Siege (As the World Dies #3)(126)

The elevator doors slid open behind them and Travis paled as he saw Kevin stumble out with Nerit in his arms.

“No,” Katie exclaimed from nearby as Bill instantly rushed forward.



“God is already striking down the sinners,” Mary said to her husband with a vindictive gleam in her eye and a smug smile.

“Get the hell out of the fort,” Travis snarled at her before rushing to where people were gathering around Kevin as he carried Nerit toward the clinic.

“What happened to her?” Katie asked as she kept pace with Kevin’s heavy footfalls. “I don’t know. I found her on the floor of her room,” Kevin answered, tears gleaming in his eyes.

“Is she...is she..” Bill’s voice cracked.

“I think I felt a pulse. I’m not sure,” Kevin responded in a voice thick with emotion.



Travis moved ahead of the small throng and flung open the clinic door to let them in. Bette looked up from where she sat reading a book. She was the night shift nurse for the week.

“Oh, shit!”

Bette was instantly at their side, guiding Kevin with a hand on his arm. Switching into full nurse mode, she quickly began to check Nerit’s vitals even before she was completely on the bed.

Travis stood next to Katie, his arms crossed over his chest, swallowing hard. “Is she…Is she…” Bill whispered again.



“I have a pulse,” Bette answered. “Barely.” Then she shooed them out the door. “Get Charlotte,” she said, then shut the door on them.

“I’ll get her,” Peggy said.

“Oh, God, we can’t lose Nerit, too!” Katie exclaimed.

Travis reached out and gently guided her into his arms. He held Katie close, feeling her body trembling.

Kevin sank into a chair in the waiting room and buried his face in his hands. “She can’t die,” Bill said after a moment of excruciating silence. “She just can’t. We need her. She’s vital.”



The clinic door swung open and Charlotte raced in followed by Belinda. The two woman rushed into the examination room where Nerit was and when that door was briefly open, Travis caught sight of Nerit’s pale unmoving form. Katie was pale and gently dabbing her eyes with her shirt sleeve. Being pregnant, her hormones tended to get the best of her, but she was trying to remain calm.

The Reverend entered, his Bible clutched in one hand, his expression bewildered and frightened. “They’re saying Nerit is in here dying.”

“She can’t die,” Bill repeated.

Kevin looked up at the older gentlemen and sighed. “Her pulse was barely there. She felt so heavy in my arms.”

The Reverend looked down, his eyes glimmering with sudden tears. “I will pray.”

Outside the door Curtis’ voice screamed shrilly, “Get the f*ck out of here! Get out!”

“You will all be struck down as she has been! All of you! Consumed by sin you will be consumed,” Mary shouted back.



“Get them out of here,” Travis said to Bill, his voice raspy. “Get them the hell out of here!” Bill looked up then over his shoulder, as if becoming aware of the commotion outside. “Oh, yeah. Okay.”



“Fucking get out of here now!” Curtis sounded as though he was about to break. Bill stood up, adjusted his uniform, then headed out.

Silently, the Reverend sat down, his hands clutching the Bible.



“Sorry, Reverend,” Travis finally said. “I didn’t mean to swear in front of you.”

“It’s all right. These are hard times.” Kevin looked toward the door that Nerit lay behind. His expression was shadowed by pain. “I didn’t know what to do when I found her,” he said in a low voice.



“You did the right thing bringing her here,” the Reverend assured him.

Katie looked grim. “This can’t be happening. It can’t be.” “It is and we must do what we can to support her during this time,” the Reverend answered her.

Katie reached down to the Reverend. He took her hand then Kevin’s. Travis slowly stepped into the circle and took Katie and Kevin’s hands. The four of them stood in silence for a moment, then the Reverend’s voice, full of warmth and faith began, “Dear Heavenly Father, be with us now in this most terrible hour of despair and rest your hand upon your child and our dear friend, Nerit. Bring her comfort in this time and heal her body…”





5. Where The Dead Are

Juan slowly crept into his hotel suite, hoping not to wake the children, but instead found them in their pajamas gathered around his grandmother, Guadalupe and his mother, Rosie.

“Hi, Daddy One,” Holly said with a somber expression on her face.

“Why are you children still up?”

“Praying for Nerit,” Margie answered, her hair falling around her face. Her small hand swept it back, but it promptly fell back into her face.

“She’s sick,” Troy added. “How is she, Dad?” Jason looked at him through his bangs.

“Yes, how is she?” Guadalupe asked.



He saw the rosaries clutched in their hands and those of the children.

“Coma. They don’t know why. Charlotte says she’s stable, but in critical condition. Her life signs are not very strong.” He sat down on the sofa and Holly and Troy promptly crawled onto his lap. He cuddled them close and sighed into Holly’s hair.