Isolation (Book 1): Shut In Read online

  Nick turned off the TV, feeling sick, and pulled out his phone to call Ellie. Voicemail. “Ellie, I'm really getting worried. Please call me as soon as you can. I hope you're okay.”

  He hung up and headed into the kitchen, where Ricky was drizzling way too much honey on a peanut butter sandwich while Tallie munched on an apple while looking at a picture book.

  “You'll have to take your snacks to go, guys,” he told his children briskly. “Grab your jackets and put on your shoes.”

  Tallie was only too happy to rush back to the front door, apple in hand, and get ready to go. Ricky was slower to obey, looking at him curiously; Nick usually had them do their homework first thing when they got home, so this was unusual.

  Then again, so was this entire day.

  “Where are we going?” his son asked.

  “Upstairs.” Nick plopped another slice of bread down on the unfinished sandwich and picked up the plate. “Come on, let's go.”

  Tallie overheard that and squealed with excitement, happy at the chance to see her friend, while Ricky scowled. At home he could watch whatever he wanted on his own tablet, but while being babysat Gen had all three kids vote on what to watch, majority rule.

  Needless to say, the two youngest kids usually agreed more on what to watch than the eight-year-old. Ricky could sometimes talk Gen's son to go for something he liked, but was usually frustrated that he didn't get his way as the oldest.

  Nick nudged his son's back to get him moving. “Come on, this is important.”

  Playing the aggrieved martyr like only kids that age could, Ricky reluctantly grabbed his jacket and pulled on his shoes. Nick locked up again and led his kids up to the apartment above his.

  That was where Imogen Foss and her son Billy, who was a bit older than Tallie and got on well with her and Ricky both, lived. She'd introduced herself when Nick first moved in several months before the divorce, warm and welcoming as she offered to help out with the kids if he needed it. It hadn't been an idle offer, and she'd been a lifesaver pretty much ever since.

  Nick was a bit ashamed to admit how heavily he'd leaned on her during those difficult months, when it had been such a blessing to have someone who could watch the kids during emergencies in the couple weeks a month he had custody, especially when Ellie was gone on business trips. There were times he needed to run errands he couldn't take them on, usually for work, or just had to have things quiet in his office during important calls.

  He wasn't sure he could've handled it all without her.

  To be fair, circumstances hadn't really been all that different from how he'd cared for Ricky and Tallie before he and Ellie split up, since he could work from home while she traveled and he'd usually been the stay at home parent. It was pretty much the same as when he watched the kids while she was gone on business trips.

  Aside from the fact that he'd had to do it in an entirely new place, without neighbors to lean on during emergencies and their established network of babysitters. And all the while feeling like his life was crashing down around him, his children confused and scared about the changes in their lives, which had been upended every bit as much as Nick's had been.

  Probably even more, and during their formative years to boot. Youthful resiliency might've helped them adjust better to the new situation, but it had also made them feel the painful changes to their lives all the more strongly.

  It seemed like such a small thing, but just having someone he could ask to watch the kids when he needed it had probably kept him from falling apart completely during the worst moments. He only hoped he'd been as much help to Gen when she needed him to watch Billy, or move heavy furniture or do basic maintenance around her apartment that she couldn't do herself.

  Although he had to admit, with a bit of chagrin, that when she dropped her son off he usually just plopped the kids down in front of a screen and made sure they had healthy snacks to munch on. He tried to reassure himself that the times he took them to the nearby playground to run around, more infrequently than he probably should've, made up for that.

  Tallie, bless her heart, ran right up to the door as usual and knocked enthusiastically, calling hello to Gen and Billy. Nick caught up and gently pulled her back, telling her to be polite; Gen insisted she didn't mind, but he still thought his daughter shouldn't be so noisy, especially in consideration of their other neighbors.

  Considering the panic at the school, he was half afraid Gen wouldn't be there, or if she was would refuse to open the door. But to his relief it opened within ten seconds, his neighbor puffing and glistening with sweat in the doorway.

  Gen was a few years younger than him, and while he felt bad thinking it, it would've been generous to call her pleasantly plump. Although he could admit that he'd gotten more than a bit doughy himself lately, stress and his workload preventing him from proper exercise, rest, or focusing on healthy eating.

  In any case, the pleasant part certainly fit his friend; cheerful and kindhearted, she was one of the sweetest people he'd ever met. His kids loved her, and the few times they went together to the park he always had enjoyable conversations with her.

  There was a lot of truth to that old saying about a friend in need.

  Under the circumstances, Nick wouldn't have blamed Gen for keeping her distance. But to his surprise she immediately pulled him into a fierce hug, then leaned down to hug Tallie and Ricky in turn. If he'd thought of it, he might've been worried about whether or not she was safe, but he hated to think like that about his friend. Especially when the risk of being infected was pretty much the same for everyone here.

  “Glad you made it out of that madhouse at the school,” she said. “I can't believe how crazy it was!”

  He felt a surge of guilt; he should've called to ask her if she wanted to go with him to pick up their kids, or at least checked she'd made it home safely with her son.

  Before he could think of an appropriate apology, she caught his expression and seemed to read his mind, patting the air reassuringly. “We were just fine. Actually, the school was calling the parents up alphabetically to tell them to pick up their kids, so I was closer to the first notified and was able to get Billy out of that mess before things really got hectic.”

  “Good,” he said sincerely. “There was some freaky stuff happening while I was there. Like parents on the point of going medieval on anyone who got within five feet of their kids. I saw some lady shove a girl to the ground with her foot, then kick off her possibly contaminated shoe and run off. I think a few people might've actually attacked each other as I was leaving.”

  Gen's plump cheeks, already pink from exertion, flushed even more. “That bad? I'm sorry, I should've called you and given you a heads up about what was going on. I was just in such a panic, needing to get the kiddo out of there, that I didn't think of anything else. Speaking of which . . .”

  She bent down to usher Ricky and Tallie, still with their snacks, into her apartment. “Billy's watching right now, guys, how about you go join him?” She glanced up at Nick as the kids ran inside. “I'm guessing you need me to watch them?”

  “Yeah.” He allowed himself to be ushered inside. “I'm going to head to the store to buy food that'll store a long time, so I can keep the kids home in this self-imposed quarantine like they're advising.” He paused. “Unless you want to come with me? You probably need to do some shopping too.”

  Gen gave him a regretful look. “You know I'd love to, but I probably won't be here by the time you get back. I don't think I can watch the kids this time, either. Sorry.”

  Nick looked around, seeing the possessions strewn all over the living room and kitchen, the loaded cardboard boxes and bags. Realization dawned; that's why she'd been so out of breath when she answered the door. “You're leaving?”

  Gen nodded, expression tight. “To stay with Darryl's folks until this all blows over.”

  He frowned. From previous conversations he knew her ex's parents lived up in Gentry County, a little house just outside of Sta
nberry. It was about as out of the way as you got without jumping in the Missouri River and swimming out to the center, far from any real highways or big cities. He even thought it might be in the fork between two smaller rivers, making it that much harder to get to; of course, a lot of towns around here were between rivers, or at least streams.

  “Guess you can't go wrong with getting away from the crowds when there's a disease scare,” he agreed.

  His friend nodded again. “I have a hard time seeing Zolos finding its way there. And if it did, it would be easy enough to keep it contained. Nobody will be bothering us out at Billy's grandparents' house.”

  Nick hoped so. “Need help loading up?”

  She paused, obviously wanting to accept his offer, before shaking her head reluctantly. “The store will probably be pure chaos before too long, once this panic gets in full swing. You'd better get there before shoppers start jousting with their carts over the last case of ramen noodles.”

  In spite of the situation, he couldn't help but smile at the mental image of people ramming each other like they were playing bumper carts. Then he realized that if it actually got bad enough where he saw something like that happening, it wouldn't be funny at all.

  He nodded. “I'll hurry, and if you're still around and need help when I get back I'll be right over. Did you want me to get you anything in case you are still here?”

  Again Gen paused, tempted, before shaking her head. “I'm going to hurry, so I probably will be gone before you get back. Besides, you'll be loaded down enough getting the food you need for yourself and your kids. I'll try to stop at someplace on the way up.”

  Nick felt a bit bad about being relieved that she was leaving him free to handle the disaster for his own family. Maybe he should've insisted, but he had a feeling she was right on both points. “If I leave the kids home while I go to the store, could you check on them before you leave? Make sure they're okay?”

  “Of course.” Gen pulled him into another hug, squeezing tight. “Be safe, you guys.”

  He hugged her back just as tight. “You too,” he said, making his tone as jovial as possible. “We'll see you when this is all over.”

  His friend held the hug longer than was strictly necessary, seeking some comfort in this frightening situation. Nick couldn't complain, since he wasn't in a hurry to break the hug either; the world had just turned upside-down and there were no assurances anymore.

  Nick finally pulled back and hurried to gather up his kids, ignoring their complaints (even Ricky's he noticed with some amusement), and ushering them towards the door.

  Gen absently gathered her son in her arms as they left, staring after them worriedly. “You should think about leaving too,” she called after them. “If this turns into a pandemic even half as bad as they're predicting, the city will be dangerous even if you never catch the virus.”

  Again, he had a feeling she wasn't wrong. But where could he go? Ellie's house was in a reasonably upscale neighborhood farther down the river, no better than his apartment for getting away, and they were both only children, him estranged from his extended family and hers nearly nonexistent.

  His parents weren't an option, even if he could find his dad or get his mom to agree to help. And Ellie's parents had been older, her dad passed away years ago and her mom in a home suffering from Alzheimer's.

  If anything, he'd need to worry about helping her, rather than the alternative.

  He supposed if worse came to worst, he could head out into the countryside and hope to find a place to stay. But that seemed like an extremely risky prospect when anyone they met could be carrying Zolos and pass it on to them, and for that matter would fear the same of them and refuse to offer help, and might even attack them on sight.

  Better to hole up in the apartment with plenty of food and wait this out.

  “Wasn't Gen going to watch us?” Ricky asked as Nick led them back down to their apartment.

  Nick shook his head, cursing inwardly as he struggled to get the key in the lock. There was no immediate danger, he shouldn't be panicking. “Richard,” he said solemnly, and his son perked up warily; the only time they used his full name was if he was in trouble or the situation was serious. “I need to go to the store and buy food, and I can't take you.”

  “Because the store will be like the school?” his son asked.

  “Maybe.” He led his children inside and headed to the TV. “You guys can watch after school today, until I get back. We'll worry about your homework later.”

  “I didn't get homework, Daddy!” Tallie announced as she hopped up onto the couch and grabbed one of the blankets to snuggle up in.

  “Yeah, neither did I,” Ricky agreed. “Miss Terrence usually gives it out at the end of the day, and we left early.”

  “Fine, okay.” Nick handed his son the remote and crouched to meet him eye to eye, lowering his voice. “I'm going to leave you here in the apartment while I'm gone. I know I don't usually do that,” actually he never did, unless it was just to take out the trash or something like that, “but this is an emergency. I need you to keep a very close eye on your sister, make sure she stays inside and watches TV, and you need to stay inside too.”

  “I will,” his son promised in a solemn voice.

  “Good. Keep the door locked, and don't open it for anyone but Gen if she comes by to check on you. If you need anything, and it's a real emergency, see if Gen's still here, or go to Mr. Bennison in the next apartment and ask him to call me. You remember my number?”

  The eight-year-old nodded uncertainly, staring up at him with wide eyes and obviously overwhelmed by the flow of instructions. “How long will you be gone?”

  “Not long.” Nick straightened. “You guys can take treats from the junk food cabinet while I'm gone, and if you're good then when I get back you can have an ice cream bar.”

  Tallie cheered at that, while Ricky gave him a sickly smile. He hoped he hadn't worried the boy more than necessary for a simple errand.

  Nick made sure his daughter had something she wanted to watch on the TV, and Ricky had his own show on his tablet, then left and carefully locked the door behind him.

  Then he hurried to his car.

  Chapter Three: Shopping

  Traffic was unusually light, even for this time of day, as Nick made the short drive to the nearest store. It probably meant people were already putting themselves in quarantine, and he hoped he wasn't making a mistake by risking being around other people at the store.

  He felt even less confident in his decision when he parked in the lot and noticed half the shoppers heading to or from their cars wearing face masks or at least gloves. It made him want to slap himself in the forehead for not thinking to grab any gloves or a mask himself, although he wasn't sure he had either at home.

  Aside from winter gloves, although he supposed that would've been better than nothing.

  Still, the Zolos virus was supposedly mostly centered around the airport; maybe if he hurried and tried not to touch anyone or anything suspicious, he could get out without any trouble. He'd have to hope so, since he needed food or his family's self-imposed quarantine wouldn't last a week.

  Even with those flimsy reassurances and considering the necessity of it, it took Nick a few minutes to work up the nerve to leave the car. He'd never considered just how terrifying being infected by a deadly disease could be: a threat he couldn't see, had no way of knowing was there until suddenly he discovered he was dying of it.

  Only the incredible rarity of those sorts of diseases kept them from being scary enough to fear leaving the house every day. If this Zolos was as contagious as it sounded, and spreading as quickly as reports indicated, then the outside world had suddenly become a truly terrifying place.

  It gave him an inkling of what agoraphobes must feel. And the threat was all the more terrifying with the knowledge that if he was careless or unlucky, it wouldn't just be himself who suffered but also his kids.

  Nick finally forced himself to climb out
of the driver's seat, wasting no time locking his car behind him and hurrying to one of the outdoor cart racks. Once there he went to the front of the line of carts, to the one that had probably been sitting there for hours or even days, and manhandled it free and over the barrier.

  Even with that precaution, he still grabbed the push bar through the sleeves of his jacket, just to be safe. Although he had a feeling it wasn't doing anything for him other than to make him look like an idiot.

  At least he felt safer.

  Automatic doors had never been a more welcome sight, as was the fact that everyone around him was carefully keeping their distance from everyone else. Even more so than was usual for residents of a densely populated and mostly lower income part of the city.

  It was obvious he wasn't the only one who'd had the idea of shopping for food to survive a lengthy quarantine. In fact, if it had been hours since the government openly admitted to the presence of Zolos then that explained why half the shelves were looking pretty bare, and shoppers were moving more frantically to snatch up what remained.

  Nick was a bit surprised to see that in spite of the disaster, a lot of people didn't seem to be changing their buying habits; he saw shoppers with carts full of fruits, vegetables, and other perishables that wouldn't last more than a week, and others with carts loaded down with cereal, junk food, and frozen dinners.

  In fact, aside from the quantity, what had to be ludicrously more than these people usually picked up during a trip to the store, they could've all just been doing some regular afternoon shopping.

  Going on a hunch, he made a beeline for the aisle that displayed things like canned foods, rice and dried beans, oatmeal, and spices. He was almost surprised to find the shelves mostly still full, since this seemed like just the type of food he'd want to have for a long term situation: cheap, easy to store, reasonably healthy, and above all else long-lasting.