An Inch from Oblivion by Sam Polakoff

Author:Sam Polakoff [Polakoff, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Komodo Dragon, LLC
Published: 2023-04-14T23:00:00+00:00

CHAP T E R 4 0

Louisa Krantzler placed her left hand up to her ear in agony. The harsh tone was excruciating. Her brain felt stuck. The computer screen faded to gray, and she could no longer read the text on her screen. The tone in her ear began to subside. Louisa rubbed her eyes and tried to focus. Was that what a migraine felt like?

“Louisa, bring me a raspberry pastry and coffee, please,” bellowed the scratchy voice of her boss, Johann Straussburg.

The distinct sound of her boss’s voice released her brain from purgatory. “Ja, Herr Straussburg. I will be there momentarily.” Louisa got up slowly, sipped from a cup of water on her desk, and made her way to the café in the lobby of the ornate glass building.

Ten minutes later, she entered Straussburg’s expansive office with a white bag and a coffee. “Here you go, Herr Straussburg. They didn’t have raspberry pastry, so I got you peach. I hope . . .” Louisa couldn’t finish the words. The sight of the world-famous Johann Straussburg stunned her.

Orchestra music played from his computer while the man clutched both sides of his head with his hands. His eyes bulged grotesquely.

What was happening?

“Herr Straussburg, are you okay?”

Louisa placed the bag and coffee on a round conference table and went behind the desk to comfort her boss. His screen showed an orchestra playing Mozart while one of his hands left his head and began clicking wildly on the mouse. Louisa gently lowered the lid to the laptop without knowing what else to do.

Like a chain reaction, Straussburg’s brain was freed. He began slowly to come around. “Louisa? What’s going on?”

“You asked for food. When I brought it, you were staring at an orchestra and clicking your mouse uncontrollably. You seemed . . . almost hypnotized.”

Straussburg placed his hand on the right side of his head and rubbed an aching temple. “The pain in my head, it’s intense.”

“Would you like me to call an ambulance?”

“No, I will try some ibuprofen first.”

“Let me get you some with a glass of water.”

On her way to a cabinet where they kept the first aid kit, Louisa felt dizzy. She placed an arm against the corridor wall to brace herself. Straightening her posture, Louisa checked her watch. Herr Straussburg’s call with world leaders was scheduled in five minutes. She would have to hurry back with the ibuprofen so they could begin on time. She needed to situate in front of her laptop so she could record the minutes of the meeting.

Louisa delivered the medication to Herr Straussburg and noted his improved condition. She was relieved. Whatever hit them both almost simultaneously seemed to have subsided. Perhaps a bug was making its way through the office.

After sitting behind her desk and clicking on the video meeting link, Louisa prepared to type. She began by entering the session title, the date and time, and the names of participating world leaders. She stared at the session title, “World Economics in a Post-Pandemic World,” and waited for Herr Straussburg to commence the session.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.