by Lara Lacombe
And a research base in Antarctica was about as isolated as you could get.
“Where do we come in?” Was Harold telling her this to keep her in the loop, or was there something else going on?
“I need you to go down there and figure out what’s happening. Right now we know next to nothing. We don’t know what the disease agent is, how it’s transmitted, the incubation period, infectious dose—it’s a black box. We need answers.”
Avery nodded slowly. It was a plum assignment, the type of work she loved. But there was just one problem... “Do we even have jurisdiction? This sounds like more of a thing for the World Health Organization rather than us.”
“The WHO is monitoring the situation,” Harold responded. “But since this is happening on a US base, we get the first crack at it.”
Excitement thrummed in her belly, and Avery started making mental lists of everything she’d need to pack. “When do I leave?”
“Tomorrow,” Harold said. “And I need you to keep this assignment between you and me. Outside of a few key people, no one knows about this.”
“Why the cloak-and-dagger routine?” Avery was used to a certain amount of discretion with respect to her assignments, but this seemed a bit extreme.
Harold sighed, and as his shoulders slumped he suddenly looked ten years older. A warning tingle slid down Avery’s spine, and she held her breath, waiting for his reply.
“We’re thinking this might be some kind of new influenza strain,” he said, sounding almost sad. “And if that’s the case...” He trailed off, and Avery nodded, understanding perfectly.
The majority of Americans thought that flu was merely a seasonal inconvenience, something to be endured rather than feared. Most of them had never even heard of the global pandemic of 1918, when between thirty and fifty million people had died from a particularly nasty strain. Since then, doctors and scientists had lived in fear of another massive outbreak, worse than the last. There had been a few false alarms over the years, but so far, humanity had managed to dodge a bullet. Still, researchers kept a close eye on influenza, and most would agree that it was just a matter of time before another virulent strain emerged to threaten the status quo. If it was happening now, panic and fear would sweep the globe faster than any virus, and the very fabric of humanity would be at risk.
Suddenly, Harold’s caution made perfect sense.
“We are modifying response plans as we speak, working in conjunction with the WHO,” Harold said softly. “We all hope this isn’t flu, but we have to be prepared.”
“Is the government going to cut off the base?” It was a drastic measure, but if there was a chance of this bug getting out into the general population, one option would be for the government to seal off the research base until the disease burned out. If no one went in or out, there would be no chance for the agent to escape.
Harold shook his head. “Not yet. But if this does turn out to be some new, supervirulent flu...”
“I know,” she said softly. “We’d be stuck there.” Worry gnawed at the edges of her mind, dampening her earlier enthusiasm. Did she really want to take on this mess, knowing there was a possibility she’d be stranded for an indefinite amount of time?
Her boss stared at her, sympathy welling in his eyes. “You don’t have to go,” he said. “Given the nature of this one, I can’t force you to go to Antarctica when there’s a chance you might get stuck there.”
“It’s okay,” she said, dismissing the hypothetical outcome. If she focused on the potentially negative aspects of her job, she’d never be able to work again. There was always a chance she might get caught in a quarantine, or worse, get sick herself. Those were just some of the risks inherent in her line of work. She couldn’t give in to the fear and worry now, not when there was so much on the line.
“Besides,” she continued, “it’s not like they’d forget about us. They’d do supply drops to keep us fed.”
Harold acknowledged the point with a nod. “That’s true.”
“And if they do shut things down, can you imagine the hazard pay I’d earn?” She winked at him, hoping to lighten the mood. It was nice of Harold to give her the option of refusal, but Avery couldn’t turn down this assignment. Identifying a new, virulent flu strain was the chance of a lifetime, and she wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines and let someone else do all the work.
Harold smiled and shook his head. “I didn’t think you’d say no, but I wanted to give you the choice all the same.”
“I appreciate it. Is it just me?”
“No, there will be three other people accompanying you—two nurses and a lab tech. I haven’t met any of them personally, but from what I hear they’re the best of the best.”
Avery nodded, pleased to hear about the reinforcements. If the situation was as dire as Harold believed, they’d need all the help they could get.
He stood, and Avery did the same. “I’ll get your itinerary sent over. You’ll fly to New Zealand first, and get set up with all the cold-weather gear you’ll need to survive the place.”
“Oh, good.” That was a load off her mind. The Centers for Disease Control was located in Atlanta, which wasn’t exactly known for winter weather. Avery didn’t think she had a coat that could handle a Chicago winter, much less the cold of Antarctica. “What about medical supplies?” Since the base hospital was handling everything, they probably needed a good restocking. “Can we get some antiflu drugs, too, just in case?”
Harold nodded. “Draw up a list of medications and supplies you want added to the manifesto. I’ll see that it gets sent to the correct people.”
“Thanks,” Avery said, already turning her attention back to her computer. She pulled up a blank document and started typing, knowing there was no time to waste.
Containment suits, scrubs, respirators, bleach... Not to mention all the equipment she’d need to set up a field lab.
Harold walked to the door, but before he opened it, he turned back to face her. “Avery,” he said, his voice serious.
She glanced up, tamping down a surge of impatience at the interruption. “Yes?”
“Be careful out there,” he said, his gray eyes solemn.
Avery nodded, taken aback by his warning. In the five years she and Harold had been working together, he’d never once told her to be careful. For him to say so now drove home just how worried he was about the situation, and Avery felt a small weight settle on her shoulders. This case was different, she could already tell. And not just because of the exotic location.
“I will,” she promised. “We’ll get this thing under control and I’ll be back here bugging you before you know it.”
He tried for a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I hope so,” he said. Then he opened the door and left, closing it softly behind him.
Three days later...
“Dr. Jones?”
The words drifted through the fog of fatigue that hung heavy over Grant’s mind. “Hmm?” Not his most eloquent response, but it was the best he could manage with his face half buried in the pillow.
“The plane’s landed.”
“M’kay.” The pillow was soft and cool under his cheek and he stretched, relishing the sensation of lying flat for the first time in days. He hadn’t caught more than a few snatches of sleep over the past week, and now that he’d managed to collapse on a bed he wasn’t going to get up unless the hospital was on fire.
And maybe not even then.
“Dr. Jones?”
“Hmm?” Now he felt a flash of irritation. Why was the nurse still here? She’d delivered her message—why couldn’t she just leave him in peace so he could lapse into the coma his body so desperately needed?
“The expert from the CDC is here and wants to meet you.”
Damn. He was going to have to get up after all.
“M’kay,” he muttered. He flipped onto his back, then brought his hands up to his eyes and rubbed vigorously. “I’ll be right there,” he called out, dismissing the
messenger. She closed the door, leaving him alone again.
Grant forced himself to sit up, knowing that if he didn’t it would be all too easy to surrender to sleep once more. But since he was the chief doctor on-base, it was his responsibility to brief the reinforcements about the “situation,” as he’d come to think of it. He preferred that to the more inflammatory term outbreak.
Or apocalypse.
He stood and forced the exhausted hamster back on the rusty wheel in his brain. Caffeine. He needed caffeine—industrial quantities of it.
He stepped into the small adjacent bathroom and flipped on the lights, wincing at the sudden brightness. A dull throb started up behind his eyeballs, but he ignored it. He’d learned from experience that medication didn’t relieve his fatigue-induced headaches. Only sleep helped, and he wasn’t likely to get that anytime soon.
A glance in the mirror told him he looked as rough as he felt. Too bad there wasn’t time for a shower and shave—he certainly wasn’t going to make a good first impression with his hair sticking out and a weeks’ worth of stubble on his cheeks. He sighed, dismissing the issue. With everything else going on, he just couldn’t muster up the energy to care about his appearance.
He stepped out into the hall and started down the narrow corridor. Every inch of available room was crammed with stuff—supplies, medical records, bedsheets. They couldn’t afford to let any space go unused. When he’d first arrived, he felt claustrophobic and overwhelmed—how was he going to remember where anything was? But it hadn’t taken long for him to learn the system, such as it was, and now he navigated the apparent chaos with ease.
He walked to the main desk, which faced the entrance to the hospital, expecting to find the new arrivals clustered around the door. But the small entryway was empty, along with the nurse who was on reception duty. Where were they?
The sound of voices drifted down the other hall and he turned and set off, wondering what they were doing. Maybe one of the nurses was giving them a quick tour of the facility? And it would be quick—with only twenty beds, they weren’t exactly set up for the kind of cases they’d been getting lately. He shook his head, his mood sinking as it always did when he thought of the four patients he hadn’t been able to save...
Fortunately, most of the beds were empty now. After the initial set of ten patients, they’d settled into a lull, and there hadn’t been any new cases in the last three days. He hoped this was a sign the outbreak was over, but deep in his gut he worried it was only the beginning.
Despite the ten patients and four deaths, he knew they’d been incredibly lucky. Although this bug was nasty, it wasn’t very contagious. That was the only thing that had saved the base. If the virus or whatever it was figured out how to jump from person to person? This whole place would be wiped out within a week. It was the nightmare that kept him awake, trying to figure out what he could do protect the researchers and staff toiling away here at the bottom of the world.
He hadn’t protested when the base commander called the CDC for advice—he had his pride, but given the nature of this disease, he wasn’t about to turn down help, especially not from people who had tackled this sort of thing before. He just hoped the guy they’d sent out would be easy to work with—people were already stressed and on edge, wondering when the disease would strike again.
The voices were coming from the small bay that held the dentist’s chair and equipment. Dr. Farnly was their resident dentist, but he hadn’t seen much work recently. Grant poked his head around the corner and was shocked to find a small group of people moving dentistry supplies and equipment and setting up what looked like laboratory instruments.
The two women and two men moved around the space like they owned the place. He opened his mouth to protest, but his gaze caught on a blond ponytail and the words died in his throat.
Avery?
His brain rejected the idea almost immediately, but his heart took a little more convincing. Of course it wasn’t her—it couldn’t be. But this woman, whoever she was, had the same color hair—a warm, golden mix of honey, sunshine and corn silk that Avery had worn in long waves cascading down her back. How many hours had he spent running his hands over the soft strands, stroking it away from her face as she lay with her head in his lap, both of them enjoying the lazy days of summer back when they’d been college students and their biggest worry had been what to do on Friday night?
This woman shifted and something in his chest tightened, her graceful movements yet another reminder of the woman he’d once loved. He realized now with the gift of hindsight just how stupid he’d been. But it was too late to make amends. Avery had moved on with her life and she deserved better.
Fresh grief welled up, but Grant tamped it down. He missed Avery, would always miss her. But he couldn’t get bogged down in emotion now, not when so many people were counting on him to stay focused.
He shook his head to dispel the faint nostalgia that always appeared whenever he thought of Avery. He’d realized his mistake almost immediately after their breakup, and he’d spent days mired in the memories of their life together. But as the weeks and months had turned to years, he’d gotten better about keeping thoughts of her tucked away, only stopping to take them out and linger over them when he was alone. He certainly hadn’t meant to indulge now, in the middle of the hospital.
It was the fatigue, he decided. His defenses were down, which was why he’d been blindsided by the sight of a woman with long, blond hair. Time to meet this expert and head back to bed for a long-overdue nap.
“What is going on here?” The question came out a little harsher than he’d intended, his emotions still too close to the surface for his liking.
One of the nurses glanced over and stepped to his side. “It’s the CDC expert—they’re setting up a temporary lab.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. We don’t have the space for that!”
She shrugged and held up her hands in a kind of “what am I supposed to do about it?” gesture.
So much for the guy being easy to work with. He’d been here all of five minutes and was already reorganizing and repurposing space without asking permission. Grant eyed the small group, trying to pick out the man at the head of this little takeover.
“Who’s in charge here?” he asked, glancing back and forth between a tall, skinny man in a blue scrub top and a stockier blond guy in a Harvard sweatshirt. My money’s on Harvard, he thought, waiting for a reply.
“I am,” came a distinctly feminine voice.
A very familiar voice.
Oh, God. It’s not possible. Is it?
His heart beating double time in his chest, Grant turned and found Avery Thatcher staring at him, one eyebrow quirked up in that familiar, inquisitive expression he’d once loved. She stared at him for a moment, and he watched as her blue eyes flared wide in recognition. He couldn’t see her mouth because of the mask she wore, but he was willing to bet she was biting her bottom lip the way she always had when something bothered her.
“Grant?” She sounded almost as incredulous as he felt, and she tightened her grip on the clipboard she held, her knuckles going white under her skin.
A tsunami of words rose in his throat, all the things he should have said ten years ago now jostling and vying for expression. He swallowed hard. “Hello, Avery. Long time no see.” It was a lame greeting, but it was better than gawking at her like she was a ghost come back to life.
She was silent a moment, and Grant got the distinct impression Avery wanted nothing more than to turn her back on him and pretend he wasn’t there. But she was too much of a professional to let her personal desires get in the way of her job. “Grant,” she repeated evenly. “What a surprise.”
He tried to laugh to dispel the tension, but the sound came out as more of a strangled wheeze. “I know, right? Of all the gin joints in the world...” He trailed off and Avery smiled politely—he could see her cheeks move under the paper of the mask, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Indeed. So you’re the chief here?”
He cleared his throat, happy to change the subject. Besides, what could he say to make up for the past? It would take more than a few bad jokes to reach her now. “I am. I take it you’re the expert from the CDC?”
“I am,” she replied.
A fierce burst of pride came out of nowhere and made him want to hug her, but he knew better than to try it. Even when they’d been undergraduate students, Avery always wanted to be the best. She’d worked hard to rise to the head of their class, and thanks to her talent and determination, she’d had her pick of medical schools. It was no surprise that she was now at the top of her field.
A hint of sadness tinged the edges of his vision as he studied her. If he hadn’t been such a dumb kid, he would have been a part of her life all this time, would have celebrated her accomplishments with her. Instead he felt like a stranger, a realization made all the more painful, thanks to the closeness they’d once shared.
He deliberately turned his thoughts away from the past. “It’s not airborne,” he said, gesturing to her mask. “You don’t need that.” Her eyes were quite expressive, but he wanted to see the rest of her face so he could get a better idea of what she was thinking. Once upon a time he’d known all her expressions and had been able to practically see her thoughts based on how she held her mouth or lifted an eyebrow. Would he still be able to read her like that now?
Her eyes narrowed. “I was told the patients suffered extensive respiratory symptoms.”
“That’s true, but whatever is causing this disease doesn’t seem to be transmitted through the air. Why do you think I’m still alive?” His tone was light, but she didn’t smile.
She eyed him up and down, as if assessing the truth of his statement for herself. After a long moment, she lifted her hand and tugged the mask down, exposing her pert nose and full, pink lips to his gaze.