What if: Viral Outbreak(Day one)

(All right so this one is going to be a little different than the first two. I'll set you up, its late September of 2016, an unknown viral outbreak has begun to spread across the world. the virus is extremely fatal with an long gestation period during which it is highly contagious. All the rest will parallel my real situation. This won't be pretty and it won't be fun.)

September 21, 2016 Day One

Work tomorrow so here I am at the grocery store buying food for work. All around me things seem normal as people go about their day buying groceries, but things aren't normal. The headlines are filled with the latest virus scare, just under the headlines about the American election. It seems one of the election candidates has been missing from the public eye for several days.
My gut told me something was wrong, very wrong, admittedly my gut always told me something was wrong. Almost without thinking I grabbed some extra items; two cases of water, a bulk pack of toilet paper, protein bars, dried milk, and meal replacements. As I paid for my items the pretty young cashier gave me a smile and raised eyebrow, before ringing through the items. I briefly considered warning her but realized it would only make her uncomfortable and me look crazy.
After I loaded the groceries into my Jeep I made a beeline to the Canadian Tire and picked up four half mask respirators, half a dozen chemical resistant coveralls, painters clothes, and as much duct tape as I could afford. Next stop was the outdoors store for two pound propane bottles and ammunition. Finally it was off to the Shoppers's Drugmart for surgical gloves and hand sanitizer, my credit rating was taking a huge hit today but it wouldn't be the first time and if I was wrong I would just pay it off later.
I tuned to the AM news station on my drive home, the boring voiced liberal media was never my thing but occasionally they hit on something useful. On my short drive home I learned about a wine festival in the Okanogan but nothing useful.
Back at home I did my best to keep my wife, Eden, from seeing my extra purchases. She never liked my paranoid prepper life style but I figured it was better safe than story. My ability to be prepared was far better than my ability to be discrete and she caught on pretty quickly.
"What is it this time? Terrorists? World War 3? These things never turn to be true and you're just wasting money babe."
"It's a viral outbreak this time and it's here."
"What do you mean it's here?"
"I drove past the hospital and it was lined up out the door."
"That happens a lot babe."
"There's more, there's been an increase of sick calls at work and everywhere else."
"So are we just going to hide in the house?"
"No you and Xavier are, we can afford that, I'll go to work until I can't anymore."
Outside an ambulance flew past our house with lights and sirens screaming. For the first time in our marriage my wife consented and said her and Xavier would stay at home for a little while. Before I went to bed I saw a new headline stating the US presidential candidate had died, and just below that a body count from India that had reached six digits.

What If: Stranded in winter

Well here we are with another what if scenario, this time my vehicle has slid off a winter road and left me stranded. It's the middle of winter, night, and snow is falling.

I locked the four wheel drive and feathered the gas, the whine of free spinning tires confirmed that I wasn't going anywhere. Flipping on the Auxiliary Lights I stepped out of the my Jeep Patriot and into knee deep snow. The landscape around me flickered as the heavy snow floated past the lights, it was damn cold too. I looked both ways down the winter road between Fort Chipewyan and Fort Smith, but there wouldn't anyone coming this way for a while.
It was after ten on a Saturday night in the middle of February, so I lit a cigar and considered my situation. I could probably dig the Jeep out but with the snow still falling and after I long day I had no desire to do any late night digging. There was no cell service and no one would be looking for me tonight. So I put out my cigar and climbed back in the Jeep, flicking off the lights and killing the engine.
Unlacing my boots I climbed into the back of the Jeep, which I converted into a camper for this trip by folding down the back seats and laying down a sleeping pad and sub zero sleeping bag. Clicking on a little battery powered lantern which filled the Jeep with light, I grabbed my adventure/survival pack. Inside I had several MREs and a couple bottles of water, I sipped at the water while the MRE, Beef Ravioli, cooked.
I flipped through a survival guide while I ate, the food bland but filling. A chocolate bar for desert and I crawled into my sleeping in bag. the Jeep was cold but inside the bag I was warm and as I drifted off to sleep I hoped the Jeep would start in the morning.
It was still dark when I woke and a check of my watch showed it to be about eight in the morning. I crawled out of my sleeping bag and immediately began shivering. Inside the bag it had been several balmy degrees above zero but out in the Jeep it was at least ten degrees below, with condensation frozen to all the windows.
Climbing into the driver's seat I turned the key and was greeted to the purring of the Jeep's engine coming to life. I cranked the heat and rolled down opposite windows before climbing back into the living area for breakfast. A water bottle from my sleeping bag warmed up the pork sausage MRE for breakfast while I waited for the Jeep to warm up.
Breakfast finished and the windows cleared I laced up my boots and got out of the Jeep. It was chilly but I was dressed warm as always, I lit my cigar back up and looked around. At least two or three centimeters had fallen while I was sleeping covering the road and the Jeep.
First things first I had to clean the Jeep off and make myself more visible. I ran into my first complication clearing off the hood when I discovered the front tires had frozen into the snow. Second complication came when I discovered a large gap of air between the back tires and Terra firma. I wasn't going anywhere without a tug back onto solid ground.
I was right in the middle between the two villages with 180 km in either direction and it was Sunday. I briefly considered walking to one of them but I didn't have provisions, a map, and it was winter. So I grabbed my shovel off the roof and started chipping away at the front tires. After about an hour I had the tires basically free and realizing the Jeep was still running decided to check the fuel.
The gauge had dipped below half a tank so I shut the engine off and emptied one of the three Jerry cans into the tank putting me at just under full. With nothing else to do and the sun rapidly rising in the south I dropped back into the driver's seat and flicked on the hazards. I had just finished my lunch of an energy bar and water when I heard the honking coming from the road.
I jumped out of the Jeep and waved to the pickup that had stopped a few feet down the road. A kind looking man with a round face and broad smile stepped out and waved.
"You all right?"
"I'm fine, thank you, just need a little tug."
"I think I can help, you got a rope?"
"Yup, You line up and I'll grab the strap."
He got back into his truck and lined up with the Jeep while I grabbed the bright yellow tow strap from inside. Two hooks and a quick tug and the Jeep was back on the road, I smiled and thanked my rescuer who wished me well. The tow strap back in the trunk and my sunglasses on I hit the road thinking of the smiling faces waiting for me and the way things could have gone.