Hatcher rubbed at his eyes and gave her a slow shrug. “So we go back out tomorrow and see what can be found?”
Vicky cleared her throat gently and gave him a worried look. “I’ve got it too.”
Hatcher nodded quickly. “Then we’ll be sure and double check every place.”
“Danny, I’m not sure that this is actually strep.” She glanced toward the open door and he picked up on it. He reached out and gently pushed it closed.
“Why do you say that?”
“Strep has this…smell to it. And it smells like strep. But usually when I feel that first little tickle in my throat, I can hit it with a peroxide gargle and then follow up with warm salt water and nine times out of ten, I can kill it out before it takes root.” She shook her head at him. “This time it hit like a ton of bricks. Nothing worked.”
Hatcher sat down and sighed. “Sis, you’re a nurse. You know as well as anybody that when you get this many people bunched up together, disease spreads. And quickly, too.”
“I do realize that. I’m just saying that this isn’t acting like your normal strep throat.”
Hatcher nodded. “And I suppose it’s too early to tell if the meds will help?”
“Oh, of course. I just got them handed out a little earlier. It will take a couple of days at least. I started with the Z-packs, then moved to the broader stuff like Keflex and then the ‘cillins for folks who aren’t allergic.” She blew her breath out hard in an exasperated sigh. “I’m still short doses for a couple dozen people.”
“Not to mention back up emergency supplies.” Hatcher leaned forward and planted his chin in his hands. “All I can tell you is that we’ll send more people out at first light.”
“I appreciate it, but I’m also scared what we’ll do if they can’t find anything.”
Hatcher shrugged. “Then we hit the library and find an alternative health handbook or something. Maybe there’s a root or herb or a flowering plant that can do something similar.”
She gave him a sarcastic sneer. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking.” Where do you think they found most of the drugs that we have now? Plants.” He sat back and gave her a shrug. “I remember you were the one who told me that aspirin came from tree bark.”
“That’s different. Modern drugs might have originally come from some biological compounds, but they’re isolated, refined, concentrated…”
“I don’t know what else to tell ya, sis. I’ll let the guys know that this is urgent and send them out the door.” He stood and poured a cup of coffee. “We’ll make due somehow. It’s not like a little strep throat will kill them.”
“Ever heard of scarlet fever?”
“Yes, but people survived.” He sat down and eyed her carefully. “What’s really got you worried?”
She averted her eyes and gave a slight shake of her head. “I don’t know. Call it a feeling.”
“I’m not saying I don’t trust your gut instincts, but something like this shouldn’t get your worried.”
She sat forward and gathered her hands in her lap. “Danny, in the past, when a bug is spread through a contained group it’s usually brought in from an outside source. To my knowledge, there haven’t been any new people added recently that weren’t thoroughly checked out. We haven’t had anybody exposed to a source.” She searched his eyes. “Yes, we‘re packed in here, but unless somebody encountered another individual that was sick, it simply shouldn’t be here.”
Hatcher studied her and finally understood what her point was. “So, either somebody came into contact with a survivor that had this out there…” he pointed beyond the gate, “or it was introduced another way? Is that what you’re getting at?”
She shrugged. “When people make a run outside the walls, they’re supposed to report contact, right?”
“Of course. But there haven’t been any reports of other survivors since…” His voice trailed off and he stared at her wide eyed. “Are you thinking that maybe one of the Zulus spread this during the attack?”
She gave him a slight shrug, her face a mask. “I’m saying the bug is here and I don’t know how it was introduced.”
Hatcher leaned back in his chair and stared toward the alley where the Zulus had tripped the mines. “Could it be spread through remains?”
She shrugged again. “I was always taught that it was spread from saliva but that really aggressive strains could remain on the skin and could potentially be spread through touch.” She sighed and seemed to slump in her seat. “All I know for sure is, we need more medicine.”
He gave her a worried look. “Now you’ve got me worried that we’re dealing with some Zulu strain of mutated bug.” He shuddered in his chair and cleared his throat. “Now my throat is aching.”
She chuckled as she sat up. “That’s probably psychosomatic.”
“You’re psycho,” he mumbled.
“I mean it’s in your head.” She patted his arm. “Just let me know as soon as they get back so I can get the meds distributed.”
“I know what you meant.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “But you’re still psycho.”
Dr. Kevin McAlester sat hunched over the lab notes that Broussard and Chaplain had left and rubbed at his eyes. “This should have worked.” He leaned back and stretched his neck and shoulders. “By every indicator, their solution was viable.”
He pulled another notebook closer and compared the test results. “So, if they had the cure…why would they run off?”
He turned slightly when the door to the lab slammed open and a trio of military men stepped into the lab. “We’re shutting this facility down.”
“On who’s authority?” Kevin asked, slowly pulling his reading glasses from his face.
“On mine,” a man stated as he stepped into the room. “Let’s get this shit out of here and get the room repurposed.”
Kevin stepped away from the counter and gently placed his glasses on the workbench. “What exactly is going on here?”
“Not that it’s any of your business,
