was done by now. Sitting around in the hotel room was making me antsy and I wasn't going to be able to fall asleep any time soon after finishing my coffee. At least if I could get a change of clothes and my toothbrush, I'd feel more comfortable staying here overnight. I grabbed my phone, which was dead by now, and my bag, and left the room.
The crying was coming from up ahead by the elevator, but whoever it was sounded like they were calming down. Shannon walked around the corner, looking down at her phone in one hand and holding a bucket of ice in the other.
“Hey Shannon, are you all right?” She looked miserable and then I remembered her friend from the lobby.
“Oh hey Dorian, I didn’t know you were here too. It’s just my friend, Michelle. She was feeling really sick earlier tonight so another of our friends took her to the hospital. It had me really freaked out and then I got this call from the friend that took her. Some homeless druggie in the emergency room started attacking people, so now they aren’t letting anyone in to visit. I have no idea if she’s okay or not.”
I’m terrible at comforting people, but I felt like I had to say something.
“I’m sure she’s fine. Hospitals are set up to handle that stuff. It’s pretty much the safest place you can be other than a police precinct.”
“I hope so. This whole night has been a big mess. Did you hear anything about going back to our place yet?”
“No, but Mr. Stahl went about an hour ago. He said this was all because that woman was sick. Her apartment is nowhere near ours so I'm hoping they'll let me in to pick up some stuff in case we’re stuck here for a while. If you need me later, I’m staying in room 602.”
“Thanks,” she smiled as a tiny vein under her eye grew darker. “Let me know if you find out anything.”
Chapter Two
Walking through my neighborhood was a lot more peaceful without all the commotion. Nighttime was never an excuse for Manhattan to quiet down, but at least this area was far away from any tourist hotspots. The only noise on my block was the hum of air conditioners in tenants’ windows. I could see my building across the street as I approached. The yellow tape had been torn down and there were lights on in some of the apartments. The police cars were gone now, replaced by a single CDC van, and the front door was left propped open. This was a good sign. If the officials had started to clear out then the building must be safe.
I poked my head in and wasn’t met with any immediate resistance. There was a light coming from the landlord’s place. He had the door open, and with no other way upstairs, I would have to sneak past to avoid being caught. From the stairs opposite Mr. Stahl’s apartment, I could see him inside with his back turned to me. As I climbed the stairs, I heard the sound of footsteps coming from each floor.
Shannon’s door was open too, but the lights weren’t on. I checked inside from the hallway and saw a man in a facemask and sanitation suit with the letters CDC printed on the back. He was crouched down, working in the dark. I started getting nervous that they would actually find something hazardous, especially with my apartment being right next to hers. It must have been pretty bad if they were checking the entire building and not just the victim’s floor.
The door to my place was still closed, so they must have not gotten to it yet. Before I saw the worker next door, I was thinking of staying here. Now I felt like they would need to examine my place, too. And what if they actually found something? It could be West Nile virus, or even anthrax or the bird flu. I hurried into my room and began throwing clothes in my bag, along with my toothbrush and anything else I could realistically fit.
There was a strange growling sound coming through the wall from Shannon’s apartment. It could be one of those police dogs they used to sniff out trouble, but why would the CDC need that? When I
The crying was coming from up ahead by the elevator, but whoever it was sounded like they were calming down. Shannon walked around the corner, looking down at her phone in one hand and holding a bucket of ice in the other.
“Hey Shannon, are you all right?” She looked miserable and then I remembered her friend from the lobby.
“Oh hey Dorian, I didn’t know you were here too. It’s just my friend, Michelle. She was feeling really sick earlier tonight so another of our friends took her to the hospital. It had me really freaked out and then I got this call from the friend that took her. Some homeless druggie in the emergency room started attacking people, so now they aren’t letting anyone in to visit. I have no idea if she’s okay or not.”
I’m terrible at comforting people, but I felt like I had to say something.
“I’m sure she’s fine. Hospitals are set up to handle that stuff. It’s pretty much the safest place you can be other than a police precinct.”
“I hope so. This whole night has been a big mess. Did you hear anything about going back to our place yet?”
“No, but Mr. Stahl went about an hour ago. He said this was all because that woman was sick. Her apartment is nowhere near ours so I'm hoping they'll let me in to pick up some stuff in case we’re stuck here for a while. If you need me later, I’m staying in room 602.”
“Thanks,” she smiled as a tiny vein under her eye grew darker. “Let me know if you find out anything.”
Chapter Two
Walking through my neighborhood was a lot more peaceful without all the commotion. Nighttime was never an excuse for Manhattan to quiet down, but at least this area was far away from any tourist hotspots. The only noise on my block was the hum of air conditioners in tenants’ windows. I could see my building across the street as I approached. The yellow tape had been torn down and there were lights on in some of the apartments. The police cars were gone now, replaced by a single CDC van, and the front door was left propped open. This was a good sign. If the officials had started to clear out then the building must be safe.
I poked my head in and wasn’t met with any immediate resistance. There was a light coming from the landlord’s place. He had the door open, and with no other way upstairs, I would have to sneak past to avoid being caught. From the stairs opposite Mr. Stahl’s apartment, I could see him inside with his back turned to me. As I climbed the stairs, I heard the sound of footsteps coming from each floor.
Shannon’s door was open too, but the lights weren’t on. I checked inside from the hallway and saw a man in a facemask and sanitation suit with the letters CDC printed on the back. He was crouched down, working in the dark. I started getting nervous that they would actually find something hazardous, especially with my apartment being right next to hers. It must have been pretty bad if they were checking the entire building and not just the victim’s floor.
The door to my place was still closed, so they must have not gotten to it yet. Before I saw the worker next door, I was thinking of staying here. Now I felt like they would need to examine my place, too. And what if they actually found something? It could be West Nile virus, or even anthrax or the bird flu. I hurried into my room and began throwing clothes in my bag, along with my toothbrush and anything else I could realistically fit.
There was a strange growling sound coming through the wall from Shannon’s apartment. It could be one of those police dogs they used to sniff out trouble, but why would the CDC need that? When I
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