‘Sure, I’ve been through all fridges and freezers, checked all the fragment stocks. Mind you, there were quite a few tubes and bottles among Ali’s stuff that I didn’t recognise. I don’t know what you want done about these?’
‘I’ll ask Pierre to take a look, see if he recognises anything, maybe clear out what we don’t need,’ said Malloy. ‘Admin sent me down the official fragment record for the lab. Maybe you could do a final check, your list against theirs before we submit it. I don’t need any more shit in my life.’ Malloy rummaged through his desk drawer and came up with a brown internal mail envelope which he flicked open to check it contained the right thing before handing it to Ferguson. ‘There you go. Have you seen Pierre this morning?’
‘He’s in the computer room, working on the sequence data.’
Malloy nodded. He was just about to say something else when the air was filled with the deafening sound of a siren. Ferguson and Malloy looked at each other but speech was pointless until the sound subsided. When it finally did, the noise was replaced by deathly silence. All extractor fans and air conditioning had shut down. The continual hum that no one noticed was suddenly seriously missed.
‘Bio-safety alert,’ said Malloy. ‘First we’ve had. Let’s hope it’s a false alarm.’
Under the terms of a bio-accident alert, staff had to remain exactly where they were until further notice. Doors were sealed so that no one could enter or leave; the windows in the building were designed not to open anyway. The main objective was to contain any infectious agent at loose inside the building.
Five minutes passed before the telephone rang. It had never sounded so jarring before.
‘Malloy.’
‘Paul Hutton here. We’ve had an HIV incident on Level 3. There’s been a spillage in the containment lab.’
‘So what’s the problem if it’s in the containment lab?’
‘The air lock was open when it happened.’
‘What?’ exclaimed Malloy.
‘Two of Cairns’ people had been working in there. When they were preparing to leave one turned back for some reason — maybe he forgot to do something or maybe just to check something but he knocked over two vials of live virus almost at the same moment as the other one opened the air lock.’
‘Sod’s law,’ said Malloy. ‘But it’s been contained within the outer lab?’
‘As far as we know. Cairns’ people seemed to know what they were doing. They stayed where they were inside and sounded the alarm.’
‘You’ve arranged a decontamination team?’
‘There’s a bit of a problem.’
Malloy closed his eyes.
‘Malcolm Cairns and his two post docs are away at the AIDS meeting in Chicago. There are only a couple of first year PhD students left in Cairns group.’
‘Malloy let out his breath in a slow sigh. ‘You mean it’s going to be down to somebody else to clear up the shit?’
‘In a manner of speaking,’ said Hutton, suggesting that it wasn’t his manner of speaking.
‘I suppose volunteers have been tumbling over themselves?’ said Malloy.
‘Well actually, I thought as yours is the only other AIDS lab you might agree to help out?’
Malloy paused before replying, ‘Okay, I’ll do it and I’ll ask for one other volunteer from my people but I’m not putting any pressure on them …’
‘Count me in.’ said George Ferguson who’d picked up the general gist of the conversation, standing beside Malloy.
Malloy looked at him, as if needing a second affirmation.
‘It’s okay. Count me in.’
Malloy, still holding the phone, said, ‘I’ve got my volunteer. George Ferguson has just signed on.’
‘Ferguson?’ exclaimed Hutton. ‘I’m not sure if that’s entirely …’
‘In the present circumstances it’s what
‘You know very well that I’ve not worked with live viruses for many years and never with that particular one.’
Ferguson, who had now been listening in to the conversation in the unusual silence of the room, smiled wryly and whispered, ‘Another bugger who learned to swim from a book. He’d drown if he ever hit the water.’
‘It’s George and me then. Perhaps you’ll arrange for the suits and decontamination fluid to be ready for us on Level 3 when we get there. Oh, and is the phone line still open to the two inside?’
‘Yes, I have contact.’
‘Maybe you could close your end so that I can speak to the people inside?’
‘Of course.’
‘Who are they by the way?’
‘Simone Clary and Gregor White.’
‘Post doc and third year student. Okay ready when you are.’
The phone went dead and Malloy allowed ten seconds for Hutton to close the other phone link before dialling the Level 3 lab. It was answered first ring by a woman’s voice.’
‘Hello Simone, this is Steve Malloy. What’s your situation?’
‘I don’t think it’s too bad but Gregor …’
‘What about him?’
‘He’s upset.’
Simone had lowered her voice to say it. Malloy guessed it was so that White wouldn’t hear. He became aware of a whimpering noise in the background and sussed the situation.
‘Okay Simone. I have to ask some questions before George and I put on the noddy suits and come and clean you up. Was the spillage contained within a given area?’
‘Yes, one vial broke open on the floor, the other one survived.’
‘So there is a puddle of liquid on the floor in the containment lab?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did either of you come into contact with the liquid?’
‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘Did you see the vial hit the floor?’
‘Not exactly. when I turned round Gregor had knocked over the vials but he made a brave effort to catch them before they hit the floor. He didn’t quite manage it but he did catch one and interrupted the fall of the other so that the impact was lessened.’
‘Good, that probably means there was minimal splashing and aerosol formation. I’m going to ring off now Simone. George and I will be with you soon.’
Malloy put down the phone and turned to Ferguson. ‘You heard?’
Ferguson nodded.
‘What d’you think.’
‘Piece o’ piss. Puddle on the floor, no aerosols. You could deal with that with a mop and some Dettol.’
Malloy smiled. ‘Probably, but we’d better put on a show for the lieges. There is one worrying thing though. Sounds like young White is throwing a wobbly. We don’t want him making a charge for the door as soon as we get in there.’
‘Maybe you could get Simone to keep him out the road till we do the needful?’
Level 3 was almost deserted when Malloy and Ferguson entered from the stair well. Their footsteps didn’t quite echo but were certainly audible as they walked along the corridor to the ante room to the outer door leading to the high level containment facility. Two bio-safety suits had been left outside along with a pressurised container of decontaminating fluid with a hose and steel spray head attached. The corridor phone rang; Ferguson who was nearest picked it up.
‘Put me on to Dr Malloy,’ said Hutton’s voice.
‘Steven, The engineers have decreased the air pressure on Level 3 so there can be no outflow.’
‘Right,’ said Malloy.
