The Onyx Seed - A Story of Survival by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 4

It was about six-thirty in the evening and traffic near L.A.’s County Hospital was gridlocked. Ambulances lined the parking lot outside the emergency room, along with a few police cars. County hospital seemed to get the worst cases imaginable. Gunshot wounds, stabbings, overdoses, and traffic accidents were just the tip of the iceberg. There was no such thing as a quiet day at County Hospital. And like many other days, the entire campus had been placed on lockdown. This was usually done when a gang member was admitted and it was anticipated that a rival gang might be on its way to offer their own method of treatment. Marty and Lucas tried to find a parking space. But not only were the parking lots full, the streets were lined with cars that had been hastily left, as people clamored to get into the hospital. “What the hell is this?” Lucas asked. “Whatever it is,” Marty replied. “It doesn’t look good.”

Because the hospital was in lockdown, no one could get in or out and police officers were everywhere. “You know, gangs show up here all the time looking for trouble,” Lucas said.

“Maybe that’s what’s going on.”

Marty continued driving around the hospital. They would be unable to get in. Yet, what he saw piqued his curiosity.

“Maybe,” Marty said. “But I don’t think so.” The police were directing traffic away from the hospital while a helicopter repeatedly circled the area. As they rounded the back of the hospital, Marty noticed a small mobile office near the air circulation units. This would normally be used by contractors doing construction on the hospital. But there was no sign of any construction being done and as Marty continued watching, he suddenly felt a surge of horror as he saw someone dressed in a hazardous materials suit step out of the office. Lucas, however, was continuing to watch the helicopter, as well as the increasing number of police gathering in the area. He also noticed that they were clad in riot gear. “Uh, Marty,” Lucas began. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to check on Maria.”

Marty was looking for a way out, away from the hospital when his car suddenly became surrounded by police, wearing helmets, face shields, and body armor.

“Lucas,” he replied. “I think you’re right.”

The police were armed with automatic weapons and attempting to evacuate the property outside hospital doors. An officer took aim at Marty’s head and ordered him to immediately leave the area. Marty nodded in compliance and backed his car out as another officer directed him away. Lucas was frightened beyond words as he sat with wide eyes, surveying a scene that could have easily been taken from a movie depicting some post-apocalyptic nightmare.

Marty continued driving away from the hospital as Lucas remained transfixed on the helicopter. “Marty,” he said. “What the fuck’s going on?”

Marty stared at the road in front of him with a shocked expression.

“I have no idea,” he answered. “But I think we need to find out.”

Lucas looked over at him deeply concerned by Marty’s grave expression.

“Marty,” he began. “You were in Iraq. Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

Marty took a deep breath, trying to think of something that might deflate the tension Lucas was experiencing.

“Luke,” he replied. “This is Los Angeles. Anything can happen here. They’re probably looking for an escaped prisoner or something.”

A moment of silence went by as Lucas thought about his answer.

“Do you really think so?” he asked. Lucas wanted to believe him, but there was something about Marty’s voice that prompted a degree of doubt.

“Marty, what did you see?” he asked. “Something back there scared the shit out of you. What was it?” Marty didn’t answer. He just wanted to get back to their apartment, back to his room, where he felt safe, insulated from the horrors of the real world. But this particular horror was one he would not be able to hide from for much longer.

Upon returning, Marty ran up the stairs well ahead of Lucas, who was still asking questions. Lucas followed him to the back of the apartment and stood by as Marty hurriedly unlocked the door of his room. He turned on his television and switched to a local news channel. The scene playing out at the hospital had become the breaking news story of the day. And as both of them sat glued to the television, the broadcast provided answers to some of Marty’s questions. The hospital, it seems, had been overrun with people suffering from a particularly virulent form of the flu. The states CDC had been called to perform on-site investigation and identification of the virus. Local police had been mobilized to establish a perimeter and redirect traffic. The wording of the broadcast came from the governor who managed to avoid using the word quarantine. In politics, damage control can often be managed through the careful use of words.

They sat watching live footage being broadcast from the helicopter they’d seen earlier. Its camera moving between those dressed in hazmat suits and the throngs of people trying desperately to get into the hospital, only to find all entrances locked. They stared at the screen as an announcement was made that the hospital was setting up examination tents to cope with patient overflow. As events continued to play out, the police began rounding up those crowded at the emergency room and main entrances and organized them into small groups. They were directed to the examination tents and lined up for treatment. Those who were the sickest were seen first. Naturally, it didn’t take long for some people to protest about not being seen ahead of others. Fights began to break out among those who were still healthy enough to push others aside. The police were quick to intervene and used pepper spray as the first means of crowd control. When the situation escalated, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds were used. No one was killed, but a few were left with some cracked ribs and heavy bruises.

Moments after the broadcast cut to a commercial, Marty sat trying to make sense of what they had seen. “All of this over the flu,” he said. “I’m not buying this, there’s got to be something else going on.” Lucas had also been paying close attention. However, he had the insight that resulted from education. “Actually,” he began. “It’s very possible that this could be the flu.”

Marty looked at him with disbelief. “Do you think that all these people have the flu?” Lucas nodded casually as they waited for the broadcast to continue.

“Well, it’s happened before,” he answered. “The Spanish flu of 1918 killed twenty to fifty million people. Some people died the same day they got sick. This could be for real.”

Marty picked up the remote.

“Let’s see if it’s on the national news.” He switched to CNN. Eventually, the announcer reported on what was now being called the outbreak of Los Angeles. The media had given it a label dramatic enough to get people’s attention. In a related story, six other cities appear to have been hit hard by this most recent strain of flu. Those affected states have decided to combine their efforts with the National Centers for Disease Control in order to provide for better management of the spread of this season’s flu outbreak.

The wording of the broadcast was such that it minimized the possibility of widespread panic. It was a brilliant work of political word-crafting, pointing out that panic can be far more dangerous than any disease.

“I don’t get it,” Marty said. “I come back from one night in the mountains and all hell’s broken loose.” Lucas sat back, gravely concerned about where the outbreaks were taking place.

“Seven major cities,” he said.

His gaze was still fixed on the television screen. “Marty, what do we do if this gets worse?” Marty had seen small pockets of infectious disease in Iraq and was already considering a worst-case scenario. But he didn’t want to scare Lucas. “I think it’s too soon to say,” he answered. “Let’s just keep an eye on things, for now.”