Freyr had a hard time getting through to the hospital. She had the foresight to keep the reception’s number in her phone, although apparently to some that was a ‘weird’ thing to do. She waited five minutes on hold whilst crawling along the congested road to the flat, but she may as well have not bothered. The woman who picked up the phone seemed so overwhelmed by what was happening on the other side of the desk that Freyr may as well have been draining blood from a stone.

“Atlanta Medical Centre.”

“Hi there, i’ve been asked to come in for jabs…?”

“Yes, come in as soon as possible.” What sounded like a melee was audible in the background. It seemed like hundreds of people all shouting at once.

“Hold on, i didn’t say i wanted them yet. What are they for?”

“Just a precaution ma’am.”

“What are they protecting against? My mother studies pandemics, i know my stuff.” Freyr fibbed. Her mum did actually study dangerous diseases, but she had never taken any notice of her lectures until now. The receptionist started saying something but the line went dead, Freyr tried the number again but gave up when it went straight to voicemail. She went to call Indy but a gap opened up in the traffic and she sped aggressively into it, dropping her phone in her lap. Things outside seemed tense; there were people rushing into shops and others shouting at each other from opposite sides of the street. Slipping as covertly as she could through the lanes of traffic, Freyr sidled up to her destination. The sensor on the windscreen of her Rover made the wrought iron gates of their apartment building’s underground car park slide open noisily; Freyr wasted no time in disappearing inside.

The underground carpark was cool and, for now, empty of most cars. Halogen lighting strips on the ceiling bathed the concrete walls, floors and pillars in an eerie bluish light. Freyr found Indy’s Audi in it’s usual space right next to the elevator door. He must have kicked ass at that archaeological job thing he’d been talking about. Running her hand over the cold bodywork of Indy’s car, Freyr headed into the elevator and picked out their floor. Fourth from the top, floor 27. They'd got the three bedroom apartment for a snip at $490,000. Freyr put it down to the whole building being new. She couldn't wait to feel the wood under her bare feet after a stressful few hours.