went back into the office and informed the remaining patients that we were going on a shopping trip. The remaining five patients were almost too old to walk to their cars, let alone strong enough to walk two long blocks. Dr. Kramer left Peg in charge, making sure they locked the doors.
Before we left, he took Janice and me into the break room. He opened a drawer, and digging deep behind the plastic utensil tray, he pulled out two large steak knives, handing one to each of us.
“Take these!” He said as he handed one knife to each of us. Each knife still had its cardboard protector covering the edge and tip.
“I can’t use this!” Janice stated.
“Take it,” he stated again. “You may be glad you have it.”
“Do you really think we’ll need this,” I stated. “Just to go to the grocery store?”
“It’s no longer a store,” he replied. “It’s a war zone.”
And with that, he spun on his heels and marched out the front. I heard Peg lock the door behind us, an unmistakable click that could be heard above the growing din coming from down the street. Janice looked at me and shivered. She buttoned up her lab coat all the way to the top. It wasn’t nearly cold enough to need to do that, but I felt the same sense of vulnerability and buttoned my coat as well. Had it not been for Dr. Kramer’s unwavering strides, I might never have been able to begin our journey. But seeing him walking with a purpose towards the gathering mob, put some spine in me; and we quickly caught up with him.
I placed my hand in my lab coat pocket and fondled the handle of the knife. As if he had some extra-sensory perception, Dr. Kramer craned his neck towards us.
“Don’t forget to take the sheath off the knife if you need it,” he said.
Fortunately, our visit went without a hitch but I just knew things were moving quickly in a bad direction.
Chapter 14
Day 5
Charlie
Publix Grocery Store, Kirkman Road
A couple more days went by and Dr. Kramer strode down the sidewalk and stopped short of the shopping plaza parking lot. Hundreds of people were clustered around the front entrance to the grocery store. The doors had been closed and metal storm shutters covered the windows while a retractable metal gate was in place over the front door. People were pounding on the metal gate, demanding to be let in.
We tentatively worked our way to the side of the building, standing next to the windows by the front entrance. The storm shutters covered all of the window except for the very outside edge. We were standing there, trying to decide what to do next, when I heard a tapping from the inside of the store. Someone was rapping their keys or some other metal object on the window from the inside.
I pressed my face against the window and peered into the dark slit where the shutter failed to cover the edge of the glass. Suddenly, a flashlight shone from within, illuminating someone’s face in front of me. It was the boy that Janice had talked into letting us into the store. He backed up from the window a bit and I could see him shining his flashlight on his hand. It was pointing back to the right where we had gone the last time to get in the back door.
I grabbed Janice and she peered into the window as well, confirming the boy’s intention to let us in the back once again. Janice told Dr. Kramer what had just happened and we proceeded around back where we found the young man waiting. Janice roughed up his hair as we walked passed him and into the darkened store.
“Hi, my name is Garrett,” he said as he closed the door. We could see a battery-powered lantern sitting in the front of the store. Garrett led us to the lighted spot where Mr. Wayneright and two other employees were seated.
“Hello, Dan.” Dr. Kramer said to the store manager.
“Dr. Kramer,” he replied. “I wish I could give you a better welcome.”
They shook hands warmly.
“How’s you dad doing?” the doctor asked.
“Alive!” the manager replied. “Thanks
Before we left, he took Janice and me into the break room. He opened a drawer, and digging deep behind the plastic utensil tray, he pulled out two large steak knives, handing one to each of us.
“Take these!” He said as he handed one knife to each of us. Each knife still had its cardboard protector covering the edge and tip.
“I can’t use this!” Janice stated.
“Take it,” he stated again. “You may be glad you have it.”
“Do you really think we’ll need this,” I stated. “Just to go to the grocery store?”
“It’s no longer a store,” he replied. “It’s a war zone.”
And with that, he spun on his heels and marched out the front. I heard Peg lock the door behind us, an unmistakable click that could be heard above the growing din coming from down the street. Janice looked at me and shivered. She buttoned up her lab coat all the way to the top. It wasn’t nearly cold enough to need to do that, but I felt the same sense of vulnerability and buttoned my coat as well. Had it not been for Dr. Kramer’s unwavering strides, I might never have been able to begin our journey. But seeing him walking with a purpose towards the gathering mob, put some spine in me; and we quickly caught up with him.
I placed my hand in my lab coat pocket and fondled the handle of the knife. As if he had some extra-sensory perception, Dr. Kramer craned his neck towards us.
“Don’t forget to take the sheath off the knife if you need it,” he said.
Fortunately, our visit went without a hitch but I just knew things were moving quickly in a bad direction.
Chapter 14
Day 5
Charlie
Publix Grocery Store, Kirkman Road
A couple more days went by and Dr. Kramer strode down the sidewalk and stopped short of the shopping plaza parking lot. Hundreds of people were clustered around the front entrance to the grocery store. The doors had been closed and metal storm shutters covered the windows while a retractable metal gate was in place over the front door. People were pounding on the metal gate, demanding to be let in.
We tentatively worked our way to the side of the building, standing next to the windows by the front entrance. The storm shutters covered all of the window except for the very outside edge. We were standing there, trying to decide what to do next, when I heard a tapping from the inside of the store. Someone was rapping their keys or some other metal object on the window from the inside.
I pressed my face against the window and peered into the dark slit where the shutter failed to cover the edge of the glass. Suddenly, a flashlight shone from within, illuminating someone’s face in front of me. It was the boy that Janice had talked into letting us into the store. He backed up from the window a bit and I could see him shining his flashlight on his hand. It was pointing back to the right where we had gone the last time to get in the back door.
I grabbed Janice and she peered into the window as well, confirming the boy’s intention to let us in the back once again. Janice told Dr. Kramer what had just happened and we proceeded around back where we found the young man waiting. Janice roughed up his hair as we walked passed him and into the darkened store.
“Hi, my name is Garrett,” he said as he closed the door. We could see a battery-powered lantern sitting in the front of the store. Garrett led us to the lighted spot where Mr. Wayneright and two other employees were seated.
“Hello, Dan.” Dr. Kramer said to the store manager.
“Dr. Kramer,” he replied. “I wish I could give you a better welcome.”
They shook hands warmly.
“How’s you dad doing?” the doctor asked.
“Alive!” the manager replied. “Thanks