The day before Thanksgiving Mary drove out to the airport to pick up her sister. The sun was shinning on the stubble fields of harvested cornfields she passed as she made her way from her rural small town home to the outskirts of St. Paul. Everything was mellow in the afternoon sunlight as she followed the interstate looping around the Twin Cities to the Minneapolis International airport. Alone in the car she listened to her choice of music, singing along with the songs she knew without having to hear the groans and moans of her family as she sang off key. She had decided to come by herself to pick up her sister to give them a chance to reconnect on the ride back to the house before her three children commandeered their aunt’s attention.
Mary arrived at the terminal and joined the stream of cars lined up like cattle in a stockyard making their way into the airport to pick up or drop off friends and family. She inched forward watching for her opportunity to ease over lane by lane to the curb while scanning the crowded walk for her sister. She spotted Helen standing next to one of the support columns for the roadway overhead, her luggage resting on the ground next to her.
Mary pulled in as close as she could get and placed the car in park, popped the trunk and got out, greeting Helen with smiles and open arms taking in with one glance Helen’s gaunt face, her cheekbones standing out in sharp relief against her pale face, her eyes deep and so dark it was hard to tell they were a dark blue instead of brown. She embraced her sister feeling the hard, sharpness of bones underneath too little flesh.
“Welcome home, it’s so good to see you.” Mary said making her voice warm and friendly, struggling to keep her growing concern in check.
“It’s good to be here. I’m already glad I came. There is so much craziness going on out on the coast, it’s a relief to be away from it all.” Helen said. There was an undertone of nervousness Mary hadn’t heard in her sister’s voice before.
After Helen’s luggage was stowed in the trunk Mary slammed the lid shut with a finality that made her sister jump.
“Everything okay?” Mary asked.
“I’m fine.” Helen said plastering a fake smile on her lips. “Let’s get out of this chaos.”
Mary arched an eyebrow, nodded and turning headed toward the driver’s door. She slipped in behind the wheel as Helen climbed in the passenger’s side. Mary secured her seatbelt and reached out to turn off the radio.
“Wait.” Helen said. “I want to hear this.”
The sisters sat listening to the news report of an assault from the night before. A man was attacked as he left a restaurant. He was wrestled to the ground and bitten several times before the assailant was pulled off of him. Both men were taken to the hospital where the victim died from complications stemming from the bite wounds and the assailant from an undisclosed medical condition.
“There have been a growing number of incidents like this back home. The news made it sound like it was a local thing, and not to worry. One of my colleagues got sick the other day and came after me. Fortunately one of the lab technicians heard and helped me wrestle him to the ground and restrain him. It’s this new mutation.” Helen paused. “I can’t really talk about it, but if this is the same thing, it’s spread a lot farther and faster than we’ve been told.”
“This is the fifth assault reported in the last week.” Mary said. “There hasn’t been any official reports of attacks elsewhere. But I have heard rumors, stories of attacks as far away as Chicago. My friend, Carol was telling me about her sister’s neighbor, the sister living in Chicago. How he went crazy and nearly killed his wife. Carol’s sister said it was the result of a contaminated flu shot. But Mike, Tom’s friend who works with Carol’s sister’s husband said the neighbor hadn’t got a flu shot and it was some kind of virus mutation that is making people sick and violent. It’s a crazy world, you just don’t know what to believe.” She shook her head and with a small laugh said. “Tom has his own outlandish ideas and now keeps his shotgun loaded and close at hand.”
She flipped the radio off and the signal indicator on, checked her mirrors, and eased away from the curb and the jumble of cars.
“Anyway, I’m glad you are here. The kids have done nothing but talk about your visit. For Becky this visit is really exciting, she wants to know all about California. She has been looking at colleges out there. I know she has a couple of years left before she graduates, but she has her heart set on joining her aunt out on the coast.” Mary said. She had been taken back at the sight of her sister. There was a lack of vigor about Helen that had never existed before. Mary had always seen her sister as a boundless source of energy, always on the go, always planning something to do and doing it.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the kids, to having some down time.” Helen said as she gazed out the car window. “It’s been a tough few months and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any easier for awhile. I’ve been spending all my time at the lab and I have to admit not taking very good care of myself. I know. I know.” Helen said holding one hand up to stop Mary from commenting. “Which is why I haven’t said anything to you about how I have been feeling, because I didn’t want to hear any lectures. At least I didn't want to hear any from my baby sister. I guess its true what they say, what goes around comes around.” Her voice, sounding drained and hushed, faded away leaving the inside of the car quiet as Mary considered her sister’s words.
“Well, you’re here and can let all that stuff stay on the west coast. We’ll have you feeling like your old self in no time.”
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