Chapter 15

The two doctors and the nurse – Sheila, joined Jonathon and Greg for their evening meal, and afterwards they all retired to the main living area, where the patio doors stood open to the night.

“So, you wanted to talk to us about our recent illness – I assume that you have made some discoveries in your research?” Jonathon enquired of them.

“Yes,” Doctor Phillips pursed his lips thoughtfully as he gathered the details in his mind. “As you are aware, I have been speaking with both of Greg’s daughters, and more importantly about their childhood, where we believe that we have found the source of their antibodies, and by that course I – we, think that the virus is a derivative of the chickenpox virus. Not the childhood version though, but the adult’s shingles version.”

“How did we...” Greg began.

“It is all very odd still, you have the shingles infection, but there is no sign of the chickenpox virus. Your systems might have recognised it through the childhood version, but that key part was missing, and so your systems could not recognise it for what it was – a virus.”

“Yes,” Dr Grey nodded. “And because your bodies could not see it as a threat then it was left to fester until something set it off.”

“What do you think that was?” Jonathon asked in a toneless voice that made everyone pause to look at him anxiously.

The doctors both shrugged as they glanced at each other.

“With the shingles infection, from everything that I have ever read,” Dr Grey said slowly. “Well, it can be a little thing such as tiredness – or stress – or well the slightest thing can set it off – but once it is in full rage then the effects can be very debilitating – as you both found out only too well.”

“So, we were infected with this shingles? How and when, have you got any idea at all?”

“Well, that is the thing with the shingles virus. It can lie dormant in your system for years – decades even.”

“Not a recent thing then?”

“It’s impossible to know for sure, but extremely unlikely that it was a recent infection.”

Greg and Jonathon looked at each other thoughtfully for a moment.

“I think that ... perhaps when we did that tour – all those years ago.” Greg murmured.

“Why do you think that?” Dr Grey asked with interest.

“Well, it is a bit of a leap,” Greg said sitting forward. “But it was the last time that Jon and I were together for any length of time; we were travelling around together for about six weeks ... and we were probably arrogant in our assumption of safety – as well as complacent.”

“So ample opportunity for someone to have infected you both.”

“Yes, I suppose so ... how do you think they might have done it?” Jonathon asked.

Dr Phillips shrugged and glanced at Dr Grey quickly before giving his opinion.

“Almost definitely injection – or perhaps a small dart of some sort – but it would have been something that could puncture the skin.”

“I believe that we would have noticed something like that though?” Jonathon argued.

“Not necessarily, Jon. There were places that we went to that were rife with mosquitos – and other places riddled with fleas...” Greg pulled a little face and scratched absently at his arm as he remembered. “It could have been any time like that, that we would not have noticed another nip or bite or jab.”

Jonathon sighed and then nodded slowly. “I believe that you are right about that ... and I am also remembering that it was at that time that Matt was abducted, and soon after that my wife – and then shortly after that our father was killed...”

Greg let out a small gasp, and the doctors looked appalled and uncomfortable, but it was Shelia, who exclaimed. “You think that this was an assassination attempt? On your whole family?”

Jonathon sighed again and looked solemnly at the group. “I have had my suspicions for many a year, I do not know why they stopped their pursuit of my family when they did, but I never realised – until now, that I had been targeted too.”

The full moon was only a few days away, and its influence was growing on them. The household of Greg Beaumont was a bundle of nervous energy.

The lunar event always gave him and his staff an edge, but Greg knew that the brooding presence of Jonathon was increasing all of that edginess.

Jonathon Richards had sworn them all to secrecy following their discussion and conclusion, and the doctors and nurse Sheila had all meekly agreed.

Greg had been a little more reluctant but then who would he have discussed it with anyway? He just hated feeling coerced into something – especially when in his own household and Jonathon was here as his guest, not the leader.

Greg had demurred but, in the end, agreed that he would talk to no one of their discussions and conclusions.

“Not even to each other,” Jonathon stated firmly. “Because you never know who might be listening.”

The days ticked along, and the full moon came closer, and Jonathon and Greg both approached the lunar event with anticipation and more than a little apprehension ... what if the shift could no longer be achieved – what if it did not revive them in the way that they all hoped, and did not wash away the devastating effects of the virus?

“Trudy!”

“Seline ... are you busy am I disturbing you ... I just felt the need to talk to someone, are you available for a chat?”

“Yes, of course, just let me close my office door,” Seline did this and then sat back in her chair. “There now we can talk in peace with no chance of being interrupted ... oh by the way we have a guest here at the moment,” she said with a smile.

“Oh?”

“Yes ... one Mr Richards – the younger brother.”

“Matt!”

“The one and only.” Seline grinned. “He’s protecting me and the girls until the older brother can come along and take up the role – along with the young pups I was telling you about before ... perhaps you would like to pop along for a visit yourself – as you promised to do if I found it all a bit too much?”

“It’s only Matt at the moment – that promise was made for when the Frawnings pack moved in and the man who you can’t say no to!” Trudy shot back.

“Ah but by then chaos will be all around and Matt will be long gone, at the moment he is here and pretty much alone with just his thoughts most of the time.”

“You know that is the last place I would be then,” Trudy muttered.

“Why not?” Seline’s voiced deepened and warmed. “You should see him around the girls, Trudy.”

“No thank you,” She tried to sound flippant but there was definitely a wistful note there.

“Perhaps you can rekindle something new with him, after all he does still carry something for you in his subconscious and you made it work for you before – from what bits you said ... but what did happen between the two of you?”

Trudy was silent for a moment, but then she sighed.

“I have carried that guilty secret for weeks now ... When we were all at my brother’s home ... well Matt suffered one of his attacks; and I know that Jonathon thought it was something about me that was jogging his memory.”

“I believe that too,” Seline nodded seriously. “Those memories of his are jostling around trying to break free – I think it only a matter of time now before the truth hits him. He is skirting around it at present, like a dog with a bone; but deep down he is desperate to know, and he will keep digging now until he gets to the truth of it all.”