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  When he got home, the condo was dark. Debbie was already in bed. The next morning, he was up early—refreshed—and headed to the hospital about seven.

  Debbie had a restless night with occasional jabbing pains. Around two o’clock she took some over-the-counter pain meds, and that seemed to help, but at seven-thirty she woke up in severe pain and burning hot. She forced herself up for water and some more pills. She called out for Robert, but with no answer, she knew he had probably already gone or had not come back to the condo to sleep.

  Back in bed, she was out in a flash. And then at ten, still in pain, she knew something was terribly wrong. She tried to sit up but was too weak, so she searched her nightstand with her hand for her phone. Once found, she texted Robert:

  Robert I need

  A feeling like that of a sharp knife cutting through her stomach made her double up, and she dropped her phone. The force of her thumb on the screen when she grabbed her abdomen sent the message.

  Gini suddenly looked up at Robert. “Nee… uff, help. Dee… bee.” Jessica had slipped off her breast.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart.” Robert helped Jessica reconnect.

  “Nee… uff, help.” She was still looking concerned. Jessica made a small squeak. Gini looked back down and put her hand on the baby’s head.

  “Jessica’s doing fine,” Robert said, as he watched his beautiful wife nurse their precious daughter. He had such a wonderful feeling of satisfaction. Together he and Gini had produced a perfect child. This feeling of euphoria compared only to the first time he realized how much he loved Gini and that she loved him.

  He felt his phone vibrate and took it out of his pocket to read Debbie’s message. It appeared the message had been cut off. He texted back:

  Deb, are you in the hospital? Your text only partially came through. What do you need?

  Jessica opened her mouth with a yawn and slid down off Gini’s breast.

  “Be… uff, done.”

  Robert stood and put his hand on the baby’s head. She was so sweet-looking and content. He took her to his shoulder.

  Both Gini and Jessica were bathed, their beds changed, and their lunches eaten. Then Gini fell asleep. Robert had the baby-bundle up on his chest. He put his head back on the chair and closed his eyes.

  “There’s a beautiful sight,” John said, quietly.

  Robert put his head up and smiled.

  “I hear only good reports on my patient.” John reached over and put his hand down Jessica’s back.

  “Gini is doing amazingly well,” Robert said.

  “See, you worried for nothing. You should have known that remarkable woman would have no problem having the baby she so wanted not only for herself but for you. Remember the ride I warned you about when you got married?”

  Robert nodded his head.

  “I can tell you, it just intensified by three now you have a child.”

  Robert quietly chuckled.

  “I have such a… I can’t even describe how I feel.”

  “I know, no words needed. I can see the happiness on your face. Where’s Debbie? I haven’t seen her today.”

  Robert sat up straighter and put Jessica down on his arm.

  “Oh, Debbie, I don’t know. I got a text earlier, but it was cut off. What time is it anyway?”

  “One-thirty.”

  Robert put his daughter in her bed. “I think I’ll go call her. She needed something.”

  “I’ll stay with your girls.”

  Once Robert got to the cell phone room on the floor, he called Debbie. It rang and rang.

  Debbie could feel her phone vibrating under her body. Finally, she realized what it was and answered. “Helloo…” Her voice was slow and raspy.

  “Deb, it’s Robert. I’m wondering where you are. I got your text earlier saying you needed something. What is it?”

  The phone started to slide out of Debbie’s hand. “Robert… I need you. I need… help…”

  Robert stood straight up, realizing there was something wrong with her. “Where are you? Tell me where you are.”

  There was only silence.

  “Debbie, where are you?” he asked in a louder voice.

  “In… bed… dying…”

  “I’m coming.”

  Robert dashed out of the room and back to Gini. John was standing over the baby.

  “John, I have to go home.” He tried to whisper, but it sounded like he was shouting. “Something is terribly wrong with Debbie.”

  “Go,” John said. “I’ll make sure everything is good here. Go and let me know what’s going on.”

  “I will.” Robert grabbed his jacket as he passed the chair.

  When he got to Debbie’s room, he slightly tapped and called to her. Then he opened the door. She was groaning on the bed. The minute he touched her, he knew she had a high fever.

  “My gut,” she said. “It’s ripping apart.”

  Robert got his bag and started an exam. Her fever was 104, pulse was racing, and he could see she was in great pain. The first thing that came to mind was appendicitis.

  “Debbie, do you think you can get to the car, or do you want me to call an ambulance?”

  “Car…”

  He got Gini’s wheelchair and pulled it up next to the bed, then to her closet and found a robe, and gathered up a couple of blankets. Once on the road, he called the med center.

  “This is Dr. Robert Young. I’m bringing nurse Debbie Pierce to the ER. She has a high fever with severe abdominal pain.”

  “Dr. Young, we’ll be ready for you.”

  He reached over and squeezed Debbie’s hand. She was rolling her head back and forth on the seatback.

  “Just relax,” he said. “We’re going to get you better.”

  The traffic was light, and he got there in fifteen minutes. She was rushed off to an examining bay. Appendicitis was immediately ruled out. They swabbed Debbie’s mouth.

  “Why the swab?” Robert asked.

  “Checking for the Coch virus.”

  “Coch?” Robert almost gasped. He recalled he’d read a news story on how three cases had been reported a couple of weeks before on Long Island. The Coch virus had been an issue for the last three years. It usually hit suddenly and hard around the Christmas holidays. But this last winter there had been only a few reports of the illness in Connecticut, the epicenter of the first epidemic. Robert’s first thought was of Gini. She’d had the virus twice, one year after the next. The disease was a deadly one. Over the years the CDC had come up with several serums. The last experimental dose seemed to have been effective, since there were only a few cases in January and no deaths.

  “The virus is out there?” Robert asked.

  “We had ten come in last night, and five more this morning. Many people are going to the ERs all over the Boston area. Just in the last few days, Connecticut has reported twenty deaths. It’s bad this time. Just boom, it hit and hit hard. We’ve set up a wing on the eighth floor to quarantine the patients.”

  Robert wiped down his face with his hand. He was now contaminated if Debbie had the virus.

  “Positive,” a nurse said sticking her head inside the curtain. “We’ll get her up to the eighth floor.”

  The virus was a mysterious one, affecting each victim differently. That was why it was so hard to come up with a vaccine. From what they could tell from Gini’s records, both of her infections had been in either her head or her eyes. And another baffling fact was the virus came back in the same people year after year, as well as being spread to new patients.

  “The CDC has sent over some immune-boosting injections. I suggest you get one,” the ER doctor told Robert.

  Robert immediately was given a shot. Then he got out his tablet and looked up Coch virus.

  Two of the three men in New York had died, but there had been no other infections in that region. The surviving victim had been given an experimental serum. There was no way of knowing if the combination in the injection was what saved his life. B
ut the CDC was asking for volunteers, for both well people at risk and infected patients, to take the vaccine.

  The sudden outbreak the last week or so had taken everyone by surprise. There was something in the New England area that had to be causing the infection to bloom. No other part of the US, other than the Northeast, had had any cases.

  Robert called John and told him the news.

  “I can’t risk being around Gini,” he said sadly. “I… can’t.”

  “Robert, I’m so sorry to hear about Debbie. She’s strong; she’ll pull through.”

  “What do you think about the new serum? Should she take it? Should I, or Gini? Just because she hasn’t been exposed doesn’t mean it won’t come back on her.”

  “We’ll watch her closely. It’s so experimental, I think I have an issue administering it to Gini. You should talk to Debbie about it. You two can make your own decisions. But for now, let’s hold off for Gini.”

  “Okay.” Robert was pacing in his office. “I might as well make myself useful and go help on the eighth floor.”

  “I’ll leave that to you. I’ll stay away, unless they really need me. That way I can take care of the other patients in the hospital. Vicky will help Gini. Take care, buddy. I must say, we are probably in for some tough days ahead.”

  “Yeah, we are. This is a bad strain, it sounds like. Thank you, John. And give Vicky a kiss for me. Maybe she can video talk with me, so I can see and talk to Gini. She’s not going to understand why I can’t be there. And Debbie… maybe we shouldn’t tell Gini about her right away.”

  “You’ve got it. Keep in touch.”

  A sinking feeling went through Robert when he walked into Debbie’s room and saw her hooked up to monitors. He went to her and took her hand.

  She slowly turned her head toward him. “I need to go take care of Gini. Help me up.” She started to sit and got no further than lifting her head.

  “Deb, you rest. Vicky and John are going to take care of her and the baby. The most important thing right now is for you to get well.”

  “Maybe I’ll take her for a walk after her nap.” Debbie grabbed slightly at her stomach then closed her eyes.

  “Robert,” Dr. Oliver Miller said, walking into the room.

  “Oliver.”

  “I’m Debbie’s attending doctor. What brings you up here?”

  “You’re aware Debbie’s my wife’s personal nurse.”

  “Oh, yes, of course. Didn’t I hear you just had a new baby; girl, I believe.”

  “Yes.” Robert smiled. “I brought Debbie in, and now I’m exposed. So I don’t want to be around either my wife or daughter. I decided I might as well come up here and help.”

  “Well, God knows we’re going to need the help. This time around, this stuff is fierce. Not a mild case yet. Did you get the vaccine?”

  “I took the immune booster.”

  “Good. Welcome aboard.”

  “Did you take the anti-Coch serum?” Robert asked.

  “I did, yesterday; no side effects. The CDC is sending over more. I’d like Debbie to get a dose. What do you think?”

  “We should talk to her about it.”

  “I don’t think she can make a sensible decision at this point. But we can wait.”

  The doctor started examining Debbie and marking on her chart. Robert was torn. Should they get the serum or not?

  The rest of the day was long for Robert. He wanted to be with Gini and Jessica, and he was full of worry for Debbie. She seemed to be getting worse. The fever never budged, even with a refrigerant blanket. At least it hadn’t gone higher. She hadn’t said any more beyond their first conversation after arriving.

  More and more patients were brought to the floor, and Robert was monitoring ten of them. He decided it was best if Debbie was under Dr. Miller’s care.

  He got two text messages from John, but they were at the busiest time on the floor with virus victims coming in one after the other. Each had to be triaged and assigned a physician. The medical staff was being pulled to the limit. Finally, about eight o’clock, recruits arrived, and Robert could take a break.

  John, sorry I couldn’t answer your texts. We’re slammed up here. It’s not good.

  I heard several of the doctors took the new serum yesterday and had no adverse effect, so they are getting volunteers to take the serum and sending them up to you.

  Yes, thank goodness, they’re arriving.

  How’s Debbie?

  She’s pretty sick but holding her own. I’m considering giving her the anti-viral and taking it myself. How are Gini and the baby?

  Wonderful. We didn’t say a word about Debbie, but Gini knew she was sick and you were taking care of her. She always amazes me. So, she’s fine and understands. Vicky’s here if you want to try a video call.

  That would be great. I’ll go to my office. After the call, I’ll get some shut-eye.

  He was comfortably sitting on the couch in his office with a cup of coffee when the call came in.

  “Hello, Robert,” Vicky said. She was smiling on the screen. “I’m here with your sweet family.”

  “Hi, Vicky. Hey, thanks for being there.”

  “Not a problem at all. We just finished pumping for the first time.”

  Robert heard Gini giggle in the background.

  “Bress… uff, milk,” she said, as Vicky turned the phone screen to Gini.

  “Oh, sweetheart, you look beautiful. So you pumped. How was it?”

  Gini made gurgling sounds with her mouth and then laughed. “Be… uff, noise… ee.”

  “I wish I was there. I will be soon. Take good care of Jessica and give her lots of kisses from me.” He paused. “Gini, I love you, forever.”

  “Be… uff, lah…uff. Dee… bee, seek.”

  “Yes, but we’re going to get her well.”

  Robert could hear Linda’s voice in the background.

  “Hi, Robert,” Dr. Nelson said.

  “Hello. Take good care of Gini.”

  “I am. How are you doing?”

  “A little tired but otherwise okay. I miss my girls.”

  “Hopefully, that new serum will do the trick.”

  A nurse came in, and Vicky stepped away from the bed. “Medical time,” she said.

  “Vicky, make sure they watch Gini closely. This disease strikes without warning. I’m worried since Gini has had Coch in the past. Please watch her.”

  “Linda’s on it. She remembers how sick Gini was before with it. She’s in a good place. Everybody must use sanitizers on their hands and face before they’re allowed to enter the floors and rooms, no questions asked. The hospital is taking every precaution.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Robert, go to our house and sleep.”

  “No, I can’t be around anyone, least of all the ones I care about most.”

  “Please, take care of yourself and Debbie.”

  “I will.”

  Robert took an hour-and-a-half nap, went to the doctor’s shower area and cleaned up. Then he looked online. The Boston area was reporting more than three hundred cases, and Connecticut had close to five hundred, with seventy deaths. No reports of deaths in Massachusetts.

  When he reported in on the eighth floor, he requested an anti-Coch serum injection.

  The call had gone out to all medical personnel—currently working or not—to report to any hospital in the area to help with the epidemic. Every institution was understaffed to take care of both the virus-infected people and other patients.

  The minute Lisa heard that Debbie was sick, she signed up. She took the serum and volunteered to work on the eighth floor. Her mother came to take care of Timmy when Lenny was working. She would sleep in the nurses’ quarters.

  Debbie slowly opened her eyes. She had no idea how long she had been sick. Until that very moment, she had felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. Nothing seemed to make sense, but now she knew where she was and why.

  “Debs,” Lisa said. She brushed
her hand down Debbie’s face.

  Lisa was fully covered with a paper gown, mask across her nose and mouth, and gloved hands.

  “Lisa, what are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to take care of you.” Lisa smiled. She’d been there three days, and Debbie had given no sign she knew Lisa—or anyone for that matter—was there. “I think you are feeling better.”

  “How’s Gini? I need to be with Gini.”

  “For once, you need to take care of yourself first. Gini is fine. Enjoying her new baby. Oh, Debbie, Jessica is so cute.”

  Robert walked up behind Lisa. “Well, look who’s awake.”

  He was dressed in the same protective clothing. “I guess the serum is working.”

  “Robert, you shouldn’t be here. You’ll infect Gini and Jessica.”

  “I’m here working. Gini and I are video chatting.”

  “Thank goodness she isn’t sick. Is she still in the hospital?”

  “Yes, for a couple more days. Then they both can go home. Jessica has gained a half pound already. I think Gini is providing some good nutritious milk. And Gini is getting stronger every day. Vicky has had her up a couple of times a day walking. We’ll all go home together.”

  Lisa helped Debbie sit up a little and gave her some water. “How’s the house coming along?” Debbie asked after taking a sip.

  “I just talked to the builder. He said probably three weeks to the walk- through.”

  “Good…” Debbie slumped a bit.

  “You need to start slow, Debbie. Don’t overdo,” Robert instructed.

  “Yes sir, Doctor,” Debbie said with a touch of attitude.

  Our Debbie is back, Robert thought.

  Debbie’s fever had come down to 101, but she wasn’t out of the woods until it was back to normal. It appeared the searing pain was gone.

  Robert’s pager went off. “Rest, now.” He patted her arm.

  He looked down to read it:

  Gini’s running a low-grade fever.

  “Gotta go.” He rushed out of the room.