The Family (7 page)

“Twig, we were giving you oxygen to help you breathe. That was the mask. It was temporary, and you don’t need it anymore. This wild-looking tube coming out of your arm is called an IV. It’s how we are making sure you get enough water, and it’s giving you medication today. I can take that out soon, too. Okay?”

Twig nodded. She was beginning to feel more comfortable with this man. He seemed kind. “But is Sapphire okay?”

“She’s fine, Twig,” Avery said reassuringly.

“Now, I’m not going to lie to you,” Dr. Young continued. “You took it pretty good on the noggin.” Avery was shaking her head at the doctor. “Head,” he corrected himself. “You hit your head hard when you fell, causing a very small bleed called a subdural hematoma.” Twig felt her stomach tighten with fear. “But,” the doctor continued, sensing her alarm, “it was minor. How are we doing so far?”

“Will I have brain damage?”

“No, dear. Your family did the right thing by bringing you in right away. You’re going to be fine. You are going to have to rest and take some medication for a while, but you are going to be fine. I hear you like yoga.”

Twig nodded.

“In about three weeks, when you get the cast off, if you’re feeling well, you can go back to light yoga. And I want you up and about in the next two weeks. How does that sound?”

“Okay,” Twig said tentatively. She was scared. Scared for her brain, scared of the hospital and of the doctor, even though he seemed so nice.

“In the morning, we are going to repeat the CT, which is a scan that lets us see what’s going on inside your head, and I am going to need to see you back here in a month to do another scan.”

Twig heard Avery sigh.

“Will that be a problem?” The doctor asked, glancing toward the door.

Avery was silent for a moment. “No, I don’t think so.”

Dr. Young eyed Avery. “Listen, I am going to give you my card. If there is a problem, please call me.”

Avery nodded but didn’t say anything. Twig noticed how unhappy she looked.

“Are you okay, Mom?” she asked. Avery looked at Twig and grabbed her hand. “I’m fine, Twig. Let’s just concentrate on you.”

“Can I sleep now? I’m very tired.”

“Of course,” the doctor replied.

16

Twig woke to the sound of people arguing.

“Another night? You said it was a small bleed. This morning’s scan was fine.” Doc was speaking with Dr. Young.

Adam was pacing furiously back and forth in the confines of the small white room. One hand seemed permanently lodged in his thick, dark hair. Twig had no idea how long she had been sleeping.

“I need to make sure it is resolving and not getting worse. I also want her here for observation. She is still in danger of seizures, and I need to make sure she responds to the medication.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Doc answered the doctor dismissively.

“The girl has had brain trauma,” the doctor answered sternly.

“Look, I am a doctor,” Doc explained. “I can take care of her. If she has any problems, I’ll bring her back. Please discharge her this evening.”

“Exactly what kind of doctor are you? Where did you get your degree?”

“I am a doctor of psychiatric medicine, and, not that it is any of your business, I got my degree at the University of California, San Francisco.”

“Hmm,” the doctor said, unimpressed. “And can I assume you’ve been keeping up with your CEUs?”

“How dare you!” Doc glared down at the doctor. Dr. Young was shorter than Doc, but he was sturdy and impressive with this white beard and tan, weathered skin.

“She’s awake,” Avery said, coming to Twig’s side.

The two men stopped arguing, and Adam stopped pacing.

“How long have we been here?” Twig asked. She felt better. But there was no window, and she had no idea if it was day or night. For the first time in her life, she had no idea what time it was. “I’m hungry,” she suddenly said.

The whole room laughed with relief.

A woman in a white dress and small white hat entered the room. It was crowded already, and one more person made it stuffy and uncomfortable. “I’m Marianna,” the woman said, smiling brightly at Twig. Twig flinched as the woman came up behind her and adjusted her pillows. Another outsider. But no one was telling this woman to stay away. Twig looked at Adam. He looked exhausted; he didn’t even seem to notice the woman.

“Out, out.” Marianna had an accent. Despite her fear, Twig liked the warm sound of the woman’s voice. “I need to clear the room.”

“Just a moment, Marianna.” Adam’s voice dripped with charm when he addressed her. He sat on the edge of Twig’s small bed. “Hello, dear.”

“Hi,” Twig answered. “Can I have something to drink?”

Dr. Young nodded.

Adam brought a small cup with a straw to Twig’s mouth. She took a sip and shut her eyes. It was juice, and it tasted so good. “Thank you,” she said.

“We’re going home soon, okay? This nightmare will be over soon, and I’ll take you home.”

Twig nodded. She felt antsy. She wanted to go home.

* * *

Everyone else besides Marianna and the doctor left the room. Avery, Doc, and Adam went to get some food at Dr. Young’s insistence. “Your mother and father haven’t left your side,” Marianna told Twig. “They love you very much.”

Twig forced a smile. It felt indescribably strange and more than a little scary to be left alone with these two strangers. She kept telling herself that she was safe. Adam would not have left her alone with them otherwise.

“Can I get up?”

“How does your head feel?” Dr. Young asked her.

“Good,” Twig said. She laughed a little. “I thought it was going to hurt for the rest of my life. How long did I sleep? A long time? No one will answer me.”

“You slept a good twelve hours. Exactly what you needed. It’s noon,” said Dr. Young. “Marianna is going to take you for a walk.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Twig eyed the door. “Maybe I should wait for my mom.” Twig was terrified of what lay outside the small, stuffy white room.

“Doctor’s orders. It will be good for you. Just a lap around the hallway. You’ll be back before your family returns from the cafeteria, and then you’ll eat. I’ll be back this evening to check on you. You’re doing great. I’m pleased.” Dr. Young patted Twig lightly on the shoulder and then left the room.

Marianna helped Twig out of bed and to the bathroom. It felt good to stretch her legs. When they came out of the bathroom, Marianna helped Twig into a wheelchair. “We’ll start with this,” she smiled.

“Marianna, please wait. I’m scared. I really can’t go out there.”

“It’s okay, dear. I will be with you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“But infection—” Twig blurted. She hadn’t meant to say it so bluntly. She didn’t want to insult Marianna. This was Marianna’s world.

“Infection? You will not become infected.”

“But the people out there? The virus. I’ll be corrupted. I really should wait for my Family.”

Marianna knelt down beside Twig. “What virus,
mi chiquita
? Tell me what virus you are afraid of.” Marianna’s eyes were full of concern.

Twig paused. She didn’t want to be mean, but she had to speak the truth. “The virus of the outside world. The virus people carry.”

“I see.” Marianna smoothed Twig’s hair. “There is no one big virus,
mija
. There are small viruses: the common cold, the flu, etcetera. There are contagious diseases, of course, but not everyone carries them. Most people are pretty healthy.”

She must be lying. Of course she would be lying. Twig wondered if she should scream for someone to help her.

“You don’t believe me. I can see that. Wait here for a moment.”

A few moments later Marianna returned with Dr. Young. He closed the door behind him.

“Twig, I want to ask you a few questions.”

“Okay,” Twig nodded.

“You believe—I mean, you have been taught—that the world has been infected with a contagious virus? Is that correct? Do I have it right?”

Twig nodded. She felt a combination of embarrassment and fear. She gripped the arms of the wheelchair to stop from shaking.

“I see.” Dr. Young held his chin in his hand. “Jesus, I need a biology textbook.”

“Sorry?” Twig asked.

“Listen, dear.” Dr. Young paused at looked at Marianna. “If we were in the States, I’d be calling social services right about now.” Marianna looked back at the doctor blankly.

“All right, all right, I’ll get to the point. Twig, there is no one big apocalyptic virus out there. Not yet, anyway.”

“Doctor,” Marianna coughed into her hand.

“Right. There are serious diseases, but…well, now, let me ask you this, Twig: How do you suppose this one worldwide virus gets transmitted from person to person? How does one catch this super virus?”

Twig was quiet. She was mortified and confused. “I don’t really know, Dr. Young. By looking at an infected person? By touching them or talking to them?”

Dr. Young squinted his eyes at Twig. His look was full of compassion. “I wish we had more time, dear. There is a lot I’d like to tell you. But here are the basics. Here is what you need to know to give you peace of mind on your jaunt around the hallway.” Dr. Young winked at Twig. “Sound good?”

Twig nodded. She could at least listen to him. There was no harm in that. He had healed her head.

“What do you know about biology? About cells? Does the term “nucleic acid chain” mean anything to you?”

Twig shook her head. She wanted to slink away. She felt so stupid.

“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter. Here’s the bottom line: Everyone gets sick from time to time. You’ve probably had a cold before, correct?”

“Sure,” Twig said. “Of course.”

“Okay. That, my dear, was a virus.”

Twig looked at the doctor skeptically.

“There are several ways viruses can spread.” Dr. Young held up his finger. “One: direct contact. Touching, kissing, someone coughing on you. Getting bitten or scratched by your pet, if they are carrying something. A mother passing a disease on to her unborn child. Not,” Dr. Young looked Twig in the eye, “by looking at someone. And not by just talking to someone. Unless they sneeze on you.” Dr. Young pretended to sneeze. Twig laughed in spite of herself. “You with me so far?”

Twig nodded. It was hard to take in everything he was saying, because if he was telling the truth, then someone else was lying. Many, many people were lying. Or maybe they didn’t know. Maybe Adam was confused.

Dr. Young held up two fingers in front of Twig. “Two: indirect contact. Someone with the flu touches a doorknob, and you touch that doorknob and then rub your eyes, wipe your nose, or touch your mouth before you wash your hands. Even then, many times you would not become infected. It depends on the state of your immune system in that moment.”

Twig did not know what an immune system was, but she nodded again anyway.

“Now, this last way is closest to what you’re talking about with your worldwide super virus. It’s called particle transmission.” Dr. Young was speaking very quickly now. Twig was trying hard to concentrate on what he was saying. “Very tiny disease particles travel through the air, and a person can breathe in these airborne germs and become infected. Now, there are bites and stings and food contamination and all of that. Listening to me, you’re probably wondering how anyone manages to stay alive. But we do. And modern medicine and vaccinations help.”

“Twig? Are you okay?” Marianna took Twig’s hand. “Is this all new information for you?”

“Yes,” Twig said quietly. “I was taught that you could catch…well, character traits, too.”

Dr. Young and Marianna looked at one another with concern.

“Well, that’s a question for philosophers and theologians, but you don’t catch immorality the way you catch a disease, if that’s what you mean,” Dr. Young said.

Twig was stunned. She stared wide-eyed at the doctor and Marianna, trying to take in everything they were saying. It seemed too complicated to be lies. “They must not know. The Elders, Adam. They must not know any of this,” Twig muttered, mostly to herself.

“If your friend Doc actually has a degree from UCSF, he knows this and a lot more, Twig. I’m sorry, but you’ve been lied to.” Dr. Young touched Twig’s cheek tenderly. “I need to go now, Twig. Please use this information as you see fit. Keep it to yourself, if need be.” It seemed as if he was about to say something else but then thought better of it and just shook his head, turning to leave.

“Wait. Dr. Young? Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“What is a vaccination?”

“The fact that you are asking me that makes me think you haven’t had any. That doesn’t make me very happy.”

“Well, our Father does do these things…these rituals.” Twig wondered if she was saying something she shouldn’t. Something that was secret to the Family. But maybe if she just explained to Dr. Young and Marianna, they would understand. “He has healing powers. Powers in his hands. I don’t know how it works exactly, it’s hard to explain, but he can heal people, and he can protect people from the outside—” Twig stopped herself. “From getting sick.”

“I see,” said Dr. Young. “Well, I’m not sure about all that, but I can answer your question. When we vaccinate, we inject you with very small amounts of treated microorganisms that give your body immunity to the disease we are vaccinating for. Okay?”

Twig nodded, pretending she wholly understood what he was saying. “Okay. Thank you.”

Dr. Young left the room.

Twig felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. She felt foolish. Embarrassed. Ignorant. Betrayed. And also, guilty. Why would she trust Dr. Young and Marianna? What was wrong with her? And yet she
did
trust them, for some reason. At the very least, they had just planted a serious seed of doubt in her head. She had to think this over.

“Shall we go?” Marianna whispered.

Twig nodded. She knew she was taking a risk, but now, right now, might be her only chance to see what the outside world was really about.

Marianna wheeled her out into the hallway. Twig’s eyes popped open. People, so many people. Some were dressed in the same white dresses as Marianna’s. Others had on long white coats like Dr. Young. The people dressed in white whizzed past her along more glossy white walls that seemed to stretch on forever. They faded into a blur of activity. Twig was used to people dressed in white, but there were other people, too. Fat, skinny, very old, very young. Her heart beat wildly in her chest. She was scared and ready to make Marianna turn back, but no one even seemed to notice her. She expected people to be doing terrible things—shouting profanity, being violent—but she saw none of that.