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Authors: Pauline Creeden
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“Billy?”
“Hi, Jack.” Pastor Billy reached out his hand, and Jennie’s father took it, the ritual a necessity of habit.
“What are you doing here?”
“Actually, I found Jennie downstairs. Some strange things are going on around here, so I escorted her up to find you and your wife. You’re looking for your wife?”
Jennie’s dad nodded, his eyes darting as if he didn’t want to stop looking. “She was in the surgery prep room when she…” An intense look in his eyes measured the pastor as though unsure he wanted to expose a family weakness with someone outside of the family.
Pastor Billy seemed to get the hint. “Anything you tell me will remain between the three of us.” He nodded toward Jennie. “Call it pastor-member privilege.”
Dad’s eyes grew softer, and he sighed in defeat. “Apparently, Maggie attacked the anesthesiologist and grew suddenly wild. I was in the waiting area outside of the surgery center. She ran off. No one could stop her. I’ve been looking all over but can’t seem to find her in the building. She couldn’t have gone far, right?”
Pastor Billy nodded. “This only happened about twenty minutes ago?”
“Yes, how’d you know?”
“It seems that all of the bite victims are having a strange reaction to the alien saliva. Like rabies or something. They are not acting like themselves.”
“I’ve seen some strange things going on in the hallways. What you say makes sense. I haven’t had a personal encounter with any of the victims, but I’ve seen the nurses and doctors trying to restrain several people.”
“My wife took Mickey over to the church. Maybe it would be best if we all headed over there?”
“I can’t leave Maggie.” Dad’s eyes pleaded with the pastor.
“I don’t know that your wife is acting like...herself. She has on a hospital band?”
“Yes.”
“Then if the staff here find her and get her restrained, they’ll contact you.”
Her father set his jaw and met the larger man’s gaze with a cold look. “I will not leave my wife like a stray dog.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“That’s fine. Look, I’m glad that you kept my daughter safe. I’m glad that your wife is taking care of my son. Now, I need to secure my wife’s well-being before I can possibly think about my own comfort.”
Billy nodded. “I understand. I’d like to come with you, but I don’t believe it would be safe for Jennie.”
Both men looked at her. She felt like a bug under a magnifying glass.
Her dad sighed. “You’re right, Pastor. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine—just take care of Jennie.”
“Okay, Jack. I’ll take Jennie over to the church with Mickey and my wife. We’ll wait for you there on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s about eight hours until the sun sets. Look for your wife, and we’ll pray that you find her. But it’s dangerous right now while it’s light outside. Lord only knows what it will be like after dark. My one condition is that whether you find her or not, you’ll be at the church by sunset.”
Dad’s eyes moved back and forth. “I’ll find her, and I’ll be there.”
“Also, avoid the injured people. Don’t try to help them. Jennie and I have seen these people attacking others and trying to bite them. It really is like they are rabid.”
“That’s two conditions.” Her father smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “But I’ll avoid being attacked as best I can.”
“Okay.” Pastor Billy nodded and stood a little straighter. He looked less defeated than he had the moment before.
Normally, Jennie would have protested their talk about her like an object and not an opinionated nineteen-year-old. But under the circumstances, she just wanted to go home and hide her head under the covers. She needed for someone to hold her hand and tell her everything was going to be all right. Without a single thought of protest, she took the pastor’s hand.
The pastor pushed his glasses up his nose
“Hi, Jack.” Pastor Billy reached out his hand, and Jennie’s father took it, the ritual a necessity of habit.
“What are you doing here?”
“Actually, I found Jennie downstairs. Some strange things are going on around here, so I escorted her up to find you and your wife. You’re looking for your wife?”
Jennie’s dad nodded, his eyes darting as if he didn’t want to stop looking. “She was in the surgery prep room when she…” An intense look in his eyes measured the pastor as though unsure he wanted to expose a family weakness with someone outside of the family.
Pastor Billy seemed to get the hint. “Anything you tell me will remain between the three of us.” He nodded toward Jennie. “Call it pastor-member privilege.”
Dad’s eyes grew softer, and he sighed in defeat. “Apparently, Maggie attacked the anesthesiologist and grew suddenly wild. I was in the waiting area outside of the surgery center. She ran off. No one could stop her. I’ve been looking all over but can’t seem to find her in the building. She couldn’t have gone far, right?”
Pastor Billy nodded. “This only happened about twenty minutes ago?”
“Yes, how’d you know?”
“It seems that all of the bite victims are having a strange reaction to the alien saliva. Like rabies or something. They are not acting like themselves.”
“I’ve seen some strange things going on in the hallways. What you say makes sense. I haven’t had a personal encounter with any of the victims, but I’ve seen the nurses and doctors trying to restrain several people.”
“My wife took Mickey over to the church. Maybe it would be best if we all headed over there?”
“I can’t leave Maggie.” Dad’s eyes pleaded with the pastor.
“I don’t know that your wife is acting like...herself. She has on a hospital band?”
“Yes.”
“Then if the staff here find her and get her restrained, they’ll contact you.”
Her father set his jaw and met the larger man’s gaze with a cold look. “I will not leave my wife like a stray dog.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“That’s fine. Look, I’m glad that you kept my daughter safe. I’m glad that your wife is taking care of my son. Now, I need to secure my wife’s well-being before I can possibly think about my own comfort.”
Billy nodded. “I understand. I’d like to come with you, but I don’t believe it would be safe for Jennie.”
Both men looked at her. She felt like a bug under a magnifying glass.
Her dad sighed. “You’re right, Pastor. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine—just take care of Jennie.”
“Okay, Jack. I’ll take Jennie over to the church with Mickey and my wife. We’ll wait for you there on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s about eight hours until the sun sets. Look for your wife, and we’ll pray that you find her. But it’s dangerous right now while it’s light outside. Lord only knows what it will be like after dark. My one condition is that whether you find her or not, you’ll be at the church by sunset.”
Dad’s eyes moved back and forth. “I’ll find her, and I’ll be there.”
“Also, avoid the injured people. Don’t try to help them. Jennie and I have seen these people attacking others and trying to bite them. It really is like they are rabid.”
“That’s two conditions.” Her father smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “But I’ll avoid being attacked as best I can.”
“Okay.” Pastor Billy nodded and stood a little straighter. He looked less defeated than he had the moment before.
Normally, Jennie would have protested their talk about her like an object and not an opinionated nineteen-year-old. But under the circumstances, she just wanted to go home and hide her head under the covers. She needed for someone to hold her hand and tell her everything was going to be all right. Without a single thought of protest, she took the pastor’s hand.
The pastor pushed his glasses up his nose
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