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| PAGE THIRTY ONE |
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"Yes, Mr. DeSoto we did.." Jamie said, gesturing for Brice to take another BP on Marco. "It was an end to a means.." "W-wait a minute. Did you find your answers? You're both out of your biocontamination suits. That's great. Must be if the quarantine is lifted.." Roy said happily, folding his arms. "So why didn't you tell the reporters that too?" Chet snapped. "Because it isn't over yet ! Yes, we learned what it is and where it's come from.. But the serum that Marco's going to need comes from bats, Flying Foxes, according to one of the docs here. Now tell me how in the world are we going to find the right ones in Mexico from the middle of a city fringe jungle rainforest in time to save him eh?" Roy's face fell into lines deeper than the San Andreas Fault. "We can always hope, Chet.." Jamie MacPherson looked up with a large degree of doubt locked onto her face. Then the phone rang. Both the one in the kitchen lab and the one on the bunk house desk. Jamie and Brice both leaped for it. She was faster. "Dr. MacPherson.. in LACoF station 51.." Everyone held their breaths when her face proved it was Atlanta on the line. She listened for a while then... "I understand sir.. I- I 'll get right on it.. Yes, mobilize the Mexico City team to collect the vineyard specimens.. Our victim says the dead boy played with some in the garden in the days before he fell ill. As you heard from Dr. Taylor, they are very probably our sentinel animal species. Oh, and chief.. We need one taken alive and sent here. I need to extract a blood serum from it.." She set the phone down shakily and sank into a chair at the desk by the battery operated lantern. Gil came over and set a hand on her arm. "You ok?" "Yes.. I- I just am a little stunned about the finding. We have a name for the contagion in our files.." Steven Taylor came from the station's yard and from briefing the team outside. He saw the look on Jamie's face and Gil crouched near her offering her coffee and he asked. "Jamie.. What is it?" "Steve, it's Grade Four Marburg.. Boss's just confirmed it." "Ohhhh..no. I'm so sorry..We're too late." Dr. Taylor sighed, leaning against the wall in defeat. Dr. Brackett was less than gentle. "Ok. What's Marburg..?" Jamie,s lips worked mechanically. "Marburg.. Theorized RetroViral Infection. Three known live cases recognized world wide in 1975.. Incubation period of 5-10 days, onset of the disease: sudden. Marked by fever, chills, headache, and myalgia. Fifth day after onset of symptoms, a maculopapular rash, most prominent on the trunk may occur. Nausea, vomiting, chest pain, sore throat, abdominal pain, diarrhea then may appear. Symptoms become increasingly severe and may include jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, severe weight loss, delirium, shock, liver failure, massive hemorrhaging, and multi-organ dysfunction." Her last fact came in a whisper.. "No known cure.. All three reported cases were....100% ....Fatalities...." A stunned silence filled the darkened bunk room. Chet's face twitched in denial.. "No way.. no way man.. Not Marco. No way in h*ll!!" Cap got to his feet and ripped off his nasal cannula. "Kelly, now getting upset isn't going to help matters any.." Kelly's face was a mask of torture and deep deep emotional pain. It sullied his fine boned features, making a mockery of them. "I don't care anymore Cap! We ... have taken.....just about all we can here! And so have I. Look at us.. " he said flinging his arms wide. "Just look at us, Cap! Johnny was almost crushed today, so was the engine and squad. Miss Thorne over there was almost gassed to death. You almost bought it too! And most of us here in one way or another.. Bonnie, too, for Pete's sake." He started pacing and kicked over an empty water jug in his frustration and rage.. "I'm sick of this whole thing! Being stuck here, watching things deteriorate like this. So just take it back Cap.,, the whole g*dd*mned unlucky deck of cards we've been dealt over the last four days!! Cap, just make it go away. We gotta all return to base, we gotta all get some sleep, we gotta all be ready for a fresh start all together again, by wake up tone time.." Cap started to move forward.. "Chet...." he said softly. ."I would if I could pal.. Y- you know that.." Chet screwed his eyes shut and tears flooded out."Ah, man..... not Marco..pleeaaasseee not him.. It's just not fair.." and he started to cry, sagging down the wall by Marco's head. He reached out and caressed Lopez's hair with a hand, sobbing. His wracking cries panged everyone listening and soon, Cindy rose to speak quietly with Chet where he knelt on the floor. She said..... |
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***************************** From: "Cory Anda" <andacory@hotmail.com> Date: Tue Nov 5, 2002 11:31 pm Subject: Panacea... "Mr. Kelly. Listen to me. Things aren't all lost. Not yet. Marco's still alive. And of everyone here, I've seen none who've hovered more often in concern and caring, than you. Things look dark. But if you've hit bottom, then there's no where else to go but up, is there?" Chet didn't pay any attention to her, his face still buried in Marco's hair. Then quiet, calm Mike Stoker said something very profound. "100% fatalities.." he mumbled. "I just can't believe that at all. They're just words..." "What?" Chet said, looking up at his engineer coworker, wiping his red eyes and face with an arm. "They're just words.. All of them. That complete phone call from Atlanta. That Marburg report. Dry. Dispassionate. Just facts. How can we trust its end-all be-all credibility?" Mike said, thoughtfully. Miss Thorne began to smile. "There was never a thesis or report born that ever escaped revision. Mike Stoker, you're beautiful!" And she kissed him full on the cheek. She went rushing off to find Dr. Taylor and Dr. MacPherson. Chet's eyes immediately dried up into another emotion, one of jealousy. "Hey, how come you get all the chicks kissing you? Stoker, did you tell her it was you who revived her in the yard?" Mike said, "Nope. No one ever told her that she had even quit breathing." Then he rubbed some knuckles on his shirt's badge,"Maybe she just likes the quiet rugged type of fireman.. eh?" "Yeah?" Chet said, more like himself. "Well, how about a fireman who's not afraid to show his emotions openly.." Cap piped up with a grin.. "Well, then, everyone in the room here today would be unbeatable Cassanovas now wouldn't they, Kelly, if that were true. No, Chet, I think it was something Stoker said that gave Cindy Thorne an idea on another matter." "What do you think it was?" Kelly said, fussing with Marco's blankets. "Don't know. Does it look like I have an answer to everything..?" Cap muttered. "Absolutely.." "Yes." "Yes.." "Yep.." Roy, Gil, Brice and Chet all said to him. "Very funny. I think I'll quit my day job and become a mountain guru and charge people for my answers.." "Just don't sit on the wrong mountain. You may just get shaken off by another earthquake.." Roy kidded. |
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