The Aspen Experiments

Chapter 13

"What's wrong with them?" one asked, gesturing at the two of us.

"It's not that bad," I said. "We're not actually sick."

"You're being ridiculous, Dara. Obviously you and John are quite ill. I know you wanted to go to Mexico for the rest of spring break, but you'll have to think about someone besides yourself for once." Mr. Ringer looked in the direction of Carly and Grace. "It looks like John might have contracted a severe case of encephalitis. Which is very contagious." He glanced at the guards and rolled his eyes. "I can't let you and your boyfriend infect the whole plane."

The guards began muttering into their radios - I heard "contagious" several times.

Then John's body went limp. His seizure switched off, like someone cut the power. Or like he'd vacated the premises.  His head lay at a sharp angle, and his mouth was open.

"I couldn't call 911 out of here,"  Carly gasped as she jogged back to us. "All I could do was call security and they said they would send someone. And Dara, I saw you throw up! Are you okay?"

 "I'm fine. I'm fine," I told her.

Mr. Ringer knelt and felt John's wrist, placing his other hand an inch over his slack mouth.

"Strong pulse, even respiration. I think he'll be alright." Ringer stood and introduced himself to Carly. "You are obviously Dara's sister. Now that I see you together, the family resemblance is stunning. Look I'm sorry I can't stay and chat, but I think I need to get them both back to campus. I don't know if what John has is contagious. I didn't even know he and Dara were flying out today."

"They weren't. Just Dara was. I mean, to Mexico." Carly was rattled.

"We don't need to go back to school. We'll stay at my sister's house." I kept my voice calm.

"Oh...Dara," Carly objected, "I don't think I can handle something like this, you both need a doctor. Let Mr. Ringer take you back to campus. I'll get a sitter and come back today, okay?"

"Do you live nearby?" Ringer asked politely.

"No, well, we live in Waterbury, it's 45 minutes away."

"Well, that's a bit of a drive." He looked at me. "What a devoted sister you have." He turned back to Carly and Grace. "And it was nice to meet you too Miss Grace." He shook her chubby hand, as a paramedic arrived with a gurney.

I knew we were caught. There was nothing to do but go back with Ringer and then figure something out. I couldn't let Mr. Ringer hang around threatening my family. And I really couldn't leave John with him, either way. I hugged Carly farewell, and John and I were loaded into an ambulance. Ringer got in the front seat with the driver. John and I were alone in the back. There should have been more paramedics, I thought, but there was nothing I could do about it.

John didn't wake up during the long drive. Once he started thrashing around, but his eyes never opened.

"Don't...Hyto is...Hyto," he mumbled.

He slumped back onto the narrow bed in the ambulance. The sheet under him was pale blue, and four black vinyl straps kept him from rolling off. I sat on a tiny fold out seat next to him, with my legs bent uncomfortably to the side in the tight space. The edge of the gurney dug into my knee.

I prayed furiously that John would wake up. I felt sure he would think of several ways out of this. He was the military person, after all. I wasn't supposed to be responsible for saving us.

I was shaking John's shoulder before I got ahold of myself. God was in control. I needed to trust in him, not John. And God didn't need me telling him what to do. Maybe there was a good reason John hadn't come back to me yet.

He'd traveled back to his 'real' body in the future. The violence of his transfer couldn't be good, but maybe he was finally getting some answers from Professor Hyto.

So instead, I prayed for safety and wisdom and then I worked out a few contingency plans. If anyone else was around when we got to school I was going to make a BIG scene. If not, I had a hazy idea of appealing to Dr. Shammas. I mean, he was supposed to be the horrible scientist, according to John's information, but he'd never seemed as cruel and cold as Ringer did. I sure couldn't picture Shammas threatening my family. So maybe John was wrong, maybe Ringer was the one in charge. If I could get Shammas on our side, or at least make him question his partner, maybe he'd help us.

I felt the sway when we started up the mountain to the school. Grabbing a couple hand holds against the wall, I stood up, stretching my stiff legs and getting my feet to wake up.  Then I moved to the rear of the ambulance, crouching down near the door. Ready to jump and yell as soon as we arrived.

When the ambulance finally stopped, I tried the door handle. It was locked. I had no idea you could lock an ambulance from the outside. That seemed like a major design flaw to me.

I waited, tense and impatient as both front doors opened and closed. I could hear muffled voices and I shifted my weight, getting ready.

 And then nothing. I didn't hear voices, footsteps, anything. What on earth? Surely they wouldn't leave us in here for very long. Wouldn't the driver be suspicious?

The driver! Wow, I was such an idiot, I hadn't thought of him. Surely the driver wasn't in on Ringer's scheme. He could be the key. If I could make him suspicious enough to call the police, or at least report the weirdness when he got back to the hospital, surely someone would come check this out.

If only they would let me out! Minutes trickled by, but I had no watch to tell how long I'd waited. My back ached like I'd lodged a coat hanger in my ribcage and I shifted again, refusing to sit down and lose my opportunity to spring out. When I couldn't stand it, I took a moment to stretch and check John's watch. It had stopped of course. He always took off his watch before time-traveling so it wouldn't get fried in the energy surge. Now this one was dead too.

I squatted by the rear door again, leaning my shoulder against a first aid kit on the wall. I jumped when I heard footsteps. So close already! But I was prepared.

The door in front of me swung open slowly. I could see Ringer, now in a white lab coat. I flexed my legs to jump and he raised a yellow squirt bottle and squirted me in the face.

My nose and eyes burned and my legs faltered. One foot was already out the door, but my coordination was gone. I tried to grab the door frame to steady myself but my fingers were too slow. I tumbled out of the ambulance. Ringer backed up as I fell, letting me sprawl on the black pavement. My slow hands broke the fall, but I still felt my knees and palms slam painfully onto the asphalt. My vision doubled, trebled, and went blank.