10-13-2020 - Held Up

 Held Up

IDEA - 10-13-2020

by

Patrick Ryan

1,546 Words

The disease got bad, year three, and still no vaccine. Everyone feared going outside, and the economy imploded. The federal government was hanging on by a string. Then, they announced that a vaccine was successfully tested. My father was careful; he let others try it. First, we waited a month, and no side effects emerged. We learned the nearest vaccination site was a Winterhaven medical building. We read a billboard sign, "Vaccine, $1,000 per shot, cash only." My family had $1,000, but it was our last bit of money in the world. We walk up to the entrance when we arrive at the medical building, but a security guard stops us, "We need to see the money before you enter." My father reached his pocket and took out a wad of cash, and handed it to me. He wanted me to have the shot. I show the money to the security officer, and he lets me in. My parents have to wait outside, so I hug them and enter the building. I follow the signs to a giant waiting room. Everyone waiting looks nervous, keeping a distance from each other. I walk up and pull a numbered ticket, "142," the wall counter reads "25," it could take a while. About an hour into my wait, a nervous-looking man starts holding his sweat pants. As the nurse exits to request the next vaccine number, he takes a gun out of his pocket and holds it at the nurse, "I think I'll go next, honey." The nurse responds quickly and runs to the floor’s secure portion, narrowly making it out of the deranged man's clutches. He holds the pistol to the ceiling and fires, "No one is going anywhere until I get my money." The gunfire is louder than I expected it would be, still 20 feet away, I'd ring in my ears. The man with the gun stands in front of the street exit, "not only will I be getting the vaccine next, but you better believe I'm taking your money, too!" People start handing huge stacks of cash one by one to the man with the gun. I notice the latch on a vent that leads to the secure portion of the laboratory is loose. The duct is narrow, and I would be the only one in the room who could fit. As the man with the gun walks down the line to where we are, we know this is our only chance, a woman helps with the remaining screws, and I start crawling, "get help," she whispers. As I enter the building’s secure portion, I see a nurse and two orderlies cowering in the corner. When asked why they haven't called the police yet, they admit they've been selling fake vaccines, and they'd be arrested for sure. One of the orderlies shows me the injected saline canisters. It's only a matter of time before the man barrels through that door, demanding his vaccine. I can either save myself or help the poor people robbed of their money. I decided to fight criminals instead, both of those robbing with a pistol and a needle.