The thought of it made my stomach roll in protest
and I groaned. I had to empty my bladder something awful and what was
left in my stomach from the night before threatened to make an unwelcome
reappearance. I got up and stumbled toward the door.
Gus caught me before I could reach
my goal. “Hold on there, darlin’. No going out without one of
us.” He looked toward Boggs. “You need fresh air,
Boggs? Or do you want me to go?”
“No, it’s ok. I’ll go
with. Zoe, come on.” Boggs stood and walked toward me.
I held my hand over my mouth,
showing urgency. I ran the rest of the way to the door, unlocked it, and
stepped outside. The mountain air held a chill and was heavy with
moisture. Thick fog surrounded us, making the wooded area seem haunted.
“Zoe, keep close.” He
said quietly. “Stay in sight, ok?”
“Ya. No problem there.” I leaned over and threw up
violently until it turned to dry heaves.
Boggs came up behind me. He
put his hands on my shoulders and lowered his deep voice even more. “Zoe,
you peed yourself.”
I turned toward him and looked up
at his face. He felt my forehead with the back of his hand, then felt my
cheek in the same manner. “You’re burning up, Zo. Let’s get you
back inside.”
My legs and panties were soaked in
urine. I hadn’t been able to hold it in while my stomach wretched to be
free of whatever poisons it held. Vomit splattered my bare feet and legs,
mixing with the mess. Boggs called out to Gus as the woods spun around
me.
My best friend pulled my t-shirt
over my head and used it to wipe my legs. He pulled my panties down and
helped me step out of them. I was too sick to care if anyone saw me
naked. Gus joined us outside. The thick fog surrounding us
seemed to seep into my head. I closed my eyes and felt like I was
falling.
I heard only fragments of
what Boggs said to Gus. He sounded panicked.
“Threw up…looks bloody…pissed
herself…not sure…”
I was too weak to open my
eyes. I felt someone wrap a towel around me and then cradle me in their
arms. I heard myself moan softly, and then the dry heaving began again.
Gus’ voice was mixed in at odd intervals
“she looks bad” and “what if she’s turning into…” and “one of us needs to stand
watch.” I heard Boggs mention my hip. I realized my leg
was throbbing angrily. As I drifted into a deep sleep I prayed for the
pain to stop.
There were moments filled with a
burning fire in my leg, others of ice cold that chilled me to my core.
Every time I opened my eyes I saw one of my companions sitting beside me, often
holding a wet cloth to my forehead or forcing drops of water into my
mouth. The water began to taste bitter and I fought to spit it out.
I became enraged when both the men held me down and forced me to swallow.
I was too weak to fight back. Nightmares blended with reality.
My moments of alertness seemed to grow
longer, and each time one of the men was still at my side. My constant
hot-cold fluxes ebbed and I started to become aware of time again. Boggs’ large
hand was on my forehead and he smiled down at me.
“Welcome back, kid.”
I tried to speak but my throat was
dry. Boggs helped me sit up part way and handed me a bottle of
water. I swallowed gingerly, then more deeply, craving the liquid.
“What happened?” I whispered.
Boggs looked serious, and
thoughtful. “You got sick the morning after we got here. We were
scared to death it might be this zombie crap.” Zombie.
Someone had finally said it. “You were burning up with fever and
hallucinating. Gus helped me get you inside, and we’ve been forcing
crushed antibiotics down you for two days.”
“Antibiotics? Where’d you get them? And where’s Gus?”
“He’ll be back soon. He’s
out in the Explorer gathering more firewood. We found antibiotics and
pain pills in Chuck’s trailer.
and I groaned. I had to empty my bladder something awful and what was
left in my stomach from the night before threatened to make an unwelcome
reappearance. I got up and stumbled toward the door.
Gus caught me before I could reach
my goal. “Hold on there, darlin’. No going out without one of
us.” He looked toward Boggs. “You need fresh air,
Boggs? Or do you want me to go?”
“No, it’s ok. I’ll go
with. Zoe, come on.” Boggs stood and walked toward me.
I held my hand over my mouth,
showing urgency. I ran the rest of the way to the door, unlocked it, and
stepped outside. The mountain air held a chill and was heavy with
moisture. Thick fog surrounded us, making the wooded area seem haunted.
“Zoe, keep close.” He
said quietly. “Stay in sight, ok?”
“Ya. No problem there.” I leaned over and threw up
violently until it turned to dry heaves.
Boggs came up behind me. He
put his hands on my shoulders and lowered his deep voice even more. “Zoe,
you peed yourself.”
I turned toward him and looked up
at his face. He felt my forehead with the back of his hand, then felt my
cheek in the same manner. “You’re burning up, Zo. Let’s get you
back inside.”
My legs and panties were soaked in
urine. I hadn’t been able to hold it in while my stomach wretched to be
free of whatever poisons it held. Vomit splattered my bare feet and legs,
mixing with the mess. Boggs called out to Gus as the woods spun around
me.
My best friend pulled my t-shirt
over my head and used it to wipe my legs. He pulled my panties down and
helped me step out of them. I was too sick to care if anyone saw me
naked. Gus joined us outside. The thick fog surrounding us
seemed to seep into my head. I closed my eyes and felt like I was
falling.
I heard only fragments of
what Boggs said to Gus. He sounded panicked.
“Threw up…looks bloody…pissed
herself…not sure…”
I was too weak to open my
eyes. I felt someone wrap a towel around me and then cradle me in their
arms. I heard myself moan softly, and then the dry heaving began again.
Gus’ voice was mixed in at odd intervals
“she looks bad” and “what if she’s turning into…” and “one of us needs to stand
watch.” I heard Boggs mention my hip. I realized my leg
was throbbing angrily. As I drifted into a deep sleep I prayed for the
pain to stop.
There were moments filled with a
burning fire in my leg, others of ice cold that chilled me to my core.
Every time I opened my eyes I saw one of my companions sitting beside me, often
holding a wet cloth to my forehead or forcing drops of water into my
mouth. The water began to taste bitter and I fought to spit it out.
I became enraged when both the men held me down and forced me to swallow.
I was too weak to fight back. Nightmares blended with reality.
My moments of alertness seemed to grow
longer, and each time one of the men was still at my side. My constant
hot-cold fluxes ebbed and I started to become aware of time again. Boggs’ large
hand was on my forehead and he smiled down at me.
“Welcome back, kid.”
I tried to speak but my throat was
dry. Boggs helped me sit up part way and handed me a bottle of
water. I swallowed gingerly, then more deeply, craving the liquid.
“What happened?” I whispered.
Boggs looked serious, and
thoughtful. “You got sick the morning after we got here. We were
scared to death it might be this zombie crap.” Zombie.
Someone had finally said it. “You were burning up with fever and
hallucinating. Gus helped me get you inside, and we’ve been forcing
crushed antibiotics down you for two days.”
“Antibiotics? Where’d you get them? And where’s Gus?”
“He’ll be back soon. He’s
out in the Explorer gathering more firewood. We found antibiotics and
pain pills in Chuck’s trailer.
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