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“A bed inside the hospital?” I asked. “Where she can get treatment?”
“A bed outside. In plaza. Until ambulance arrives. Wait here please. I will bring it.”
She went back to the tents.
I gazed down at Molly in my arms. She looked so pitiful and weak from this angle. Every breath she took came with a ghastly rasp. Like her soul was struggling to breathe.
Since we were sitting down, I shifted Molly in my lap and retrieved my phone. Ospedale Britannico was half a kilometer farther to the south-east. It was on the same road that was next to this plaza. All I had to do was follow it.
“I can’t wait for an ambulance, Molly,” I said. “I need to get you there sooner. Even if it kills me. Now’s your chance to tell me not to.”
She let out a little whimper and rested her head against my chest.
“Good. I wasn’t going to listen anyway.”
Standing back up took a lot more strength than I expected, and I damn near fell over. My legs were dead from the walk here. It was already the most activity I had done since I got sick. The urge to sit back on the bench and rest was overwhelming.
I made myself take one step toward the alley, then another. By the time I reached the main road I had some momentum.
Other pedestrians passed me on the street. Most gave me a wide berth. I couldn’t blame them. One Italian man walked ahead of me, looked back at me, and stopped. Underneath his mask, he had the longest nose I had ever seen. It made his mask look like a tent.
He said something that sounded like he was asking if I needed help. I shook my head and said, “She’s sick. Virus.”
He gave me a pitying look, like he wished he could help me anyway, but then hurried along.
My legs grew numb from exhaustion. Sweat poured down my neck, and my arms began to ache too. I looked longingly at every bench I passed, but I knew if I sat down to take a break I wouldn’t be able to stand up again. Besides, I didn’t want to delay Molly’s treatment. I could suffer a little longer if it meant getting her to the hospital.
She rolled her head to the side and her eyes opened a crack. “…playing… hide… seek,” she muttered.
“Yeah, we’re playing hide and seek,” I said. “Ready or not, here I come.”
Molly closed her eyes and smiled faintly, and mumbled something about cheating, and then fell back to sleep.
My legs burned. It felt like acid was pumping through my veins, not blood. I was winded, and couldn’t catch my breath. Every step I took was a miracle.
The Ospedale Britannico came into view, surrounded by trees and gardens. That gave me a burst of energy, and I walked faster. My legs were numb and it felt like I was walking in someone else’s body, but I kept pushing forward. Molly slumped in my arms. I could barely hold her anymore.
I reached the sliding glass doors of the entrance. As soon as the doors opened, I fell to my knees with exhaustion, but I managed to keep Molly from hitting the ground.
“Help!” I shouted. “She has the virus! Help me!”
Darkness crept around the edges of my vision. Nurses in full PPE ran toward me. It looked like they were running in slow-motion. That was strange. I lifted Molly higher in my arms, and they took her from me like she was precious cargo.
Then everything went black.
49
Molly
The Day I Woke Up
I dreamed that Donovan and I were playing hide and seek. First I hid in the walk-in freezer downstairs, and I shivered and turned into a block of ice before he found me. Then I blinked my eyes and I was suddenly standing over a pot of boiling water in the kitchen, holding my face over the steam like I was in a sauna. The steam was so hot it made my skin break out in sweat, so I stripped my clothes until I was comfortable.
Then, suddenly, I was in the freezer again. The sweat turned to ice on my arms and chest and my teeth chattered so loudly that it made my ears ache.
Then we were playing hide and seek outside, with the warm sun shining high above. Donovan told me I was cheating by being outside, but then I told him thathewas the real cheater. He laughed, but it felt forced. He looked worried.
I remembered that he was sick, that I should be taking care ofhim,but I couldn’t control my legs to get up and help him. I thrashed and screamed but it was like I was paralyzed, unable to move.
