't even get a chance to gather my thoughts at seeing
Jack again.

"A
snack, dear?" Ms. Huntington's voice interjected into my thoughts.

"Tea
would be fine, thank you. I'll take it in the sunroom. Where are the children?"

"Ah.
Mr. Davis took them into the backroom to put that thousand piece puzzle
together while they brought the poor man in. Is he going to be all right?"

"Only
time will tell."

***

I had
nearly finished off my ginger tea when the French doors opened and closed. Out
of the corner of my eye, I noticed two people. When I turned my head, I saw
Jack and his female friend approaching me. Neither of their expressions told me
what they could have possibly been thinking, so I gave them a polite yet
guarded smile then went back to watching the snails crawl on the concrete.

The
two of them sat down and for a few excruciating moments, none of us spoke.
Finally, the blonde woman made a funny noise in the back of her throat before
standing up.

"If
you're not gonna do it, I will."

Jack
said nothing, so she approached me.

"I'm
Raychel." She held out her hand, so I shook it. Her voice was raspy but quite
full of happy energy.

"Lisa
James. Nice to meet you."

We
were quiet again. She sat back down next to Jack.

"I
brought him here because I knew you could help him." It was Jack who'd spoken.
I studied his face, but he kept his expression stonily blank.

"I
appreciate it."

"Ugh.
Would you look at that?" Raychel gestured toward the French doors. I turned and
saw a mangy-looking raccoon rummaging around in the flowers.

"Did
he come with you?" I was curious.

"He
came with Jack. That's his baggage, not mine." Her voice was drenched in humor,
but Jack didn't seem to find it amusing.

"His
name's Lucky."

"I
kept telling him it's super gross. I mean, Raccoons are the number one carriers
of rabies. How can you be so silly?" Raychel nudged him.

"Actually
the number one carrier of rabies is dogs. But raccoons are on the list." I watched
Lucky try to munch on a flower then spit it out, using his paws to rub the end
of his nose.

"Oh."

"How
long have you had him?" I turned back to Jack.

"About
a month." He didn't look at me.

"Then
you're fine. He would have shown signs by now. Unless he gets bitten, we have
nothing to worry about." I watched the animal scratch at his patchy fur. "He
has fleas."

"Yeah,
I know. But there's not much I can do about it, is there?" Jack's question was
flat.