Apex Predator by Glyn Gardner

kneeled next to Tom.  She shook out several of the tablets, and handed him a bottle of water.
    “Here Tom, take these,” she whispered as she did.  He tried to raise his arm, but couldn’t.  She placed the pills on his tongue, and held the water bottle up to his lips.  He took several gulps, before pulling away.
    “Thanks Jen.  Thanks for everything.”
    “It’s ok Tom.”
    “No it’s not.  You and Mike didn’t have to stop and help me and my boy.  You could have just kept on going.  And you’d have been right to do so.  But, you didn’t.  You stopped and rescued an old man and his kid who you didn’t even know.”
    “It was the right thing to do, Tom.”
    “Well, I have another right thing to ask you.  I need you to take care of Larry.”  The request hit Jen like a hammer.  She knew what he was asking.  And, she knew he knew what his fate held.
    “Oh, Tom…”  She began to sob.
    “Now you stop.  You and I both know that I was exposed to …to…to whatever this is.  Now I’m sick.  Shit Jen you’re a nurse.  You know how this goes.  I want you to send Larry over here.  I need to talk to him.”
    “Tom…I…I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry…”  She began to cry uncontrollably.  She tried to muffle the sounds.  Her body convulsed.  Tears ran down her cheeks.  She turned in the dark, and scooted towards the teens.  She found them sleeping in each other’s arms.  She wiped the tears from her face.
    “Larry,” she whispered.  “Your dad needs you.”
    “What?” he asked.  “What do you mean?”
    “Baby, your dad is sick and needs to talk to you.”
    “What do you mean he’s sick,” he asked raising his voice.  “He was fine a few hours ago.”
    “Ssshh baby, just go over to him.”
    He crawled to the corner where his father lay.  He too could feel the heat emanating from his father.  He held his dad’s hand.  “Dad, Miss. Jen said you was sick and need me.”
    “Son, I am sick.  I don’t know how sick, but I might not be able to take care of you for a while.”
    “What do you mean, Dad?”
    “I mean that until I get better, I need you to do everything that Mr. Mike and Miss Jen tell you to.  Do you understand?”
    “Yes sir.”  Tears began welling in the boy’s eyes.
    “I love you son.  I’m sorry I wasn’t always there for you and your mama.  I always loved the both of you…”  His voice trailed off.  Larry could hear his father’s breathing change.
    “Miss. Jen,” he cried.  “He’s not breathing right.  Help him.”
    Jen slid in beside him.  She gasped.  She’d seen this before.  The textbooks called this agonal breathing.  It was a sign of impending death.  She grasped Larry’s arm.
    “I’m sorry, baby.  I can’t do anything for him.  He’s dying.”
    The boy felt the blood drain from his face.  “Is he going to turn into one of them?”
    “I don’t know Larry,” she replied.  “I’m afraid that he might.”
    He began crying.  He curled up on the floor, holding his father.  The sound of the boy crying and the father gasping was too much for Jen.  She broke down crying also.  Mike crawled to the little group.
    “You guys need to keep it down,” he hissed.
    “That boy’s father is about to die Mike, and it’s my fault.  So I’m sorry if Larry and I decide to have a fucking pity party,” her voice growing louder with each word.
    “Wait, he’s dying now?”
    “Yes, shouldn’t be too long.  Shit Mike, I shoulda been more careful out there this evening.  I just heard that helicopter and…”
    “You need to be more careful now,” he shot back.  “We don’t know how many of those things are in this store.  You keep this up, and they’re going to hear you.”
    “Sorry Mike.  This just doesn’t…doesn’t seem real.”
    “I know,” he paused.  “What do we do about Tom?”
    “I don’t know.  I can’t do it.  Can you?”
    “I don’t know.  Not in front of his son I can’t.”