Read Online Lost Past by Teresa McCullough, Zachary McCullough - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Teresa McCullough, Zachary McCullough
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volunteered.
“How long has it been that way?” Eric asked as he paid.
“Maybe five minutes.” She seemed mildly annoyed.
Eric turned WTOP radio on when they got to the car. The Internet was down everywhere and people could only make local calls on landlines. Satellite phones worked for a while, and people found that this was true everywhere in the U.S. and in much of Europe. Shortly after that was announced, the satellite phones went down. Cable TV didn’t work either. They continued on wordlessly, listening to the wild speculation and the continued description of the chaos. The news reported air travel was largely at a standstill and people who wanted to travel were trying Amtrak, and all the trains were full.
“I think it could be easy for you to hide now. It’s pretty chaotic at the moment,” Eric said.
"Am I paranoid, or could this be related to what I just did?” John asked.
“I think it is possibly related to what WE just did.” Eric pulled into a gas station. The pumps seemed to be working, so the chaos had not extended that far. “You didn’t need gas,” John said after Eric put in half of a tank.
“But I might in a few days, and I would prefer to be prepared. Where should we go?”
They went to the hospital and found everyone there. People assumed they came in to deal with the chaos, and John had no objections to soothing people in the increasing hysteria. Eric’s boss praised him for assembling his team of psychiatrists, complaining that other departments didn’t see the need. Many people decided to stay at home and hover by the radio.
***
Tom dropped Linda and her suitcase off at Mary Chen’s apartment before he drove back to medical school. Although Linda could go back to the apartment she shared with two women at school, she was finished for the semester. She planned to pick up more clothes and spend a few days with a friend from high school. Tom offered to wait around to drive her there, but Linda felt she should spend some time with Mary. She used her key to enter. With her father apparently alive, it was still nominally her second home, but she apologized to Mary for intruding.
“That’s all right,” Ma ry said. “My mother and brother left.” It didn’t take much acuity to realize that Mary was unhappy with something related to that.
“How are you holding up?” Linda asked.
“They want me to clear out his things!” Mary said angrily. “And now it looks like he may not be dead. I was almost ready to go along with them, believing him dead. He’s not dead. He can’t be dead.”
Mary started to cry and Linda put her arms around her. While Mary talked about how wonderful Arthur was Linda saw a side to her father she never saw before. He was kind, he was interested in Mary’s work, he respected her, he understood her, he understood her research, he didn’t care she couldn’t have children, he respected her Chinese culture, he liked her food, he took care of her when she was sick, he was even good in bed.
The last item was somewhat of a shock to Linda, but she realized that Mary hardly was aware of her audience and continued talking for some time about how good their marriage was. Mary then started griping about her own family. They wanted her to marry someone Chinese, they thought she should hide her intelligence, they liked Arthur’s prestige, but they didn’t like Arthur, and so on. They wanted to know how much money he left her, and could she help put her brother’s children through college?
“Why did you invite them?” Linda asked.
“I didn’t. They invited themselves. I let them come because I thought it would help.”
Linda realized she couldn’t leave. As soon as Linda persuaded Mary to lie down, a reporter
“How long has it been that way?” Eric asked as he paid.
“Maybe five minutes.” She seemed mildly annoyed.
Eric turned WTOP radio on when they got to the car. The Internet was down everywhere and people could only make local calls on landlines. Satellite phones worked for a while, and people found that this was true everywhere in the U.S. and in much of Europe. Shortly after that was announced, the satellite phones went down. Cable TV didn’t work either. They continued on wordlessly, listening to the wild speculation and the continued description of the chaos. The news reported air travel was largely at a standstill and people who wanted to travel were trying Amtrak, and all the trains were full.
“I think it could be easy for you to hide now. It’s pretty chaotic at the moment,” Eric said.
"Am I paranoid, or could this be related to what I just did?” John asked.
“I think it is possibly related to what WE just did.” Eric pulled into a gas station. The pumps seemed to be working, so the chaos had not extended that far. “You didn’t need gas,” John said after Eric put in half of a tank.
“But I might in a few days, and I would prefer to be prepared. Where should we go?”
They went to the hospital and found everyone there. People assumed they came in to deal with the chaos, and John had no objections to soothing people in the increasing hysteria. Eric’s boss praised him for assembling his team of psychiatrists, complaining that other departments didn’t see the need. Many people decided to stay at home and hover by the radio.
***
Tom dropped Linda and her suitcase off at Mary Chen’s apartment before he drove back to medical school. Although Linda could go back to the apartment she shared with two women at school, she was finished for the semester. She planned to pick up more clothes and spend a few days with a friend from high school. Tom offered to wait around to drive her there, but Linda felt she should spend some time with Mary. She used her key to enter. With her father apparently alive, it was still nominally her second home, but she apologized to Mary for intruding.
“That’s all right,” Ma ry said. “My mother and brother left.” It didn’t take much acuity to realize that Mary was unhappy with something related to that.
“How are you holding up?” Linda asked.
“They want me to clear out his things!” Mary said angrily. “And now it looks like he may not be dead. I was almost ready to go along with them, believing him dead. He’s not dead. He can’t be dead.”
Mary started to cry and Linda put her arms around her. While Mary talked about how wonderful Arthur was Linda saw a side to her father she never saw before. He was kind, he was interested in Mary’s work, he respected her, he understood her, he understood her research, he didn’t care she couldn’t have children, he respected her Chinese culture, he liked her food, he took care of her when she was sick, he was even good in bed.
The last item was somewhat of a shock to Linda, but she realized that Mary hardly was aware of her audience and continued talking for some time about how good their marriage was. Mary then started griping about her own family. They wanted her to marry someone Chinese, they thought she should hide her intelligence, they liked Arthur’s prestige, but they didn’t like Arthur, and so on. They wanted to know how much money he left her, and could she help put her brother’s children through college?
“Why did you invite them?” Linda asked.
“I didn’t. They invited themselves. I let them come because I thought it would help.”
Linda realized she couldn’t leave. As soon as Linda persuaded Mary to lie down, a reporter
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