The Deadliest Strain

Chapter Twelve

You can't talk us out of it. We're going, Mom," Josh stressed as he continued to stuff his backpack with the clothes he was taking on the week-long trip.

Arms folded across her chest, her shoulder leaning against the doorjamb, Sally Link wasn't ready to give up this fight just yet.

She turned and looked in the doorway of the adjoining bedroom. David was still packing. "David, you're the adult here. Talk some sense into him. You guys can go on this trip another time."

"No, Mom. There's a waiting list," Josh answered for his father. "We signed up for this trip three months ago. Please, this has been the one thing that I've been looking forward to all summer. I want to go on it."

Sally knew what her son was up to. He was trying to work on her sympathy. Josh's year so far had consisted of two chemo treatments and ten days in the hospital. It was a miracle that he felt as good as he did during this vacation.

"This isn't the best time for your father," she said to Josh. "He's got too much going on at work. They could need him at any time."

"Dad is on vacation," Josh answered.

She stared meaningfully at her husband. He'd talked with her for nearly an hour after dinner last night about the last-minute shuffling that they were doing with their key accounts because of some production crisis.

"David?" she urged, motioning for him to help her with this.

"They know how to reach me if they absolutely must." He shook his head and made a palms-up gesture, mouthing the words, "I can't disappoint him."

"It's not safe to go away," she said, blurting out her main concern.

"I told you not to read the newspaper," David warned. "It's all a lot of hype. They're making it all out to be much worse than it is."

"They have pictures of the corpses on the front page," Sally protested.

"They have pictures of the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot, too, Mom," Josh said, cracking a smile. He pulled a baseball cap over his bald head. "You really have to stop reading the National Enquirer."

"Honey, we'll be fine," David said, coming out of their room and putting an arm around Sally. "You're dropping us off at the pier. It's half a mile away. We'll only be gone for a week. You and Kate can pick us up right at the same pier."

Kate, still in her pajamas, took that moment to stroll into the room. She looked around at the faces. "Did someone just use my name in vain?"

"Mom is being overly protective," Josh told his sister.

"So what else is new?" the nineteen-year-old said sarcastically just before the dish towel Sally had in one hand snapped her on the butt.

"Ow!" Kate yelped, hopping out of striking range. "Hey, that's child abuse, you know!"

"Save it for Oprah," Sally said. "Besides, you're too old to call it child abuse."

"Have you got everything, sport?" David said to his son.

"Yep." Josh zipped up his pack and slung it over his shoulder.

"David, seriously," Sally persisted. "Did you call them to make sure they haven't canceled the trip?"

"I called them an hour ago, when you asked me to. Like I told you, they said everything is going on as scheduled. The research boat is ready for us. The crew is all set. And they haven't had any cancellations from other parents."

"You see, Mom? You're the only one who's overreacting," Josh said, giving her a big hug.

Kate slipped past them. "Well, Mom, I guess it's just you, me, Oprah and the beach for the next week."

Josh grinned up at Sally and followed his sister to the kitchen.

"I'm all ready, Dad. Call me when you're ready to go," he said over his shoulder.

Sally sat down on the arm of the sleep sofa. This past week had been like heaven. With the three children around her and David staying here, too, it had been almost like the old days. Spending the days together on the beach, noisy dinners and arguments and laughter. Sally wished she could bottle that joy for the tough days that she knew they'd have ahead.

"Honey, what's going on? It's not like you to buy into these things." David rubbed her shoulders. "I know five people are dead in Arizona, but people die every day. It's been pretty quiet as far as big news stories for the past couple of months, so the press is making the most out of what they can."

"I'm not so sure, David," she whispered uneasily.

"There was nothing in the president's speech last night that made me want to grab all of you and hide in the basement. Think about it. We're going to be out on the open sea with nothing but clean salt air to breathe. And aren't you the same woman who let Jamie go back to New York City this morning? New York City, honey."

Sally smiled, remembering how upset she'd been when Jamie had taken a job in New York right out of college. She'd been afraid the big bad monster would eat up her baby alive. Two months later, their daughter was doing great and feeling right at home in the city.

"Come on. Tell me you're okay with this."

She knew her husband was right. Still, she couldn't kick the worry eating away at the lining of her stomach.

"Repeat after me. This… is… good… for.. Josh."

"It is good for Josh," she repeated.

It was so difficult to shift one's perspective from what was best for your child over the long term to what was best for him today. The most crushing moment of Sally's life was when she'd been told of Josh's leukemia. She and David both had been stunned. The twelve-year-old, though, had taken it well and had been a true champ through all of the tests and treatments he'd had so far. They weren't done, either. Josh still had a rocky road ahead of him. Sally had to teach herself to live today, enjoy today. She had to remind herself daily to do what was best for Josh today.

David had been the one who'd heard about this excursion at sea. Designed for teenagers who were at different stages of their cancer treatments, the research vessel only took ten students and one parent or caregiver each. The former fishing boat, which had been turned into a floating laboratory, was funded by a government Sea Grant. The American Cancer Society contributed additionally to fund these trips during the summer. From the literature Sally had read about the trip, the kids would work right alongside the graduate students and researchers. The boat's primary purpose was to monitor ocean disposal sites. The divers would collect underwater samples in specific locations, and the students would work with the crew, analyzing those samples on the boat's laboratory.

Fresh air, interaction with other kids their own age, learning in a hands-on atmosphere. The program was very well reviewed and booked long in advance. Josh and David were right. There was no way she could rob them of something this valuable.

She sighed and let her chin sink to her chest. "Get ready. I'll drive you two to the pier."