“I just feel awful all around,” Emma managed.
“Do you feel feverish?”
“Yes. I’ve had chills and I’ve been sweating.”
Gently Brian reached out and placed his palm on her forehead. There was no doubt in his mind that she was burning up.
“I’ve also been vomiting,” Emma continued. “I’m surprised I didn’t wake you.”
“I wish you had,” he responded worriedly.
“Why?” she said with seeming irritation. “What would you have been able to do?”
“I don’t know,” Brian said. “Just be with you.”
“There’s nothing you could have done,” Emma countered. “I also ache all over, and I have a bad headache and a stiff neck. I’ve never felt this terrible.”
“Can I at least get you an ibuprofen?” He reached out and tried to rub Emma’s back, wanting to help somehow, but she moved away from his touch.
“I suppose an ibuprofen can’t hurt,” she said, resettling herself in the center of the bed.
“Have you had a sore throat, cough, or any difficulty breathing?”
“No,” she said with force. “I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t coronavirus. I can’t imagine it could be, from what I’ve heard about Covid-19. I also haven’t lost my sense of smell. Nothing like that.”
“Nonetheless, we will have to get you tested for coronavirus,” Brian said calmly. “We have to rule it out.”
“Whatever,” Emma said irritably.
“Are you hungry at all?” he asked. “I’ve brought back almond croissants.”
“I told you I feel sick to my stomach. Do you really think I’d want an almond croissant?”
“Okay, okay,” Brian soothed. “I’ll get you an ibuprofen. Maybe two.” He stood up and went into the bathroom to get the pills, and then into the kitchen for a glass of water. He was a little surprised at Emma’s apparent anger. It wasn’t like her in the slightest. Whenever she felt under the weather in the past, she never acted irritated. If anything, she tended to downplay her symptoms.
After he gave her the pills, she took the medication and then flopped back onto the bed.
“I’m going to find out where the hospital is out here,” Brian said. “Is there anything I can get for you at the moment?” She merely shook her head and closed her eyes.
Out in the living room, Brian opened up his laptop to search for the nearest hospital, thinking that would be the easiest way to get Emma tested for coronavirus. Knowing the variability of the Covid-19 symptoms, he wondered why she was so sure she didn’t have it. One way or the other, they needed to know. He also briefly thought about trying to find a local MD but doubted a country doctor could add much to what he already knew. The medical courses he’d taken at the ESU Academy had been extensive, certainly qualifying both him and Emma to be full-fledged EMTs. If he had to guess, he thought that Emma had most likely contracted a case of food poisoning, possibly from the clams they had had for dinner even though he didn’t seem to have any symptoms. What he hoped was that within twenty-four hours or so, she would be on the mend.
It didn’t take long for him to find out what he needed, and after he had, he returned to the bedroom. She was lying on her back in the center of the bed with her eyes closed.
“Emma?” Brian whispered. If she had fallen asleep, he didn’t want to wake her.
“What?” she said without opening her eyes.
“The closest hospital is Cape Cod Hospital,” Brian said. “It’s in Hyannis, which is forty-five minutes away. I suggest we drive to the hospital as soon as you feel up to it. The sooner you have a coronavirus test, the sooner we’ll get the results.”
“I don’t want to go to some fly-by-night hospital out here in the sticks.” She looked up at him with her hazel eyes on fire.
“I don’t think you’re being fair,” Brian argued. “From what I’ve read online, it seems it’s held in reasonably high esteem. Besides, at the moment all we’re looking for is a coronavirus test.”
“No way! I want to go back to New York. If I need a hospital, I want a real hospital.”
“You really want to go home today?” he asked.
“Yes,” Emma snapped. “I don’t like how I feel and I’m worried I might get worse. This isn’t just some cold.”
“Okay, okay,” Brian said reassuringly. “We’ll head back today. I’ll pack our stuff, load the car, and strap on the bikes and the kayak. Try to take it easy in the meantime.”
Chapter 3
August 19
Packing all their belongings and loading the car took a lot longer than Brian had anticipated. Part of the problem was having to deal with Juliette. Emma’s irritability particularly disturbed Juliette, who didn’t seem to understand why she was being ignored by her mother. As a consequence, he had to spend a lot of time trying to console her and keep her occupied. What worked the best was getting Juliette intimately involved with the packing and loading, but the problem was that it then took far longer than if Brian had been able to do it all on his own.
It was just after eleven when they were finally able to pull out of the driveway and start the five-hour drive back to the Big Apple. Since Juliette’s car seat was behind the driver’s side, Brian was able to lower Emma’s seat back to a reclined position. He’d made some sandwiches and stocked the cooler with water and fruit juice for their ride. He wanted to get Emma home as soon as possible.
For most of the way Brian was on his own, as Juliette was watching cartoons and Emma was sleeping, with her head on the pillow pressed up against the side of the car. A bit of perspiration dotted her forehead, indicating her fever was persisting.
The quiet gave Brian more time to worry anew about the condition of Personal Protection LLC. As he had confessed to Emma, being on vacation in a totally new location had made it possible for him to put work completely out of his mind. But now that they were heading home, all his concerns came flooding back. The reality was that very few wealthy businesspeople who needed security were traveling into the city because of the pandemic, and with the expected fall surge that probably wasn’t going to change. All he could hope for was that one of the rare inquiries they’d gotten about the high-profile fall weddings would pan out to be an actual gig. For that reason, he was looking forward to finding out from Camila if there had been any movement whatsoever toward a possible commitment.
Although traffic had only been moderate without any significant delays, he felt definite relief when they reached the Henry Hudson Bridge. It meant they were almost home, and he was anxious to get Emma into bed and take her temperature. A small amount of sweat had continued to dot her forehead for the entire trip, and he also knew that Juliette was nearing the absolute end of her patience while strapped into her car seat.
So when disaster struck, Brian’s mind was completely absorbed by the details of how he would manage getting both Emma and Juliette out of the car and into the house efficiently. The first hint of a calamity was a peculiar rhythmic thumping coming from someplace under the car’s dash. Within seconds he was aware of movement to his right that coincided with the noise. As his eyes darted in that direction, he realized to his horror that Emma was caught in the agonal throes of what could only be a seizure. Her feet and legs alternately pounded against both the underside of the dashboard and the floorboards of the car. At the same time, she was grotesquely arching her back, straining against her seat belt with her arms wildly flailing and her head slamming again and again against the car’s window.