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| PAGE THIRTY THREE |
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Dr. Taylor blanched. "Sex specific etiology on the Marburg host? Ohmy.." and he ran once more for the phone directly linked with Atlanta.. "Miss Thorne.. I love you.." Jamie said, excited. "Steven and I were so busy wallowing in self pity about that standing report on Marburg that we didn't see new alternatives... Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou..." "What did I just set off? " Cindy said, genuinely puzzled.. "Mammals first milk. Full of antibodies that transmit to their babies in the first twenty four hours following birth.. The female Flying Foxes must have the ability to shake off Marburg to the extent of being able to survive long enough to transmit their immunity to their young. That's why the Marburg plagues of the past didn't make the species extinct! They've had millions of years to adapt to each other.." "You mean, you won't have to wait for one of the Marburg victims to fight off the infection on their own to get a serum?" "No.. For that serum's already been made.. In the female bats of that stricken colony!" -------------------------------------------- Steven was on the phone with his boss. "That's right sir. Find a gravid female near parturition. Isolate her mammarian pre-lactate and I'll just bet Marburg antibodies are there. They have to be. There were only dead adult males on the photos you sent us.." Dr. Taylor had three others on the California team listening in on other phones too so they were being appraised same as Boss was. "Yes sir.. No, don't send your samples to me.. Send us the bat herself.. Or better, yet, send several.. This antibody might need a living metabolism to stay viable.. Make sure they're due to birth their young within the next half day.. Yes sir,.. I'll let LAX and the air force jet unit assigned to us, know. Thank you sir.. What was that? It was a civilian who pointed this out to us. She's a teacher who was caught in the earthquake here in the firehouse. Yes, I'll get her name for you. And sir, make a rush on this.. The fireman's nearly critical.." and Taylor hung up the phone.. He was almost dizzy with happiness about the possible Marburg Achilles heel by the time he rushed back into the bunkroom to tell the waiting firemen and paramedics about their serendipitous discovery through Miss Cindy Thorne. ------------------------------------ Dr. Brackett was all grins as he flew through waking Johnny, out of his shocky sleep. "Hey.. Johnny... Rise and shine. The sun's already getting up. So should you." Gage coughed and he felt Dr. Brackett remove his oxygen as he blearily awoke. "What.. did I miss something important? Marco ok?" "Yes, and not yet.. I'll tell you more while we eat.." Johnny was immediately serious and he let Dr. Brackett sit him up and hand him some soup and jelly sandwiches that Cap had made for them both. Soon, Johnny knew about the rare Marburg epidemic and the new potential cure for it so ironically discovered by Miss Thorne. "Teachers are smart. I'll admit that.." he grinned. Then his face fell. "So, will they manage to isolate some mother flying foxes in time before Marco...uh.." "There's every chance.. Dr. Taylor told me they have air force jets scrambling just for us to get some here.." "Those plague bats are coming here?" Johnny said, chipmunk cheeked. He suddenly lost his appetite and set down his once bitten sandwich. |
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"Something the matter with your sandwich? Shouldn't be with a fire department Captain on the chowline." "No.. just not hungry.. I hate bats.." Arfff!! Gage smiled down at Bonnie. "Seems she agrees with me..." he said absently scratching her head as she lay in his stokes. "Here you go, darling.. Have some.." and he fed her his sandwich, piece by piece. The ravenous Yorky nearly ate his fingers. "Ow.." But he was grinning. "You have to eat, Johnny, Or I'll have Brice start up another D5W IV on you." "I'll eat. I'll eat.. Just.. ..gimme that soup bowl. I'll work on that.." Dr. Brackett gave Gage the piping hot tomato soup thermos from the tray. "All of it or it's Brice over here in five minutes." Johnny glowered, but drank every drop. Then he set down his bowl and leaned in confidentially. "Say listen doc. The other guys have been keeping me in the dark about Marco's true condition. Don't you think I should have the right to be in on that? I am a paramedic after all." "And I am a doctor, surprise surprise. They aren't telling you on my orders, Johnny. It's a clearcut case of doctor /patient confidentiality. Roy, Brice and Gil are the attending medics, you shouldn't have to have that excess burden of worry.." "It's no burden Dr. Brackett. He's my friend. And ..and ..and .. I just wanna know how he is...that's all.." "He's alive.. The tones on his EKG should be telling you that. And that, is all you need to know.." Kel said, finishing his food and rising to attend his next exam of Marco. "That' great doc. Just great..!" Johnny said sarcastically. But inwardly, he knew Kel was right. Captain Stanley made an announcement following their meal. "Listen all, we're not needed in the disaster station outside, but even though the official quarantine is over, all of us have to stick close to base for an innoculation once one is isolated all right? Miss Thorne, I'm sorry but that means even you'll have to spend another day in the station house." "That's ok. I've already talked to my family and they understand. They saw the news broadcast last night.." "Good deal. The water's running so we'll have hot showers for now or later. I suggest we all get some sleep. Gil, Roy, Brice.. Dr. Brackett has asked for me to get a schedule from you three about sitting up with Marco. Who's first?" Johnny raised his hand but Cap pointedly pretended he was invisible to the role call. Roy got the first two hour watch over Marco. "Wake me the first sign of trouble, Roy.." Dr. Brackett said. He stretched out onto one of the beds near the phone opposite Marco. "And Gil, I want to know if the biophones are working yet to Rampart. I'm out of the loop as far as emergency earthquake cases go, but I'll sleep better if I know Dixie isn't drowning in them over there." "Got it doc.. I'll do a check right now.." he replied. Gil dragged over the biophone and began a test rescue call. "Rampart, this is Squad 8 with frequencies check. How do you read?" While Gil waited for a reply, Brice, Miss Thorne, Cap, Jamie and Steven all found sleeping bags or beds to lie down upon. The five of them were asleep in moments. Gil got his communications check from Dixie herself and he too, nodded off on a portable cot. Roy watched over them all protectively. Even the sounds of the ongoing recovery and rescue operations outside didn't wake them. All through the morning and into the afternoon, the outside attending firecrews made sure no harm befell those sleeping inside the crumbled Station 51 firehouse and it became something of a jealous superstition to go HT silent within sixty yards of their darkened bunkhouse. ------- |
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