There's Blood on the Moon Tonight (57 page)

Rusty just then realized something else: he couldn’t recall ever hearing his father refer to Bidwell as
Doctor
Bidwell. It was as if the man hadn’t earned Ham’s respect.

             
Bidwell, who was well aware of the slight, scowled down at Ham before answering. “No. I am
not
a representative of the Center. They came to me as soon as they learned of the virus because
I’m
the island’s only physician. And they’ve been nothing but aboveboard ever since! They’ve offered all of their resources to help us in this matter, not to mention a vaccine. All this,
Mr
. Huggins, even though they are under no obligation to help us at all!”

             
Reverend Tipple stood up and played peacemaker. “Now I’m sure Ham wasn’t trying to impugn either yours or the Center’s motives, Doctor. And I’m sure we all appreciate the Center’s help in this matter. You can see our cause for concern, though, can’t you? I mean, that poor fellow was shot right between—”

             
“There was
no
gunshot wound,” Bidwell said, shaking his head emphatically.

             
Ham shot up again. “That’s not what I heard!”

             
“I know what you heard. That the man had been shot between the eyes.”

             
“That’s what Rupert Henderson told me.”

             
“And that’s how it
appeared
,” Bidwell smiled. 

Tubby thought the man’s
too
white,
too
long teeth made him look like a cartoon shark.

“I performed the autopsy myself, Ham. The wound to his forehead, along with massive injuries inflicted to his face and throat, were the result of a horrific mauling…”

Bidwell realized where he was, that women and children were listening. He coughed into his fist and collected his thoughts. It was clear that Ham had rattled him. “Forgive me for being so carelessly blunt,” he smiled ingratiatingly. “It goes with my territory, I’m afraid. Now, as I was saying, the individual found in the woods yesterday was an employee of the Center.” This news didn't surprise anyone; everybody on the island already knew that. “He was out taking a walk in the Pines early Friday evening when he was attacked by a rabid dog.” Before the volume of raised voices could get too loud, Bidwell plowed on. “That animal was cornered and dispatched by employees of the Center yesterday morning.”

             
Th
e
Creep
s
shook their heads in disgust.

             
Miss Beasly raised her hand.

             
“Yes, Miss Beasly?” Bidwell said, happy to answer questions from anybody other than Ham Huggins.

             
“Thank you, Doctor. Did I hear you correctly—that the Center had a vaccine for those individuals exposed to the infected animals
?
Animals
…as in more than one?”

             
The doctor pointed excitedly at Beasly, as if he was a snake-oil salesman making his point with the help of one of the gathered marks. “Therein lies the rub, Ma’am. You see, we have no idea if there are any other infected mammals out there! Was this animal the
only
one with the virus, and did she spread it? We simply don’t know. That’s why I need your assistance.”

             
“Whose dog was it?” asked another voice in the congregation.

             
“No tags. I’d never seen it before.”

             
“I know every dog on Moon, and I haven’t heard of anyone missing their pet,” Ham said. “Describe it to me.”

             
“It was a large gray bit…excuse me,
female
dog,” said Bidwell, blushing at his near faux pas in the house of the Lord. “Breed was indeterminate.”

             
The three friends shook their heads as one. They knew perfectly well that there couldn’t have been enough of the gray bitch left from the fire to identify its sex, much less the color of its coat.

“I’d like to see it,” Ham said. Other voices in the congregation concurred.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. In accordance with Federal and State law, the dog’s remains were incinerated after determining the presence of rabies in its brain.”

             
“Of course it was,” Ham drawled dryly. He stood staring at Bidwell until Betty Anne pulled him to his seat.

             
To Tubby’s dismay, his mom stood up and timidly raised her hand.

             
Dr. Bidwell smiled his shark smile at Emma Tolson. “Yes, ma’am? I believe it’s Mrs. Tolson?”

             
“That’s right. Emma Tolson. My family and I are new to Moon, so forgive me for speaking out of turn.”

             
“Not at all, Mrs. Tolson,” Bidwell practically purred. “You and your family have just as much at stake here as the rest of us. You have a thought or question?”

             
“Yes, thank you, Doctor. Is there anything we can do to prevent our children from getting this disease? Short of those horrible abdomen shots, that is?”

Bidwell nodded his head vigorously. Now he was getting to it. In the back, Tubby cringed. His own mother had, if unwittingly, aided and abetted their enemy.

“Excellent query, Mrs. Tolson, and yes, there is something you can do. That is, in fact, why I’m here before you today. Thankfully, those old series of painful injections you were speaking of are a thing of the past. Although I won’t lie to you and tell you the current solution is a day at the park. It’s still an unpleasant ordeal. If it does come to that, and I’m not saying it will—it probably won’t—but if it does, I can assure you that the cure nowadays is much more preferable to the disease. Rabies is nothing to fool around with, people! It’s a completely curable illness, too...

“
Up to a point
!”

Bidwell let that echo hang ominously in the air. Let the imaginations of the parents before him do most of his convincing. “Now, as I’m sure you all know, once the virus has gone past a certain stage there’s no saving the victim. And people…let me tell you…death by rabies is one of the worst ways to go.” By now, most of the families in the church were wishing they had sent their children out of earshot. There would be more than a few nightlights left on past bedtime. Bidwell paused, certain that he had them in the palm of his hands now. “But that’s not going to happen, because we’re not going to let it happen. Am I right?”

He waited for a response and he got it, too. Assorted
A-mens!
and
Hear-Hears!
filled the sanctuary.

“So, first of all, the Pines are off limits to anyone but employees of the Center, as they attempt to ascertain if there are any more infected animals out there.”

              No one objected to this. Most people on Moon avoided the Pines at all costs anyway.

"Secondly, I need you to be especially vigilant in the days to come. If you see any animals behaving strangely, call the Center at once. I’ve left pamphlets at the front door with a special number to call, as well as warning signs you'll want to keep an eye out for. It’s important you understand this, and make sure your children understand it as well! Do not approach any animal other than your own in the weeks to come. Keep your pets indoors and make certain they’ve had a current rabies vaccination…but be aware that just because they’ve had the vaccine, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re immune! If you notice that your cat or dog has been in a fight, within recent recall, call the Center immediately! We'll have to quarantine them for their own good. That can’t be helped.”

              Reverend Tipple approached the pulpit. “Is there anything else, Dr. Bidwell?”

             
“Yes. One more thing. For the next few days I’d like for anyone who has spent any time lately in the Pines to come to my office for an examination.”

             
Much to Bidwell’s obvious annoyance, Ham shot out of his seat again. “Is that really necessary? I mean, if my son says he hasn’t come into contact with that there dog, then that’s good enough for me!”

             
“I’m sure you’re right, Ham. Rusty’s a good boy.” In the back, Rusty tried to melt into the pew. Some of the other kids sprinkled in the church snickered at the mention of Gnat’s name. “Unfortunately, it’s quite common for children to hold back on this sort of information. Even when asked point blank. I can’t begin to tell you how many kids have died needlessly over the years from this horrific illness. Anyone with kids knows this to be true: Children have a tendency to want to “Wish” the bad things away.”

             
Rusty was appalled to see his parents actually nodding their heads in agreement! In fact, with that last statement Bidwell seemed to have scored his biggest points with the adults. Josie saw mothers and fathers eyeing their children suspiciously, the unexplained scrapes and cuts suddenly looming large and ominous in their collective consciousness.

             
Dr. Bidwell concluded by saying, “If any of your children are currently ill or complaining of flu-like symptoms contact me
immediately
. I’m sure it’s nothing to be alarmed about, but as I said, we can’t be too careful. Some of you will be receiving personal calls from my office concerning appointments for your children. In those cases I implore you to heed my concerns with all due haste. I wouldn’t be calling if I didn’t have reason to worry. You’re welcome to attend the examinations with your children. I assure you, they will be quick and painless—”

             
“Painless?” Betty Anne broke in. “I thought the only way to determine if someone has rabies was through a spinal tap, and that sure isn’t painless!”

             
Clint Bidwell reddened. He was getting tired of hearing from that particular pew. “A spinal tap isn’t the sole method of detection,” he sighed. “Nor will I be employing that procedure. Now, as I was saying, the examinations will be brief,
painless
, and could very well save the life of your child.” He gave the congregation one last gleaming shark smile. “Thank you for your time.”

             
Rusty, Tubby and Josie sat silent in the last pew, each lost in his or her own distress. They knew they’d soon be hearing from the doctor. They watched Bidwell leave the Alter and walk down the aisle, overflowing now with the departing congregation. Some concerned parents met him halfway down the passage; Emma Tolson was among them. Joel jumped off his sister’s lap. “I’m going outside.”

Distracted, she nodded her head. “Huh? Oh, sure. Don’t get your clothes dirty.”

              When Joel was gone, Rusty turned to Josie. “We’ve got to talk this over with Buddy boy. I don’t like it.”

             
“Me either, Gnat. Even if most of what he said is true, there’s no way we can trust the doc to give us a proper exam.”

             
“Look at my mom fawn all over him,” Tubby said, sighing. He saw his father hanging back with Mr. Huggins, the two of them deep into their own private discussion. He was about to mention it to Rusty when both men looked to the back of the church. His dad and Mr. Huggins were gesturing for them to come over.

             
They got up and pushed their way through the crowd milling in the aisle.
“Fuck a damn duck,”
said Rusty, under his breath. Josie pinched him in the arm for his blasphemy. “OW! Dog gone it, Big Red! That hurt!”

             
“Then don’t you be cursing in church, Rusty.”

             
“All right, all right! You didn’t have to pinch—”

             
Ham loomed over him. He spoke directly to Josie. “You and Joel will be eating with us today, won’t you?”

             
The question took Josie by surprise. For as long as she could remember, she’d always eaten with the Huggins’s on Sunday after church. Even when her dad was alive, and her family whole, she, Shayna, Joel, and her dad always broke bread with their next-door neighbors. Of course, Shayna hadn’t entered the Huggins’s domicile since her husband was lost at sea.

             
“Sure, Uncle Ham. As always.”

             
“Good.” He turned to Ralph and smiled broadly. “I’ve also invited your parents to come along, Ralph. That be all right by you to sup with us today?”

             
Tubby returned the smile. “Sounds fine, sir.”

             
Ham clapped Tubby on the back. “That’s the ticket!” He turned to Rusty and said, “Son, I want you to go on over to the museum and ask our friends there if they wouldn’t mind coming over for dinner today. Tell Bill I would consider it a personal favor.”

             
Rusty looked even smaller staring up into his father’s face. He actually had to bend his head backward. “Sure thing, Pop. I’ll take Ralph and Red with me.”