“Already Dead” Ch. 5

There was a knock at her door, followed by another. Slowly she made her way to it, her limbs sluggish and her eyes barely focused. Turning the handle on the door hurt her hands, as did the gentle tug that came when she opened it.

The man standing on her stoop wore a full face mask, and addressed her in as friendly of a way as he could considering that outside of knowing his voice they were complete strangers.

“You must be Harriet,” he said with a gentle lilt in his voice.

“And you are Daniel,” she responded, her tone empty, barely above a whisper.

He nodded, his eyes darting around her, searching what he could see of the house from the door. “You all accounted for?”

She nodded. “It's just me now. Dad is rotting out back. Didn't have another tarp so I put him with mom.”

He breathed in slowly, and exhaled with a similar, glacial pace. She was in shock. Probably didn't happen too long ago.

“How long since he passed.”

“I...I don't...k-know...”

He paused, then continued. “Your father said that his sister in Albany would be acting as next of kin. Were those arrangements put through?

Harriet shook her head. “No. I tried calling her, but no one picked up. Tried again today. No one picked up...”

He nodded, giving off the impression of understanding, though they both knew he didn't.

“Have you shown any symptoms?”

She shook her head again.

He rubbed his hands together anxiously. This was strangely the part that he dreaded the most. Everything else came much easier.

“Is there anyone else we could try to contact, or perhaps you would be interested in us doing a follow-up with your aunt?”

She shook her head again.

“I'm...sorry. I'm having trouble thinking at the moment.”

“I understand,” he lied.

She was silent.

He sighed again, closing his eyes for a moment before heading back on script. “If you wish, you could stay in your home for the duration of the quarantine. Alternatively, I can have someone come pick you up and have you tested, followed by a placement in a safe facility.”

“You mean a hospital?”

“No,” he admitted, “There aren't any available, but the facility will provide you with what they can, and you will be isolated from further exposure.”

Harriet thought for a moment, tears threatening to spill over as her chest began to heave in rapid succession. Her breathing came out in short gasps, as her body trembled and her chest ached.

“I...” she tried. “I think...the second one. I think-”

Pete stood still, struggling as he watched this women struggle, but able to offer little. She curled over a little, as she measured out her breathing and pushed down the feeling of panic.

After a few moments, she looked back up, her vision distant, but her breathing back to normal.

“Why aren't you in a facility?” she asked.

That question caught him off guard. “I...actually I volunteered. I lost my son...seemed the right thing to do, or maybe...it was the only thing I could-”

He scolded himself. Shut up, shut up, shut up. Why the hell did he tell her that? He wasn't supposed to do that. If his superiors found out-

She nodded in agreement, pretending to understand.

“How do I get to do what you do?”

He looked at her, really looked at her. Her eyes were red, but determined. He knew part of what it was she was experiencing, how much the world felt like it was falling apart. And it was.

“I...I need to finish this row. I'll come back and grab you. It's not protocol, but I'll make it happen. I think. I think I can make it happen.”

She nodded again.

“I'll pack some things. Just essentials.”

He went to say something else, but she wouldn't let him.

She closed the door and he was alone.

The silence of the street struck him like a wave, and he suddenly felt the deep urge to remove his mask.

What the fuck did he just do?

He shook his head, then shook it again. Then he turned around, and headed up the walk. Whatever he had done, he had to finish the row before he could do anything about it. Once he was back to the sidewalk he removed his mask and looked down at the list. He lingered for a moment, then headed off once again.

On to the next house.