terrified and alone; the least I could do was try and comfort her.
Once downstairs, seated around the kitchen table, a hot tea in front of her, Jessica told us what happened.
“ Parkinson’s runs strong in our family, so my parents wanted to make sure I never had to deal with it. They insisted I take the shot with them. I saw you at the clinic when my mom took me in to get it.”
I leaned forward and put my hand over hers. It took some effort not to flinch as she twitched underneath my fingers, but I wanted her to be calm so that she would keep talking. “When did your parents . . . ?” I trailed off not sure how to ask when her parents went crazy.
“ Six nights ago,” she whispered staring into her tea. “I don’t have very long, do I?”
Tears welled up in my eyes and I blinked them back. I didn’t know Jessica well, but it was hard to see someone so young cut down by something that should have helped her live a long and healthy life. It was hard to know there was nothing we could do to help. Nero whined at our feet and I stood and fixed him a bowl of food. I felt bad for ignoring him, but he wagged his tail and seemed to have forgiven me already.
“ How long ago did they take the shot?” Sebastian asked, leaning in towards her.
“ Five weeks; I was a week later,” she said, her eyes flicking up to him twice, maybe intimidated by his size, the way a lot of people were. Then I remembered that she had a crush on him. I could only imagine the embarrassment of finding her crush in bed naked with his wife.
Sebastian stood up and stomped out of the house. I ignored him, knowing that Jessica needed comfort right now. “You can stay here sweetheart, it’ll be okay.” Then I frowned. “How did you make it past the horde our front?”
She gave me a wobbly, tear filled smile. “They know I’m one of them. They let me pass, I climbed the gate and they,” she shrugged, “there’s no other way to say it, they cheered for me, like they were happy I could get in here to you.” Dropping her head to her arms on the table she let out a sob. I reached over and put a hand on her head, fighting with my own rising emotions: sadness, fear, and then relief. It could have been me waiting to be turned into an animal. If not for the damn scotch broom it would be me. I would have taken the shot in an instant.
I ushered Jessica to the back bedroom and tucked her into bed, giving her three Benadryl, which would knock her out for the night. I took one for myself, not to sleep, but for the reaction I was having to some airborne allergen. My skin tingled all over my body, my eyes were watering, and the back of my throat was itchy, sure signs I’d gotten hit with something I didn’t like. Then I went to find Sebastian, Nero at my heels, my fear beginning to turn into resolve. We could survive, we were smart, young, and in love, there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do.
He was out on the back porch leaning against the railing, staring out at the star encrusted sky. I stepped up beside him slipping my arm around his waist.
“ I haven’t had the chance yet to thank you,” I said.
He gave me a quizzical look and I pointed down at the puppy sitting on my foot. I smiled, “You didn’t have to get me a puppy, but I’m glad you did.” I gave his waist a squeeze and took a deep breath letting it out slowly.
“ We’ve got to lay out a plan, Bastian. Food, water, fences, weapons. Maybe get some sort of radio up in case there are notices once the electricity is out,” I said. I looked up and my breath caught in my throat. Tears streaked his face, dripped off his chin and plunked onto the railing.
He wrapped his arms around me. “It isn’t fair, Mara, that girl is losing everything because she wanted to have a life, to not pass on a disease she had no say on in the first place.” His voice was thick with emotion and I held on to him as tight as I could,
Once downstairs, seated around the kitchen table, a hot tea in front of her, Jessica told us what happened.
“ Parkinson’s runs strong in our family, so my parents wanted to make sure I never had to deal with it. They insisted I take the shot with them. I saw you at the clinic when my mom took me in to get it.”
I leaned forward and put my hand over hers. It took some effort not to flinch as she twitched underneath my fingers, but I wanted her to be calm so that she would keep talking. “When did your parents . . . ?” I trailed off not sure how to ask when her parents went crazy.
“ Six nights ago,” she whispered staring into her tea. “I don’t have very long, do I?”
Tears welled up in my eyes and I blinked them back. I didn’t know Jessica well, but it was hard to see someone so young cut down by something that should have helped her live a long and healthy life. It was hard to know there was nothing we could do to help. Nero whined at our feet and I stood and fixed him a bowl of food. I felt bad for ignoring him, but he wagged his tail and seemed to have forgiven me already.
“ How long ago did they take the shot?” Sebastian asked, leaning in towards her.
“ Five weeks; I was a week later,” she said, her eyes flicking up to him twice, maybe intimidated by his size, the way a lot of people were. Then I remembered that she had a crush on him. I could only imagine the embarrassment of finding her crush in bed naked with his wife.
Sebastian stood up and stomped out of the house. I ignored him, knowing that Jessica needed comfort right now. “You can stay here sweetheart, it’ll be okay.” Then I frowned. “How did you make it past the horde our front?”
She gave me a wobbly, tear filled smile. “They know I’m one of them. They let me pass, I climbed the gate and they,” she shrugged, “there’s no other way to say it, they cheered for me, like they were happy I could get in here to you.” Dropping her head to her arms on the table she let out a sob. I reached over and put a hand on her head, fighting with my own rising emotions: sadness, fear, and then relief. It could have been me waiting to be turned into an animal. If not for the damn scotch broom it would be me. I would have taken the shot in an instant.
I ushered Jessica to the back bedroom and tucked her into bed, giving her three Benadryl, which would knock her out for the night. I took one for myself, not to sleep, but for the reaction I was having to some airborne allergen. My skin tingled all over my body, my eyes were watering, and the back of my throat was itchy, sure signs I’d gotten hit with something I didn’t like. Then I went to find Sebastian, Nero at my heels, my fear beginning to turn into resolve. We could survive, we were smart, young, and in love, there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do.
He was out on the back porch leaning against the railing, staring out at the star encrusted sky. I stepped up beside him slipping my arm around his waist.
“ I haven’t had the chance yet to thank you,” I said.
He gave me a quizzical look and I pointed down at the puppy sitting on my foot. I smiled, “You didn’t have to get me a puppy, but I’m glad you did.” I gave his waist a squeeze and took a deep breath letting it out slowly.
“ We’ve got to lay out a plan, Bastian. Food, water, fences, weapons. Maybe get some sort of radio up in case there are notices once the electricity is out,” I said. I looked up and my breath caught in my throat. Tears streaked his face, dripped off his chin and plunked onto the railing.
He wrapped his arms around me. “It isn’t fair, Mara, that girl is losing everything because she wanted to have a life, to not pass on a disease she had no say on in the first place.” His voice was thick with emotion and I held on to him as tight as I could,
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