Sea Sick: A Horror Novel

The doctor looked confused. “I’m sorry?”


“Oh yeah,” said Jack. “That doesn’t make a lot of sense to you, does it?”

The doctor just looked at him.

“Look,” said Jack. “Is there anything…unusual…about this cold going around? You said it’s highly contagious. Is that normal?”

“No, it isn’t. Cold viruses are often highly infectious, but the numbers of cases I’ve seen today is unusual. Still no reason to be concerned though.”

Jack sighed. This was going nowhere. “Okay, Doctor. Thank you for your help.”

Jack was almost out the door when the doctor spoke again. “Actually, there is one thing that I found a little strange.”

Jack spun back around. “What?”

The doctor seemed to quickly change his mind about divulging his information. “Who are you, exactly? Why are you so interested in this?”

“I’m a police officer, and I have a very bad feeling. This isn’t just a cold virus.”

“Do you know something I don’t?”

Jack shook his head. Of course he knew something, but there was no way to explain it and not seem like a whackjob in the process. “No, I don’t,” he said.“Just, please, tell me what you know.”

The doctor let out a sigh. “There’s something strange about the virus. The people that have it are suffering from elevated blood pressure. The later it has gotten in the day, the quicker their pulses have been when I’ve measured them. It’s almost like their hearts are speeding up.”

“Jesus. Isn’t that something to be worried about?”

“I don’t know. I can’t explain it, but the measurements are still within safe levels. It’s just very strange, that’s all, because a simple cold cannot affect a person in such a way. At least, not typically”

Jack thought about things for a while. “What would happen if their heartbeats kept getting faster?”

“Tachycardia could cause excitement or even mania at first, but eventually it could lead to ischemia.”

“What’s that?”

“It is where the heart beats so fast that it can no longer supply the body efficiently with blood. The resulting oxygen deficit can result in the vital organs shutting down and muscle deterioration.”

“What can be done for someone with…ischemia?”

“An antiarrhythmic agent could be administered but, as I said, what I have seen is nowhere near the required levels to make a diagnosis like that. I’m just worried that the conditions I have been seeing may continue to worsen. Anyway, enough hypothesising. My prognosis is still a simple cold virus. In fact, I shouldn’t have spoken as freely with you as I have.”

“Okay,” said Jack. “I’ll leave you to your work, but I have one last question.”

“What is it?”

“If someone’s heartbeat gets to dangerous levels, how would I know?”

The doctor shrugged. “They would become lethargic. They might also have chest pain and become very pale.”

“If I bring someone like that to you, could you help them?”

The doctor stared at Jack, probably trying to work out what was going on. “Possibly?” he said finally. “I could try.”

“Okay,” said Jack. “That’s a start, I guess.”

Jack left the doctor alone and headed back towards the elevator. A plan began to form in his mind.

***

It was ten-past-seven and Jack was sitting in the High Spirits lounge nursing a shot of bourbon. The parents and their daughter were sitting two tables ahead. He was observing them intently. The little girl was lying across her mother’s lap. She was lethargic, and she was pale.