“I will be there in a little while, I want to check in on the patients.”
Elizabeth nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. She headed back to the elevator, her mind spinning. She had no idea if what she had just said to Ava would make her feel better or uncomfortable around her. She hoped for the former, but she was worried. She had never felt this way before, which made her pause in thought. She had always been collected, confident, in all of her interactions. She had never been bothered before by how someone responded to her. That had never been something she viewedas an issue for her. If someone didn’t care for what she had to say, then that was their own issue and not her concern. She wondered why it was different with Ava.
She returned to the lab and started sorting through the samples. She needed to focus on the task at hand, but it was tedious to say the least. As she sifted through sample after sample, she found her mind wandering back to Ava again and again. She knew Ava had family here, her parents were professionals, though not in the same sense as Elizabeth’s. She took a moment to consider her own upbringing. She hadn’t spoken to her parents in close to six months. Not for any reason, actually it was quite the opposite, she hadn’t had a reason to contact them in that long, they weren’t the type of family to call each other just to catch up. She would likely talk to them once this was all over, but even that would depend on the outcome.
Both her parents had doctorates, both had attended prestigious universities, both had made significant contributions in their respective fields. That was the expectation that she had been given pretty much from birth. The only things that mattered were the contributions that were made. She never faulted her parents for this, they gave her the drive and determination to become the best possible doctor, and her work had saved thousands, if not millions, of lives and she was only halfway through. She couldn’t help but wonder how it would have been if she had been brought up differently, though.
She had been given the best of everything—the best nannies, the best schools, the best opportunities—but looking back there were few opportunities for connection with her own parents. She remembered feeling envious of some of her schoolmates when they would talk about vacations or other bonding time with their own families, and Elizabeth had never experienced that. Until now, she hadn’t missed it, at least not that she had realized.
Her family had traveled often, but never for leisure. It was always for work, for research, and now she noticed that she had developed the same pattern. Yes, her job was demanding, but would it really hurt to take some time for herself?
FOCUS. Elizabeth chastised herself again. She pulled out the next sample and started sifting through it, finding what to test and what to place on a slide for observation. This was getting nowhere fast, nothing that they were looking at showed any signs of the virus, and with the way it was spreading and moving, the original three would have had to had pretty targeted exposure. The antivirals seemed to be slowing it, but not enough to account for the quick onset of symptoms of the first three as compared to the relatively slow onset for the others. It was persistent though, whatever the carrier was, the virus would remain viable for a while.
Elizabeth glanced up as Ava walked through the door. Her breath caught at the woman. Her tall slender frame walked with such grace and poise, her flawless skin seemed to glow, despite the tight expression of concern worn on her face.
“What is it?” Elizabeth asked, lifting her brows.
Ava pulled on a mask and some gloves before walking further into the lab. “It’s Sandra, she’s fighting for her life, but if we can’t figure out how to treat this thing. I don’t think she will last much longer.”
Elizabeth pressed her lips together and nodded. “How well do you know Sandra? About her class?”
“I’ve known her for a long time, but that depends on what you’re asking,” Ava answered. “I haven’t taken one of her classes in years.”
“Do you think we could talk to some of the others? Or maybe someone who’s taken the class before?” Elizabeth asked.
“I’m sure. Why?” Ava asked. “What are you looking for?”
“I don’t know, exactly,” Elizabeth said. “They said they hadn’t touched the water, and Sandra had used this site a hundred times before without issue.”
“That’s correct,” Ava said.
“But the incubation times are sporadic,” Elizabeth continued. “I wonder if they were exposed to something bigger, where more of the virus was able to get into their systems faster somehow.”
“I’ll see if I can talk to the others,” Ava said. “But their symptoms are progressing quickly.”
Elizabeth nodded. “We just need a lead, something to look for,” she said.
“I agree,” Ava said. She looked at the othertechs working diligently in the room. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
“I’ll talk to them, maybe a fresh set of ears will work,” Elizabeth countered.
Ava narrowed her eyes, but nodded, and Elizabeth pulled off her mask and gloves and headed for the door.
Elizabeth went to see the sisters again, Heather and Lacey. She had made sure that the two girls could share a room, and Heather had been having sporadic cramps, and they’d both tested positive for the virus, but it seemed to be slow moving.
“Hey, how are you both feeling?” Elizabeth asked as she knocked on the open door.
“She’s worse,” Lacey said quickly, but Heather tried to dismiss her.
“I’m fine,” Heather said, though Elizabeth could tell she was in pain. “When can we go home?”
“Have you been able to talk to your parents?” Elizabeth asked.
“I talked to them today,” Lacey said in a sheepish voice. Heather’s mouth dropped open and she stared at her younger sister.
“And?” Elizabeth said, trying to quell the oncoming rage that she was sure was about to spew from Heather.
“They’re coming in, they will probably be here in a couple of hours,” Lacey said.
