“First thing in the morning,” Elizabeth said. “I need to get some rest first, and it won’t be very helpful trying to navigate it in the dark.”
Ava nodded in affirmation. “Doctor Mars can set you up with a hotel room. I’m sure she already has.”
“Maybe later,” Elizabeth answered with a chuckle. “For tonight, if you can just point me to the on-call room and maybe find me some scrubs I will be fine. Then we can get out first thing.”
Ava’s eyes narrowed but she nodded. “Sure, there’s a machine for scrubs in the locker room on the first floor, though I’m sure Doctor Mars would be happy to accommodate you, and the on-call room is right next to the locker room. Do you want me to walk with you?”
Elizabeth wanted to say yes. She was enjoying Ava’s company despite the circumstances, but she’d already put her foot in her mouth one time and figured that was enough for the night. So instead she shook her head. “No thank you, I can find my way.”
Ava blinked in surprise but nodded. She opened her mouth to say something else but closed it again as Elizabeth walked away.
“I’ll have Doctor Mars get us a team together to leave around six,” Elizabeth said as she stepped onto the elevator.
“For now, you have done everything right. We need more information before we can decide what we are dealing with.”
Ava nodded again as the doors closed in front of her. Elizabeth shook her head in the relative privacy of the elevator. Of course she was tired, but that was no excuse for her unprofessional behavior tonight. She hoped that she could just pull herself together and focus on the case- which was absolutely intriguing her. She loved a mystery to solve, but she still she found herself thinking about Ava Jackson. Her hair, her skin, her body—the easy grace with which she moved. As much as it made Elizabeth’s time here that much more interesting to be working directly with someone she found so attractive, it was distracting to say the least.
Elizabeth shook the thoughts from her head as she exited the elevator on the first floor. When she looked up, Doctor Mars was standing in front of her holding a bundle of scrubs.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to get you taken to the hotel?” she asked as she handed over the clothing. “It’s only about five minutes from here, and the beds have to be more comfortable than the on-call room.”
“No, not tonight anyway,” Elizabeth answered with a tight smile. “Its just going to be a few hours before I am up. I just need to get some rest before we head out, and I want to be notified immediately if anything changes with the patients.”
“That’s fine, and I have a team ready for you and Ava in the morning,” Doctor Mars said.
“I… Thank you,” Elizabeth said, trying to wrap her mind around the statement. It almost felt like Dr. Mars could read her mind and anticipate what she needed.
“Of course,” Doctor Mars answered. “Have a good rest, if you can,” she gestured towardthe end of the hall where the on call rooms were located.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said again. Her mind was foggy and taking too long to process anything. She needed to sleep—that nap seemed to have done more harm than good. She quickly changed in the locker room and realized that she had left her carry-on bag in the sedan. She neatly folded her suit and placed her lab coat on top of the pile and headed to the adjoining room where she found her carry-on sitting in the corner. She clenched her teeth, but she had to remind herself that this was not the huge big city hospitals she was accustomed to. Her bag was likely safer here than anywhere else she would have stored it.
She sat down on the bed and pulled out her laptop. She accessed a satellite image of the surrounding area and searched for the campsite, though she couldn’t be sure of it’s exact location. The terrain was beautiful from what she could see. Mountains rose on all sides of the valley where the city of Phoenix Ridge sat. Elizabeth had been told that the group had taken a trail up the northern side of the valley and were camped aboutfour miles into the mountains near a small spring. She had been given the impression that this site was used quite regularly, though Sandra prided herself on her policy of leaving no trace.
Elizabeth searched through Sandra’s company website; Ava had not been exaggerating when she said that Sandra was well known and very much an expert in her field. She flipped through the photos in the gallery, including those from the beginning of this ill-fated trip. Everyone was smiling and excited, including Sandra. Even from the photos, Elizabeth could tell that this was someone who loved what she did. She read review after review of how the experience changed people’s lives and perspective. Elizabeth had been skeptical at first of Ava’s conviction about Sandra’s expertise, but she could see why Ava would believe that about the woman. It was also what made it more surprising that she was one of the first ones to come down with the virus. There had to be something at that campsite.
Elizabeth’s thoughts turned back to Ava. Beautiful smart Ava. Ava Jackson was well known in the neurology field. She had authored several papers and contributed to some extensive research in graduate school and beyond. Even Elizabeth’s hospital in New York had tried to recruit her, but she wanted to come back to Phoenix Ridge where she had been raised. She still worked on her research, and still practiced with more tenacity than Elizabeth had seen in most doctors, so she just couldn’t wrap her mind around why she would want to stay here.
In a moment of what Elizabeth would consider weakness, she looked up Ava on social media.
God, I am so unprofessional.
As with most medical professionals, there was not much to look at. She had several pictures of her parents and vacations, her list of degrees and awards, but nothing that boasted of her accomplishments the way she could have. Humility is not something that is taught in medical school and most of the accomplished doctors that Elizabeth generally associated with wouldn’t be able to so much as define the word, so even though it was nothing she was used to, it still felt like a breath of fresh air.
Nevertheless, Elizabeth enjoyed a quick browse through the photos of Ava she found. Carefree, laughing, smiling. Sexy as hell in jeans and a tight t shirt.
Stop it, Elizabeth, you are here to work!
Ava was different to a lot of medical professionals, and Elizabeth found herself struggling to identify how that made her feel. Ava was beyond beautiful, intelligent and accomplished, so why couldn’t Elizabeth shake the persistent thoughts running through her mind. She found herself wanting to try and recruit Ava herself, but for what?
For her hospital? For her bedroom?
Elizabeth closed her laptop and laid back on the lumpy mattress. She ran through everything about the case in her mind again before allowing herself to drift into a doze.
Her last thoughts were of Ava in a tight t shirt as she finally fell asleep.
3
AVA
