Brushfire Plague Read online

  When his father had finished, Cooper’s eyes were red and swollen. Whenever Cooper would think of the proud upright man who stood in the courtroom that day, he could never stop himself from also remembering the same man a few months later: broken, bent, and ragged. His father had been a man of action. Losing his freedom behind the constricting prison’s walls had been his version of hell.

  ******

  Watching his father be overwhelmed and swept under by the lies of others, he had vowed never to allow dishonesty any stake or place in his own life, no matter how tempting. Ever since, he’d never uttered a single falsehood. Right now, he frantically wanted to tell the small lie to his son—and to himself—because it would make things easier to face. But, he could not, “I’m here now, son. I’m not going anywhere. We will deal with this together, no matter what.” It was the best he could manage.

  Jake drank his words in, deeply inhaling once he’d finished speaking. Jake knew his father’s words were true, they always were. He nodded his head slowly, never breaking from his father’s eyes. He wiped away his tears with a brush of his hand, “I’m happy you’re here. I don’t want to see Mom like this. It’s scaring me.” With that, fresh tears washed down his face. Cooper hugged him again, Jake feeling the beat of his father’s heart. “Look, it’s alright to be scared. I’m scared too. But, we need to focus on your mother now. Let’s make her comfortable, let’s do everything we can for her, and let’s make sure she can feel our love.” He waited a few moments and a notion from one of his numerous first aid classes came back to him. Always put people into motion when in crisis. Just give them something to do. “Can you go get me a glass of water? The drive made me thirsty.” Jake nodded yes and slowly ambled out of the room. Cooper took a deep breath and turned to his wife, lying prostrate on the bed.

  Cooper took one look at his wife and pressed his latex-covered hand firmly against his face, just above his upper lip to help himself maintain control. Watching her, so clearly in distress, pushed his heart into his throat and made him want to beat the walls in helpless frustration. He hated that he knew so little about what was happening. He took the last few steps to the bedside, slowly, like a man walking to the gallows. Dread gripped him around the throat and pressed the air from his lungs. Each step closer to the bed made the throttling grow tighter. He countered by taking his wife’s hand and breathing deeply in a measured, controlled breath.

  Elena’s hand was hot to the touch, but she squeezed back firmly, filling his heart with hope. “I’m here, baby, I’m here.” He pressed his other hand to her forehead. It was burning and covered in sweat. Damn it, she’s cooking inside there. He took a washcloth that had become dislodged from her forehead, soaked it in the ice water he found on the nightstand and wiped her forehead, cheeks, and chest with it. She moved restlessly and opened her eyes when he did so.

  Briefly, the spark returned to her eyes and a corner of her mouth upturned in a half-smile, “Cooper. Oh, Cooper. It’s you. It’s so good to see you. I was worried you wouldn’t make it here.” A single, long, oval tear fell from her left eye and glided down her cheek.

  He squeezed her hand more tightly and caressed her cheek with his other hand, “You too, honey. I was in the car before we hung up the phone. I’m here now. I’ll take care of everything. You need to rest and put everything into getting better.” He leaned his head in, pulled his mask down, and kissed her on her blazing cheek, “I love you.” She whispered back, “I love you, too.” He pulled his head back, looking into her eyes, which belied her next words, “I’ll lick this thing. Hasn’t been a bug yet that liked my Romanian-Mexican blood, has there?” Her health had always been legendary and a source of light mockery between them whenever he had been sick and she hadn’t.

  “Knowing you’ll be here, to take care of Jake, will just make it that much faster.” Her false words of optimism contrasted sharply with the truth in her eyes. Cooper and Elena could never lie to one another, not even the white ones. The few times Elena had attempted innocent ones when they were first dating, her eyes had betrayed her—as they did now. Cooper had never even tried.

  Cooper allowed her the charade. “Don’t you worry about a thing. I will take care of everything and I will,” he choked on the word because he knew she’d know the deeper, barely hidden, import of the word now, “I will take care of our boy.” Her eyes and a short nod revealed their understanding and she squeezed his hand firmly. “I have to rest now. I love you, remember that,” and her eyes closed slowly.

  Within seconds, she had drifted back into restless slumber. He leaned over and hugged her tightly for several minutes, not wanting to leave her. He could not shake the dreadful feeling that she was slipping away from him. Vivid memories welled up. The emerald green dress she wore on their first date. The way her face glistened, drenched in sweat, the day Jake was born. Elena standing, bathed in the early morning light, looking down at him with love-soaked eyes after the first time they’d made love. The sweet taste of her lips whenever they kissed. The timbre of her laughter, which he could not resist. The furrow of brow when Jake was injured or ill that revealed the depth of a mother’s concern. When he left the room to go and talk to Lisa, he did so in a daze.

  ******

  He took care to close their door quietly as he exited, vainly hoping it would help. He turned to find Lisa, Dranko, and his son clustered in the upstairs open loft area that adjoined their bedroom. Dranko took one look at Cooper’s tired eyes and hunched shoulders and quickly ushered Jake downstairs with a thinly veiled excuse of needing his help to get something for his mother. Even in his debilitated state, Cooper saw the ruse and wondered for a moment just how Dranko would distract his son. But, he knew that Dranko would figure out a way to do so; he was a resourceful man.

  Lisa met him halfway across the room, he with tired, ambling steps and her with a few quick, purposeful movements. Lisa was a tall woman, so she inclined her head slightly to gaze into his eyes with a tender expression. Her left hand touched his right shoulder, gave him a comforting squeeze, and asked in a soft voice, “How are you doing?” The faintest hint of her Minnesota background made her words kinder still.

  Her tender actions broke him out of his despair and he returned to his usual, calm, matter-of-fact demeanor. His back straightened, his face stiffened, and he took a deep, cleansing breath, “OK. Just tell me how it is. Dranko will tell you, I don’t like sugarcoating. I can handle it and I need to know what the score is.”

  Lisa was momentarily taken aback by Cooper’s sudden transformation from the tired, dejected man that had stood in front of her just a moment ago to this firm-backed man, straight-faced, ordering her to give her report. The effect was so startling that she almost barked a “Yes, sir!”

  “Well, Cooper, the truth is I don’t know too much. This illness that is breaking out all over in the last few days has far too many unknowns. If this were normal times, I would tell you to watch her, make sure she is getting plenty of fluids, give her ibuprofen for keeping the fever down, and get her to a hospital if she develops difficulty breathing.”

  He clasped his hands together, “But, this isn’t normal times.”

  “No, it isn’t,” she nodded gravely. “Whatever this virus is—and we do know it’s a virus of some kind—appears to have both a very high morbidity or kill rate and high contagion rate. It also moves very quickly. Patients who come down with it are either recovered in 48-72 hours or they…” she paused, her typical self-assuredness in briefing a patient’s family member shaken by the fact that it was happening with a friend and in his home.

  Cooper made it easy for her, “Or they die, right?”

  “Or they die.” She paused, debating her next words, “And, I’m sorry to say, most die.”

  Reflexively, Cooper made a quick circle of the room, pacing quickly, and returning to the same spot. “OK. Can’t we do something? What about getting her to the hospital?”

  She looked at her toes and shook her head dejectedly, “The hospi
tals are overrun.” She drew the courage to raise her gaze to meet his, “The first thing I did when everyone began falling ill was to call old friends and former co-workers at all the area hospitals. Cooper, every single one told the same story. One, they said don’t bring them here; nothing we are doing is making any difference. Two, every bed is full, the hallways are full, as are the tents they hastily erected in the parking lots! Three, the little we can offer is comfort and you can do more of that at their homes.”

  “This can’t be happening! This is like out of some damned movie,” he exploded. He pivoted on his left foot and made a rapid circle around the room. He came to a stop back in front of her, “You’re telling me we can’t do a damned thing for her! That’s my wife in there! It’s Elena, your friend… not some faceless patient who walked off the damned street! Can’t you do something?”

  Lisa was unfazed by his loud outburst; she knew it was a normal reaction. She grabbed his arms to stop their waving about and looked him straight in the eye, “Cooper, I know this is tough. But, this is real. It is happening. And while there isn’t much we can do for Elena other than keep her comfortable, your son needs you now like nothing else. He’s watched his mother fall seriously ill in the last few hours and he needs your strength right now.”

  Her last sentence had a tonic effect on him and Cooper staggered a half-step backwards. His rage left him like a tire leaking air. After a few seconds he looked back at her, “OK. Got it. Thank you. Sorry for that. I know it’s not your fault. Just tell me what I can do for her.”

  “Unfortunately, you already know. From this side of it, it’s just like any other flu. Keep her comfortable, make sure she gets plenty of fluids, and…”

  Cooper knew the rest and had already tuned her out. He began thinking of Jake and how to help him in this terrible crisis. He also knew he had to talk to Dranko to get the full skinny on what was happening with this illness. He knew he would have the best information around.

  Cooper turned away before she’d finished speaking and Lisa stopped in mid-sentence. She was surprised, but not shocked, because she had known for many years that Cooper Adams was a man of incredible focus and action once a course had been chosen. As he began to head downstairs, she returned to the bedroom to look over Elena.

  Cooper would typically descend the stairs at a bound, barely touching most of the stairs on his way down. Today, he descended slowly, methodically, the weight on his shoulders showing clearly. His mind raced to catch up to the events unfolding all around him. Already, he was calculating possibilities, probabilities, and options. His mother, after watching his early athletic success and how he reacted to the difficult circumstances of his childhood, used to tell him that he was, “a man born for crisis.” It was true. Cooper was rarely debilitated or overwhelmed by circumstances, but would quickly formulate a response based upon whatever situation he was confronted with. Of course, he never had the heart to tell his mother that it was the very shattering experiences from early in his life that had forged him so. He further withheld that he had sacrificed much of the innocence that every child deserved into that crucible.

  He entered the kitchen, the early morning light casting a doubtful glow across the green paint that adorned the walls. A myriad of cracks in the plaster loomed larger than before, transformed into gaping schisms in the walls and ceiling. He had promised Elena a hundred times that he would fix them since they had moved in, but something more pressing always kept him away from that job.

  Dranko and Jake sat, huddled, in the corner at the small, wrought iron bistro table that lay in the breakfast nook. They had been in earnest, whispered, conversation. Dranko had his arm around Jake and a look of deep sympathy. Dranko’s face shined in the light from the nearby window while, in contrast, Jake’s lay in shadow. Next to Jake sat a full glass of water. They both turned to face him as he entered the room.

  Cooper mustered one of the feeblest smiles of his life, “How are you guys doin’?”

  Dranko merely nodded in response. “Fine,” Jake answered.

  “Jake, will you take that water up to the bedroom. I’d like one of us to be in with your mom. I will be up in just a few.”

  Jake got up and ambled past Cooper. He tussled his son’s hair as he did so. He poured himself a glass of water and then faced Dranko, who stood up and faced his friend.

  Cooper caught his eyes, “OK, Dranko, what’s the story? What do you know?” Cooper’s father had often told him that his definition of a friend was one where you could dispense with the cumbersome politeness of society and just get down to business without so much ‘varnish.’ At a time like this, Cooper finally understood the wisdom behind those words.

  “Well, it’s a mess, brother. The worst part is whatever this is, Brushfire is moving so fast…”

  “How fast?” Cooper quizzed.

  “So fast that no one knows what’s really going on. First, let me tell you what I do know. Right now, I know about a dozen neighbors just within the block that have this thing. But, the number grows by the hour. Lisa is on a set of rounds in the neighborhood. She’s making the circuit about every four hours and she always comes back with more names.”

  “How many dead? How many recovered?”

  “So far, five dead. In addition to Sally and Walt—Mrs. Collins, Miguel Garcia, and the Garfield’s newborn,” Dranko saw Cooper’s expression and added, “Yes, you got it. This thing doesn’t seem to have a preference for age or race. So far, the only recovery is Lily Stott, that old biddie. I swear nothing will kill her. She’s too ornery. But, she was also one of the first to come down with it, so Lisa says there is hope for others.”

  “Have you, or her, heard anything that gives you a guess on how many this is killing?”

  “My online contacts, including one in Seattle, give me a guess that we’re looking at a 50-75% infection rate with a 25-50% death rate. Lisa thinks it will be less than that.”

  Cooper’s fist crashed into the counter with a loud thud, “Damnit, Dranko, that’s a pretty big range. Don’t you have any better details?!”

  Dranko paused to let his friend gather himself. “I know, brother. I’m working on it.” He then put his hand on Cooper’s shoulder and looked him straight into his eyes, “Prepare for the worst. From what Lisa has told me, Elena has taken it hard.”

  Cooper blinked back tears. He didn’t care about crying in front of Elena or his son, but he hated to do so in front of another man. “Yeah, yeah. I hear you.” Almost automatically, he switched gears as easily as most men turned on a light, “What else is going on? Where are things with the hospitals? The police?”

  “Just shot, brother. Overwhelmed. They can’t cope with what is going on. Nothing anyone has ever planned for—or hell, even discussed—had something with this level of contagion and morbidity—whatever it ends up being. Add on top of that is just how fast this thing is moving. They simply can’t handle it. They don’t even know where patient zero is for the love of God! From what I’m hearing, this thing sprung up in dozens of places—worldwide—all at once.”

  “What?” Cooper exclaimed.

  “It gets worse, I’m afraid. None of this has been on the news, but the Internet and my ham radio contacts have told me about the first breakdowns in order. It’s happening in both the big cities and even in some small towns, too.

  “Violence? Already?” Cooper shook his head in disbelief.

  “Nobody has ever seen something like this. People are panicked, brother. Everywhere.”

  “Anything around here?”

  “Not that I’ve heard yet. Maybe our Northwest friendliness is saving us,” his laugh ringing hollowly.

  Cooper returned a half-smile. Dranko continued, “That being said. You should get to the store as quickly as you can and pick up every non-perishable food you can. I haven’t heard that the stores are getting picked clean yet, but it’s bound to happen very soon. No matter what the numbers end up being, the supply chains will be severely disrupted. I can watch Jake if you
want.”

  Cooper nodded, “What about you? Do you need to go to?”

  Dranko smiled self-assuredly, “Nah. I’m pretty well set. You remember, I’ve always tried to be prepared…”

  Cooper interrupted him, “Yeah, I know. For everything. Just like a Boy Scout.”

  Dranko nodded, holding up three fingers in a mock Eagle Scout salute.

  Cooper thought for a moment, “OK, I will check with Lisa and go as soon as they’re open.”

  “Alright. I’ll get back to my place and I’ll be back in an hour. Oh, and do you have ammunition for your pistol?”

  Cooper cocked an eyebrow, “Yeah, a little. Why?”

  “Well, bring it with you. I think the threads are going to fray pretty quickly. I’d buy some more for it today, if you can.”

  After Dranko left, Cooper and Jake spent an hour in silent vigil with Elena. Lisa left to make her rounds in the neighborhood. Before long, Jake had fallen asleep, head in his father’s lap.

  Chapter 4

  When they arrived at the supermarket, after their drive down Hawthorne, Cooper was surprised to see open spots in the parking lot. For some, fear of the disease is bigger than any thought of running out of food right now. That will change very soon. He exited his pickup and Jake scrambled out behind him. He pulled him tightly against him and whispered, “Stay close.” People moved quickly to and from their cars. Most looked around furtively while loading their groceries.

  Cooper grabbed a cart and entered the store. The relative calm outside was replaced by a flurry of chaos inside. People were rushing through the store, looking for what they’d come for, or anything else they could find. He heard a clang of metal carts crashing into one another and an exchange of obscenities. He heard a man shout at an elderly woman, “Stay away, keep your distance, you’re too close,” as he poked his hand back and forth at her, motioning her away.