The Doomsday Virus

By D.G. Baxter

What if the world encountered a virus so deadly that only 10% of the population survived? That's the world Daniel discovers when he wakes up in a hospital bed and he's absolutely alone, the only living soul in the entire building. He must escape the doomed hospital as well as the Northern California town of San Rafael. Along the way, he meets a young woman, another survivor, and together they attempt to make it to Willits, California, a place that other survivors are headed. The power is out, so gas pumps no longer work, and no one can get a Wi-Fi signal. Savage men roam the streets and no one is safe. Willits is only 70 miles away, but getting there is not going to be easy. Will they ever see the sign that reads, "Welcome to Willits?" Will they get the chance to start life over?  

What readers are saying: "Another riveting tale by D.G. Baxter." Sharon "An apocalyptic tale that leaves you with a feeling of hope for the future." Walter

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: D.G. Baxter
• Release date: Apr 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393253006

Book preview

1

Daniel was regaining consciousness, slowly. His eyes were closed, but he heard a low-level beep, beep, beep. It felt like the times he woke up from a deep sleep when it took seconds to come fully awake. The next sensation was that something was attached to his arm. That forced him to open his eyes. He had no idea where he was. He saw an IV inserted into his right lower arm. Next, he saw a machine not far away. Its lights were blinking in concert with the beeping sound. Lead wires ran from the machine to his chest.

He was in a bed with rails on one side, and he had a light blanket over his legs. He moved his toes and felt a familiar sensation. Next, he tried to raise his left arm. It cooperated, but it was stiff as if it had not moved for a while.

His eyes darted around the room. To his left was a window without curtains. To his right was a tall stand holding a bag, and from the bag, a plastic tube ran down to his right arm and joined the device inserted into a vein inches above his hand. To his left was the machine with the blinking lights and the source of the beeping sound. He was definitely in a hospital room. He had no memory of how he got here or why he was here.

He listened. There was nothing but quiet and the beeping sound. He raised his head, curious if he could. His head came off the pillow, and like his arm, his neck was stiff. He took a deep breath and tried to sit up. He used both arms to push himself up, and a stinging pain shot through the arm with the IV. He ignored it and pushed on until he was sitting up.

He yelled.

Anyone here?

Nothing but silence. So he yelled again. The result was the same.

Then the lights went off in his room and the hallway outside. The machine also shut down. The silence was omnipresent. He sat and tried to see any movement in the hallway or hear any sound. There was nothing. He suddenly realized he could be alone. The feeling grew and grew until he accepted the fact that he was indeed alone.

He sat for a while and thought about what he should do. It became clear that he needed to find out what was going on. If no one would come to him, he needed to seek out anyone who could give him information. And, if this entire hospital was empty, then there was a bigger problem that was impossible to grasp.

He looked down at the base of the pole that was holding his IV bag.