Part 27 (2/2)
”I'll never be able to sleep:”
Marshall put his arm around her waist. ”Then at least get some coffee and a little breakfast. We have the midday call with Kelly and Frank sched-uled in a couple hours:”
Lauren leaned against him. ”What are we going to tell Kelly?”
”The truth. Jessie has a fever, but it's nothing to panic about. We still don't know for sure if it's the disease or not:”
Lauren nodded. They remained silent for a bit, then Marshall guided her gently to the door. ”Go:”
Lauren pa.s.sed through the air-locked doors and crossed down the hall to the locker room, where she stripped out of the suit and changed into scrubs. As she left the locker room, she stopped by the nurses'
station. ”Did any of the labs come back yet?”
A small Asian nurse flipped a plastic case file to her. ”These were faxed just a minute ago:”
Lauren flipped the file open and thumbed to the page of blood chemistries and hematology results. Her finger ran down the long list. The chemistries were all normal, as expected. But her nail stopped at the line for the total white blood cell count:
TWBC: 2130 (L) 6,000-15,000.
It was low, significantly low, one of the trio of signs expected with the plague.
With her finger trembling, she ran down the report to the section that detailed the different white bloodcell levels. There was one piece of news that the team's epidemiologist, Dr. Alvisio, had mentioned to her late last night, a possible pattern in the lab data that his computer model for the disease had noted: an unusual spike of a specific line of white blood cells,basophils, that occurred early in the disease as the total white blood cell levels were dropping. Though it was too soon to say for certain, it seemed to be consistent in all cases of the disease. It was perhaps a way to acceler-ate early detection.
Lauren read the last line.
Basophil count: 12 (H) 0-4
”Oh, G.o.d:” She lowered the chart to the nurses' station. Jessie's basophil levels were spiked above normal, well above normal.
Lauren closed her eyes.
”Are you okay, Dr. O'Brien?”
Lauren didn't hear the nurse. Her mind was too full of a horrifying realization: Jessie had the plague.
1 1:48 A.M.
AMAZON JUNGLE.
Kelly followed the line of the others, bone tired but determined to keep moving. They had been walking all night with frequent rest breaks. After the attack, they had marched for a solid two hours, then made a temporary camp at dawn while the Rangers contacted the field base in Wauwai. They had decided to push on until at least midday, when they would use the satellite link to contact the States. Afterward, the team would rest the remainder of the day, regroup, and decide how to proceed.
Kelly glanced at her watch. Noon approached.Thank G.o.d. Already she heard Waxman grumbling about choosing a site for the day's camp. ”Well away from any waterways,” she heard him warn.
All day long, the team had been wary of streams and pools, skirting them or crossing in a mad rush. But there were no further attacks.
Manny had offered a reason. ”Perhaps the creatures were local to just that small territory. Maybe that's why the b.u.g.g.e.rs were never seen before:”
”If so, good riddance,” Frank had voiced sourly.
They had trudged onward, the morning drizzle drying slowly to a thick humid mist. The moisture weighedeverything down: clothes, packs, boots. But no one complained about the march. All were glad to put dis-tance between them and the horror of the previous night.
From up ahead, a Ranger scout called back. ”A clearing!” It was Corpo-ral Warczak. As the unit's tracker, his scouting served double duty. He was also watching for any physical evidence of Gerald Clark's pa.s.sage. ”The spot looks perfect for a campsite!”
Kelly sighed. ”About time:”
”Check it out!” Waxman said. ”Make sure there are no close streams:”
”Yes, sir! Kostos is already reconnoitering the area:”
Nate, just a couple steps ahead of her, called forward, ”Be careful There could be-”
A pained shout rose from ahead.
Everyone froze, except Nate who rushed forward. ”d.a.m.n it, doesn't anyone listen to what I tell them?”
he muttered as he ran. He glanced back to Kelly and Kouwe and waved an arm. ”We'll need your help!
Both of you.”
Kelly moved to follow. ”What is it?” she asked Kouwe.
The Indian professor was already slinging his pack forward and work-ing the straps loose.”Supay chacra, I'd imagine. The devil's garden. C'mon:”
Devil's garden?Kelly did not like the sound of that.
Captain Waxman ordered the bulk of his Rangers to remain with the other civilians. He and Frank joined in following Nate.
Kelly hurried forward and saw a pair of Rangers on the ground ahead They seemed to be fighting, one rolling in the dirt, the other striking him with the flat of his hand.
Nate ran toward them.
”Get these G.o.dd.a.m.n s.h.i.+ts off me!” the Ranger on the ground yelled, rolling through the underbrush. It was Sergeant Kostos.
”I'm trying,” Corporal Warczak replied, continuing to slap at the man.
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