Pestilence: The Infection Begins (3 page)

She went back to her room after breakfast to gather a few belongings when her cell phone rang. Her practical side was about to get a rude awakening.

“Monday, Delaney.” It was Director Calgleef.

“What… I beg your pardon, sir?” Delaney didn’t understand him.

“The first load of vaccines are to arrive at Riverside on Monday. I’m sending extra personnel over to assist—”

“MONDAY?”

“Yes, Delaney, is there something wrong with that—doesn’t suit you, got a hair appointment perhaps?”

“No. But how can the vaccine be ready? It was less than two weeks when you—”

“Hundreds of doctors, scientists and researchers working around the clock, Delaney, that’s how. Anyway that’s not your concern right now, getting the program underway is, and you know how to do that.” Calgleef avoided the tough questions that he knew would follow if he allowed her enough room. He gave her some praise and got out. “You have the full confidence of the CDC and me of course. I’ll check in with you periodically, but I’m sure you can handle it. The hospital has been informed by the CDC of the pre-vaccination tests, and they are to give you full cooperation. Until then, Delaney.” Calgleef ended the call before she could ask any questions.

Dr. Moya had told her the vaccine was ready just the day before, and now she’d been told it would be here for her and her team to begin administering on Monday—four days from now.

“No, I won’t let this affect anything. It’s for the best, it’s not about money…” she said out loud in an attempt to convince herself.

She didn’t believe a word of it, but with four days before the arrival of the vaccination… there was little she could do about it. She had to accept that people will make profit no matter what, and as long as the population benefitted she would have to leave it be. It wasn’t a perfect situation but…

“DAMN IT!” She tossed her cell onto her bed.

M
onday morning
. D-day, or as Grace Delaney preferred, V-day. She’d spent the previous days getting acquainted with the hospital surrounds, her office and some of the staff. After a restless Sunday night, she marched into the hospital ready to get things done. She couldn’t afford to entertain more thoughts of a collusion between private companies, government departments and medical professionals.

“Good morning, Dr. Delaney. It’s so nice meet you again,” an olive-skinned dark-haired man with a touch of gray on the sides came up behind her in the hallway just before the nurses station.

The voice sounded familiar, but at this hour and without much sleep—and definitely not enough coffee—she was at a loss. She turned around casually. “Yes, I’m Dr. Delaney. And—Dr. Moya?”

“Pasquali, most call me Paz!”

She was stunned by the sudden appearance of her European counterpart. She spoke to him on the phone just days ago now here he was in person. Though they had briefly met at a seminar some years back Delaney struggled to remember him—but not so for him it seemed. She finally took the hand held out in a greeting after an uncomfortable pause.

“Err… Dr. Moya, y-you… what are you doing here?” she managed.

“Overseeing the operation. Thorn Bio-Tech has a considerable investment in this, and I’m here to make sure it runs smoothly.”

“Don’t worry, Dr. Moya, the company will make its money I’m sure—”

“I resent that remark, Dr. Delaney. Though you may not think it to be the case, the company, and myself, are very concerned about the patients’ response to the vaccine, and I’m here to observe it!”

Delaney knew her quip wasn’t called for, but with all that had transpired in recent days it was on the tip of her tongue; she couldn’t control herself. But Moya’s excuse was less than credible; if he intended to be present for the vaccinations, surely he would have known and told her over the phone. That he arrived on the day the shots were to commence suggested he’d probably been ordered by Thorn to safeguard their investment.

“Are you just here to watch, or do you plan to assist in any way?” She avoided the potential confrontation; there was no time for it.

“I would love to help, but the rules of the AMA state—as I’m sure you are well aware—that I cannot practice in an American hospital without the proper certification or licensing, so I’m strictly an observer, Dr. Delaney.”

Let’s hope it remains that way, she told herself.

“Well, I believe it’s time to get started, Dr. Moya, perhaps we can catch up later?”

“Certainly, I would love to… over coffee?”

Delaney smiled and this time she was first to hold out her hand. As she strolled to her temporary office at Riverside Hospital, she weighed the options.

What is he really doing here? Did he come of his own accord or was he ordered? She believed it to be the latter, considering his ties to Thorn but would have to wait for that answer; she had more important matters to attend to.

* * *

A
fter a drink
of water in her office to cool herself down, Delaney prepared for her day ahead. The extra personnel from the CDC had arrived as Calgleef had promised, and along with the members of her group, she had an ample-sized force to start the initial series. An unmarked CDC van of vaccines had arrived over the weekend—in the dead of night with a police escort. The orders from the CDC were to start the vaccination on outpatients who weren’t suffering from any respiratory or heart conditions and definitely not on anyone already showing symptoms of a standard cold or flu. Hospital staff allocated to Delaney would take vital signs and document names and addresses—there would be follow-up shots in the coming months. When Delaney walked into the first consultation room, in the outpatients’ clinic, she met Dr. Isaac Tilford.

“Dr. Delaney.” He stood up from the swivel chair. “Dr. Delaney?” he said again, tilting his head to one side, his right eyebrow turned in lower than the other.

“Err, yes, yes… you are?” She almost forgot her reason for being here when she laid eyes on the younger doctor before her. The issues that had plagued her over the last weeks seemed to vanish. One corner of her full red lips curled upward ever so slightly.

This assignment is showing some promise at last…

“Dr. Isaac Tilford.”

“I’m sorry?”

“My name, I’m Dr. Isaac Tilford. I’m a first-year doctor, and I’m to assist you with these inoculations.” He held out his hand cordially, she didn’t hesitate to accept.

“It’s a pleasure to-to meet you.” Her breath was short and she struggled for words. After her mandatory count to ten and a deep breath—her way of combating overexcitement—she regained some composure and hoped her interest wasn’t too obvious.

“Thank you and you as well.”

The young doctor’s hand was strong, but his skin was soft and warm. She entertained thoughts of being caressed by these hands, in a bubble bath perhaps with a glass of…

Don’t be silly, he’s at least ten years younger and, and… oh, what the hell. You’re only here for a few days; you owe it to yourself to live a little, girl!

“Yes I do, I do!” she whispered.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

“Oh, I just said ‘and you too,’ that’s all. I have a habit of repeating myself.” Her eyes wandered about the room—there was nowhere to hide.

The unopened containers of vials on the dark marble counter marked Thorn Bio-Tech, reminded her why they were here.

It had been almost a decade since a man had such an effect on her. It would have been just before taking the position at CDC, before her life became so serious.

“We should get started, I suppose…”

Delaney had no sooner made her suggestion when the door to the consultation room burst open. The hospital CEO, Albert Gerard, stormed in. His mere presence telegraphed all that was dark and gloomy in the world.

“A word please, Doctor.” His voice demanding and far from agreeable. “Leave us, Tilford.”

He had no respect for new staff members, nurses or first-year doctors. They all got a taste of his less than cheerful persona—and often.

“If you have something you wish to say, Mr. Gerard, you can say it in front of Dr. Tilford. He’s my assistant and I’m about to begin a long and trying day. I can’t have him in and out of the room at this critical juncture.” She exaggerated of course, but she wasn’t about to let a mere hospital CEO undermine her authority, not in the consultation room and not in front of a colleague. She operated under the direction of the Center for Disease Control, who had a mandate from the federal government, it made no difference to her if he was in charge of the hospital, the county morgue or of shelling peanuts for monkeys at the zoo.

“Very well,” retorted Gerard. “What evidence is there for an outbreak of the Baltic flu, I’ve not seen any cases of it anywhere in the United States? I demand to know why these pre-vaccination shots—as you call them—are starting here in Des Moines—and in my hospital?”

“You’re correct, Mr. Gerard, there are no cases reported thus far of Baltic flu anywhere in the country. While we can never say for certain that we can prevent it from occurring, we can significantly lessen the chances by instigating a nationwide vaccination program. The president thought it would look good to start from here, in the center of the country, and fan out. You’ll have to question him if you want a further explanation than that. You do know the president is from here, don’t you?”

While she waited for his answer, Delaney was quite impressed with her party-line speech. She was sure Calgleef, or even Moya, would have approved if they had heard it.

“Yes, yes… yes, of course, but why Riverside? Why my hospital?”

“Sir,” Tilford stepped in, “think of the publicity factor and the high regard Riverside will be held in and will go down in the history books for given its contribution to the safeguarding of Americans against a deadly overseas virus.”

Gerard rubbed a hand over his clean-shaven face, straightened the Windsor knot of his white polka-dot tie. “Hmm, yes I see what you mean, I do. Good thinking, err… yeah.” He turned and left as abruptly as he’d entered.

Delaney raised her eyebrows and looked at Tilford. “What the hell just happened?”

“Hurricane Gerard. We call him that. Generally blows out of steam before reaching danger point though.” Tilford and Delaney laughed, easing the tension considerably after the intrusion.

“Shall we start?” she said, a smile still on her face. The day that started out not looking so well had changed for the better. Maybe I could transfer here, after these vaccinations are completed—just to monitor the patients of course! She covered her mouth to prevent her snickering being heard.

As Tilford went to summon the first patient, Delaney had the glare of a predator in her eyes as she stared at his tight buns. A fleeting thought of her naked thighs wrapped tight around his bare butt passed through her mind.

Enough of that. I’ve got a job to do and it’s hard enough already…

It was going to be a long day, but not for any of the reasons she’d first thought.

* * *

A
fter two hours
of seeing patients, Delaney and Tilford took a break. They had inoculated more than a dozen people in that time, and Delaney’s concerns weren’t alleviated at all. Each of the patients to receive a shot broke out in a sweat within seconds and complained of a burning sensation, “…like acid, it’s like acid.” Others were unsteady on their feet, and all were told to rest for a while in the waiting room before they went home.

“I’m quite concerned with the after effects displayed by the patients, Dr. Delaney.”

“So am I. Reactions to a vaccine can vary, and some can be adverse, but I’ve never known a reaction to occur almost instantly and for every patient to exhibit the same response, never!” She looked back at her assistant after dropping her latex gloves in the yellow disposal container. He had shown no loyalty to the hospital CEO and had a genuine interest in the patients’ welfare.

Damn it, she said to herself, I’m going to tell him, he needs to know what we’re up against.

“Let me explain something to you, Dr. Tilford.”

When she was done Tilford leaned back against the examination table and stared at the floor a foot or so in front of his brown slip-on shoes. He ran a hand through his hair, then allowed it to sit there on top of his head: the personification of bewilderment.

“So we’ve been injecting these people with an unproven drug developed with God knows what. How can that be?”

“Essentially that’s what it is. And if my suspicions are correct, we’re up against powerful interests. Very powerful.”

“And the president ordered this?”

“It was an executive decision passed down to the FDA, CDC, all hospitals and health clinics. That’s part of why we are starting the program in hospitals.” Delaney moved closer to the young doctor, who was clearly shocked by the revelation. “We need to take a break. Get yourself a coffee. I have a phone call to make.”

“About the reactions?”

“Yes, but first I need to check with the others to see if the patients they saw exhibited a similar response. See you back here in… fifteen?”

Tilford went to the canteen while Delaney counseled with her other CDC colleagues. The news she received—which she suspected would be the case—was that their patients also showed the same symptoms after the injection.

Her fears had materialized in front of her.

It was a perfect mess, but this was the one time when she could do without perfect.