Covid 19 and counting to twenty one.

©Copyright to Beverly Guinevere Taff.

Tiff Q’s story concerning the Covid 19 delayed side effect prompted me to enter into the same theme and write 19 and counting. This is the second part of ‘Nineteen and counting.’

Thank you Tiff Q for giving me the inspiration to write something in the same vein and in the same ‘universe’ as your story about Covid 19.

List of Characters.

Terry Harrington. Fugitive boy marked for compulsory transitioning.

Samantha, (Sam) First transitioned kid Terry meets on the streets.

Theodora (Dora) leader of the transitioned kid gang.

Jessica. (Jessie) The only neo-natal girl in Dora’s gang.

Part two.

It did not take long for Terry to return to his well-hidden bash with several sheets of brown cardboard and prepare his bed for the night. His search had also produced a largish sheet of heavy polythene that provided him with a dry shelter that offered much better protection from the elements. Nevertheless he was still cold that third night and he knew he had to find some decent, warm bed covers. That would have to wait however until the next day for he was too tired to care that night. Sleep came upon him quickly.

The next day was to reflect how the rest of his life would pan out for the next few years but for now, he took each day as it came. He was disappointed to learn that the charity Kitchen did not appear on Mondays and this unexpected development meant he had to go hungry, a condition that would come to control and direct his every waking hour.

Tuesday morning found him with a ravenous hunger and he appeared at the food station long before it opened. Despite this, he kept an eye out for the girls and their dogs for he did not want to become entangled with them. A group of five girls plus himself would serve to attract attention and he had already realised that singly, he was virtually invisible. Once he had collected his food, he sneaked away to any of a dozen different locations he had identified to avoid anybody becoming familiar with his movements.

His caution enabled him to avoid the girls and it was another month before they happened upon him as he snoozed in what he thought was an invisible location. It was one of the dogs that had sniffed him out and he cursed as he suddenly felt a wet nose investigating his ear.

“Fuck off dog!”

“That’s no way to talk to her.” A recognisable voice intoned.

Terry turned to look around and saw Samantha standing beside the broken door that had provided Terry with his cover.

“I don’t like dogs licking my face. I could get worms – toxocaris canis’. You know."

“D’ you know about parasites?”

“Enough,” Terry confirmed; “enough to know that dog worms can make you go blind if they lick your face.”

Sam ignored that line of conversation and turned to more mundane but necessary things.

“They caught Jackie. She was snoozing in the park and the police jumped her. When they checked her for a chip and found none, they arrested her.”

“She should have been more careful. Have you eaten?”

“No. It’s not safe to hang around the charity kitchen now unless you’re chipped and the bastards are checking. The charity people are furious because it means kids are going without.”

“That’s a bummer. Where do you go for food now?”

“The old way, begging for money, then buying stuff but you have to look out. They’ve stepped up the searches cos they know Jessica’s in Bristol and they need to harvest her eggs.”

“What! All of them?”

“We dunno. We’ve never met a Neo who’s been harvested. I’ve met one who had born five kids though and she looked like shit – worn out and prematurely aged. Too fucked even to take advantage of the education they offered her in her thirties. Now she is just going through the motions in a Mc Job. She felt the only way out was to have some more kids then live on the bonus benefits she got if she had eight or more kids.”

“Become a brood mare.”

“Yeah and you’ve seen plenty of those just hanging around doing fuck all and waiting for God.”

“Yeah, got that,” Terry agreed. “Fuckin’ zombies!”

Sam shrugged despondently and looked down the street to the square where the charity kitchen was dolling out sandwiches. Terry followed her gaze and asked.

“Should we risk it?”

“I don’t see any cops or egg snatchers around.”

“Tell you what. You distract the charity worker and I’ll grab some sandwiches.”

“Is that safe?”

“I think so. I’ve seen that old biddy have quite a few altercations with the egg-snatchers. Besides, I’m pretty quick and I can easily outrun those fat bastards.”

“Well, if they do chase you, I can set Trixie free and she can delay them. I’ve used the trick a couple of times.”

“But they’ll know you by now.”

“I’ll stay hidden. Trixie can stay put under that closed market stall and I’ll call her out if she’s needed.”

Terry weighed up the pro’s and con’s then decided to risk it. By now, with some judicious but nefarious thieving, she had outfitted herself to pass quite well for her short dress and properly fitting trainers enable her to streak away from danger as she always had when once she played football as a boy. They arranged a plan and soon Terry appeared at the food kitchen begging for extra food to feed her friends.

“You again. Haven’t seen you in a while, where’s that kid Samantha you hang out with?”

“She’s hiding, you know why.”

“Yeah, they’re getting tougher on you kids. Do you know about a neo-girl, goes by the name of Jessie or Jessica. The egg snatchers are always looking out for her,”

Terry shrugged as the lady wrapped up a large pack of sandwiches in a polythene bag and handed them to her. Terry turned to leave as the woman asked.

“No time for a cuppa then?”

“Sorry! Gorra go.” Terry had just heard a low warning whistle and immediately sprinted through the crowd.

An ‘egg-snatcher’ pursued her but soon gave up as she cursed on her radio. That bitch is bloody fast. I don’t think she’s the Neo-girl.”

“Well one day she’ll slip up, we’ll question the charity worker.” Replied the radio.

Their brief inquisition of the charity lady produced nothing and they returned to their usual beats.

Samantha eventually returned to their hidden cellar and brought the news. To her remaining friends.

“I met up with that Terry kid. “She got some sandwiches and I think she got away.”

“Yeah, but will she bring them here,” Jessica sighed hungrily, “you know she doesn’t like mixing with strangers and none of us know her that well.”

“Well, we’ll just have to wait and see. She seems to know how to avoid the cameras. I never saw her once after she disappeared into the crowds. Besides, we did a deal. I kept lookout for her and set Trixie to guard.”

It was fully dark when Terry eventually appeared at the cellar entrance and crept carefully into the stygian blackness. Samantha immediately recognised the silhouette and called out as she briefly lit her flashlight.

“Over here girl. How many sandwiches did she give you.”

“Fifteen cos she knows you lot of old. I’ve eaten one but there’s still two for me and three each for the rest.” I also sneaked a large bottle of orange juice from the back of a stall down at the harbour festival. Here, take them.”

With her route over the rubble floor illuminated by Samantha’s torch, she picked her way towards them and handed over the polythene bag. The gratitude was obvious as all the girls clamoured around and hugged their provider. For the next few minutes, silence reigned as the girls ate ravenously. Finally they finished and Dora turned to Terry.

“Thanks Terry. How did you avoid the searchers?”

“They’re too fat and too slow; oh and they can’t climb. I can.”

“Yeah, we noticed. Would you like to come and live with us here?”

“I’d rather not, that would make six of us and that would attract attention. This way works best by me just meeting up occasionally. My own bash is well hidden and quite comfy now. See you around.”

So saying he slipped away without the dogs preventing him and disappeared into the night.

ooo000ooo

His arrangement eventually evolved into twice weekly visits to the girls and extended through the summer into the winter. Then one morning he peeped out of his bash and saw the inch of snow that had fallen during the night..

“Damn!” He concluded. “This would mean leaving tracks.”

Nevertheless, nature called and he was, as always, hungry. After sorting his bodily needs far away from his bash he set off for town by one of the several different routes and stopped by at a food source he knew well. A kindly restaurateur often had some work for him and this morning was no exception. He cleaned the snow off the front pavement and backyard then sorted the garbage before washing the windows and floors for the price of a large hot breakfast and several cups of coffee.

He ate this in the back yard to avoid being noticed by passers-by because naturally, he was filthy and his appearance in the main café would deter ordinary diners. It also meant he could eat in peace and he often spent half the morning there while the owner occasionally gave him another dirty but essential cleaning task. Terry knew he was being taken advantage of but beggars could not be choosers. There was also a tap in the yard and of course a staff lavatory that he had taken to cleaning.

At noon, he made his way into the city centre and found Dora and Sam unusually together.

“Jeeze! You two look rough!”

Through haunted, sunken cheeks, Dora replied.

“We all are. We think we’ve got the virus Corona 21. Charlie and Jan are really bad.”

“Have you thought of getting tested?”

“We can’t, we’re not chipped and they’ll arrest us.”

“Shit! What about Jessie?”

“She’s decided to leave until this bug has run its course. Be careful if you find her, she’s got one of the dogs for her protection.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s been doorway blocking for the past few nights, usually on Baldwin Street. She’s probably there now.”

Terry did not respond immediately, but he asked the charity worker for several extra sandwiches and after chatting with Dora and Sam, he slipped away. He quickly found Jessie curled up in a sleeping bag with her dog guarding her and keeping her warm. At first she did not respond to his efforts but when her dog did not show aggression, she peeped out from the sleeping bag and recognised Terry.

“Oh. It’s you. Have you got anything?”

“Of course,” replied Terry, “your favourites, some large bacon and egg butties. They’re still warm.”

“Thanks.”

Terry watched her wolf them down whilst he slipped a couple to the dog.

“If you want tea, we’ll have to go back to the charity stall.”

“Is it safe?”

“I think the police are too busy finding frozen stiffs or sufferers from exposure to worry about active runaways and I haven’t seen any agency searchers all morning. Do you feel okay? I know the others have been infected. I can’t tell if it’s the virus.”

“Oh it’s the virus okay, Charlie and Jan are really bad, they could be dying.”

“Shit don’t say that!” Terry pleaded.

“Can you go and check?” Jessie begged.

“Well Dora and Sam said they were bad, but I’ll go and see.”

“Thanks.”

As Terry approached the hidden entrance to the cellar she was disturbed to see a couple of the agency searchers detaining Dora and Sam. She cursed silently and pulled back out of sight as an ambulance pulled up and minutes later she watched Charlie and Jan being stretchered away. Then Dora and Sam were bundled roughly into the agency patrol car and driven away.

“Shit, shit, shit! She cursed loudly enough for a couple of passers-by to stop and stare.”

Realising she had attracted attention, she slipped away and avoided going back to Jessie until late afternoon. The doorway was empty, as she had anticipated so she tried the charity stall where the regular lady was still serving cups of tea.

“She said to meet her at the other place, whatever that means.” The lady replied as she offered a hot cup of sweet milky coffee.

“These are the last of the sandwiches. They’re a bit stale now but they’ll only be thrown out.”

“Thanks,” Terry replied as he gathered them into the proffered plastic bag and set off in exactly the opposite direction to their alternative rendezvous location.

After a round-a-bout route, he entered the trees and found Jessie shivering under a polythene sheet that Terry had hidden nearby in preparation for just such a situation as this.

“Here you are love, Stale butties and a cup of warm milky tea.”

“Th-th-thanks.” Jessie replied as she reached out feverishly and grabbed the proffered food.

“They’ve captured the others; I think they had to give themselves up to get Jan and Charlie some medical help. We’re on our own now.”

Jessie continued shivering and Terry became concerned.

“You can’t stay here; you look sick as well and it’s going to freeze again tonight.”

“I’m not going into hospital for them to rip me open and steal my eggs.”

“Well, we’ll have to get you somewhere warm. Trixie can keep you warm but where’s the other dog, Sally.

“She was captured some weeks ago by the dog catchers. They’ve probably put her down by now.”

“Well, one dog’s better than no dogs and Trixie’s a big bitch.”

There was a moment’s pregnant silence before Jessie looked up with sunken shadowed eyes.

“Can I stay with you tonight?”

After a longer pause as Terry considered the situation.

“I could get sick as well then.”

“Pleease! If I have got the Virus, I don’t want to die alone.”

“Aaaw’ll-right then but if you get any worse, I’m getting an ambulance and I’ll drag you away from my bash so they won’t find it or me.”

“Thanks.”

They finished the food and started out for the Bristol circular road where Terry had his well-hidden and half buried bash. Trixie, the Alsatian cross followed them and secretly, Terry was glad of her extra company. When they left the park they had used to rendezvous , a large vagrant approached them and demanded to know where they were sleeping tonight. When they refused to say he became aggressive and tried to attack them without realising that the dog shambling and sniffing around the bushes some distance off was theirs. He went to strike Terry who ducked as Jessie whistled urgently and Trixie came streaking in to assist.

It was all over in a couple of moments and the man cursed in fear as both bitch and boy confronted him. Realising he was out-numbered, he dropped his sleeping bag and ran.

As they watched him leave the park and stumble away own the road, Terry checked the sleeping bag over.

“This could be useful, it’s still in good nick.”

“It could have lice or bugs in it,” Jessie cautioned.

“A night in the frost should kill those. I’ll leave it out to freeze tonight and see what it’s like in the morning. Anyway, beggars can’t be choosers; what’s it to be – bed-bugs or death by hypothermia?”

“You can share my bag tonight. It smells a bit but -.”

“Really! As if. I haven’t bathed in months.”

“Uuhm – neither have I.” Jessie confessed.

“Welcome to the smellies.” Terry remarked as he addressed the bitch Trixie.

“She doesn’t mind,” Jessie observed with a distasteful smirk. “You’ll just have to get used to her and me.”

Having reconciled themselves to their lack of personal hygiene, they set off slowly for the city outskirts and Terry’s bash. When they got there, Jessica was impressed by the invisibility for she had walked straight past it. When Terry finally guided her down under the trees and into the brambles she marvelled.

“Did you build this yourself?”

“Yes.”

“How come it’s not wet?”

“See those builder’s merchants over there.”

Jessie craned her neck out of the entrance and spotted a DIY store as Terry explained.

“I raided their waste bins and stole some old aqua board sheets. I started out with the grey ones to make the roof cos’ grey is invisible under the brambles. Then I dug out some more and gradually lined the hole with other thicker, waterproof, polystyrene sheets. It’s quite invisible even from the circular road and people don’t walk here cos they use the bike path up there. Cos’ it’s dug into the road-side embankment, it drains okay and doesn’t get wet. The roof is totally waterproof and invisible under the bushes.”

“God! This better than the cellar!” Jessica observed.

“And warmer,” Terry added, “but it’s a bit snug for two.”

“Snug is okay, provided you don’t – you know.”

“Hey. We’ll be in separate sleeping bags with a bitch between us.”

“Yeah. Like Moll Flanders. I’ve heard that before.”

“Look, d’ you want to sleep here or not?”

“I’d better It’s getting dark and I’m getting cold.”

“Okay. I won’t share your sleeping bag. I spent all the other nights without much cover so one more night won’t hurt. Besides, Trixie’s here, she’ll keep me warm.”

“Thanks,” Jessica replied with the gratitude plain to see in her sunken. shadowed eyes.

Terry couldn’t fail to noticed Jessie’s pallor but she kept a brave face and never mentioned it. Instead she reinforced her offer of hospitality.

“Well get in girl. We can’t stay standing out here or we’ll get noticed.”

Jessica quickly crawled inside while Terry arranged the other sleeping bag over some low brambles to freeze and kill any bugs. It was invisible under the trees from the road. As she crawled inside, Trixie let out a low growl but Jessie scolded her and eventually, Terry lay ensconced between Trixie’s warm fur and the polystyrene. Jessica sighed once and fell asleep. Terry spent a fitful worrisome night thinking about Jessica’s condition.

In the morning, Jessica was slightly worse so by agreement, Terry left to get food by working at the restaurant and he returned eventually with a large quantity of ‘left-overs’ from the breakfast session. Jessica could not face the food but Trixie more than made up for it and there were no left-overs.

“You’ve got to eat something girl.” Terry pressed. “Feed a cold and starve a fever.”

“Yeah, my mum used to say that,” Jessie agreed. “I’ll try something later.”

“There won’t be any later unless I trudge all the way down to the charity stall.” Terry warned her.

“Can you do that. I’ll eat whatever you bring back.”

“Is that a promise now?” Terry beseeched her.

“Just go.” Jessica croaked.

With those sounds ringing in his ears, Terry set off at a trot and returned two hours later to find Jessica still curled up in pain. The sight was too much to bear and he begged her to let him call a hospital.

“With what?” Jessie demanded. “You don’t have a phone and they’ll immediately detain you if you’ve been in touch with an infected person. Just let me rest. Have you got some water?”

Terry felt a huge wave of relief that she had even asked for water. It was at least something to get into her system and he offered the plastic bottle to her dried, cracked lips. She took a few weak sips and then settled back into her foetal curl.

“Thanks,” she whispered softly as Terry debated what to do.

“I’m going to tell the hospital. This is bad.”

“No! No, no, no !” Jessie begged. “I’d prefer to die than let them cut out my eggs.”

“But you’ll die without treatment.”

“Then let me die. The world’s dying anyway.”

With that final and seemingly irrefutable argument, Terry had nothing left to offer. He pushed gently behind Trixie and lay down to sleep.

Because of the cold, he slept fitfully and each time he woke he could not resist checking to see of Jessica was still breathing

He met the dawn feeling cold but there was the stale food and water to assuage his hunger. After sharing some with Trixie, he gently checked Jessie’s condition. She was breathing but her condition was worse. Now he was in a terrifying dilemma. Her last words about hospital had been no, a loud and definite no.

He had never been a forceful person and rarely got involved in arguments. All he could do was watch and wait. To this end and to occupy his mind, he decided to go to the restaurant and see if there was any work – and food. Somehow, he was too afraid to actually be present if or when Jessie died. He would have to leave that horrible duty to Trixie.

With guilt forcing tears to his eyes, he crept from the bash and stumbled remorsefully towards the café and presented himself for work.

“You look like death girl. Are you fit for work?” The restaurateur asked.

“I’ve gorra’ hav’n I? Body an’ soul and all that.”

Terry’s part-time employer shrugged and told him what to do. She completed the tasks to leave the café scrupulously clean as though working doubly hard would lift the guilt from her shoulders.

“That’s a good job kid, I’d take you on full time but as you well know, times are tough.”

“Yeah. And then some,” Terry added as he stood waiting for his reward.

“There you are kid. I’ve added some titbits and a couple of oranges as extra for a treat. Thanks for doing a good job.”

Grateful for the extras, Terry returned to his Bash fully expecting to find a corpse curled up in the sleeping bag. The relief swept through to his core when he found Jessica still curled up and seemingly not having moved an inch; but she was still alive and he knelt down to feel her forehead as Trixie whined softly.

“I know girl, I’m as frightened as you are. Here’s some sandwiches and few rashers of bacon for you. - No, eat them outside girl.”

The dog chased the food outside as Terry threw it under the bushes then he turned again to Jessica and gently kissed her forehead. He had no medicines, and no knowledge. All he could do was comfort her until she either died or recovered. As he kissed her head she let out a tiny sound but nothing else happened. Even so, this feintest of responses gave him hope and he curled up to spoon her back and hopefully keep her warm.

He lay there all night listening to her wheezing breath but it did not seem to be getting any weaker. At dawn Trixie re-entered the dug-out and sniffed at her mistress before whining again softly. Terry watched the bitch and spoke softly.

“Do you know something I don’t girl?”

Trixie wagged her tail just a couple of times and then gave a soft snuffling ‘yip’ before once again licking Jessica’s face then staring intently at Terry. The bitch had such an intelligent look in her eyes that it was hard for Terry to determine if Trixie was just looking at him or trying to tell him something. Terry just continued watching, not daring to interfere.

Then Trixie recommenced licking Jessica’s face again while starting to rapidly wag her tail. Terry realised something was obviously afoot.

“What is it girl? What is it? Tell me! Oh I wish you could talk!”

With that, Trixie gave a loud bark and started pushing at Jessica’s body and licking her mouth. Suddenly, Terry realised that Jessica was gasping for breath and choking. For want of any other course of action, he leant over Jessica’s face just as she stopped breathing. Now in a blind panic, Terry frantically felt for a pulse and found a feeble racing beat that frankly terrified him. Not knowing what else to do, He tried to remember how to give artificial resuscitation and put his mouth to hers. Then he started breathing into her mouth as hard as he could. To his surprise, he saw her chest rise and fall so he tried it again.

Again her chest rose up and he listened as the phlegm started to crackle in her wind-pipe. Something was definitely happening so he continued pushing his breath into her lungs until she gave a weak cough and Terry inadvertently swallowed a large deposit of thick green phlegm that lodged in his own trachea and caused him to cough violently. When he was finally able to return to helping Jessica she was breathing again albeit with heavy wheezing and occasional coughing.

Trixie then started barking excitedly and desperately licking Terry’s face.

“Alright girl, alright! Calm down girl; if she’s coughing she’s okay.”

Terry said this as much to reassure himself as reassure Trixie but it was doubly rewarding when Jessica let out a weak moan and moved her hand to her mouth. Seeing this, Terry let out a low wail of relief and slumped backwards against the wall of the bash as his emotions overwhelmed him. He was exhausted.

ooo000ooo

Note to any readers, this story has grown longer than I anticipated. It will be three parts now but I doubt it will grow to four.

Beverly.