Read THE MAVERICK DOCTOR AND MISS PRIM/ABOUT THAT NIGHT... Online
Authors: SCARLET WILSON
CHAPTER SEVEN
“W
OW
! H
OW
DID
they manage this in such a short space of time?”
Callie peered out of the transport-vehicle window as they approached the containment facility. It was more than impressive. A bright white building sitting in the middle of an industrial site.
It was almost the regulations personified.
A single building located at least one hundred yards from any other occupied facility. Non-shared air-conditioning, heating and adequate ventilation systems. Single rooms with negative air pressure. Advanced medical and laboratory systems. Dependable communication systems and controllable access.
Then, more than the obligatory one hundred yards away, another type R facility to host everyone who’d been exposed, vaccinated and hadn’t developed any symptoms. All the patients who’d been exposed in the E.R. could now be safely housed and monitored for the next two weeks.
Sawyer pressed his face up against the window next to her. The slow-moving convoy had taken nearly forty minutes to get here. It had been a surreal experience. But, then again, it had been years since anything like this had happened. The fact that the ambulance transport crews were kitted out in masks, gloves, gowns and shoe covers probably hadn’t helped. Particularly with the amount of news crews that surrounded the hospital.
Callie found that incredible. Who, in their right mind, news crews or not, would want to be that close to a possible smallpox outbreak? If she’d been any other kind of doctor she would have headed to the city limits as quickly as she could.
Callie shuddered at the thought of the news headlines that evening. The pictures of the crew transporting the ‘infected’ patients could be terrifying to the general public. She could only hope that Evan Hunter would be in charge of damage control.
“I guess it must have been something else. A school? Some kind of lab? A warehouse?” Sawyer wrinkled his nose, as if he was aware that none of those things really fitted. “Did Callum leave you any notes?”
Callie rummaged through the pile of papers on her lap. “I’ve been so busy sorting out the problems—getting the electricity and water turned on, medical supplies delivered—that I didn’t really think about it. He just told me he’d identified ‘suitable premises.’ Ah, here it is.” She dragged a pale cream piece of paper from the bottom of the pile.
“What’s wrong?”
Her eyes were still scanning the page and what she was reading was obviously translating straight to her face. “It’s just a little odd.” She lifted her head and stared at the building again, “It was a research facility.”
“What’s odd about that?”
“It’s apparently been here for the last hundred years.” A strange sensation swept over her. “Do you think they used it for the last smallpox outbreak?”
“Now, there’s a creepy thought.”
They pulled up outside the buildings and both heads turned to look again. Sawyer opened the door and jumped down, holding out his hand to help Callie. She left her papers on her seat and jumped out with him.
They stood next to each other, hands on their hips, trying to work out what was going on. “It looks brand-new,” Callie muttered.
“It certainly does. Maybe it’s just had a coat of paint?”
He stepped forward and touched the exterior wall. “It’s certainly had new windows and doors.”
Callie nodded. “And a new ventilation system.” She gave a nod to the system that was clearly venting all its air outside through the designated HEPA filters. “They couldn’t possibly have had that last time round. It must have been used recently.”
She turned around as the rest of the transport started to pull up behind them. “Let’s take a look inside.”
Sawyer matched her step for step as they strode through the building. Everything about it was perfect. A laboratory, newly refurbished patient rooms and clinical treatment rooms. Then a whole separate building that fitted with type R requirements, with single bedrooms and bathrooms where all the people under the containment could be housed, with extra facilities available for them all. Kitchens, sitting rooms, children’s playrooms, even a cinema room, it was extraordinary.
All with the proper ventilation systems to prevent the spread of infection.
Callie ran her fingers along the wall in the one of the corridors. She didn’t feel uneasy. This place didn’t have a bad feeling attached to it, but there was a certain air of mystery. “If these walls could talk, what would they tell us?”
Sawyer turned to face her, “What do you mean?”
She pointed to the nearest room. “This almost seems too good to be true. This place has obviously been in use recently—though we did have to get the water and electricity switched back on. They haven’t managed to do all this in twenty-four hours. I wonder what kind of research they did here?”
Sawyer pushed open the nearest room—full of state-of-the-art monitoring and ventilation equipment. “Does it really matter? We’ve got good facilities here.” He nodded as Dan, the pediatrician, appeared at his back, entering the room to make sure it had everything he needed for the children.
A smile appeared across Dan’s face. “These are the latest ventilators. I’ve been trying to get Chicago General to buy some. They cost serious money. They’ll be perfect for the kids. But here’s hoping I only need one.” He gave a nod to Callie. “I don’t know how you managed it but this is perfect.”
That strange feeling spread again. “I don’t know how I managed it either,” she said quietly. Everything seemed to have miraculously fallen into place. Maybe her rant at Evan Hunter had worked. Someone in the DPA had excelled themselves here.
Sawyer placed a hand on Dan’s shoulder. “How do you want to set things up? Do you want to have Jack and Ben in separate rooms? We’ve got the negative air pressure facilities here, we can use them.”
He was obviously just trying to give Dan his place. As the only pediatrician, the care and responsibility of the two boys fell to him. It didn’t make sense to bring in any other doctors. And although he wasn’t a pediatrician Sawyer had already volunteered to assist with the care of Jack and Ben. Since he’d done the initial diagnosis he seemed reluctant to let them go. But he was quite happy to take instructions from Dan.
Dan shook his head. “Actually, no, I want to keep them together. They’ve been equally exposed anyway. Separating them at this time isn’t going to benefit either of them. Unless you can tell me something different?”
Callie shook her head.
Sawyer cut in. “I’m with you, Dan. In that case, for the sake of the two of them, it’s better they stay together. This place would be terrifying for a six-or seven-year-old on their own. There is no viable clinical or psychological reason to keep them apart. They’re brothers. They’re meant to be together. Let’s not add to the stress.”
Callie could feel her heart flutter in her chest. He couldn’t possibly know or understand what those words would mean to her. It was just the fact that somebody, somewhere had even the slightest inkling about the connection between siblings. The reassurance of being together, no matter how unscientific. And the possible benefits for the boys.
She’d heard miraculous stories before about premature twins being reunited in the same special-care cot and the baby that had been expected to die had made an unlikely recovery.
She herself had been badly injured in the car accident, almost unconscious. But when it had become apparent that Isabel was going to die, an experienced nurse had insisted her trolley be pulled in next to her sister’s. Then she’d lifted Isabel’s hand to let Callie hold it as her sister’s life had slipped away.
It had been the worst moment in Callie’s life. If she hadn’t been going straight to Theatre, they would have had to sedate her.
But now, with the benefit of hindsight, it was one of her most precious and treasured memories. She’d been able to say things to Isabel that she might never otherwise have had the chance to say. Even though she realized Isabel had probably not heard her, it had still given her comfort. It had also meant the world to her parents, who hadn’t been able to make it to the hospital in time to see their daughter before she’d died.
So Sawyer’s words and understanding meant more to her than she could ever possibly reveal.
Dan and Sawyer were already striding down the corridor, organizing the transfers from the ambulances. Staff were streaming past, carrying boxes that were systematically being unpacked into cupboards.
Callie walked back out and watched the rest of the people being shown into the other building, carrying their belongings with them. One of the planners came up and handed her a large plan of the building, complete with names assigned to every room. “Thought you’d need this, Callie.”
She nodded as she looked over the plan, a smile crossing her face when she assimilated the sleeping arrangements. “We don’t seem to have adequate laundry facilities.” She lifted her head to the planner, who consulted his list and shook his head. “We need to get right on that. In the case of smallpox, laundry can be a risk. It can carry contaminated fluids. We need to make arrangements for the laundry to be put in biohazard bags and autoclaved.” The planner scribbled furiously then walked away.
She felt Sawyer’s hand on her shoulder. “Our home for the next, what, seventeen days?”
“Sixteen,” she said firmly. “We’ve already done the first day.” She gave a little smile. “Think you can stand me for that long?”
“I might be forced to give you a haircut.”
“Ditto.”
He jerked back a little. “Isn’t that some crazy quote from a romance movie?”
“I don’t know. I don’t watch romance movies. I’m more an action girl myself.”
“Really?” There was distinct tone of disbelief in his voice.
“Yeah.”
He shook his head. “Just when I think I know you, even a little, you say something to surprise me.”
“That I like action movies? If that surprises you, you’ve led a pretty sheltered life.” She realized the stupidity of her words as soon as they left her mouth. But it was too late. They were out there.
Sawyer didn’t react. He just pulled out some equipment from the back of one of the ambulances and gave her a weak smile on the way past.
She was cringing inside. A man whose wife had died on a DPA mission had obviously never led a sheltered life. How could she possibly last another sixteen days around him without making an idiot of herself?
He turned back to face her, his expression unreadable. “What about Alison? Did everything work out okay?”
So it was back to business. A few seconds of personal chat that she’d just ruined. She’d only herself to blame. She forced a smile onto her face. “I think in a few hours we’ll all wish we were Alison.”
“How come?”
“We couldn’t bring her here because we couldn’t vaccinate her. The next option in the plan is to isolate the person at home. But Alison didn’t want to take the risk of being isolated at home in case she put her family at risk.”
Sawyer nodded. He would know that being isolated at home would be the logical answer but not entirely practical. “So you had to think outside the plan? Interesting.” He folded his arms across his chest. “I bet that gave you a spasm. So what’s happened to her?” The grin that had vanished a few minutes ago had reappeared. Callie resisted the temptation of rising to the bait.
“It seems that somebody in the DPA budget office was in a nice mood. They’ve rented out an entire boutique hotel for the next fortnight until we’re sure she’s symptom-free. Alison will be living in the lap of luxury.”
Sawyer’s response was instant. He shook his head. “Maybe to you or me. But not to her. Alison dotes on her kids. It will drive her crazy not to be with them for two weeks.”
Callie tried not to grimace. She’d been thinking of the gorgeous surroundings, fabulous food, luxurious bedding and unlimited TV channels. She really hadn’t thought much past the idea of ordering room service every night.
“I guess not,” she murmured, as she followed him down the corridor as he dumped some more supplies in the treatment room.
“Let’s grab our stuff and dump it in our rooms.” They walked back outside and Sawyer lifted her rucksack and suit carrier from one of the vans. “Did you really travel this light? Or do you have a giant suitcase hidden somewhere?”
She laughed. “I do have a suitcase, but it’s a carry-on.” She looked around her, “I’ve no idea where it is, though. What about you?”
Sawyer lifted a polythene bag. “My worldly goods.”
“You’re joking, right?”
He shook his head. “I came to work to do a twelve-hour shift. I didn’t realize I should have packed for a fortnight.”
“Wow. We’re really going to have to get you some clothes, aren’t we?” She started to laugh. “What about all your hair products? Won’t they need a suitcase all of their own?”
“Cheeky!” She ducked as he flung his bag at her head. The contents spilled on the ground. Another pair of Converses, a T-shirt, a pair of ripped jeans, a pair of boxers and a bunched up pair of socks. She raised her eyebrows as she stuffed the contents back in the bag and lifted up one shoe. “Two pairs?”
He shrugged. “That’s the good pair. The scruffy ones are work shoes.” She smiled at the kicked-in shoes she held in her hands. She wouldn’t even have worn them to paint a fence—and these were the good ones. “Nothing else?”
“What? I wear scrubs at work all day. What else do I need?”
“I hate to think. You got anything to sleep in?”
“What kind of a question is that?”
“The kind of question from a woman who’s sharing an apartment space, kitchen and bathroom with you.”
Ever since she’d looked at the plan she’d felt nervous. Excited nervous, not scared nervous. Wondering what his reaction would be to the sleeping arrangements.
“Why aren’t I sharing with Dan? Wouldn’t that have made more sense?”
She nodded as they headed over to the building. “It does—and he’s sharing with us too, along with one of the other DPA doctors. Four people per apartment. But I guess they figured you’d be doing the opposite shifts from Dan. Doesn’t make sense for you to be working at the same time.”