After [A Journey of the Twins Novel] Read Free Page A

she set the phone down. They had Dad on the gurney, heading toward the ambulance. He had a tube in his mouth, a bag attached to it. One of the men squeezed it to push air into his lungs. Another person was compressing on his chest as best he could while the gurney moved.
    "I want you two to stay here and wait for Grammy and Grampy. I have to go with Dad. I'll call you from the hospital as soon as I can."
    Mom knew better than to talk to them as if they were little kids. She tried to catch herself whenever possible. For the most part, she was successful. Under stressful situations, like today, she reverted to old, comfortable ways. They nodded their heads in silence. They were in too much shock over the situation to be able to speak.
    The grandparents arrived in 20 minutes. They took the twins to their house instead of the hospital. They were of the old school; children were not needed in the hospital, no matter how seriously ill the patient was.
    Later that evening, the call finally happened. It was not their mom. It was the hospital's Chaplain. Their mother was in the intensive care unit. Their father was dead.
    The grandparents hugged the twins tight and went to the hospital, leaving them at home full of unanswered questions. Drayco and Shyanne had pleaded to go with the grandparents, but to no avail.
    While waiting for information, the teens decided to turn on the television. Breaking news was on every channel. Hundreds of people were flocking to the hospitals and clinics with a mysterious illness. Symptoms were similar to the common cold. People not sick were urged to stay in their homes and remain calm.
    The twins looked at each other. Each was thinking the same thought ... their parents. They returned their attention to the screen. Shyanne moved closer to her brother. She needed the comfort of his touch. Especially now. It was late into the night by the time they fell asleep, huddled together on the couch, waiting for their grandparents to return.
    When their grandparents finally returned home early the next morning, grim looks were on their faces.
    "What happened? We saw the news last night about all the people getting sick,” they chimed together; a frantic undertone filled their voices. “How's Mom?"
    Grampy looked at his wife before speaking. With a sigh, he said, “We're so sorry. Your mother passed away this morning."
    Grammy went to Shyanne and wrapped her in her arms. Tears flowed freely down both their cheeks. Drayco stood with his head hung forward, his hands buried deep in his pockets. Grampy walked up to him and gripped his shoulder. Drayco tried to hide his emotions. He was young; his emotions got the better of him. In an instant, he flung his arms around the older man and buried his face in his shirt. His shoulders shook with each sob that wracked his body...
    Over the next couple of weeks, the news reporters had talked constantly about the disease and its devastating impact on the world. People were dying anywhere from 24 to 36 hours after catching it. No one could figure out how or why it started.
    At first, the government remained aloof and denied any knowledge about it. They eventually broke down and admitted it was a virus created in total secrecy as a part of germ warfare, to be used “just in case". Nuclear power was available for weapons. It was expensive and under close scrutiny, making it hard to obtain. Biological warfare was inexpensive; it could be placed anywhere without anyone knowing who did it.
    The scientists who created the virus had not anticipated the uselessness of plastic seals. It ate through the joints of the suits worn by the workers as if it was dessert, then entered their bodies. The virus was supposed to be a contact one. It mutated into something far worse. It became airborne.
    These same workers carried it home to their families. They falsely assumed the decontamination process had worked. They were wrong; the world paid the price. Most thought it was just a cold, or