The Iris Epidemic

Mr. Stornoway

"Renan?!" I suddenly heard a call from the forest line near the shore. 

" Renan! Over here!" The call turned into a woman's cry the closer I got and I started to run over to the direction i heard her from.

"Marie!?" I called out as I got closer. After a minute or so I found myself looking at Marie sitting on her little knees right behind her husband that was propped up abit against a tree. 

"Oh my goodness! You have no idea how good it is to see you standing there in front of me." She spoke in s panicked and relieved tone as she looked up to me. 

" I honestly thought I set out down here to die in the woods. I..I didn't think you would get the letter in time.." 

I quickly kneeled down and cupped both sides of her face. 

" shh.. darling. It's gonna be ok. I got it over 3 days ago up where they had me for quarantine." 
I gave a small kiss on the head and backed away to turn and look at him. 

Jay Stornoway the name as you should've guessed. Besides me,he was the only man that has been by her side all this time. Hell, my side included. 
He was still a tall young dirty blond haired man. Eyes of blueish green, was once nicely taken c
ared facial hair and that very same old mischievous smirk. But with good intentions behind everything he did. 

Did I ever tell you where he came from originally?

Lets just say it wasn't from the United Kingdom like you would think. He was a traveler, went across the sea to find new places to explore. He told me later that he was raised on a farm just like myself but in the west end of the world, now known as the United States. With that, he had a very thick Southern accent. It was an odd taste for miss Marie that i remember thinking but it didn't take me very long to realize that they were a perfect match for each other. 

" im utterly surprised he's still hanging on Marie…" I looked down at Jay before scooting over closer to get a closer look.

" I know.. i thought i was gonna lose him when we first got here by the border. I was fighting with the guards men and they wouldn't let us through. So I set ourselves here.. he perked up a little for a day or two and just this morning he has been quiet again." 

" I see… well i'm gonna check some things and we will go back to my house...it's the only place I can work properly. Unless his condition is worse than it looks." I give a subtle wave at jay and look more into his eyes to try and gain attention.

" Jay dear… My friend is here. He is here to help." Marie moves close brushing his hair out of his face. 

"...Mmm..? Mmmarie?... Who's here?"

" its Renan, the friend i said id take you to" marie said softly.

"He is going to help you…" 

I remember Jay finally ending up looking at me, blinking slowly.  

"How..?"

" I have some things that could help. But you will have to come with me… have you been feeling dizzy? Nausea at all?" I asked slowly so he could catch the words a little better. 

"I…. I felt fine this mornin'. Then yeah, s'pose I felt sick 'nd dizzy. Marie had to help lie me down. She didn't… want me t'fall." Jay explained 

" hmm.. ok. Where do you hurt the most right now? Is it ok if i may take a look at the area?" I asked. 

"My left side, under my arm… it's hurtin' real bad. And my left leg. It… feels the same." Talking with pain evident in his voice. Jay tries to say as he moves a little to show me more. 

I lightly and slowly lifted jays left arm and used my other hand to untuck and lift up his short alittle to look. It was definitely at a stage of concern. Big black boil, not to the point of bursting yet but seriously needing medical attention. I was oozing a little a i managed to pull a cloth from my bag and tried to gently wipe it away. 

"Could ya not.. jus pop it?" Jay flinched away in pain.

" No. It would cause more pain. And then make it worse. Possibly bleeding you out." I said quickly. 

" Besides ive done something like that many times now trying to open and get the ooze out but it has a result of death… its too much for the body to bear.. Now, here's what we are gonna do.." I started to plan out our route home. 

" Marie. Can you be a darling and help me hold him away from the tree? I need to wrap him up in bandages so they are somewhat safe from the open air. Then we are going to help you Jay, to get to my horses. I know a way to get across the border. Understood?" I explained softly to the both of them. 

 "Well now. See here. It aint that bad." Jay continues in barely a whisper. "'Sides. I don't want no more pain if I can avoid it." I started to notice him trying to scoot away a bit.

"Another thing… I don't need my beautiful Doll to die because of me." looking nervously towards Marie.

I shook my head in disagreement. 
" Your wife will be ok Jay. I know its gonna hurt but i'd rather try to keep you alive to be with her than leave you here. Think of all the things you could do together. " 

" you know i'm not gonna let you die… even if it means howling your body by foot again to a place to cure you…" Marie placing a hand gently on Jay's forehead. 

Jay started to Look a bit apprehensive about it all after we both replied but spoke back a steady cold toned reply.

 "Tell me honestly Doctor Renan, what are my odds?" He stared at me in the eye, surprisingly not wavering like he was with everything since when i found them just a half an hour ago.

I heard Marie sigh and look away into the forest trying to stay out of the awkward silence while I hesitated at the question biting my lip slightly.

The damn man was right, he knew as well as I do that the odds were very slim.. but there was just something inside telling me to try. Like with all the other risks ive endured, I just couldn't let that go. I was crazy. Literally absolutely out of my mind as a human. People would tell me all the time but that insane drive to do the unthinkable wouldn't go away. 

I looked away from the stare he was giving me and took a breath in and exhaled through the nose before turning back with a stern and concerned facial expression.
" I may sound crazy to you Mr. Stornoway but I promise you, if you come with me i'll make you are comfortable and happy no matter witch odds ever happen. It's worth a shot for such a short time we have on this earth." 

"... So, theyre low then…" Jay reluctantly says. 
" But somethin' tells me you couls fix me doc, dunno why… go ahead and try." 

I gave a confident nod and looked towards marie once more. She looked at me in the eyes with such worry and plead and then got off her knees to help me bandage Jay. 

The bandaging was a struggle since Jay was already pretty irritated with the boils that there, it made wrapping them and having them lay on more pressure just more uncomfortable. Unfortunately though it was what i could only do for now. 

I had marie help me lift him up on his two feet and then up over my shoulder he went. 

" let's get back.. somewhere safer." I spoke softly to Marie looking down at her.

She gave me a nod and took my free hand. The very same wrist i had the ribbon tied up on me. She looked at my hand as she grasped it and softly touched the light green ribbon before looking back up at me. 

" it's good to see you again Renan. I knew I could trust you."