Pandemic 5462
“What time?” The nurse’s questions seemed to quicken the
drum roll between my ears. The pounding
behind my eyes was making it difficult to comprehend. My hair seemed to ache and my skin felt as
though it were puckering. “What
time? What time did you say your first
sneeze was?” That whining voice was
beginning to penetrate the fog.
“Actually, I looked
directly at the clock, knowing this would be on the test and it was precisely 8:10
am.” Or at least that’s what I
thought I said. What actually came slurring
out of my mouth, along with copious amounts of saliva and phlegm,
“eighthtin.” Nodding as she noted her
file, she turned and began to leave.
My mind was racing in a thousand directions simultaneously,
and then when I blinked the thoughts were wading through quick sand. I couldn’t concentrate for the rattle under
my scalp. Mostly I was relieved ‘Nurse Cratchet’ was away from my bedside.
My wonderfully caring husband had rushed me to the
hospital. Having met us at the Emergency
Room door, the personnel on hand had taken one look at me, tightened their
protective clothing just a little more closely and hustled me into a room. A room!
Not the corridor filled with rows and gurneys filled with aching and
injured people. I got a room. Silly, stupid girl. It finally began to dawn on me, I was in
quarantine. I could see Bob’s worried expression through the small window in
the door.
Bob had found me that morning. I had awakened early. I was meeting friends for lunch and wanted to
have the a few chores done and out of the way.
I had been in the lower level laundry when I realized I was in
trouble. I couldn’t catch my
breath. He found me unconscious and
sprawled across the stairs. At least I
was headed up instead of down!
My back and feet began to ache. My skin felt “puckery” all over. I could breathe again. Taking in huge gulps of the oxygen hose they
had under my nose I could feel the fog in my head begin to clear. In hindsight I am still struck by my
thoughts.
It was as though my mind was performing a check on my
body. It was as though I was of two
minds. I could nearly see the secondary,
new mind checking. Extremities – check
four limbs. Gender – check female. Head – check proportioned appropriately with
ample room for all. Unusual to say the
least!
Then I got a look at my reflection in that little
window. The last thing I remember before
the drugs took hold….screaming….screaming….screaming…..my altered state was
nothing that my mind was ready for.
A year has passed since then. Me, along with the few other survivors of
this invasion. That’s what we call it,
the medical field has a different
name. They call it Pandemic 5462. It wiped out nearly two-thirds of the Earth’s
population of humans. All off the great
apes have been wiped out. Any primate in
Africa was afflicted and perished.
We survivors are separated from the remaining population,
fear of more outbreaks is the “official” reasoning behind the move. Fear is what I hear. Those of us who live with the infection? We are OF two minds. We can USE two minds. We WILL begin our move out of these
confines……soon.
