"Morning Jess," Bill greeted me as I held up my ID for him, the same as I did every morning.
I smiled," Hey Bill, how's Leo doing?"
"Results day today, he's nervous and I'm waiting for the call," he grimaced.
"Fingers crossed," I replied as I carried on into the camp and headed for my building.
I swiped my ID again to get access and made my way towards my lab, heels clicking on the freshly mopped floor. Once inside the changing room I threw away my coffee cup, and changed out of my thick black coat into the white labcoat, tying my hair up with chopsticks, before washing up. Another ID swipe and I entered the cool damp air of my laboratory.
"J.K," a male voice greeted me from across the lab.
"Mornin'" I greeted Eathan with a nod, "you're early"
He stuck his head back out of the incubator and smirked(at least I saw him smirking in his eyes), "Didn't want you to miss me too much babe."
It's a running joke between us to call eachother by couply petnames ever since college. We're friends, that's all, but it could get confusing for anyone who doesn't know that. His wife understands, thankfully.
"Aww babycakes you're so thoughtful," I crossed my eyes at him.
I went to the autoclave and emptied it into the sterile glass pantry, then picked up my lab book and glasses to go and check on my samples. I'm working on research into prion disorders, the main reason I got into disease control in the first place. But that's more of a personal interest, and I quickly moved onto the work strains of more boring things like swine flu.
I went over to Eathan and leaned over his shoulder, "What'cha cookin'?"
"Coxiella burnetii, I know how you love your Q-Fever with your coffee," he cocked an eyebrow at me.
"Nice, but why? The US shut down its general use in 1969," I cocked my head to the side.
"Five patients in the last 6 hours. Fifteen more suspected, two dead," he replied gravely, all joking gone from his tone.
"Where?" I asked, trying to remember the cure but coming up blank.
"London, the patients are in Charring, the corpses in St. Barts," he answered, "We need samples from them all."
I chewed my lip, "You want me to go or?"
"You know I hate hospitals," he looked me in the eye and I nodded, putting a gloved hand on his arm before turning to gather the equipment I would need.
Eathan lost a son, after a long and hard battle with Leukaemia, and while he can work in the labs he can't bear to be in hospitals, especially near the dead.
"I'll see you later then I guess," I turned to him and smiled though he couldn't see it under my mask.
"Part timer," he scoffed, "You only just got here."
"Oh shut up you," I blew a kiss as I left the lab.
I peeled off my PPE, then washed up again before getting my coat back on and leaving the building with my kit in hand. I half-hurried to my car then drove to the closest tube station.