Day One of the End of the World
Nov 15, 2015 21:46:51 GMT -5
Post by Carmichael on Nov 15, 2015 21:46:51 GMT -5
Carmichael folded his hands together, almost looking like he was praying. He looked down at the report on his desk. This was not good, this was not good at all.
There had been an attack earlier in the day. A woman had bitten another person on the subway, viciously clawing and gnawing at the other person. The man had survived, fortunately brought to the hospital, but it was strange. All the information that the police had given him about the woman was that she was a nice older woman, had no criminal record or anything untoward about her. She was currently unresponsive at the hospital, having had been whacked in the head by a police baton. Carmichael was hoping against hope that she didn’t die, or else there was going to be a serious police investigation. She had bitten the man straight to the bone, almost as if she didn’t care whether or not she killed him. He was lucky to be alive, and would have a difficult fight against infection.
”Bev, any calls from either the police office or the hospital? I want to know the minute we get a report from either; this is causing some serious stress.”
He didn’t like that he got involved in this process, usually it wouldn’t pass through the mayor’s office, but since the police might be in trouble for excessive force, he was told about it. He just didn’t like the sound of it.
”I’ll letcha know, mistah Cah-mike-al.”
Carmichael rolled his eyes, his assistant, Bev, sounded like she belonged in a comic book, instead of real life. He hated her voice, but she wasn’t a bad assistant, she certainly kept his schedule fully booked. Carmichael couldn’t tell if that was because she wanted to help or because she was a sadist.
”Mistah Cah-mike-al” Bev’s voice rang out over the little intercom, and Carmichael pressed the button, telling her to continue. ”Um…There’s been a little…incident.”
Carmichael sighed, and pushed the button to speak.
”What? What could possibly make this day any worse?”
Bev’s voice sounded nervous. ”Um…So the man at the hospital woke up…and proceeded to attack the nurse who was working on him. He bit her, mistah cah-mike-al. He bit her. And then he bit the doctor. And then he bit another doctor. They had to sedate him, sir.
Carmichael was listening, nervous. Something in his stomach was telling him that this was a really, really bad situation. Or it was indigestion. But it felt like the first one.
”Okay…what kind of damage are we talking about here? Are the nurse and the doctors okay?”
Bev’s voice was even more shakey when she responded.
”Well that’s not all Mistah Cah-mike-al. The woman also woke up. And attacked a group of people. Bites and scratches. There’s about 12 injured in total. But they’re apparently not doing well.”
Carmichael rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers.
”This is bad, Bev, but it’s not a tragedy. Whatever it is that happened to the woman and man were probably an isolated incident. Perhaps something that they ate. Hopefully this is the end of it. 12 people getting a few scratches shouldn’t be too bad off. It’ll be okay.” He was speaking now, not entirely believing what he was saying, sensing an issue, but he was trying to keep Bev calm.
”No, that’s not it Mistah Cah-mike-al. Before the man woke up…they said…they said he flatlined. Before he woke up…he died. It cant be…You know….I mean…that’s not possible right, Mistah Cah-mike-al. It can’t be.”
Carmichael stood up and locked the door to his office. He walked back to the desk and pushed the intercom button.
”Bev, next time you want to tell me bad news…maybe tell me the entire thing, instead of breaking it up so that each section is worse than the last. That might be a little more helpful here. We need to call the police officers and get them over to the hospital immediately. There might need to be a quarantine.”
Bev’s voice rang out again.
”Well….there’s just a tiny bit m-more. Mistah Cah-mike-al….the people who got bit at the hospital…they…..well…they woke up too. And they….the hospital is gone sir.”
Carmichael blanched. ”What the hell do you mean it’s gone?”
”We lost communication with them ten minutes ago. The police are on their way over but…I think we need to plan for a full scale evacuation.”
Carmichael swore under his breath, and another voice came over the intercom.
”This is sergeant James Montgomery of the Central City Police Force, Mr Mayor sir, do you read me?”
Carmichael pushed the button and responded that he did.
”Sir. We have a class 1 crisis on our hands.”
”What is it now, Montgomery?” Carmichael was thinking that this couldn’t possibly get any worse.
”We just arrived at the hospital sir….and it’s completely empty…There are a few dead bodies…but there are no people here.”
Something about the way he said the world “people” caused Carmichael’s stomach to turn. There was nobody left in the hospital…..which means…whatever those things were….were somewhere out in the city. Somewhere with more people. And more people meant more of those things.
Carmichael was afraid…and that didn’t happen often. He would forever remember this as day one. Day one of the end of the world.
There had been an attack earlier in the day. A woman had bitten another person on the subway, viciously clawing and gnawing at the other person. The man had survived, fortunately brought to the hospital, but it was strange. All the information that the police had given him about the woman was that she was a nice older woman, had no criminal record or anything untoward about her. She was currently unresponsive at the hospital, having had been whacked in the head by a police baton. Carmichael was hoping against hope that she didn’t die, or else there was going to be a serious police investigation. She had bitten the man straight to the bone, almost as if she didn’t care whether or not she killed him. He was lucky to be alive, and would have a difficult fight against infection.
”Bev, any calls from either the police office or the hospital? I want to know the minute we get a report from either; this is causing some serious stress.”
He didn’t like that he got involved in this process, usually it wouldn’t pass through the mayor’s office, but since the police might be in trouble for excessive force, he was told about it. He just didn’t like the sound of it.
”I’ll letcha know, mistah Cah-mike-al.”
Carmichael rolled his eyes, his assistant, Bev, sounded like she belonged in a comic book, instead of real life. He hated her voice, but she wasn’t a bad assistant, she certainly kept his schedule fully booked. Carmichael couldn’t tell if that was because she wanted to help or because she was a sadist.
”Mistah Cah-mike-al” Bev’s voice rang out over the little intercom, and Carmichael pressed the button, telling her to continue. ”Um…There’s been a little…incident.”
Carmichael sighed, and pushed the button to speak.
”What? What could possibly make this day any worse?”
Bev’s voice sounded nervous. ”Um…So the man at the hospital woke up…and proceeded to attack the nurse who was working on him. He bit her, mistah cah-mike-al. He bit her. And then he bit the doctor. And then he bit another doctor. They had to sedate him, sir.
Carmichael was listening, nervous. Something in his stomach was telling him that this was a really, really bad situation. Or it was indigestion. But it felt like the first one.
”Okay…what kind of damage are we talking about here? Are the nurse and the doctors okay?”
Bev’s voice was even more shakey when she responded.
”Well that’s not all Mistah Cah-mike-al. The woman also woke up. And attacked a group of people. Bites and scratches. There’s about 12 injured in total. But they’re apparently not doing well.”
Carmichael rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers.
”This is bad, Bev, but it’s not a tragedy. Whatever it is that happened to the woman and man were probably an isolated incident. Perhaps something that they ate. Hopefully this is the end of it. 12 people getting a few scratches shouldn’t be too bad off. It’ll be okay.” He was speaking now, not entirely believing what he was saying, sensing an issue, but he was trying to keep Bev calm.
”No, that’s not it Mistah Cah-mike-al. Before the man woke up…they said…they said he flatlined. Before he woke up…he died. It cant be…You know….I mean…that’s not possible right, Mistah Cah-mike-al. It can’t be.”
Carmichael stood up and locked the door to his office. He walked back to the desk and pushed the intercom button.
”Bev, next time you want to tell me bad news…maybe tell me the entire thing, instead of breaking it up so that each section is worse than the last. That might be a little more helpful here. We need to call the police officers and get them over to the hospital immediately. There might need to be a quarantine.”
Bev’s voice rang out again.
”Well….there’s just a tiny bit m-more. Mistah Cah-mike-al….the people who got bit at the hospital…they…..well…they woke up too. And they….the hospital is gone sir.”
Carmichael blanched. ”What the hell do you mean it’s gone?”
”We lost communication with them ten minutes ago. The police are on their way over but…I think we need to plan for a full scale evacuation.”
Carmichael swore under his breath, and another voice came over the intercom.
”This is sergeant James Montgomery of the Central City Police Force, Mr Mayor sir, do you read me?”
Carmichael pushed the button and responded that he did.
”Sir. We have a class 1 crisis on our hands.”
”What is it now, Montgomery?” Carmichael was thinking that this couldn’t possibly get any worse.
”We just arrived at the hospital sir….and it’s completely empty…There are a few dead bodies…but there are no people here.”
Something about the way he said the world “people” caused Carmichael’s stomach to turn. There was nobody left in the hospital…..which means…whatever those things were….were somewhere out in the city. Somewhere with more people. And more people meant more of those things.
Carmichael was afraid…and that didn’t happen often. He would forever remember this as day one. Day one of the end of the world.