Chapter 2
Later that evening, Danny was in the upstairs hallway, returning to his room from a trip to the bathroom, when he heard the front door open and close. Then he heard his sister's voice greeting their mother. He went to the upper landing and crouched down so he could hear better.
"How was your date, honey?" Shirley asked.
Laurie hesitated for a moment. "It was okay, I guess."
"Why? What happened? You don't sound convinced."
"Well...my date really was okay. It's just that...well, we saw Keith and Adrian. We ended up parking just behind them in the last row. We were a little late getting there, all the good spots were taken. Anyway, it's usually pretty secluded back there."
Concern in her voice, Shirley nodded and urged her daughter to continue. "Go on."
"Anyway, we had a pretty good view of them." She squirmed uncomfortably, not wanting to look into her mother's eyes. "I mean, they were right in front of us, it was hard to miss them."
Shirley didn't say anything, but simply waited for her daughter to gather her wits and proceed.
Finally Laurie looked up and saw the look on her mother's face. "What happened was just...weird.
"About halfway into the movie, we saw a strange couple approach the passenger side of the car. I have no idea who they were, it was hard see in the dark. They just seemed to materialize out of nowhere. The guy leaned down and said something to them through the open window. We couldn't hear what they were saying. At first I thought that he needed help or something, but then Keith's date opened the door, got out and...went with them. She just...walked away."
"Maybe she went to get a snack or she had to use the restroom." Shirley suggested.
"No, I don't think so, she was gone too long." Laurie was dubious.
"What did Keith do in the meantime?"
Laurie hesitated before replying."Nothing. He just sat there and did nothing while his date went off with a couple of strangers. I figured he'd get upset and try to go after them, but he never moved."
"I assume that she returned eventually."
Laurie nodded. "She came back about thirty minutes later...alone . And if that wasn't weird enough, when she got back into the car she snuggled up to Keith and then they proceeded to make out right there in front of us! She was all over him! I got so upset that I almost went over there to give that dear brother of mine a piece of my mind. But Craig stopped me; he said it would have been too awkward. I started to argue with him but then I realized that he was right. It would have been embarrassing for everyone involved."
Shirley nodded. "You did the right thing, honey. Is there anything else I should know?"
Laurie nervously tucked a lock of her dark hair behind her ear. "Well, I really don't think that they...um...went all the way or anything. I mean...he wouldn't do that, would he?" She was beginning to be unsure of what exactly she did see.
"I sure hope not." Shirley stated. "So what happened when the movie was over?"
Laurie shrugged. "Nothing. They drove away."
"Do you know where they went?" Shirley asked.
"I don't know. They actually drove off before the movie ended. I assume he took her home...or something." She cringed. That last part hadn't sounded right.
Shirley put a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Go on up to bed. I'll wait for him to come home. He's got some explaining to do, I think."
"Okay. G'night." She placed a quick kiss on her mother's cheek and turned toward the staircase. The look on her face indicated that she realized that she had more than likely just gotten her brother in a lot of trouble.
Danny quickly got up and moved quietly to his room.
Oboy, Keith was in serious hot water this time! It would be very interesting to see how this all would play out in the morning.
Sunday morning came quickly. Danny got up early once again, this time to see if he could find out what happened with Keith. As he passed his older brother's bedroom, he noticed that the door was open, so he snuck a peek inside.
Weird...he wasn't there. His brother was not a morning person at all, unless of course, he had something musical or fun on his agenda. He noticed that the bed was made. Was it because Keith made it himself before heading somewhere? Unlikely, but not totally impossible. Or did he not sleep in his bed last night? Danny hurried down the stairs, hoping to find out.
Shirley was on the sofa, sound asleep. Still dressed in her night clothes and robe, she had slumped back into a partially reclined position. It was obvious that she had fallen asleep waiting up for Keith. It appeared that his older brother hadn't come home last night. Not a good scenario.
"Mom?" Danny shook her shoulder gently. "Mom...wake up."
Shirley stirred and slowly opened her eyes .Then they went wide as she realized that she had fallen asleep waiting up for Keith to return from his date. She seemed to remember her conversation with Laurie and hurriedly got up from the sofa.
"Danny, what time is it?" There was a sense of urgency in her voice. Keith should have awakened her when he got in...
"Um...not quite 6:30." He said hesitantly. Not because he didn't know the time. He was unsure of how his mother would react when she found out the Keith hadn't come home.
She succeeded in composing herself and smoothed out her robe while she headed for the staircase. A look of dread crossed her pretty features, she didn't like reprimanding any of her children, but... "I have to have a talk with your brother. Would you..."
Danny tugged on the sleeve of her robe as he interrupted her. "Mom-he's not up there."
She stopped dead in her tracks and spun around to stare at her middle son. "What do you mean, 'he's not up there?' Where else would he be?"
"He's not in his room." Danny offered. All of a sudden, he saw the fear in her eyes and back peddled. "Maybe he's in the garage. You know. Working on a song or something." He said hopefully.
Shirley relaxed a bit and forced a smile. "You're probably right. I'll go check. I need to speak to him alone for a bit, please see that we're not disturbed."
"Sure." Danny nodded. He sat on the sofa and watched his mother go out the back door with a grim look on her face. He was preparing to sneak up to the garage door to eavesdrop, when she came hurrying back into the house.
"He's not there either!" She exclaimed. "Danny, are you positive that he's not in his room or anywhere else upstairs?" Without waiting for his reply, she gathered her robe up and hurried up the staircase.
Upstairs, he could hear her opening doors and slamming them shut again. It seemed like she was going to tear the house apart looking for him. Moments later, she came back downstairs, a sleep ruffled Laurie right behind her.
Laurie exchanged worried glances with Danny. "Mom, let me call Gordy's house. Maybe he knows what might have happened."
Shirley waited patiently as Laurie called Keith's friends. No one had seen him since yesterday morning.
Danny could almost see the wheels of her mind working. Had something terrible happened to her son, something that had prevented his safe return home?
"Oh God, please..." she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut and silently prayed.
Laurie saw the worried look on her mother's face and tried to comfort her. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation as to why he didn't come home. Maybe he got stranded or something."
"Yeah, maybe his car got stuck in some mud or something when he parked it, and they had to spend the night in the car." Danny offered helpfully.
They all stopped as the kitchen door opened, revealing a very disheveled Keith. His normally picture perfect dark locks were dirty and tangled. There were several buttons obviously missing from his partially un-tucked shirt, exposing his bare chest. He looked to be on the verge of collapse.
"Keith!" Shirley ran to him as he stumbled into one of the chairs at the table. His dirt smeared skin was deathly pale and his usually bright eyes were dull and unresponsive. She noticed that the collar of his jacket was turned up, effectively covering his neck. When she tried to move the material away from his skin, he pulled away from her violently.
"No! Don't touch me!" His hand went to his throat in protection as he snarled at her agitatedly. This caused Shirley to pull back in shock. Dumbstruck, she watched as he slowly returned to his former trance-like state.
She turned momentarily to her younger children and gave them orders.
"Danny, get one of the wool blankets from the closet. Laurie, get Dr. Michaels on the phone and have him come out right away. The number is in the red address book near the phone. Tell him that Keith's been in some kind of accident."
"Shouldn't we take him to the emergency room?" Danny asked, worriedly.
"Honey, I don't think we're going to get him to move. At least not without a lot of help." Shirley referred to the way Keith had just reacted to her touch.
Danny thought about that for a moment and realized that she was right. He sure didn't want her to be alone in the car with him, should he become agitated again. He obviously wasn't himself.
The siblings once again, exchanged worried glances, then they sprang into action, eager to be of help.
Danny returned quickly with the requested blanket, handed it to Shirley and backed a few paces away. He couldn't take his eyes from his brother's face. Was it his imagination, or was there a tinge of red shine in his eyes?
Shirley immediately shook the blanket open and carefully placed it around Keith's shoulders. He silently wrapped it around himself and visibly shivered.
Shirley was trying to get his attention, trying to get him to respond to her.
"Keith." She said gently. "Honey, talk to me. Please. Tell me what happened."
"So tired. Need sleep." Came his monotone reply. It was as if he didn't hear her requests. "Cold..." He pulled the blanket around himself a little tighter.
Laurie came back into the kitchen. "Dr. Michaels is on his way." She watched Keith curiously, "Did he say what happened?"
Shirley shook her head. "No, he's not really responding to me at all. Laurie, let's see if we can get him to his room."
"Sure. What do you want me to do?"
"I'll be on this side, stand on his right and support him if he needs it. Be careful."
Laurie nodded wordlessly and moved into position.
"Okay, sweetie. Let's get you upstairs and into bed." Shirley said softly. "Maybe you'll feel better after you get some rest." Shirley took his hand and pulled on it gently, while bracing herself for another outburst.
To her surprise he simply got up and allowed both her and Laurie to lead him through the kitchen, into the dining room and up the staircase.
From the upper landing, Shirley called instructions down. "Danny, watch for Dr. Micheals and bring him up here as soon as he arrives."
"Okay Mom."
Dr. Michaels had arrived in record time. Now he followed Shirley out of Keith's room where he had executed a brief examination. She had been present during the exam, refusing to leave her son's side. Keith had obviously remained in an almost catatonic state during the whole process. After closing Keith's bedroom door, Shirley turned to the doctor.
"What's wrong with him Dr. Michaels?"
The doctor set his black medical bag on the floor and addressed the frightened mother. First, he looked around. "Are the rest of the kids downstairs?"
"Yes. Laurie's making breakfast for the three younger children." Shirley confirmed their privacy.
"I gave him something to help him sleep for the rest of the day; so right now, he's resting comfortably. His blood pressure is low and his body temperature is a bit too cool for my liking; he must have spent the night out in the open. I gave him a course of antibiotics and a tetanus shot; he has what looks to be some kind of animal bite on the lower part of his neck. As a matter of fact it's almost on his shoulder." He indicated the site by putting his hand on the juncture where the neck muscles meet the shoulder.
"A bite wound!" Shirley exclaimed in shock as she glanced at Keith's closed bedroom door. "Do you think he was attacked by some kind of animal?"
The doctor nodded. "Yes, my best educated guess at this time would be some kind of large dog, perhaps a coyote. There have been a few reports of attacks on family pets...but this would be the first attack on a human. We won't know for sure until we can talk to him. The puncture marks are rather sizable. The only thing that puzzles me is how perfectly round they are. I'd say that he's lucky to be alive. Shirley...I don't want to be so...graphic, but in my experience, any canine going for the throat like that is aiming to kill; he could have had his throat torn wide open. I honest-to-God don't know how he got away."
Shirley sagged against the wall. "Oh..." All color had drained from her face, as she realized the graveness of the situation.
"Shirley, are you alright?" Alarmed, Dr. Michaels reached over and took hold of her elbow to steady her. He was prepared to catch her if she should faint.
She nodded weakly. "Yes...I think so." She did her best to give him a small smile to let him know that she was indeed okay. She took a few seconds to pull herself together, then asked her next question.
"Are any complications expected? What should I watch out for?"
The doctor looked at her gravely, "I took a blood sample from him for testing."
"What kind of testing?" Shirley didn't like Dr. Michaels expression.
He sighed heavily. "Rabies." At Shirley's gasp, he put his hand up. "Now before you get too worried, I already gave him the first of several injections; a vaccine if you will. I want you to know that it's a precaution, since we don't have the animal in question available for testing or observation. If the sample I took today comes through clear of the disease, then we'll have nothing to worry about. If I find anything...well then we'll have to go through with the rest of the injections. Keith could be in for a rough ride for the next few days."
Shirley nodded silently, as she took in this horrible news.
The doctor waited a few moments to let her absorb the information that he had just given her. Then he continued.
"Right now, I want to elevate his temperature; get it back to normal, so make sure he stays well covered, put an extra blanket or two on him. A heating pad set on low or a hot water bottle would be good too. Check him every hour or so, it won't be necessary to use a thermometer, just check by touch. But on the other hand, if he develops a fever, I'll want an actual reading before you call. The antibiotics that I gave him, plus the dressing that I put on the wound itself, should take care of any infection that might be present. I would keep it covered until tomorrow. I'd like for him to stay quiet for the next couple of days...complete bed rest for tonight and definitely no school tomorrow, I'll come by and check on him in the morning." He bent to pick up his bag from the floor, then started for the stairs. "I'll have the results of the blood test in a few hours, I'll let you know as soon as I can."
Shirley followed him down the staircase. "Thank you so much for coming out right away, Doctor. I don't know what I'd do without you."
As they arrived at the front door, he paused and turned to her with a reassuring smile. "Not a problem, Shirley. You've got a great bunch of kids. I'm sure he'll be just fine. He's young, strong and healthy. He'll bounce right back, you'll see."
"Thanks again." Shirley smiled gratefully as she saw the doctor out the door.
For once, Danny was thankful for the thin walls that separated the upstairs rooms. He had been in his room during the examination and subsequent conversation in the hallway. He had heard every single word spoken. Now he stood in the hallway and stared at Keith's closed bedroom door. Carefully, he edged his way over to it and silently opened the door. He just had to get a closer look at his older brother; for his own piece of mind.
Downstairs, Shirley was turning away from the front door, when Chris, Tracy and Laurie came out of the kitchen.
"Momma, what's the matter with Keith, is he sick again?" Tracy was remembering the time, not too long ago, when her oldest brother had an appendicitis attack and had to be rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. It had frightened her to see Keith in so much pain.
Laurie met her mother's worried gaze, her own questions evident in her intense blue eyes.
Shirley forced a smile on her face. "Yes, I'm afraid so sweetheart. We'll have to make sure that he's not disturbed for the rest of the day. What he needs most of all right now is a lot of rest."
Chris' eyes grew wide. "Is he gonna get better? He promised that he'd help me with my Pinewood Derby car."
Laurie watched her mother deal with her younger siblings' curiosity. "I'm sure Keith will be much better in a few days, Chris. You've got plenty of time to finish your car...right Mom?" She substantiated her mother's explanation.
Shirley nodded gratefully. "I'm sure he'll be lots better by then. I've an idea. Why don't I see if Mrs. Monahan is available for the afternoon? I'll bet she could use some help making a batch of those delicious brownies."
She was met with enthusiasm from both young children. They really enjoyed spending time with their kindly neighbor. She had a knack for making them feel more grownup, as she let them do minor things for her around the house. Whenever she agreed to watch the younger children, they usually came home with the proud feeling that they had done her a favor.
Shirley smiled faintly as she went to the phone.
Upstairs, in Keith's room, Danny had just shut the door quietly behind him, and now was standing at his brother's bedside, observing him closely and taking mental notes; his normally tanned complexion was very pale and his breathing seemed abnormally slow and shallow. When he reached out to touch Keith's bare arm, Danny pulled back in alarm. It wasn't exactly cold, but it sure wasn't normal. He stared at the white bandage that was covering the lower left side of Keith's neck. He wanted so badly to peel the tape away and peer underneath it. Then he studied his brother's mouth. He desperately wanted to see his brother's famous smile, he ached to prove to himself that there wasn't anything there to be concerned about...like fangs.
Making his mind up, he moved a bit closer to the bed and slowly reached over, tentatively touching Keith's cool, pale features. Testing the waters, he gently poked his brother on the side of his chin. No response, nothing. He poked a bit harder this time and got the same result. No movement. It sent chills up and down his spine. Taking a deep breath, he gently, but firmly put a finger between Keith's lips and began to part them.
Without warning, a snarl came from deep within Keith's throat as his eyes flew open to glare menacingly at his younger brother. Danny gasped involuntarily and jumped backwards, causing him to bang into the dresser. What he saw almost made his heart stop...Keith's eyes...they were black! It was as if the pupils had dilated to the point of wiping out the the natural eye color. Normally, his older brother's hazel eyes reflected his mood, sometimes even varying with his choice of clothing. The more upset Keith became-the darker his eyes appeared. Keith had given him dirty looks before, but this was ridiculous!
Either his brother had a major drug problem or...
As Keith's eyes closed again, Danny realized too late that he didn't look to see what his teeth looked like.
Shirley opened the door, several blankets in her arms.
"Oh Danny! What are you doing in here?" Her worried gaze traveled from Danny to Keith and back to Danny again. She saw the look fear of on his young freckled face and obviously mistook it for brotherly concern.
Totally taken by surprise, all Danny could do was prattle on guiltily. "Mom! I was just...uh checking on Keith! You know...to see if he needed anything...like an extra blanket or something." He was inspired as he caught sight of the blankets in his mother's arms.
Her demeanor softened somewhat. "That's really sweet of you, honey! Here, you can help me get these on him. The doctor wants him to be kept as warm as possible." She put her burden down, selected a single blanket and shook it out. Danny helped her silently, all the while keeping an eye on Keith's still form.
They were about to leave the room, when Shirley decided to check Keith's temperature. She peeled back a corner of the blanket, exposing Keith's arm and touched him gently.
Keith's eyes opened slowly and he looked up at her. "Mom?" He said weakly. "What...what's going on? Where am I?" He looked disoriented.
Danny was astonished to see that his older brother appeared and sounded completely normal! Well almost normal; he did look awfully tired. He stood back and kept a watchful eye on the two of them, readying himself for anything unexpected.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Shirley soothed. She sat on the edge of the bed and gently stroked his dark locks. "You're safe at home. Everything's going to be okay."
A look of total confusion crossed Keith's features as he attempted to sit up. "What happened..." He suddenly winced and collapsed, completely exhausted, back against his pillow.
She frowned slightly. "I was sort of hoping that you could tell me. You didn't come home from your date last night You had us pretty worried."
Keith hesitated as he tried to recall the last 12 hours. "I...I don't remember...anything." He moved his head in agitation and discovered that his movement was somewhat restricted. His hand went to the bandage on his lower neck.
"Shhh, it's okay. You don't have to remember anything right now. Just concentrate on getting better, okay?"
"Better? What's wrong with me?" Keith wanted to know, worry showing in his eyes as his questing fingers traveled over the white gauze.
Shirley threw a look at Danny as he stood nearby. "Danny, could you please leave us alone? I need to talk to Keith privately."
He glanced at his brother and met his clear, unmarred gaze. He could see confusion and worry in Keith's eyes. He nodded wordlessly and exited the room, leaving the door slightly ajar; just enough to hear what was going to be said. He told himself that this was no longer a matter of simple curiosity, but a matter of life and death for his whole family.
Shirley waited patiently until Danny was well out of the room before she turned to her eldest son. She met his gaze.
"Mom?" Keith prodded her uneasily.
She hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Keith...Dr. Michaels thinks that you were attacked by some kind of animal-probably a large dog. Does that ring any bells? Do you remember seeing a dog anywhere?"
"Attacked? By a dog?" He shook his head again. Feeling the restriction of the bandage prompted him to reach up and stroke it absentmindedly. "No, I don't remember anything...like that."
"What about your date...Adrian? What happened to her?"
"I...I'm pretty sure that I dropped her off at her house. We said goodbye...and I got back into the car to head home."
Shirley nodded. At least she knew that the girl was safe. "Do you remember what happened to your car? It's not here, so we assumed that you walked home from whereever this happened."
"No."
"Well, we'll worry about that later. I'm sure it'll turn up and there's a logical explanation for everything. You just concentrate on getting some sleep. We'll talk about this when you're feeling better." She stood up, turned to make sure the blankets were tucked securely around him and headed toward the door.
"I'll check in on you in a little while. I want you to rest-get your strength back."
When Danny realized that his mother was leaving Keith's room, he moved quickly out of the hallway and ducked into his room.
What on earth was going on?