Dog Days: Book One

BONUS CHAPTER #1

Lincoln POV
9:55pm

Man, my butt ached. My arm did too, but the amount of time I spent laying in the bed, plus the deep tissue shots they just stuck in my right cheek made my butt take precedence of the arm. No matter which way I turned, I couldn't get comfortable. Maybe if I asked, I could get a pillow for my tush. Because this rock of a mattress was not helping.

"Hey, Mom, " I called out into the dim room.

Night approached fast and I wanted to ask before the grumpy nurses came in for their shifts.

"Yes, sweetie?" she answered, flipping through a magazine. A picture of Prince Harry and his boo were on the cover.

"Can you call in a nurse? I want to get a pillow for my sore butt." I turned on my side, but the movement only made it worse.

"I'll go get you one. By the way, your dad is running a few minutes late. Got caught up with some paperwork." She stood from her chair and made her way over to me. Leaning down, her lips brushed against my forehead. "Be right back."

And with that, she left the room. Wanting to take my mind off my bruised bottom, I reached over for the remote and flipped on the TV. Mom's soaps were done for the day so I could finally watch something.

Sweat rolled down my forehead as I flipped through the channels. The doctors had warned that I could get a slight fever from the immunizations, and feel a bit lethargic. Yay. As if I didn't already feel horrible enough, we had to go and add another layer on top of it. The icing on top of the obliterated cake.

"-- Animal fatalities continue to skyrocket as cases all over the nation are being reported. Scientists are calling this a viral outbreak of a mutated rabies virus. Bites from infected animals and people need medical attention immediately. Many hospitals are beginning to quarantine bitten patients due to the common side effects displayed by the infected. The CDC is working hard on finding a cure. We are asking that the nation take precautions until a cure is found."

"What the..." I trailed off staring at the news channel. This wasn't just local, this was everywhere. Suddenly Arryn's zombie dog theory didn't sound so far fetched. With the way the were treating this, you would think it was an apocalypse.

"The CDC is also asking that you check your pet food for any recalls. Possible links to the virus may affect pet behavior and lead to a wider spread of the virus."

I turned off the television, peering at my blurred reflection in the glass. Was something going to happen to me? They said they hadn't found a cure. Did that mean what they were doing for me here wasn't going to work?

My rapid breaths came out like bullets from my mouth. I closed my eyes as my heart raced. Did I dare look at my wound?

The sound of the door opening made me jump. I looked up to see my mother carrying in a pillow. One look at me changed her smile to a frown.

"Linc? What's the matter? Do I need to get a nurse?" She was on me in seconds, her hand like ice against my skin. "You're burning up!"

Worry filled her eyes.

"The news... this is happening everywhere, Mom. And they are quarantining people and looking for a cure and... I'm not going to die am I? If they are looking for a cure that means the treatments aren't working."

"Whoa. Slow down. What are you talking about?" Her furrowed eyebrows willed me to explain.

"The rabies virus mutated, and all over the nation, people are getting bitten and the common procedures aren't working. They are putting them in quarantines like some kind of apocalypse."

"I'm sure the doctors here know what they are doing. If you were at risk, I'm sure they would have secluded you by now. And besides, the nurse I was talking to mentioned that your prognosis looked great. You'll be out of here next week, and we will just have to return for the vaccines."

"Mom... can you ask? Please?" My voice trembled.

Her fingers squeezed the side of my cheek. "Of course. And while I am at it, I'm going to see if I can get some meds for your fever."

"Thank you."

And for the second time, she left the room leaving me all alone with the constant beeping of the heart monitor. I gulped, remembering my arm. Closing my eyes, I lifted up an edge of the cast. I couldn't lift it up too far, but I got it up enough to sneak a peek. The dark, tight space made it hard to see much. The area looked extremely bruised with black colored lines running up my arm. Could bruises do that? Maybe I had blown a blood vessel.

The door opened again and in walked my mother and a nurse, who carried a syringe full of fluid.

"I have an antibiotic mixed with a bit of a pain injection here for you. This should reduce your fever and help you get some rest," the nurse said, messing with my IV line.

"What about the news? Do I need to be quarantined until they find a cure?"

The nurse looked at me and then to my mom. "As I was telling your mother, we haven't had any cases like the news. The supervisor thinks it will put more stress on recovery. We actually have a patient who was bitten and is almost fully recovered. They will be going home in a few days. And they were bitten four days ago."

A bit of relief flooded me. "So I'm going to be okay?"

"As I told your mother, your prognosis looks great. But first you need to rest, okay?"

The anvil on my chest turned into a butterfly and fluttered away. "Okay."

9:30 am

I woke to fire and hunger. Sweat covered every inch of my body.

My mind was not my own as a sharp, cutting sensation ripped into my brain and washed away my memories like an ocean tide. My thoughts faded from pain to strictly hunger. The fire spread.

I needed food.

I wanted food.

I wanted... meat.

And the light sneaking past the curtains highlighted two helpings of meat, sitting by my bed.