BACTERIA

The perfect killer. Small, invasive, self-replicating; it needs you, it loves you…

***

“Mommy, I don’t feel very well…” Angie whined as she rubbed a grubby hand across her nose.

Laurie placed the back of her hand on the little girl’s forehead, judging the severity of her illness by temperature. “Is it your tummy honey?”

“No Mommy.”

“What hurts sweetie?” Laurie looked at the pallid complexion of her daughter, beginning to worry at seeing the dark-rimmed eyes and runny nose.

“I just don’t feel we—” Angie barely got the words out before going limp in her mother’s lap.

Laurie shook her daughter, gently at first growing more concerned at her inability to rouse her. Placing her fingers on her neck, she felt for a pulse, growing alarmed at how cool her daughter now felt. “Angie? Angie! ANGIE!!”

Panicked, she laid her daughter on the couch as she grabbed for the phone. Dialing 9-1-1 quickly, she cradled the phone in the crook of her shoulder as she waited for the line to connect. Still she searched for a pulse…

“Police, Fire or Ambulance?”

“Ambulance!”

Laurie waited a few more seconds as the general dispatcher connected her to the correct department, growing agitated at the delay. She stroked her daughter’s face with one hand as she pushed deeper into her daughter’s neck with the other. Why couldn’t she find a pulse?

“Ambulance. What’s your emergency?”

“It’s my daughter. She just fainted and I’m having trouble finding her pulse, can you send an ambulance please?!?”

“Is your daughter breathing?”

“No!”

“Do you know CPR?”

“No!! Oh my God, she’s going to die isn’t she??”

“Ma’am, calm down and do as I say. Can you put the phone on speaker and put it down beside your daughter?”

“Yes, hang on a second…” Noise can be heard in the background of the call as Laurie fumbles with the phone. She comes back a moment later sounding a little farther away. “Okay what do I do?”

“I need to take your finger and scoop out anything that may be in her mouth first.”

“Okay, gimme a second.” More noise can be heard in the background, then a piercing scream echoes over the line.

“Fucking hell! She bit my finger!”

“Ma’am?”

“Angie! Oh thank God you’re awake! I was so worried!”

“Ma’am?”

“Let me get a towel for my finger.” Laurie’s voice seems farther away as she addressed the phone again, “Operator if you’re still there can send help for me? It seems my daughter’s bite reflex was a little stronger than I expected.”

“Your daughter bit you? Is she conscious now?”

“Yes, she seems to be alert, though she’s still very pale and seems confused. Sweetie, stay on the couch I’ll be right back.”

Copyright © 2014 Julianne Snow