Chapter 2 - "It's the Plague"

After Josh and his mother left, I was talking again with the doctor. You really dont know what is wrong with this boy? Has anyone ever come to you with these same symptoms before?





No. I havent seen anything like this personally. Although recently I have been a bit paranoid. I received a letter from a close friend the other day, saying that a horrid sickness had reached her village. She didnt describe it to me, and when I sent her a letter in response, she never wrote another return one. I fear that the worst has come to her. But you seemed to know what to do with the child. How?





I usually work with things that can be cured by herbs, the people in the village I am from dont get very sick most of the time. And there are many doctors there, so sometimes I didnt even catch a glimpse of some patients.





Of course& I told the mother to bring the boy-





Josh





-yes, Josh. I told her to bring him back if he became worse.





Good. We should probably keep an eye on him. But its getting late, and I had a very long journey. Thank you again for your hospitality, I think Ill retire to my room.





Alright, good night to you. I walked back to my room with my bag over my shoulder. I sat down on a small cot that lay along one wall and took up half of the room. There was also a small table with a candle on it in the corner, and a chair that the doctor had brought in for me incase I needed space to work. And I did. I made sure the door was closed to my quarters and lit the candle in the desk. There was a small window in the room, but it wasnt letting in much light. I opened my bag carefully and took out a small pad of paper. I found a blank sheet and wrote down the symptoms that had already taken hold of the boy. I knew that the worst was to come for him, but I had to let the disease take its course, at least for the time being. After flipping through some papers I had, I quietly rearranged the things in my pack and put it under the table. I blew out the candle and put myself to sleep on the cot. As the sun went down outside my window, I could only think of when it would rise. Soon I would be brought face to face with Josh and his horrid disease once again.











I awoke to the poetic sound of a roosters waking call. Only, it wasnt so poetic as it is in cute southern movie from back home. It made me jump, and I quickly got to my feet and instinctively checked my bag. It hadnt moved or been moved, and my heart began to slow to a normal pace. I walked out of my room and into the doctors place. He was there, talking with a man who had broken his toe while plowing fields.





&so take this and tell your wife that I send my regards. Good day, Trevor. Oh, good morning Shey, the doctor said to me as Trevor waved and walked out of the house.





Good day. You usually have people visiting you all during the day? He gave a quick chuckle, Yes, even when they are not sick! This village is a very open place, everyone knows everyone. You will be picked out as a visitor very quickly! Even Josh could tell that you were a new comer.





Josh, has he come back yet?





I told his mother to bring him only if things became worse, we may not see him again so soon.





Oh, of course, yes.





Would you care for some food?





Thatd be wonderful, thank you. He handed me some bread and vegetables which I ate readily and thanked him once again for.





Would you like some chicken? he offered. I nearly choked on my bread, but then caught myself, and had to remember that these people had no idea of the horrible things that chickens would eventually bring to our world. I then laughed to myself, thinking of how foolish I had been.





Please, I said. I hadnt eaten chicken in a very, very long time. After the rise of the Avian flu, no one had eaten any birds in years. But those years were not to come for a while. I knew that I would be fine.





I finished off the food he gave me and asked the doctor what he normally did throughout the day.





I have to be here most of the time, to care for those that come seeking help. But we dont have to both be here. If youd like, you can take a walk down to the village center and buy some more fruit for when lunch arrives. Of course, the doctor loved food and I could tell. He was a bit large, and reminded me of a friend who I hadnt seen in quite some time. I told him that Id love to run to the market. He gave me some money and pointed me off, said it was only about a moments walk away.





I started off down the road, and soaked up the sights of the village. The houses were so small and the people were all busy. Adults worked as the children played around their feet. The laughter was wonderful, and purely innocent. It almost hurt me to know that most of them wouldnt last much longer, but I couldnt change that. I had to let things take their course. I knew the outcome and couldnt change history if I didnt want to destroy the future.





I came to the center of the village and there were people bustling about around me. A young boy came right up to me and said, hey mister, who are you? The boy must have been about 13, but obviously thought he was older. He came across to me as a boy who could get in trouble, as he was acting all giddy and was sweaty from playing around with his friends outside.





My name is Shey, and Im a doctor staying with your doctor up the road there. I pointed towards the direction I had come in.





Youre the new doctor! Oh, my mother told me about you, said youre pretty nice.





I only arrived yesterday, am I that well known already? Whats your name?





Im Jackson. Jackson William Cartwright. I was very puzzled. I had been sure that Josh was the boy. Could this be him? He was too old. Could I have made a mistake? This young man wasnt showing symptoms like Josh had been&





Nice to meet you Jackson William Cartwright, may I ask how your mother heard about me?





You met her yesterday, when she took my kid brother to the doctors house. Of course! This was Joshs older brother. I sighed, as, in my mind, pieces of my plan slowly fell back into place. I needed to find out more about this family.





Of course, good to meet you. How is Josh now?





Not so good, but mind you, hes a little faker. He was complaining this morning that his head, back and arms hurt. That little whiner. He mimicked his brother, and I was taken aback at the site of this boys tongue. There was a white coating- a sign of the Black Plague. I hid my excitement and inquired of the boy, Where do you live? Id like to check on your brother, please show me. Jackson told his friends hed be back, and started walking away. He called me along. We started down the road that I had come from. We passed the same houses and we were nearly to the doctors home where I had started when Jackson turned left down a small road that I hadnt noticed on my way to the village center. He turned to the second small house on the right and walked inside.





Mother! he called as he entered the home. A man carrying a young girl walked into the room.





Your mother is in the bed with Josh. He is feeling even worse now Jackson, what are you doing at home.





This is Shey, the new doctor. He wanted to check on Josh and I ran into him at the village center when I was with Maxwell and Thomas.





Good day doctor, you saw my son yesterday, did you not?





Yes, he and your wife came to the doctors house that Im staying at.





Thank you for seeing him, you are welcome here any time.





Thank you sir, may I see Josh now? To check on him? The man nodded, and Jackson started to leave the house to rejoin Maxwell and Thomas in the village center. I almost stopped him, but I had to let the disease take its course on him as well. I knew it was starting to develop, thanks to his sweating, giddiness and the white coating on his tongue. I turned away from Jackson and followed Joshs father, who was still carrying Joshs sister, into the room where Josh was laying on a bed. His mother was sitting with him and whispering to him, trying to sooth him. Jackson mustnt have seen his brother recently, as he was most definitely not faking this. I walked up to the bed and his mother stood up.





Shey, good day.





Good day to you too. Is Josh feeling any different?





Hes been complaining of more pains, in his head, arms and his back too. And his armpits, his groin, and neck, hes been saying they hurt. Ive had him lying here since yesterday. He got up once because he was going to be sick, so I led him outside and he began vomiting. Can you please help us? As I said yesterday, Im not sure what is wrong with your son, I knelt down by him, and his brilliant green eyes had less shine than those of the children I had seen in the streets. He asked me, after coughing a few times, am I going to be okay, doctor? I looked at him and whispered so that only he could hear, Tell you what. Let me come and see you everyday. Let me talk to you and you tell me how you feel. You should be okay. He nodded, and I rose and looked at his worried parents.





Im not sure whats going to happen. Let me go and talk to the doctor and see if he has any ideas for now.





Alright, thank you. I left the house, and took the same route that Jackson had directed me upon to get back to the doctors house. I opened the door and saw him reading a book at his table. Hello again, he exclaimed as he saw me enter, didnt you find the market okay?





Yes, I found it. But then I was found by Joshs brother, you remember, the boy who was here yesterday? He nodded, so I continued. I asked him how his brother was doing and he told me that he was in pain. I had him bring me to their house and I saw Josh and talked to his mother. The boy is only getting worse. He has been vomiting, and complaining of pains all over his body. He looked at me and slowly closed his book. I looked at the book, only it wasnt a book it was a journal with the name Christina on the cover. He saw me looking at it and sensed my curiosity. He looked down at the book and back up at me. Its a journal, he said, It belonged to my friend that I told you had sent me a letter recently. I got this today from her sister. Christina died the day after she sent my letter. I looked at him and he saw that I was still confused. She sent me this because Christina was my best friend. And Shey, she died of the Plague. What you are describing to me&.is the Plague.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment