Free The Cured by Deirdre Gould

Santa!” He tried to sound excited, but his confusion made him uneasy.
    “It’s not even dinner time. We were waiting for you.”
    “Okay, run and get your dad and mom, so they can help me unload all this.”
    Marnie ran back up the stairs and into the house, the door banging shut behind her. Henry swayed and leaned against the boxes on the palette to steady himself. He tried to convince himself that he was only exhausted from the trip, that the sudden dizzy spell, the confusion over a simple thing like the date, it would all disappear after a good rest. Dave and Elizabeth came out of the house carrying a gas lantern. Henry was relieved to see that Marnie stayed inside this time. I’d better tell them now, he thought.
    “I’m glad you’re back,” said Elizabeth.
    “How was town? Did you hear any news?” asked Dave. He started picking through the boxes.
    “No,” said Henry, “There’s no more news.”
    Dave looked up. “The power’s out down there too?”
    Henry shook his head.
    “What do you mean there’s no more news then?”
    “The cable and radio have been out for a few days. There are infected people in town too, but the store owner is still well. His name’s Wyatt. I tried to persuade him to come back with me, but he wants to wait a little longer to see if people will get better or if someone else needs him. I told him to come here if things get too bad.”
    “What about the emergency broadcast thing?” asked Elizabeth, “There must be someone figuring out where people should go. Some kind of temporary shelter? Aren’t there procedures in place for something like this?”
    Henry shrugged. “Maybe, but I don’t think anyone is organizing anything. At least not out here.”
    Dave pushed his glasses up and squinted at Henry. “Maybe we should have stayed in the city. The police would have set something up by now. Or the national guard, or someone. There’s always someone in charge of this kind of thing.”
    Henry slumped down on the edge of the palette. He pulled his gloves off and rubbed his hands together. He didn’t look up at Dave. “I don’t think so. Not this time. The sheriff is shooting sick people in town and even though the power is still on, there’s no news. Not even anchors filling time. Just— nothing. Static.”
    “How is that possible?” asked Elizabeth, hugging herself.
    “Did you say the sheriff was shooting people?” said Dave.
    Henry nodded without looking at them. “You shouldn’t have to go to town for a while though. I got enough to last you three for a while, if you are careful. Wyatt will bring more if he comes.”
    “What do you mean, ‘you three’? There are five of us now. I mean, I assume we aren’t going to throw Phil out in the snow,” said Elizabeth. Her breath was a halo of gold in the light from the lodge’s window. Henry thought of the bruises around the dead woman’s neck.
    “I’m sorry I brought Phil inside. I don’t know anything about him. Maybe you should send him to one of the other cabins. They’re empty, he could hole up in one of them easily enough.”
    Elizabeth shook her head. “He’s not doing well. There’s no way he can leave, at least for a few days. And if we’re really on our own, maybe the more of us that are together, the better.” Elizabeth picked up the lumpy red stocking with a smile. “Is this for Marnie? Thank you Henry.” She kissed his cheek and her breath was warm over his cold skin. Henry tried not to shudder as he thought of how many germs may just have transferred between them. It was too late now. They were all either infected or immune. No use worrying over it any more. Henry stood up and handed Dave the palette’s guide rope. He shoved his bare hands into the pockets of his jeans.
    “I can take Phil with me if you want to empty the palette. We can put him on it and bundle him up.”
    Dave squinted in the near dark. “What are you talking about?”
    “I think he killed an infected woman on his way