cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第44部分

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　'I'm　cooking；'　Wesley　announced。　'What　will　it　be？'
　'I　don't　think　I　can。'　I　was　weak；　and　when　I　coughed；　it　felt　as　if　my　lungs　were　ripping。
　'Obviously；　you　are　worse。'　Concern　flickered　in　his　eyes。　'You　should　go　to　a　doctor。'
　'I　am　a　doctor；　and　it's　too　soon　to　go　to　one。'
　I　took　aspirin；　decongestants　and　a　thousand　milligrams　of　vitamin　C。　I　ate　a　bagel　and　was　beginning　to　feel　almost　human　when　Rose　called　and　ruined　me。
　'Dr　Scarpetta？　The　mother　from　Tangier　died　early　this　morning。'
　'Oh　God　no。'　I　was　sitting　at　the　kitchen　table　and　running　my　fingers　through　my　hair。　'What　about　the　daughter？'
　'Condition's　serious。　Or　at　least　it　was　several　hours　ago。'
　'And　the　body？'
　Wesley　was　behind　me；　rubbing　my　sore　shoulders　and　neck。
　'No　one's　moved　it　yet。　No　one's　sure　what　to　do；　and　the　Baltimore　Medical　Examiner's　Office　has　been　trying　to　reach　you。　So　has　CDC。'
　'Who　at　CDC？'　I　asked。
　'A　Dr　Martin。'
　'I　need　to　call　him　first；　Rose。　Meanwhile；　you　get　hold　of　Baltimore　and　tell　them　that　under　no　circumstances　are　they　to　have　that　body　sent　into　their　morgue　until　they've　heard　from　me。　What　is　Dr　Martin's　number？'
　She　gave　it　to　me　and　I　dialed　it　immediately。　He　answered　on　the　first　ring　and　sounded　keyed　up。
　'We　did　PCR　on　the　samples　you　brought　in。　Three　primers　and　two　of　them　match　with　smallpox；　but　one　of　them　didn't。'
　'Then　is　it　smallpox　or　not？'
　'We　ran　its　genomic　sequence；　and　it　doesn't　match　up　with　any　poxvirus　in　any　reference　lab　in　the　world。　Dr　Scarpetta；　I　believe　you　got　a　virus　that's　a　mutant。'
　'Meaning；　the　smallpox　vaccination　isn't　going　to　work；'　I　said　as　my　heart　seemed　to　drop　right　out　of　me。
　'All　we　can　do　is　test　in　the　animal　lab。　We're　talking　at　least　a　week　before　we　know　and　can　even　begin　thinking　about　a　new　vaccine。　For　practical　purposes；　we're　calling　this　smallpox；　but　we　really　don't　know　what　the　hell　it　is。　I'll　also　remind　you　we've　been　working　on　an　AIDS　vaccine　since　I986　and　are　no　closer　now　than　we　were　back　then。'
　'Tangier　Island　needs　to　be　quarantined　immediately。　'　We've　got　to　contain　this；'　I　exclaimed；　alarmed　to　the　edge　of　panic。
　'Believe　me；　we　know。　We're　getting　a　team　together　right　now　and　will　mobilize　the　Coast　Guard。'
　I　hung　up　and　was　frantic　when　I　said　to　Wesley；　'I've　got　to　go。　We've　got　an　outbreak　of　something　no　one's　ever　heard　of。　It's　already　killed　at　least　two　people。　Maybe　three。　Maybe　four。'
　He　was　following　me　down　the　hall　as　I　talked。
　'It's　smallpox　but　not　smallpox。　We've　got　to　find　out　how　it's　being　transmitted。　Did　Lila　Pruitt　know　the　mother　who　just　died？　Did　they　have　any　contact　at　all；　or　did　the　daughter？　Did　they　even　live　near　each　other？　What　about　the　water　supply？　A　water　tower。　Blue。　I　remember　seeing　one。'
　I　was　getting　dressed。　Wesley　stood　in　the　doorway；　his　face　almost　gray　and　like　stone。
　'You're　going　to　go　back　out　there；'　he　said。
　'I　need　to　get　downtown　first。'　I　looked　at　him。
　'I'll　drive；'　he　said。
　
　
　12
　
　WESLEY　DROPPED　ME　off　and　said　he　was　going　to　the　Richmond　Field　Office　for　a　while　and　would　check　with　me　later。　My　heels　were　loud　as　I　walked　down　the　corridor；　bidding　good　morning　to　members　of　my　staff。　Rose　was　on　the　phone　when　I　walked　in；　and　the　glimpse　of　my　desk　through　her　adjoining　doorway　was　devastating。　Hundreds　of　reports　and　death　certificates　awaited　my　initials　and　signature；　and　mail　and　phone　messages　were　cascading　out　of　my　in…basket。
　'What　is　this？'　I　said　as　she　hung　up。　'You'd　think　I've　been　gone　a　year。'
　'It　feels　like　you　have。'
　She　was　rubbing　lotion　into　her　hands　and　I　noticed　the　small　canister　of　Vita　aromatherapy　facial　spray　on　the　edge　of　my　desk；　the　open　mailing　tube　next　to　it。　There　was　also　one　on　Rose's　desk；　next　to　her　bottle　of　Vaseline　Intensive　Care。　I　stared　back　and　forth；　from　my　Vita　spray　to　hers；　my　subconscious　processing　what　I　was　seeing　before　my　reason　did。　Reality　seemed　to　turn　inside　out；　and　I　grabbed　the　door　frame。　Rose　was　on　her　feet；　her　chair　flying　back　on　its　rollers　as　she　lunged　around　her　desk　for　me。
　'Dr　Scarpetta！'
　'Where　did　you　get　this？'　I　asked；　staring　at　the　spray。
　'It's　just　a　sample。'　She　looked　bewildered。　'A　bunch　of　them　came　in　the　mail。'
　'Have　you　used　it？'
　Now　she　was　really　worried　as　she　looked　at　me。　'Well；　it　just　got　here。　I　haven't　tried　it　yet。'
　'Don't　touch　it！'　I　said；　severely。　'Who　else　got　one？'　'Gosh；　I　really　don't　know。　What　is　it？　What's　wrong？'　She　raised　her　voice。
　Getting　gloves　from　my　office；　I　grabbed　the　facial　spray　off　her　desk　and　triple…bagged　it。
　'Everybody　in　the　conference　room；　now！'
　I　ran　down　the　hall　to　the　front　office；　and　made　the　same　announcement。　Within　minutes；　my　entire　staff；　including　doctors　still　in　scrubs；　was　assembled。　Some　people　were　out　of　breath；　and　everyone　was　staring　at　me；　unnerved　and　frazzled。
　I　held　up　the　transparent　evidence　bag　containing　the　sample　size　of　Vita　spray。
　'Who　has　one　of　these？'　I　asked；　looking　around　the　room。
　Four　people　raised　their　hands。
　'Who　has　used　it？'　I　then　asked。　'I　need　to　know　if　absolutely　anybody　has。'
　Cleta；　a　clerk　from　the　front　office；　looked　frightened。　'Why？　What's　the　matter？'
　'Have　you　sprayed　this　on　your　face；'　I　said　to　her。
　'On　my　plants；'　she　said。
　'Plants　get　bagged　and　burned；'　I　said。　'Where's　Wingo？'
　'MCV。'
　'I　don't　know　this　for　a　fact；'　I　spoke　to　everyone；　'and　I　pray　I'm　wrong。　But　we　might　be　dealing　with　product　tampering。　Please　don't　panic；　but　under　no　circumstances　does　anyone　touch　this　spray。　Do　we　know　exactly　how　they　were　delivered？'
　It　was　Cleta　who　spoke。　'This　morning　I　came　in　before　anybody　up　front。　There　were　police　reports　shoved　through　the　slot；　as　always。　And　these　had　been；　too。　They　were　in　little　mailing　tubes。　There　were　eleven　of　them。　I　know　because　I　counted　to　see　if　there　was　enough　to　go　around。'
　'And　the　mailman　didn't　bring　them。　They　had　just　been　shoved　through　the　slot　of　the　front　door。'
　'I　don't　know　who　brought　them。　But　they　looked　like　they'd　been　mailed。'
　'Any　tubes　you　still　have；　please　bring　them　to　me；'　I　said。
　I　was　told　that　no　one　had　used　one；　and　all　were　collected　and　brought　to　my　office。　Putting　on　cotton　gloves　and　glasses；　I　studied　the　mailing　tube　meant　for　me。　Postage　was　bulk　rate　and　clearly　a　manufacturer's　sample；　and　I　found　it　most　unusual　for　something　like　that　to　be　addressed　to　a　specific　individual。　I　looked　inside　the　tube；　and　there　was　a　coupon　for　the　spray。　As　I　held　it　up　to　the　light；　I　noticed　edges　imperceptibly　uneven；　as　if　the　coupon　had　been　clipped　with　scissors　versus　a　machine。
　'Rose？'　I　called　out。
　She　walked　into　my　office。
　'The　tube　you　got；'　I　said。　'Who　was　it　addressed　to？'
　'Resident；　I　think。'　Her　face　was　stressed。
　'Then　the　only　one　with　a　name　on　it　is　mine。'
　'I　think　so。　This　is　awful。'
　'Yes；　it　is。'　I　picked　up　the　mailing　tube。　'Look　at　this。　Letters　all　the　same　size；　the　postmark　on　the　same　label　as　the　address。　I've　never　seen　that。'
　'Like　it　came　off　a　puter；'　she　said　as　her　amazement　grew。
　'I'm　going　across　the　street　to　the　DNA　lab。'　I　got　up。　'Call　USAMRIID　right　away　and　tell　Colonel　Fujitsubo　we　need　to　schedule　a　conference　call　between　him；　us；　CDC；　Quantico；　now。'
　'Where　do　you　want　to　do　it？'　she　asked　as　I　hurried　out　the　door。
　'Not　here。　See　what　Benton　says。'
　Outside；　I　ran　down　the　sidewalk　past　my　parking　lot；　and　crossed　Fourteenth　Street。　I　entered　the　Seaboard　Building　where　DNA　and　other　forensic　labs　had　relocated　several　years　before。　At　the　security　desk；　I　called　the　section　chief；　Dr　Douglas　Wheat；　who　had　been　given　a　male　family　name；　despite　her　gender。
　'I　need　a　closed　air　system　and　a　hood；'　I　explained　to　her。
　'e　on　back。'
　A　long　sloping　hallway　always　polished　bright　led　to　a　series　of　glass…enclosed　laboratories。　Inside；　scientists　were　prepossessed　with　pipettes　and　gels　and　radioactive　probes　as　they　coaxed　sequences　of　genetic　code　to　unravel　their　identities。　Wheat；　who　battled　paperwork　almost　as　much　as　I　did；　was　sitting　at　her　desk