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Travis Behind the Door
His chest caved into itself as his cough strained his lungs into a convulsion. His eyes teared up as the worse of it passed, and Travis rested the back of his head against the cold tiles. His breathing was labored and he shifted his long legs inside the empty tub. He was burning up and he felt as if he would combust into scorching flames at any second.
I should of stayed home, he thought, reaching for the roll of toilet paper, tearing off a piece. He blew the mucus from his nostrils and struggled to take in a gasp of air. Who had he come in contact with, that he contracted this God-awful virus? He’d been so careful since the beginning of the outbreak. Did he really need to stock up on more water? He already had a couple cases in the pantry. Fuck!
A knock on the door.
“Travis?” A woman said. “You’ve been in there for a while, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Travis said, a cough trying to escape him. “Mildred, listen to me. Take the kids and go to your mother’s.”
“What? What are you talking about? Travis, what is going on?”
“Dont argue with me, please! Just do what I’m telling you.” His breath wheezed as he exhaled and tried his best to contain his cough.
“I’m not going anywhere, ” she replied. She jiggled the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. “Sweetheart, open the door, your scaring me!”
“Mildred, please!”
“What’s going on with you? Why are you telling me this?”
“BECAUSE IM SICK!”
Silence.
“I think…I’m infected.”
“Infected?”
“The virus, Mildred! I’ve got the God-damn virus!”
“Its probably nothing. Its just the flu, the weather…its changing.”
“Mildred, do what I’m telling you!”
She stood outside the bathroom door, paralyzed. She stared down at the threshold where the light was bleeding through from the other side. Her hand came off of the door handle, suddenly, as if she had touched a hot stove. She studied it like some oddity at a county fair. After a long while, she spoke.
“No. I wont leave you. I’m calling an ambulance, they can check you out-“
“NO! Dont you do that!” He had a series of hard coughs. “I dont want to get quarantined in some damn hospital bed. If I’m gonna die, let me die in my own home.”
“Your not gonna die, dont say that!”
“Even if I dont, let me ride it out here. Please, Mildred, go! I’ll call you in a while. I just need to rest.”
Mildred wanted to speak and insist on staying, but after a while, she held her tongue. She looked down the hall and into the livingroom. Their two boys where sitting in front of the television watching Harry Potter. Suddenly, their well being became her only concern.
“Mildred?” Travis said. “Mildred!“
“I’m here. I’m right here.”
“You have to go. NOW!“
“Okay. I’ll go. I’ll….call you from mom’s, alright? Promise me you’ll call me as soon as I get there?”
“Yes, I promise. Now, please, go.”
He heard her walk away and gather the boys. They asked where they were going, but Mildred instructed them not to ask. A few minutes passed, and he heard the keys coming off the hook. The kids asked for their father as she ushered them out the door, but she did not answer them. The front door creaked open, then after a moment, closed shut. Travis closed his eyes, relieved that they were gone and far from the threat that spread within him. He placed the back of his palm on his forehead – it burned to the touch.
He had never been a religious man, in fact, he questioned just about everything in life. He was always more inclined to the notion that there was no God. But in that confined space, that small tub in that echoey room, he prayed a silent prayer. Hot tears rolled down his face as the concept of death raced through his mind. He quickly shunned the thought away and went into another cough. He sunk down into the tub and felt like dozing off.
“Travis?” A womans voice said. “Travis!“
“Huh? What?”
“Are you enjoying your book?” She laughed. “You must be, you haven’t been listening to a word I’ve said.”
His heart raced as he stared around the room, coming back to reality. He looked down at the book between his hands, gripping the pages tight.
“Are you okay?” She asked.
“…yeah. It’s a good read.”
I should of stayed home, he thought, reaching for the roll of toilet paper, tearing off a piece. He blew the mucus from his nostrils and struggled to take in a gasp of air. Who had he come in contact with, that he contracted this God-awful virus? He’d been so careful since the beginning of the outbreak. Did he really need to stock up on more water? He already had a couple cases in the pantry. Fuck!
A knock on the door.
“Travis?” A woman said. “You’ve been in there for a while, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Travis said, a cough trying to escape him. “Mildred, listen to me. Take the kids and go to your mother’s.”
“What? What are you talking about? Travis, what is going on?”
“Dont argue with me, please! Just do what I’m telling you.” His breath wheezed as he exhaled and tried his best to contain his cough.
“I’m not going anywhere, ” she replied. She jiggled the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. “Sweetheart, open the door, your scaring me!”
“Mildred, please!”
“What’s going on with you? Why are you telling me this?”
“BECAUSE IM SICK!”
Silence.
“I think…I’m infected.”
“Infected?”
“The virus, Mildred! I’ve got the God-damn virus!”
“Its probably nothing. Its just the flu, the weather…its changing.”
“Mildred, do what I’m telling you!”
She stood outside the bathroom door, paralyzed. She stared down at the threshold where the light was bleeding through from the other side. Her hand came off of the door handle, suddenly, as if she had touched a hot stove. She studied it like some oddity at a county fair. After a long while, she spoke.
“No. I wont leave you. I’m calling an ambulance, they can check you out-“
“NO! Dont you do that!” He had a series of hard coughs. “I dont want to get quarantined in some damn hospital bed. If I’m gonna die, let me die in my own home.”
“Your not gonna die, dont say that!”
“Even if I dont, let me ride it out here. Please, Mildred, go! I’ll call you in a while. I just need to rest.”
Mildred wanted to speak and insist on staying, but after a while, she held her tongue. She looked down the hall and into the livingroom. Their two boys where sitting in front of the television watching Harry Potter. Suddenly, their well being became her only concern.
“Mildred?” Travis said. “Mildred!“
“I’m here. I’m right here.”
“You have to go. NOW!“
“Okay. I’ll go. I’ll….call you from mom’s, alright? Promise me you’ll call me as soon as I get there?”
“Yes, I promise. Now, please, go.”
He heard her walk away and gather the boys. They asked where they were going, but Mildred instructed them not to ask. A few minutes passed, and he heard the keys coming off the hook. The kids asked for their father as she ushered them out the door, but she did not answer them. The front door creaked open, then after a moment, closed shut. Travis closed his eyes, relieved that they were gone and far from the threat that spread within him. He placed the back of his palm on his forehead – it burned to the touch.
He had never been a religious man, in fact, he questioned just about everything in life. He was always more inclined to the notion that there was no God. But in that confined space, that small tub in that echoey room, he prayed a silent prayer. Hot tears rolled down his face as the concept of death raced through his mind. He quickly shunned the thought away and went into another cough. He sunk down into the tub and felt like dozing off.
“Travis?” A womans voice said. “Travis!“
“Huh? What?”
“Are you enjoying your book?” She laughed. “You must be, you haven’t been listening to a word I’ve said.”
His heart raced as he stared around the room, coming back to reality. He looked down at the book between his hands, gripping the pages tight.
“Are you okay?” She asked.
“…yeah. It’s a good read.”
