Chapter 3: Arrival in Vegas

At midday after a stop for lunch the day after the outdoor gig, Elwood climbed into the Bluesmobile and tried to maneuver it out of the parking lot, but he kept spinning out and fishtailing.

"Elwood, stop. This is just sad." Melody interrupted him. "You're putting too much gas into it and you're going to jackknife the way you're going. You've got to go slowly."

"Remedial instruction." Duck remarked as he and Tom got into the back with Buster. Elwood listened to Melody and asked questions. Matt slid into the Merc and started it up. The two car caravan headed off down the road with Elwood leading cautiously. Matt was a good driver and Melody never questioned his driving skills, and he never made her nervous which Elwood sometimes did. She had still been active at the racing track days until they shut down for spring, finally managing to take first place at the local beach rally.

"We're gonna have some fun in the snow later on," Murph announced. "the next hotel is near a small park so we get to go and act like kids for a few hours."

"Well, that'd be healthy for Mr. Fabulous here," Melody poked him in the ribs. "he was born a 50 year old, I think."

Alan rolled his eyes as he tolerated the good natured chuckling from the other occupants of the car. In his mind, he was still going over the secret Melody had confided to Buster a few nights ago. It was odd, but he wondered if he could have noticed anything wrong with her, any clue of her behavior that would have given him reason to second guess her motive for not wanting a family. The trumpet player knew she'd had previous relationships long before she met him, and he supposed it was possible that someone from her past had found out about her infertility and treated her like she was a lump of filth. Just thinking about it made him mad, but that wouldn't get him anywhere.

To everyone's relief, they did not fall sick again, though Alan had some reason to worry about Melody. The long night in the winter outdoor gig had been harder on her than the others, as she wasn't used to it. The engineer would be sick at least twice every cold and flu season, so Alan had to wonder if the second bout was coming up. She didn't look or act sick, but from experience, the trumpet player knew it was coming.

He was right. While everyone else was outside enjoying the snow and sunlight, Melody was lying on the hotel bed and flipping through TV channels and if Alan was also right in his suspicion, there was a faint flush in her cheeks.

"You look ill," shutting the door, he joined her on the bed. Melody didn't have the heart to wave him off like she would have normally. "how about a nap before supper? Think you'll feel somewhat better after that?" Alan firmly put a hand to her forehead. "You're a little flushed."

"I know," she groaned. "of all the times I could get sick, it had to be now!"

Alan chuckled. "That's just the way it is, Mel. Get some rest and I'll look in on you later on."

"Fine, bossy." obediently she closed her eyes and sank down into the bed with a little sigh. Alan peered out the window, seeing the guitar players face off against Buster, Tom, Low, and Mack in a snowball right. Willie, Murph and Elwood were building a snowman nearby them, Elwood scolding Buster when a wayward snowball hit him in the back. The trumpet player decided to join the guitar players in the right, so he grabbed his heavy jacket and gloves, going outside into the cold sunshine.

"All right, Melody," she opened up her eyes and looked up to see she was in an operating theater, cloaked in a standard gown with a woven cotton blanket draped over her. "I'm going to give you the presedative injection, all right? It might make you dizzy."

"Right." the anesthetist, wearing blue scrubs, picked up her left hand where she had a small IV line installed. A syringe was produced and he injected the correct amount into her line. Melody felt a slight burning sensation when the medicine entered and that was it. It took a moment to produce the effect that was described, and she felt like she was on a drug high. Lights were turned on, she was outfitted with sensors for the heart monitor, and she was put on an operating table.

"You're all wired up for sound," the nurse announced. "let's get this show on the road."

"Right on." the doctor put a mask over Melody's mouth and nose, telling her to take deep breaths. She complied meekly as the nurse took her arms and tied them back. The operating room seemed to start breakdancing and she had to shut her eyes.

"Mel?" what was Alan doing in an OR?

"Come on Mel, wake up."

Confused, she opened up her eyes and saw Alan sitting on the edge of the bed, eyeing her with a concerned look. "Hey, how do you feel?"

"Sick." she replied grumpily. "Mostly my throat hurts."

"Well, it happens," it sounded lame but that was all Alan could say. "do you need anything?"

"A new throat."

Smirking, he stood up. "You know that's not in my power to do so. I thought I'd touch base with you before we go out to supper tonight. Be all right by yourself?"

"I'll be fine." she waved him off, pretending annoyance. "Go with our pals and have fun. Just drink a beer for me, all right?"

"You must be feeling better already then," he playfully mocked, pretending to back up to the door. "we'll be in Vegas the day after tomorrow and you should feel to some degree better!"

"Out before the sight of you makes me even sicker!" Melody teased, making Alan laugh and leave the room.

When they arrived in Vegas, Melody didn't feel well enough to check out the scene and go with the others to gamble a little bit and all the fun stuff. Elwood and Alan were both uneasy at leaving her alone, but she told them she would go with them another time. So, Buster, Mack, Elwood, and Willie went to walk the strip, Murph, Tom, Lou, Duck, went out to gamble at one of the casinos. The venue had put them up at the Hilton, which was top notch and services were complimentary. Matt, Steve, and a reticent Alan went to Caesar's Palace to see a show.

Buster, still being too young to gamble or drink, went back to the hotel room about two hours after he'd originally left. The teenager had promised Alan that he would check in on Melody from time to time and alert him if she seemed worse. Unlocking the door, he entered the room to see Melody asleep in the dark. She had been looking somewhat better, at least her fever was gone now, but she was still off color a bit.

"Hi, Melody," Buster saw her eyes open up. "feel any better?"

"Eh," she sat up slowly. "about the same."

"Do you think it's the infection thing from long ago coming back?" Melody rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"The thing that destroyed my downstairs return?" she shook her head. "I doubt it. Could be another infection down there. Some people are prone to them."

"We should get you to a doctor, Mel."

"Alan's been saying that for the past day or two." the trumpet player seemed to worry more about her own health than she did.

"He's worried about you." he watched her go into the bathroom and brush her hair. "There's a first care center near here."

Melody sighed. They weren't going to leave her alone until she did something. "All right. Let's leave a note and I'll get dressed."

"OK." Buster dashed off a note in an untidy scrawl, putting it on the bed. Melody grabbed her ID and a few other things, sticking them into the pocket of her jean shorts. The teenager locked the door, took Melody's arm, and led her down to the elevator. Buster was as tall as Melody was now, and many would mistake him for her son. When they received those comments, both would just smile and nod. He pressed the button for the elevator and both heard the soft ding of the chime.

Buster texted Elwood: Managed to get Melody to a first care center for her flu bug. Will report soon.

Elwood texted back an acknowledgement as they left the hotel foyer. Buster steered Melody in the correct direction of the center and to their collective relief, there was nobody else in the waiting room. A well dressed man was standing idly outside the nurses' station, making eyes at one of them. Melody thought the guy would have been handsome if he'd bothered to shave off his stubble and gotten a proper haircut, as he was unkempt and had scraggly shoulder length hair. He wore a pinstriped suit, his face was lined and scarred, making him appear as old as 60.

"Name?"

"Buster Blues and Melody Calloway." the man ogling the nurse shot a glance at the two people, then turned and left the room. Melody forked over her insurance card and ID, then she was admitted. Buster made fun of her bright pink bracelet ID which she endured in good humor, and they were taken over to a private room. A phlebotomist arrived and drew some blood to run tests on, then a doctor came in and examined her.

"I'm pretty sure you have a rotavirus. This strain makes you feel tired and it does affect your throat. I want to check a throat culture to see if you've got strep as well."

"Wonderful," Melody sighed. "if I do?"

"I can give you some palliative drugs that'll treat your symptoms. Viruses are resistant to drugs so you have to wait it out. From what you both say, you've been ill for 3 days already so I'd say you're getting well slowly."

"Too slowly." the doctor laughed and cuffed her hand gently.

"I know. Those tests won't take long though."

Buster had to admit that the tests didn't take very long at all. Melody was given several doses of various medicines. The engineer tested negative for strep and several other diseases, so she was given a small dose of antibiotics to build her up a bit, and a sedative to keep her comfortable while the medicines started their work on her.

"Damn!" Buster's cell phone rang and he picked it up, almost dropping it. "Yeah?"

"That you, Buster?"

"Yeah, Elwood."

"Alan and I need an update please."

"Melody's got some kind of virus and she needs to be kept for a few hours for all the medicine to work."

"Can Alan talk to her?" Buster heard slot machines and loud sound effects from the casino in the background. Someone was hitting it big, he supposed.

"She's been given stuff to make her sleep."

"Oh. Are you in the center just down the street?"

"Yep."

"OK, Alan's coming down and I want you back up here. It's late and we all need sleep."

"Right, Elwood." Buster yawned. He clicked off the phone and put it into an interior pocket in his cargo pants. As he left, the well dressed guy was still ogling the nurse and Buster felt the guy's eyes on his back, making him shiver as he walked through the doors.

When Alan arrived, a nurse showed him to where Melody was lying, and offered to get him a cot to sleep on. He gratefully accepted, leaning over to check on Melody and see for his own eyes that she was all right. She seemed fine to him, so deeply asleep that she did not respond to him when he called her name.

"She's been sedated, Mr. Rubin, so I wouldn't try waking her up for a few hours." the nurse checked the blood oxygen saturation level and affixed a cannula to Melody. Seeing Alan about to question her, she explained, "the sedative, even a short acting one like this one, does repress breathing a bit. Her oxygen saturation level in her blood isn't what it's supposed to be. When the sedative wears off, it'll be fine again."

"OK." Alan understood. He took off his shoes and got onto the cot, lying so he was facing Melody. The nurse chuckled, happy to see such devotion between the two people, and left.

Melody woke up the next day, feeling very dizzy and nauseated. The day nurse gave her medicine to quell her symptoms and told her that she was free to go. Alan guided her back to the hotel, having been warned that she would sleep most of the day. Lou and Tom had seen her enter the hotel room, and both of them were shocked to see their friend's face was white. Matt and Steve had brought her flowers from the whole band and put them on the bureau.

Still too drowsy to notice much of anything, the engineer wearily got into her pajamas and collapsed into bed, immediately sinking into a more restful sleep than before. Under Alan's watchful eye, Melody sank down into the bed and sighed, closing her eyes. The trumpet player sat down beside her on the bed and checked the mark on the back of her hand where the needle had been put in. Melody made a pained face and pulled her hand away firmly and gently. Alan watched her sleep for a few moments, jumping when he heard the door open.

"Come on, Alan, let's go out." Mack wheedled. "She's safe here."

A shudder went through Alan's frame as he remembered her past. Murph noticed his friend's tension and gently steered him by the shoulder to the adjoining bed. "You get some sleep too, man. You look beat."

"That cot was really uncomfortable." he admitted, sitting down.

"There you go, have a nap." the pianist smiled. "We'll come get you for lunch, all right?"

"Right." his eyelids sagging down, the trumpet player curled up on the bed as Murph put a blanket over him.

"Sleep tight now." he left the room.

At the same time, Elwood took Buster and Mack down to the venue to survey the scene and set up what they would need for their performance that night. The venue was indoors, on a scale as grand as the old Palace Hotel, but much more elaborate, done in the Greek revival style. Buster had an interest in architecture and he was able to pick out the metopes, triglyphs and guttae decorating the outer rim of the stage. Two gold and silver tragicomedy masks were put right at the center of the top of the stage, and the curtains were a heavy damask red. Two fake granite pillars stood at either end of the stage to add more elegance. The teen, who had taken art history last year in school, recognized the pillars were Greek columns and they were the Ionic style.

"Wow, this place is great!" Mack laughed at Buster's eagerness.

"We're on tonight, kid."

"I can't wait!" they would be performing every night that week and Buster was quite excited, as he would take the stage and sing as well. Elwood conferred with the stage manager on the set list, checking it all and seeing with relief it was all songs that they knew. The venue wanted the band to open with Love Light and go from there. Melody was on with You Know I'm No Good and Mr. Saxobeat, and even Skyfall. Elwood hadn't heard her sing the song for many years now and he knew she would still knock 'em down with her voice.