need. Only a few hours earlier, she had tried to help him die. Now her son and husband’s life was hinging on his survival. Though her arms felt as if they were on fire, she kept pumping air into his lungs and praying that they wouldn’t collapse. Adrenaline could only sustain her so long, and she felt her body go slack and her breath slow in the warm sunlight poking through the thick window. She struggled to stay awake, splashing herself with the bottle of water and slapping her cheeks for the few seconds between pumps. At last, even the fear that he’d wake and rip her to pieces if she slept wasn’t working any longer.
She wasn’t sure if she’d dozed only for a few seconds or for hours, but she woke to a rap on the door. The man was still asleep and still gurgling and choking. Ruth quickly pumped more air into his mouth.
“Ruth, are you there?” asked Juliana. She sounded different. Wrong somehow. Ruth was too groggy to ask why.
“I’m still here.”
“I’m leaving the supplies outside the door. I have to make the morning meal. I’ll be back in a little while.”
It took Ruth a second to realize she meant the IV supplies. “Did you make Bill promise to wait?” she called, but Juliana had already walked away. Ruth shrugged. Of course she had. Juliana had given her word that she wouldn’t leave until he promised. And he wouldn’t do it without her. She’d told him herself that she’d be back today. Charlie was safe. He had to be. She opened the door and pulled a large shopping bag full of supplies into the room. She frowned. There were IV bags and tubing packets just flung in haphazardly. At least the catheters were in their usual hard case. Bill wasn’t normally this messy. It must have been a very bad day with Charlie. Or his wound was really bothering him. She hurried to get the IV set up, transferring some of her anxious energy into action, though it wouldn’t help her get home any faster.
There was a clunk outside the door a little while later as Juliana set breakfast bowls beside the door. She hurried away again without speaking. Ruth watched her patient. The color was returning to his face as the IV fluids slowly dripped into him. She let the ambu bag go for a few minutes. His breath was crackling with phlegm, but he was sleeping easily now. Ruth decided to clean herself up and eat. She opened the door and wiped herself down with the alcohol and rags again. She ate the oatmeal that had cooled into a thick sludgy lump outside the door. With her stomach full, the sun shining through the broad hallway windows, and her own breath constricted from the face mask she kept on, Ruth dozed off. Not even the shrieks of the Infected as they cried for more food woke her. Juliana shook her awake as the sun was staining the glass in the window to a golden red. Ruth sat up startled.
“Is he okay now?” Juliana asked.
“I think so, let me check on his progress.” Ruth got up and slid into the room. The man stared at her as she entered. The IV bag was almost empty. Ruth switched it out, glancing at her patient, but waiting for him to speak. He didn’t.
“Are you— can you talk?” Ruth asked, without getting closer. The man wrinkled his brow and looked at her intensely, but nothing happened. “I need to check your breathing. Do you understand?” Ruth held up the stethoscope so he could see. She was shocked when he nodded. She slowly knelt near him. He didn’t move as she touched the stethoscope to his chest and then walked behind him to check his back. She could tell the fluid in his lungs was subsiding. His body was fighting off the pneumonia. Was it also fighting off the December Plague? Ruth felt a jolt of excitement. There wasn’t any more to do for him, he’d fight it off himself now. She’d tell Juliana and then go home. Go home and tell Bill.
“I’m— I’m going to get Juliana. She won’t be able to come in, because you are still contagious. But I’ll be back later and she’ll
She wasn’t sure if she’d dozed only for a few seconds or for hours, but she woke to a rap on the door. The man was still asleep and still gurgling and choking. Ruth quickly pumped more air into his mouth.
“Ruth, are you there?” asked Juliana. She sounded different. Wrong somehow. Ruth was too groggy to ask why.
“I’m still here.”
“I’m leaving the supplies outside the door. I have to make the morning meal. I’ll be back in a little while.”
It took Ruth a second to realize she meant the IV supplies. “Did you make Bill promise to wait?” she called, but Juliana had already walked away. Ruth shrugged. Of course she had. Juliana had given her word that she wouldn’t leave until he promised. And he wouldn’t do it without her. She’d told him herself that she’d be back today. Charlie was safe. He had to be. She opened the door and pulled a large shopping bag full of supplies into the room. She frowned. There were IV bags and tubing packets just flung in haphazardly. At least the catheters were in their usual hard case. Bill wasn’t normally this messy. It must have been a very bad day with Charlie. Or his wound was really bothering him. She hurried to get the IV set up, transferring some of her anxious energy into action, though it wouldn’t help her get home any faster.
There was a clunk outside the door a little while later as Juliana set breakfast bowls beside the door. She hurried away again without speaking. Ruth watched her patient. The color was returning to his face as the IV fluids slowly dripped into him. She let the ambu bag go for a few minutes. His breath was crackling with phlegm, but he was sleeping easily now. Ruth decided to clean herself up and eat. She opened the door and wiped herself down with the alcohol and rags again. She ate the oatmeal that had cooled into a thick sludgy lump outside the door. With her stomach full, the sun shining through the broad hallway windows, and her own breath constricted from the face mask she kept on, Ruth dozed off. Not even the shrieks of the Infected as they cried for more food woke her. Juliana shook her awake as the sun was staining the glass in the window to a golden red. Ruth sat up startled.
“Is he okay now?” Juliana asked.
“I think so, let me check on his progress.” Ruth got up and slid into the room. The man stared at her as she entered. The IV bag was almost empty. Ruth switched it out, glancing at her patient, but waiting for him to speak. He didn’t.
“Are you— can you talk?” Ruth asked, without getting closer. The man wrinkled his brow and looked at her intensely, but nothing happened. “I need to check your breathing. Do you understand?” Ruth held up the stethoscope so he could see. She was shocked when he nodded. She slowly knelt near him. He didn’t move as she touched the stethoscope to his chest and then walked behind him to check his back. She could tell the fluid in his lungs was subsiding. His body was fighting off the pneumonia. Was it also fighting off the December Plague? Ruth felt a jolt of excitement. There wasn’t any more to do for him, he’d fight it off himself now. She’d tell Juliana and then go home. Go home and tell Bill.
“I’m— I’m going to get Juliana. She won’t be able to come in, because you are still contagious. But I’ll be back later and she’ll
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