Chapter 1
It was about two in the morning when the illness hit. I woke up shaking with the aches and chills, stumbling across my apartment to grab some Advil. My plane had gotten in from Mexico yesterday at eleven thirty in the morning and up until now, I felt fine. Must have caught something on the plane I guess. Knowing that with the muscle aches I was going through now, I would never fall back asleep in my stuffy bedroom, so I headed to the family room. Wrapping myself up in the thick comforter I stole off my bed, I snuggled on the sofa and turned on the TV.
"...And if you just got back from Mexico, stay in your house for a while! Information has spread that a mysterious illness-" I changed the channel. No point in getting myself worked up about a little seasonal flu. Suddenly, Hannah Montana's bright, smiley face popped up on the screen. I moaned and turn the television off and fell into a deep sleep...
I woke up to my now soaking comforter and a freezing body. It took me a minute to put together where I was, and then as I tried to sit up, my head was spinning and I lied back down. I shook of the bedspread, and stumbled into the bathroom. As soon as I was on my feet, the room was spinning and I had to grip the wall for support. The girl in the bathroom mirror looked horrible. The exceptionally pale skin was frightening, and the dark circles under her eyes were defiantly the most promenade feature. My chocolate brown eyes had no light to them, and my heavy dark hair was knotted and a complete mess. I had no life to any of my features, none at all. It was like a my soul had been dragged out of my body, leaving an empty shell.
I splashed hot water on my face, momentarily giving my face some colour. I felt to cold, tired, and sore to change out of my soaked-with-sweat pyjamas, so I headed to my bedroom and grabbed a new thick blanket and wrapped my self up in it. Then I went underneath my covers and tried to be warm. I carefully unwrapped my left arm and grabbed the remote for the tiny television in my room.
"...News has spread of a possible pandemic, similar to the Spanish Influenza which killed an uncountable number of people. Anywhere between 50 to 100 million people had died from the horrid disease. If you are experiencing flu symptoms, or have returned from Mexico in the past week, the Blue Cross has asked that you don't flock to the emergency rooms, please call the number on the bottom of the screen."
My hand flew to the phone, vaugley remembering hearing something of the sort last night.
"Blue Cross America, Esme Cullen speaking. How can I help?" A beautifully musical voice asked me on the other end of my call. It stunned me for a minute. The music sounded forced, like she was stressed out.
"Hi." I said weakly, my voice barley audible to my own ears. I cleared my throat and tried to make it louder. "My name is Isabella Swan, and I am experiencing...and illness."
"Could you please describe your symptoms Isabella?" Esme asked me.
"Uh...My muscles are aching, I have a splitting headache, and I have chills and the occasional wave of nausea." I told her. "Pretty much the seasonal flu. I just saw the news-"
"Don't worry Isabella," I cringed at the sound of my name. Bella was so much more casual. I didn't suit Isabella at all, to my opinion anyways. "It might just be that. Now, can you tell me, have you left the country in the past week?"
"Yes." I said gravely. Praying her reaction wasn't what I expected.
"Okay. Where did you go?" I heard the question she wanted to say behind the casual words.
"I went to Mexico." I whispered.
Silence on the other line, and I held my breath. "When did you get back?"
"Yesterday. My plane landed at 11:35 in Seattle. I live in Forks."
"Did anyone go with you?" I heard her hold her breath.
"No. I went for a possible business offer."
More silence. "My husband works in a great hospital in Surrey, British Columbia. (AN. I was going to have him work in a Forks hospital, but then she would probably already know him. Plus, in the majority of the year it is cloudy and rains in Surrey too.) Get someone to drive you up quickly, before the close the border crossing. Do you understand Bella?"
I was briefly stunned by her tone of voice, but I recovered. "Yes."
"Okay. I will give him a call. From what your telling me, you have a very progressed case. OH and whatever you do, in the car either wear a surgeons mask, or a cover your mouth and nose with your sweater or a cloth. Anything. But when you get to the border, hold you breath and make it look like nothing is wrong, or else they wont let you cross. See you soon."
The line went dead. That was strange... but she seemed to know what she was talking about. Quickly I dialled the phone again.
"Dad? It's me. I need your help."