the networks were going back to their normal schedule, so I went to the all-news stations. CNN was running a special report called, “Caging Contagions.” Catchy , I thought to myself as I lay on the couch, putting my feet up and getting comfortable. Ten minutes later, I called into the kitchen, interrupting Meri’s and Tucker’s quiet chatting to call them out to see the program. I was now sitting up and holding one of the pillows in my lap.
Meri asked, “What’s the deal? Not more bad news.”
“Just listen, and tell me what you think.” Meri and Tucker sat down, and we all watched the TV until the next commercial. I turned to them. “Well?”
Meri shrugged, rubbing her neck. “I admit it’s a little disturbing, but they’re just being sensationalists. It makes more people watch the program.” She turned to Tucker, sliding her leg under her. “You know, like when the Weather Channel makes every single snow storm seem like the super-killer-storm that may just bury us all, right? It happens all over, and now they’re doing it too.” She motioned at the TV.
Tucker looked serious. “I don’t like this,” he said.
Meri looked at me. “Come on! We’re a part of the United States! We have rights!”
I said, “They were saying that at its worse, the Black Death in Europe only killed thirty percent of the population. They are speculating that this ‘disease’ may kill fifty percent of the people in the affected area.”
Meri scoffed, “Speculation. You said it yourself.”
Tucker said, “The CDC is saying that voluntary quarantine might not be effective in such a large area.”
Meri turned to him. “Now you’re sounding like them!”
“Meri, I didn’t say it originally, but I am hearing more and more about quarantining the area.”
“And you think that’s a good idea?” Her eyes were wide.
“No,” he said slowly. “Well, not yet. We don’t really know what we’re dealing with. Medical authorities, including the CDC, haven’t been able to tell why people are getting sick or why some aren’t affected.”
Meri looked at her lap.
The program came back on. We watched. By the time it ended, there was a heavy silence. Meri was the first to break it. “Dear God. They wouldn’t. I refuse to believe it. Most of those quarantine rules were back when people didn’t know better. They wouldn’t do it now.”
“I hope you’re right,” Tucker said, “but I wonder if you’d say the same thing if you lived in Chicago, where you’d be close enough for possibly ‘infected’ people to drive to in a few hours. Would you want a chance of it spreading?”
Meri said a bit wildly, “But the officials of the C, um, whatever it’s called—”
“CDC,” I supplied. “Center for Disease Control.”
“Whatever!” she snapped. “They said there is no evidence it’s contagious. So all this talk is just crazy!”
Tucker said, “People get worked up, and I agree with you, programs like this can start a panic. But even if they did quarantine the area, it would only be until they found out exactly what it is that’s hurting us. And they might have figured it out already and we just haven’t heard yet.” His voice was soothing.
Meri jumped up. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” I stared at her as she actually stamped her foot in time to the words. She had begun to cry. “Why are we even talking about it?”
Tucker stood as well, giving me a warning look. “You’re right,” he said with finality. “It’s a ridiculous idea.”
My hand reached over and surreptitiously pressed the power button on the remote. The TV turned off. Meri again rubbed her neck. “Maybe I’ve been overdoing it,” she said. “I am sort of tired.”
“Go ahead and take a nap if you want.” I offered, gesturing to the couch.
Meri started to lie down, suddenly sitting bolt upright. “Oh, God. Am I getting it?”
Tucker looked at me and I said, “You know, Meri, you could just be getting sick—a good old
Meri asked, “What’s the deal? Not more bad news.”
“Just listen, and tell me what you think.” Meri and Tucker sat down, and we all watched the TV until the next commercial. I turned to them. “Well?”
Meri shrugged, rubbing her neck. “I admit it’s a little disturbing, but they’re just being sensationalists. It makes more people watch the program.” She turned to Tucker, sliding her leg under her. “You know, like when the Weather Channel makes every single snow storm seem like the super-killer-storm that may just bury us all, right? It happens all over, and now they’re doing it too.” She motioned at the TV.
Tucker looked serious. “I don’t like this,” he said.
Meri looked at me. “Come on! We’re a part of the United States! We have rights!”
I said, “They were saying that at its worse, the Black Death in Europe only killed thirty percent of the population. They are speculating that this ‘disease’ may kill fifty percent of the people in the affected area.”
Meri scoffed, “Speculation. You said it yourself.”
Tucker said, “The CDC is saying that voluntary quarantine might not be effective in such a large area.”
Meri turned to him. “Now you’re sounding like them!”
“Meri, I didn’t say it originally, but I am hearing more and more about quarantining the area.”
“And you think that’s a good idea?” Her eyes were wide.
“No,” he said slowly. “Well, not yet. We don’t really know what we’re dealing with. Medical authorities, including the CDC, haven’t been able to tell why people are getting sick or why some aren’t affected.”
Meri looked at her lap.
The program came back on. We watched. By the time it ended, there was a heavy silence. Meri was the first to break it. “Dear God. They wouldn’t. I refuse to believe it. Most of those quarantine rules were back when people didn’t know better. They wouldn’t do it now.”
“I hope you’re right,” Tucker said, “but I wonder if you’d say the same thing if you lived in Chicago, where you’d be close enough for possibly ‘infected’ people to drive to in a few hours. Would you want a chance of it spreading?”
Meri said a bit wildly, “But the officials of the C, um, whatever it’s called—”
“CDC,” I supplied. “Center for Disease Control.”
“Whatever!” she snapped. “They said there is no evidence it’s contagious. So all this talk is just crazy!”
Tucker said, “People get worked up, and I agree with you, programs like this can start a panic. But even if they did quarantine the area, it would only be until they found out exactly what it is that’s hurting us. And they might have figured it out already and we just haven’t heard yet.” His voice was soothing.
Meri jumped up. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” I stared at her as she actually stamped her foot in time to the words. She had begun to cry. “Why are we even talking about it?”
Tucker stood as well, giving me a warning look. “You’re right,” he said with finality. “It’s a ridiculous idea.”
My hand reached over and surreptitiously pressed the power button on the remote. The TV turned off. Meri again rubbed her neck. “Maybe I’ve been overdoing it,” she said. “I am sort of tired.”
“Go ahead and take a nap if you want.” I offered, gesturing to the couch.
Meri started to lie down, suddenly sitting bolt upright. “Oh, God. Am I getting it?”
Tucker looked at me and I said, “You know, Meri, you could just be getting sick—a good old
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