The Cure Quest

The streets of Gatlinburg were seemingly abandoned. A cold, late winter wind stirred the dust on the road through town. No candles were lit inside the Campbell Pharmacy, and the curtains were drawn. Logan sat in his dark office in the back of the pharmacy, staring at piles of documents and medicine bottles. The room was in pure disarray.

The Andromeda Plague was creeping into town, and the residents were beyond scared. Many people had left town after the first few plague deaths, one of which was Logan’s older brother, Ben. But the people who could not afford to move away stayed inside all day long with their shutters closed and lights turned out. Logan had been trying to formulate a cure for weeks, but after Ben died he lost all hope and motivation. 

Logan Campbell sat in his office hunched over his desk. He rested his head on his hands, staring down at the formulas he had tried and failed to create. There was a gentle knock at the door of his pharmacy. He rose from his desk and stiffly walked to the door, then opened it. Sheriff Austen stood on the porch with his hat in his hands. He looked nervous, and Logan was confused. “Sheriff?” asked Logan. 

“Doctor Campbell, I’ve come to ask for your help.”

“With what?” Logan replied curtly. 

Sheriff Austen paused for a moment after hearing Logan's tone of voice. “Doctor, I’m sorry about Ben. The whole town gives you sympathy. But now there’s a chance to end this plague. Up in New York, some group of doctors found a cure for Andromeda. It’s mighty expensive, but the town will pay for it.” 

“And why are you coming to me about this? Why not ask one of your deputies to go get it?” Logan queried. 

“None of them will go. They’re all too scared, Doc. That’s why I’m here. You’re the last man there is to ask.”

“Sheriff, you know I’m busy here. I’m the only doctor this plagued town has, I have to stay here.”

“We’ll provide everything for your travels. We need your help. There’s no more options. You haven’t found your own cure after nearly a month of trial and error. It’s only a matter of time before Gatlinburg is fully taken by plague. Just think about it. Please.” 

Logan closed the door on the sheriff without saying another word. He turned and stormed back into his office. He sat at his desk with his face once again resting on his hands. The frustration he felt was immense; he couldn’t decide what to do. Suddenly, a chilled breeze swept through the room. Logan looked through the doorway of his office to see if his window blew open, but what he saw instead made his heart skip a beat.

It was his brother, Ben, standing in the doorway. He was white and transparent, but it was clearly him. Ben was smiling, leaning against the wall. Logan went pale and speechless with shock. 

Ben spoke softly. “You know what you have to do, Logan. I will guide you, brother.” 

Logan stood up and began to walk towards Ben, reaching out for him. Ben disappeared, and Logan was left standing in the same spot as his brother’s spirit. Is this the path I am meant to take?

The next morning, Logan’s luggage filled his dining room table. He put on his hat and coat, then left his house and began walking down the quiet street. He knocked on the door to the Sheriff’s Office. Am I really going to do this? Sheriff Austen answered the door, saw it was Logan, then grinned. “Come inside, Doctor.” Austen extended his hand to shake Logan’s. “We have your horses and wagon ready. Come with me.”

They went through the back door of the building and to the stables where two horses were hitched to a wagon. Beneath the tent of the wagon were boxes of canned and dried food, horse feed, bottles of water, first aid kits, pillows and blankets, as well as a revolver. Sheriff Austen handed him a map. “We wish you the best of luck, Doctor Campbell. Thank you for doing this.”

Before Logan left, he returned home and packed his own belongings and some more food. He left town around noon. Dark, cloudy skies and a cold breeze cut through the air. Logan didn’t let it bother him; after the encounter with Ben’s spirit, he was ready for the mission. 

Traveling through the mountains was quite the feat for Logan. The weather was clearly worsening, and worry set in. It was his third day of traveling when the blizzard hit. The sky darkened so quickly, and the wind began to howl. “This is not going to end well.” He thought. The horses became frantic and took off at a dead run through the mountains. Snow and wind whipped Logan’s face as he tried to pull the horses to a stop. The speed of the horses only increased as the world around them became completely white. Suddenly a loud cracking and splitting sound was heard, and the wagon plunged down to the left. The back wheel had broken off. 

Logan yelled as he was jolted sideways at this, and the reins were torn out of his hands. Am I about to die? He held on for a while longer before the horses drug the wagon through dense shrubs which grabbed Logan and ripped him off of the wagon. He lay still in the bushes, unconscious from the impact. The horses continued to run onwards into the blizzard. 

To his luck, a homestead stood only a mile away. The blizzard would pass as the horses and broken wagon approached the home. They whinnied in distress, alerting the people inside the home. Out came a man and two women, one his wife and one his daughter. They were bundled up in coats, scarves, and blankets. The man and woman gently approached the horses and caught hold of them, while the daughter stood and looked out at the snow. A clear trail where the broken wagon was drug caught her attention.

The young woman lifted her skirts with one hand and held the blankets around her body with the other. Quickly, she raced through the snow, following the trail, knowing the wagon’s driver must be along the way. Logan was still lying unconscious in the snow and shrubs when she found him. The girl fell to her knees beside him and lifted his head. I hope he is okay. She wrapped her blankets around him and began to drag him out of the shrubs. 

By the time she got him home, he started to regain consciousness. The adults helped drag him into the house and into the guest room. Logan blinked awake, and sat up in the bed, startled and shaken up. 

“The blizzard got you, mister. You’re awful lucky we found your horses. They’re put up in the barn, restin’. What’s your name?” the man questioned. He stood at the end of the bed with his arms crossed. 

“Doctor Logan Campbell. I come from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, headed to New York,” he replied groggily. “Thank you for letting me in your home. I’ll be gone as soon as I can.” 

The wife and daughter entered the room. “I’m John Springer, this is my wife, Sue, and daughter, Amelia. You’ve been travelin’ for a while, mister. All the way in West Virginia now. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need.” Mr. Springer extended his hand to shake Logan’s. Mrs. Springer instructed Amelia to tend to Dr. Campbell’s cuts and scrapes while she and John took care of evening chores. 

Amelia smiled at Logan. “Hello.” she whispered shyly. She was a slender young woman, looking to be only twenty-three. Long black hair  was tied back in a single loose braid. Bright hazel eyes, full of expression, looked back at Logan. She was pretty, Logan thought. He smiled back at her. 

“You’re the one who brought me back here, aren’t you?” 

“I am,” she replied, then sat on a stool beside the bed with a cloth dipped in alcohol in her hand. “What’s a doctor traveling for?” Amelia asked while dabbing the cuts on his hands and face with the cloth. 

They spoke for hours even though she was finished tending to him. Logan explained the plague, which Amelia and her family had never encountered. He told her about Gatlinburg and his brother, and stories of what he saw in the Smoky Mountains. In return, Amelia shared tales of their life away from towns and the beauty of living in the wilderness. Over the three days which Logan stayed and healed, the two had grown close and quite fond of one another. 

Mr. Springer and Logan were finishing mending the wagon on the morning of his fourth day there. They shook hands, and Logan thanked him and Sue. They left the barn, and Logan was left alone to put the horses in their harnesses. He heard the creak of the barn door opening, then the click of it shutting. “You’re leaving?” Amelia asked. She walked over to him with a sad frown on her face. 

Logan turned to look at her, his expression sad as well. “I am. I have to, Amelia, you know I do.” 

She said nothing else to him; she feared she’d cry if she did. Logan stepped towards her, embracing her in his arms, and Amelia did the same. “Come with me.” Logan suggested, speaking gently to the crying woman. He lifted his hand and wiped away her tears with his thumb. “You’ll get to see it all. Will you come with me, Amelia?” 

“Of course I will, Logan. I’ll hurry and get my things.” she backed away from him, now smiling, and turned to go to the house. 

“Don’t let your parents see you!” he laughed. 

Sneaking Amelia away from her home was rather simple. They both felt guilty, but at the same time, so glad they were together. She hid inside the wagon while they pulled away from the house, and once they were out of sight she climbed up on the bench beside Logan. Together they mapped a route to Maryland, staying on the roads for most of the way. It went smoothly with little setbacks, and Logan and Amelia were happy as could be in eachothers company. 

The weather was better now that spring had begun. Green grass poked through the leaves on the ground. The nights were still bitterly cold, so they huddled together in the wagon beneath the piles of blankets. Logan enjoyed the sightseeing and time with Amelia, though he couldn’t help but worry about how Gatlinburg was holding up. Sometimes he’d grow quiet, and Amelia knew why, so she was never late to comfort him. 

Cold spring rains began as they moved further north. They camped in the woods, staying inside of the wagon wrapped in blankets. He feared Amelia would catch a cold, and was even more eager to continue traveling. Eventually the rain ceased, and they continued dragging onward through the mud. 

The next week of travel went smoothly. Steadily, they continued north through Maryland and Pennsylvania. Cities and towns were everywhere along the way, and Amelia sat beside him with wide eyes, just looking at the immense buildings. Just wait until we see New York, thought Amelia, I bet that will be grand. 

New York City turned out to not be so grand. They rode in during the late afternoon. People swarmed the streets, and a dusty smog hung over the city. They gave each other an uncertain glance before entering. They had the address of the medicine shop, but navigating through the streets to get to the shop would be the hardest part. 

          Logan steered the wagon towards one of the roads, just guessing at where they should go. A shady man leaned against one of the buildings they drove by. Logan stopped the wagon in front of him. “Excuse me, sir,” The man looked up at him. “Can you point me to this address?”

           He smiled with a mouth full of black, rotten teeth. It was a harsh grin, one that was awfully unkind. “Right that way, mister.” he grumbled, then pointed towards a dark alleyway. I don’t like the look of this, thought Amelia as they reluctantly steered towards it. Rats scuttered across the cobblestone streets. 

As they drove further into the dimly lit alleyway, Logan began to feel uneasy. Something isn’t right. These are the slums… he sent us into the slums on purpose. He took Amelia’s hand and squeezed it to get her attention. “Amelia, get in the wagon. Seal the back.” he demanded. The tone of his voice was so stern and serious that she didn’t dare question him. She parted the curtain and climbed in the back. She tied the rear curtain from inside, then sat close to the front. Logan turned down another road, trying his best to navigate out of this part of town.

From behind a dumpster, out jumped two men. They ran in front of the horses, startling them. Logan held onto the reins, trying his best to keep the horses steady. “What’s in that wagon?” One of the men yelled, followed by a cruel laugh. “Go’n see.” he motioned for the other man to go around the back. 

He told me there was a pistol in here. Where is it? Oh please where is it? Frantically, Ameilia dug through crates and barrels. Finally, she felt the cold steel of the revolver. It’s bullets were in a box beside it, and she quickly pulled them from beneath blankets. She only had enough time to load two of them before she heard one of the men tearing at the back curtain. The gun clicked as he ripped it open, and Amelia fired, hitting him right in the shoulder. He fell back, screaming and holding his wound. 

At the sound of the gunshot, the horses reared up and kicked, and took off at an alarming speed. They completely forgot about the man in front of them, who they trampled, leaving him unconscious. Amelia had been standing in the back of the wagon. She was sent flying towards the back of the wagon; a loud scream and thud was heard, then silence. The horses bolted out of the slums, coming out at the end of the city, where only a few gravel roads led away from town. Logan finally got the team to a halt, then pulled apart the front curtains and crawled back to Amelia. 

She was knocked out with a small cut across the side of her forehead. Gently, he picked her up in his arms and propped her against the pillows and blankets. He stayed until she woke up. “Amelia, I think you saved us,” he said smiling, then took her hand. “I’m going into the city. I’ve parked the wagon in the woods so it’s hidden. I’m not going to drive through this place again, you’ll be alright here.” Amelia nodded and gave a small grin. She felt too nauseated to speak. Logan reloaded the revolver and tucked it in his pants, then put the money he brought to buy the medicine inside his vest. 

From ground level, the city was much more intimidating. He headed to a busy street filled with people and shops. Logan stopped an older man dressed in a professional suit, much unlike the first man he encountered. He was quickly directed to the medicine shop; it was only a little ways down the street. I’m here. I finally made it, Ben. Logan thought while standing outside the medicine shop. 

The doorbell rang as he entered. Logan stepped up to the counter, and handed the pharmacist his letter from the Gatlinburg Mayor. The man went to retrieve the medicine, then placed the brown bottle in front of Logan. “Well, Dr. Campbell. Sure was a trip for you. That’ll be two-hundred thirty-five dollars.”

“Indeed, but it’ll be worth it when I get back,” he replied. Logan took the money from his vest and handed most of it to the pharmacist. The bottle was carefully wrapped in soft packaging. Logan tipped his hat in parting, and made his way back to the wagon beneath the starlit sky. Without waking Ameila, he put the medicine in a crate of blankets. Logan continued to drive south during the night, trying to get as far away from the cities as possible. The moon and stars were bright, making it easy for him to see the roads. 

      The journey back home was much easier. The springtime weather was fully set in, and the climate grew warmer the further south they went. Logan had a new spirit; he was happy and hopeful for his town. He knew Ben was guiding him along the way and watching over him and Amelia. 

      Once they returned to Gatlinburg, he could see people peeking out of their doors to smile and wave. Hope was brought to them as well. The Mayor and Sheriff greeted both Logan and Amelia. Over the next week, people lined up to take the vaccine. Logan was also busy visiting homes to take care of the bed-ridden people. Amelia helped him like an assistant. 

      When the busyness was all over, Logan finally had time for Amelia. One late March afternoon, Logan Campbell kneeled down on one knee and asked Amelia for her hand in marriage. She immediately accepted, and hugged him tight around the neck. Logan was overjoyed. He had a new perspective on life, and no longer mourned Ben.