Chapter 2

Two days after their trip to the supermarket and the impromptu gun demo the news around the world continued its grim outlook.

"Today's death toll has risen to over four million dead with over four hundred thousand having died in the U.S. alone."

"Oh dear Kayla, another anchor," Dr. Gray told her. Their usual news channel had yet another news anchor as their usual few had fallen ill and not returned.

"Congress is pushing the President to demand access to the necessary ingredients for the experimental vaccine that is proving so successful with military personnel.

"To date, with four hundred thousand people succumbing to this virus, that is only 0.1 percent of the population, however, since starting vaccinations only 803 military personnel, or .05 percent of the military has fallen ill, most of those prior to vaccination. Civilian officials are threatening government shutdown if an agreement cannot be reached in the next few days." Kayla looked to her father across the table. He merely shrugged and continued eating.

"Rioting continues in major cities and has begun in smaller cities such as Houston, Dallas, Raleigh, and Salt Lake City as people demand more humane treatment of the dead and better access to health care."

"Papa, it's getting worse."

"I know child," he said. Dr. Gray took another bite of venison, chewing thoughtfully. After years with her father, Kayla knew better than to interrupt him mid-thought. "You just keep studying and shooting. Things will-"

The harsh, unwelcomed sound of the phone ringing pieced their conversation. "Pardon me, dear girl." Dr. Gray picked up the handset and walked into the next room. Kayla chewed as quietly as possible, trying to follow the conversation.

"Yes? No, I do not have a cell phone. Well, I live in West Virginia. This is 'God's Country' but He is not so fond of cellphones apparently. No, I hadn't heard. Well..." He paused, "Yes, perhaps," he paused again. "No, I understand my civic duty it's just-" he glanced back to see Kayla's eyes following him in his study, she blushed deep scarlet at having been caught eavesdropping. He shut the door before she could follow more of the conversation.

Kayla finished her dinner silently, straining to hear the conversation. Her father very rarely cut her out of any part of his life or his work. She was both scared and intrigued by a conversation that he would cut her out of. When he came out of his study a few minutes later she looked at him expectantly. He walked past the table without looking at her and went to the fridge. Grabbing a cold beer, he opened it and began drinking, still not looking at her. Kayla blushed scarlet again at having been caught intruding on her father's personal affairs.

"I must go to Charleston for a few days," he told her without turning back to her. Kayla's head drooped in shame. "I expect that you can take care of yourself for a few days and keep up with your studies?"

Kayla stared at her father's back and thought about the implications of his question and the bit of conversation she had heard. "They want you in the capital?" He half turned his head to her and nodded. "And you'll be there for several days?" He nodded again. "And you're the most brilliant mining engineer in the country?" He didn't nod, but his beer paused halfway to his lips. "They want you to build an underground quarantine don't they?"

A long silence followed. Dr. Gray's beer was paused halfway to his lips as he considered how to answer her question. Finally, deciding that he'd never lied to his daughter before, even about something as trivial as Santa Clause, he answered her.

"Yes. I'll be gone almost a week. And you will not," he emphasized, "tell anyone what I'm doing. You may tell them where I am if they press you, but otherwise, you will not, cannot, tell them what I'm doing. It might cause panic." He turned to face her fully. "You understand that, right?"

"Yes, Papa."

"I mean, you really understand the implications of this, right? The government is scared; they don't know how to stop this without a vaccine. People are dying, everywhere. If you let people know what's going on there would be panic, everywhere."

"Yes, Papa, I know! I won't tell anyone!"

"Good girl," he said and finished his beer. "Now, I must pack. They'll be here to pick me up early tomorrow."

The next day, Dr. Gray was up as dawn began to light a charcoal sky. He was gone with only one small bag of clothes and a kiss from Kayla.

"Be a good girl. Here's a number that can reach me, if indirectly," he passed her a number on a scrap of paper. "Be good, study hard, and shoot the guns." He tousled her hair then pulled her into a bear hug. "You have an IQ higher than anyone I know or work with, use it to your advantage."

She nodded. She looked up to him, her big brown eyes rimmed with tears. "Be safe, Papa. I love you!" He hugged her fiercely, unwilling to let go.

"Sir?" The young man assigned to drive him to Charleston looked at his watch significantly.

"Yes, yes." He said irritably and wiped the tears from her eyes. Dr. Grey gave her one last look and ran his hand down her long brown hair. "It's only Tuesday, acushla, I'll try to be home by the weekend, or," he turned to the young driver who gave a diffident shrug, "I'll at least try to call. Be good!" He called and stepped into the car.

Kayla waved as he drove away. She was distraught. She'd never been alone for so long. As a child she'd had a nanny, who looked after her while her mother and father were gone. Later, when public schools could no longer keep up with her rate of learning she'd been left with a modern day governess for homeschooling. After her mother's death the summer before. Her father had taken a sabbatical, both to recover from his grief and to teach Kayla. They were together every day, rarely separated for more than a few hours. This would be the longest period of time she'd been left alone in her life.

While it was liberating, she wished it came at a more stable time in her life where she didn't feel a need to snuggle up with a shotgun at bedtime every night. Resolute, she was determined to keep up with her studies. After a hearty breakfast, she turned to her studies, throwing herself into schoolwork to keep her mind occupied in his absence.