By the time I got back to the island only Henson was still alive. He didn\u2019t speak; the gun said it all. He motioned me to the prison and locked me in a cage.<\/p>\n
\u201cQuarantine,\u201d he muttered at last, as if now that I was contained it was safe to talk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe others?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll dead. Burnt their bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was exhausted, eyes sunken into his skull, shrinking from the horrors he had no doubt witnessed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you?\u201d<\/p>\n
He sneered. \u201cI sat in the church tower with this.\u201d The gun.<\/p>\n
Three days, he told me. Three days and I\u2019d be dead if infected. He gave me food and water and inspected me through the bars of the cage. He moved slowly. His eyes were rheumy. That night he came again.<\/p>\n
On the second day he didn\u2019t turn up \u2018til near sunset. His walk was slower, his hands trembled the rations he carried.<\/p>\n
\u201cHenson,\u201d I said, \u201cyou look sick.\u201d<\/p>\n
He ignored me, set the food and water by the cage, and walked away shaking his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me out. I\u2019m not infected. Henson! Let me out!\u201d<\/p>\n
The third day came and went. He never returned.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By the time I got back to the island only Henson was still alive. He didn\u2019t speak; the gun said it all. He motioned me to the prison and locked<\/p>\n