Medicine: A Narrative Fiction

It was a dark and stormy night when the plane left the runway into the air. It was only Bruce's second time on a plane, other than when he first moved to China a year ago. He was actually handling it better this time, but only because he was so focused on one of his favorite movies. As he began to binge watch zombie movies, he started to calm down and a smile almost appeared on his face. There was a brief moment that jolted him back into reality as the plane hit some turbulence. His hands started to shake and he felt as if he couldn’t breathe. After the 'Fasten Your Seatbelts' sign turned off, a sturdiest started to speak over the crackling intercom.

"We apologize for that rough bit of air, we just hit," she began to say, "If any other

turbulence occurs, please stay calm."
Bruce then suddenly tore away from his seat and bolted to the bathroom. After the cool water splashed against his reddened face, and he calmed down, he came back to the middle of the plane to sit down. Almost back to his seat, he noticed his mother has a worried expression on her face.
"Are you alright?" asked Martha, his mom.

"Do I need to get your medicine?"

"Mom, I'm ok. I just had to go to the bathroom," lied Bruce. "I don't need my medicine,

ok?"

"Ok, ok," said Martha. She still knew her son well enough to tell when he was lying, but thought bringing it up might cause him to panic again.

“Aw, baby needs his medicine?” asked his cousin Tony. Bruce’s mom shot Tony a look and he said back, “What? You know that I’m just messing with him. You are ok, right Bruce?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m ok so stop with the questions,” Bruce stated, a bit annoyed now. “Can I please continue watching my movie?” As he sat back down, his mom and cousin left him alone, and he slowly fell asleep.

“Help me! He’s dead! Please someone help me!” screamed a mysterious voice. Bruce was woken up by the sudden commotion and at first, he thought it was the movie. As he examined his surroundings, though, he noticed people crowded around a seat a few isles back. Martha also just noticed what was occurring and couldn’t believe her eyes. She grabbed Bruce by the arm before he could get up for a better

view.
“Bruce! Bruce, it’s ok. He’s fine,” she said, trying to calm him. “He probably is just asleep and doesn’t want to wake up for her. If you feel like you are about to have a panic attack’ please, please, please tell me so I can get to your medicine. Ok?” Bruce nodded his head yes as she then said, “Tony, get me if anything happens to you or Bruce. I am not joking.”
As she got up from her seat, Bruce and Tony were still shocked that something like this could even happen on a plane. Bruce then started to lose his breath. His throat tightened and his mouth became bone dry to where he couldn’t even scream for help. As his grip tightened on the armrest, his knuckles whitened and his palms became sweaty.
“Bruce? Bruce?!? Are you ok?” screamed Tony. After he realized Bruce was unresponsive, Tony shouted for Martha, but she was out of reach to hear anything. Tony then did the only thing he could think of, without causing more panic. He ran to the carry-on bags they brought with them and grabbed the pills in fear for his cousin’s life. He then grabbed one, opened Bruce’s mouth and forced Bruce to swallow it just as he was taught. After what seemed like eternity, Bruce was almost back to normal. “Hey buddy,” said Tony. “Don’t scare me like that again, please.”
“So… sorry,” stuttered Bruce. “I th… think I’m ok now. Please don’t tell mom, or else we could both get in trouble.” After Bruce finished speaking, multiple screams ringed in both of their ears and Martha appeared out of nowhere.
“Kids, we need to go upfront, please,” she whispered, as tears rolled down her face.
“Why?” asked Bruce.
“Please trust me and don’t ask any questions,” she cried out. As Bruce and Tony gave up asking, they forced themselves up and ran to the front of the plane. More screams occurred and a flood of people started to rush behind the family. Before either Bruce or Tony could look back, Martha shoved them into the first class area and slammed the door behind them.
“Miss,” said one of the plane’s sturdiest workers. “What gives you the right to rush up here with your children? Do I need to call the air marshal?”
“Can you not hear the screams up here?” screamed Martha.

As she barely finished her sentence, a sound came from the door. Boom, boom, boom! Martha knew it was no use trying to persuade her, so instead Martha shoved her aside and tugged her son and nephew behind her to the very front of the plane. Before the sturdiest could call for help, the door broke down and a mass flood of people crush forward. At least they looked like people. As one of the mysterious passengers rushed toward the sturdiest, the sight of a missing arm and blackened blood covering his body made her faint. The first class passengers noticed what was occurring, but it was too late.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” screamed the sturdiest as limb from limb was being torn from her. Blood began to spill into the aisles and screams began to blind together. Monster after monster flooded to the front of the plane so much that the plane started to tilt forward. Bruce and Tony now understood why Martha wanted them to move so quickly and they soon both joined in the sea of screams. Martha reacted quickly enough to shove them into the cramp bathroom before any of the ‘zombies’ could see

them.
“What the f#$* was that Aunt Martha?!?” whispered Tony. As she registered what he just said, she then smacked him but at the same time, somehow cradled him and Bruce. “I am so sorry Aunt Martha,” he started to say as tears fell from his face. Suddenly something crashed into the door and everyone fell dead silent inside. The plane then suddenly fell into free fall to where everything started to float into the air. As more screams escaped the trio’s mouths, Tony and Martha fell unconscious.
“MOM! TONY!” screamed Bruce, but there was no response. As the plane came closer and closer to the ocean beneath them, all Bruce could do was cry as he soon meet his death.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” screamed a mysterious voice. Bruce was shaken awake by his mom trying to calm him down.
“Bruce! Bruce it is ok. You were just having a nightmare,” exclaimed Martha. It took Bruce a few moments to realize it was all a dream. As he finally calmed down, he then decided to tell the story. After he was done, his mother couldn’t believe that such a story could come from such a short dream.
“What do you mean I just fell asleep?!? It felt like it was hours!” screamed Bruce.
“Calm down, please Bruce,” whispered her mother as other passengers started to look. “You were just watching the movie and within one minuet, I saw you fall asleep and wake up.
Bruce finally accepted defeat as he just wanted it to be over. After a few minutes, and his mom taking his zombie movies away for the plane ride, a scream appeared out of nowhere.
“Help me! He’s dead! Please someone help me!” screamed a mysterious voice. Bruce and Martha then looked at each other in fear. Before Bruce could stop her, his mom went to check on the person who screamed and it started to happen all over again.