“Fever, chills, body aches and nausea. Your father too, it could be something we ate last night.” Natalie doubles over with cramps and groans.
“Mother? Come on, let’s get you to bed and I will watch over the girls.” With an arm around her shoulders, she guides her back to her room. After settling her mother into bed, she hears her father groaning in pain. He is coughing and will not drink. It’s the middle of the night, how long will it take for the doctor to come she worries.
“Summer girl, call Dr. Rudolph.” Her father groans. She runs to do as told and dresses quickly. For the next hour she runs between rooms, bringing bowls in case they become sick and water to encourage drinking. Multiple damp cloths are placed on fevered foreheads.
The groans of pain from her parent's rooms terrify her. Her hands are trembling as she tends to her family. “Where is the doctor?” Hayden's fast-paced breathing is punctuated by high pitched moans. Hayley's cough is worse, and her lips are tinged blue. A knock on the door has her running. She jerks open the door and Jung is shocked by her appearance.
“Thank God! I think they have food poisoning! All of them and the twins are struggling to breathe!” Jung listens to her as he enters swiftly, “Which way!” He asks softly. Summer points and when she tries to follow, he stops her.
“Miss Denning, please let me examine them. You should rest while you can.” His face shows compassion, and she is comforted by the sight of his medical bag. At that moment she does not care what his name is, only that he is here to help.
“Of course, Dr. Rudolph, I will check on my parents.”
The moment he steps into the room, he knows they are in the advanced stage of smallpox. ‘It can’t be!’ Jung checks their arms and finds the beginning stage of a rash, and it is all over their legs as well. Using a tongue depressor, he finds the rash on the inside of their cheeks and tongues.
‘So fast! This should take four days, not eight hours!’ He prepares morphine to ease the pain. After administering the proper dosage, he rushes from the room and narrows in on Summer, “Are you showing any symptoms?”
“No. What is it?” She whispers, afraid to hear the answer.
“How long have your parents had these symptoms?” He ignores the question and Summer looks at him with tears in her eyes.
“I, I don't know. I was sleeping when they returned. It can only be six hours or so. They were fine when they went to dinner.”
“I need to check on them, stay here. Your sisters are resting now.” He rushes into the bedroom and closes the door softly.
Summer returns from checking on the girls and stares at her parents' room. She sips on water and waits.
“Dr. Rudolph?” Natalie wheezes out. “Help me, I’m pregnant.” Tears fill her lovely eyes and he squeezes her hand as he gives her a shot of morphine for pain.
“Rest now, Mrs. Denning. Charles, can you hear me.” Jung asks, turning to him.
Charles is trembling so hard from the chills in his body that the bed is quaking. The thermometer reads one hundred five degrees, and he is groaning in pain. His eyes are swollen, and he can barely speak, but he nods.
“Very good. Charles, you should know your daughters are fine. Summer is with them. I am going to give you morphine for pain.” He administers the shot and covers him with more blankets.
“Rest, now.” He packs up his equipment and waits for the medicine to relax him.
“Can you swallow?” Charles shakes yes and no. “I need to check your mouth.” The rash is much worse in his mouth, and already the signs are showing on his face, chest, arms, and legs. Natalie moans and thrashes, but the morphine is working.
“Smallpox?” Charles demands suddenly struggling to sit up.
“Yes. I’m afraid so, Dr. Denning. The child, Danny and his family are all showing signs.”
Charles struggles to sit up, as Jung pushes him back down. “Calm down, Charles!”
“Take my Protocols, Dr. Rudolph. Use them!”
“Alright, Charles. Rest easy now. Everything will be alright.” Satisfied with his answer, he sinks back to the bed and sleeps.
Jung stands and stares at the couple on the bed. This is much faster than he anticipated. Danny is progressing much slower than this, but the symptoms are strong as well. Summer has not presented any signs yet, he needs to speak to her. She must be isolated, and he will need to speak to the Captain.
The moment the door opens, Summer jumps to her feet. “How are they?”
Jung sighs and looks at her. “You didn’t go to dinner with them last night?” She is wringing her hands with stress and worry.
“No, I didn’t. Is it food poisoning? Are there others sick too?”
“Yes and no. Miss Denning, I am afraid it is worse than we thought. Your family has smallpox.”
“No. No! That’s not possible!” She stammers.
“I'm afraid so. You will need to remain in isolation with them. I will be back to keep them comfortable with morphine and treat the symptoms. Ring me if the symptoms get worse.” He moves to the door, and she cries out.
“You're leaving?” Desperate to understand how this happened, she grabs his arm to stop him from going. Jung looks down at her hand on his arm and runs a hand through his slicked back blonde hair. “There are others sick too, Miss Denning. I have been working on setting up a sick wing to isolate the patients and stop the spread, but you know all about that, don't you? You wrote the protocols.” He shakes her hand off and leaves without looking back.
Summer stands staring in shock at the door. Wave
