Spring Break Race Against Time (Part 1):
"Spring break couldn't have come at a more opportune time this year!", says Sam, as she and the gals are on their way to the beach this beautiful Saturday.
"Totally! And the weather is supposed to be gorgeous for the whole week!", says Alex.
"Just perfect for this beach blast! We can do some tanning, boy watching, beach volleyball, boy watching, swimming, and boy watching!", says a happy Clover.
Sam and Alex give Clover one of those 'looks'.
"What?" says Clover. "Don't tell me you guys aren't going to do any boy watching!"
"Well of course we are, Clover!", says Alex.
"But I really just want to have fun, relax, swim, and work on my tan!", says Sam.
"Who says you can't do all that and boy watch at the same time?", asks Clover.
The gals arrive mid-morning. They go to the changing area and put on their bikinis and are looking for the best place to set up shop for the day.
"I see the perfect spot!", says Clover, and she leads the gals to a stretch of beach within a stone's throw of the refreshment stand, the volleyball courts and the ocean.
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, they say!", says Clover.
"This is a great spot!", says Sam, as they spread their blankets, put up their beach umbrella, and apply suntan lotion.
"Need some help with the suntan lotion, Sammy?", asks Alex.
"Thanks! I could use some help on my back!", says Sam, as Alex applies the lotion.
"How about you, Clover?" asks Alex.
"Sure do! Same spot!", replies Clover.
"Now let me get you, Alex.", says Sam.
"OK, Sammy! Thanks!", says Alex.
Soon the beach starts to fill up. Thanks to Clover, there is a non-stop parade of cute boys passing the gals on their way to the refreshment stand, or volleyball court. The gals are getting noticed by the guys as well, and are enjoying the smorgasbord of cute guys in the area. The day is working out perfectly!
"I want to take a swim before lunch! Anyone want to join me?", asks Alex.
"I will!", says Sam.
"Last one in is a Mandy clone!", says Clover as the three gals run into the water laughing. They swim for about fifteen minutes and head toward their beach blankets. But there is something wrong, as the gals sit on their blankets.
"Gals, I am sorry, but I don't feel too well.", says an obviously sick Sam.
"I don't either!", says a pale Clover.
"We had better change and go home! I feel under the weather too.", says a white-as-a-sheet Alex.
The girls change clothes and pack up. They go to Sam's car and take a very quiet ride home.
As Alex enters her house, her Mom sees her. "Alex, you're home early from the beach! Is something wrong, dear?"
"Mom, I don't feel well!"
Alex's Mom instinctively puts her hand to Alex's forehead. "Goodness, Alex! You're running a fever! Go to your bedroom and lie down! I'll get some cold compresses!" Alex complies without saying a word.
Alex's Mom puts a cold compress on her forehead, and uses an ear thermometer to check her temperature. It is 101.5°. Worriedly, Alex's Mom talks to her Dad.
Clover is just coming up the driveway to the house. Her Mom is tending to her roses and is surprised to see her home so soon.
"Clover! Home so soon?" asks her Mom. But as Clover gets closer, she can see that her daughter isn't feeling well. "What's wrong, honey?"
"I just feel lethargic, Mom.", says Clover wistfully.
Clover's Mom takes off her gardening gloves and she feels her forehead. She knows Clover isn't feeling well because she isn't protesting. "Your feverish! Go to your room and lie down! I'll get some cold compresses and be right there!"
"Ok, Mom.", says Clover.
In her bedroom, Clover's Mom puts a cold compress on her forehead and takes her temperature with an electronic thermometer. She is registering 101.8°. While her Mom is attending to Clover, her Dad returns from his golf game. After calling out to find out where everyone was at, he arrives at Clover's bedroom. He can see that his 'little flower' is wilting. He comes in to help Clover's Mom.
Sam parks the car at home. She enters the house through the door that separates the garage from the utility room, without emptying it. Her Mom is in the utility room putting a load of wash into the dryer.
"Sammy, what's wrong? Your white as a sheet!", Sam's Mom says.
"I don't know, Mom. I just feel kinda out-of-it!", says Sam quietly.
Again, as the other Moms did, Sam's Mom immediately puts her hand on Sam's forehead. "Sam! You're burning up! Sit down in the kitchen! You're going to the hospital!"
Sam's Mom immediately informs Sam's Dad of the situation. He hurriedly gets the family car out, and helps the weakened Sam into the back seat, where she can lie down. Her Mom joins her in the back seat with some cold compresses. She uses a thermometer that registers a temperature by placing a heat sensitive strip applied to her forehead. The result:102.1°!
As it turns out, Alex and Clover's parents decided to take their daughters to the emergency room too. Nothing they were doing at home was bringing the temperature down, or even getting it to level off.
The emergency room is overcrowded with people experiencing the same problem. After talking to the first 20 or so, the hospital realizes that all the people were at the same beach! There must be something wrong there! They immediately call the city, and the city closes the beach down, until further notice. They also post two off-duty police officers to ensure no one goes on the beach.
At WOOHP, Jerry has an assignment for the gals, but on monitoring their compowders, he realizes that they are very sick. He quickly reassigns the mission to Britney's team. He then calls the hospital to see how the gals are doing. All the hospital can tell him is that the girls will be admitted – no further information is available until the logjam in emergency is cleared.
Jerry uses the WOOHP computer to hack into the hospital computer. He finds out that the girls will all be in room 201, and their temperature is being monitored continuously. He checks the temperature of the gals; it is not encouraging. Their temperatures range from 103.3° to 103.5° and are still slowly rising. The girls have slipped into a fever-induced coma. The girls' parents are at their bedside, and will stay there until the situation passes. Jerry knows that if a cure isn't found within the next 24 hours, the girls, and everyone else afflicted with the same symptoms will die.
Jerry starts his investigation at the hospital, talking to other patient's families. He disguises himself as a Board of Health inspector, down to his ID badge.
"I am with the Board of Health," says Jerry as he approaches one man, "and I am trying to get a clue as to what may have caused this fever!"
The husband of a woman with the fever responds. "I don't know what I can tell you, but ask away!"
"Were you both at the beach today?"
"Yes. We went around 10 AM. We set out our blanket and umbrella and began to enjoy the day. Suddenly, my wife told me she didn't feel well. I could see she was pale, so I brought her here."
"What had your wife done, prior to feeling ill?"
"Well, she napped a little on the blanket, took a swim. That's about it."
"Did you do the same?"
"No, I can't swim so I stay out of the water."
"Thank you."
Jerry continues to interview a few more families. He quickly realizes that all of the ill patients swam in the water. Beachgoers who did not swim were unaffected. That was the clue he needed! While he was at the hospital, Jerry connects to the hospital computer to check on the gals. They are sinking. Their temperature is now 104.2° plus or minus 0.1°, and their coma is deepening. He only has 22 hours left to find a cure!
After removing his disguise, Jerry employs a WOOHP copter, and lands on the beach, out of sight of the policemen. He carefully extracts two test tubes of water, puts them in a spill-proof case and takes off for WOOHP. He will have to work in the lab alone, as the entire lab crew went to Germany for training this week. They'd never get back in time to help!
On arriving at WOOHP, Jerry hurries to the lab where he begins his search to find the cause of this deadly disease. There are only 21 hours left! Before he gets started, Jerry again checks on the girls. Temperature, 104.4° and slowly rising.
After 10 agonizing hours, Jerry believes he has isolated the problem. Someone had polluted the water with a bacterium. He identified the bacterium and has developed a tentative cure, but he has to make sure. It needs to be tested on lab animals. This will take 5 more hours.
The cure works, but there is only 6 hours left! Jerry needs to synthesize enough of the antidote to treat all of the patients. This will take 4 more hours.
With only 2 hours left, a visibly tired but determined Jerry loads the antidote into a spill-proof briefcase and heads for the hospital by WOOHP copter.
On arriving, Jerry introduces himself as "Dr. Harry from Cambridge". He tells the hospital staff that he had heard of their plight, and realized he could help with this antidote. It was administered through the breathing tube of the patient.
At first the staff was skeptical, but Dr. Harry insisted that they let him try it on three patients. Naturally he picks the spies as the three guinea pigs. The girls' concerned parents agree out of desperation! Nothing else was working and they could almost see the very life slowly leaving their daughters.
Dr. Harry quickly attaches the small bottle to the breathing tubes of the three gals. Within one minute, the gals' temperature stabilizes at 104.9°. After about 5 minutes it starts to drop. The hospital staff is elated! They mobilize every available hospital personnel, including Dr. Harry, to administer the antidote to the sick patients. Within 45 minutes, all patients were receiving the antidote, with the same encouraging results.
Jerry quietly doubles back to the spies' room, but stops short of entering the room. What he hears satisfies his heart.
"Mom, Dad" says a very tired Sam, "why are you crying?" She finally snapped out of her coma! Her temperature has come all the way down to 99.4° and her temperature was still falling slowly. Sam's parents don't answer in words. They give Sam a big hug and kiss, holding her like they never want to let go. "Thank God! You're going to be all right, buttercup!" says her Dad through his tears. Her Mom adds "And thank you, Dr. Harry!"
Clover is the next to snap out of her coma. "Hi, Mom, Dad! You look tired!", says a tired Clover. Gratefully, they both hug and kiss their daughter repeatedly, tears streaming down their faces. "My little flower! Thank you, Dr. Harry!" says her Dad. "Everything is going to be all right, dear! Rest now!", says her Mom, as both her Mom and Dad say a silent prayer of thanksgiving. They thought they were going to lose their daughter, but God restored her through Dr. Harry.
Alex is the last to snap out of her coma. "Mommy? Daddy? Why do you look so sad?", says a tired Alex. "My Sunshine has returned, thank God!", says her Dad. "My little daughter is going to be all right! She's going to be all right!! Thank you Dr. Harry!" says Alex's Mom, as she and her Dad engulf Alex in hugs and kisses.
Jerry decides not to break in on these emotional reunions, and quietly slips out of the hospital to his copter. He will take a short nap and get back to work, because he knows this case is only half over. He now has to try and trace the bacteria.....
"Spring break couldn't have come at a more opportune time this year!", says Sam, as she and the gals are on their way to the beach this beautiful Saturday.
"Totally! And the weather is supposed to be gorgeous for the whole week!", says Alex.
"Just perfect for this beach blast! We can do some tanning, boy watching, beach volleyball, boy watching, swimming, and boy watching!", says a happy Clover.
Sam and Alex give Clover one of those 'looks'.
"What?" says Clover. "Don't tell me you guys aren't going to do any boy watching!"
"Well of course we are, Clover!", says Alex.
"But I really just want to have fun, relax, swim, and work on my tan!", says Sam.
"Who says you can't do all that and boy watch at the same time?", asks Clover.
The gals arrive mid-morning. They go to the changing area and put on their bikinis and are looking for the best place to set up shop for the day.
"I see the perfect spot!", says Clover, and she leads the gals to a stretch of beach within a stone's throw of the refreshment stand, the volleyball courts and the ocean.
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, they say!", says Clover.
"This is a great spot!", says Sam, as they spread their blankets, put up their beach umbrella, and apply suntan lotion.
"Need some help with the suntan lotion, Sammy?", asks Alex.
"Thanks! I could use some help on my back!", says Sam, as Alex applies the lotion.
"How about you, Clover?" asks Alex.
"Sure do! Same spot!", replies Clover.
"Now let me get you, Alex.", says Sam.
"OK, Sammy! Thanks!", says Alex.
Soon the beach starts to fill up. Thanks to Clover, there is a non-stop parade of cute boys passing the gals on their way to the refreshment stand, or volleyball court. The gals are getting noticed by the guys as well, and are enjoying the smorgasbord of cute guys in the area. The day is working out perfectly!
"I want to take a swim before lunch! Anyone want to join me?", asks Alex.
"I will!", says Sam.
"Last one in is a Mandy clone!", says Clover as the three gals run into the water laughing. They swim for about fifteen minutes and head toward their beach blankets. But there is something wrong, as the gals sit on their blankets.
"Gals, I am sorry, but I don't feel too well.", says an obviously sick Sam.
"I don't either!", says a pale Clover.
"We had better change and go home! I feel under the weather too.", says a white-as-a-sheet Alex.
The girls change clothes and pack up. They go to Sam's car and take a very quiet ride home.
As Alex enters her house, her Mom sees her. "Alex, you're home early from the beach! Is something wrong, dear?"
"Mom, I don't feel well!"
Alex's Mom instinctively puts her hand to Alex's forehead. "Goodness, Alex! You're running a fever! Go to your bedroom and lie down! I'll get some cold compresses!" Alex complies without saying a word.
Alex's Mom puts a cold compress on her forehead, and uses an ear thermometer to check her temperature. It is 101.5°. Worriedly, Alex's Mom talks to her Dad.
Clover is just coming up the driveway to the house. Her Mom is tending to her roses and is surprised to see her home so soon.
"Clover! Home so soon?" asks her Mom. But as Clover gets closer, she can see that her daughter isn't feeling well. "What's wrong, honey?"
"I just feel lethargic, Mom.", says Clover wistfully.
Clover's Mom takes off her gardening gloves and she feels her forehead. She knows Clover isn't feeling well because she isn't protesting. "Your feverish! Go to your room and lie down! I'll get some cold compresses and be right there!"
"Ok, Mom.", says Clover.
In her bedroom, Clover's Mom puts a cold compress on her forehead and takes her temperature with an electronic thermometer. She is registering 101.8°. While her Mom is attending to Clover, her Dad returns from his golf game. After calling out to find out where everyone was at, he arrives at Clover's bedroom. He can see that his 'little flower' is wilting. He comes in to help Clover's Mom.
Sam parks the car at home. She enters the house through the door that separates the garage from the utility room, without emptying it. Her Mom is in the utility room putting a load of wash into the dryer.
"Sammy, what's wrong? Your white as a sheet!", Sam's Mom says.
"I don't know, Mom. I just feel kinda out-of-it!", says Sam quietly.
Again, as the other Moms did, Sam's Mom immediately puts her hand on Sam's forehead. "Sam! You're burning up! Sit down in the kitchen! You're going to the hospital!"
Sam's Mom immediately informs Sam's Dad of the situation. He hurriedly gets the family car out, and helps the weakened Sam into the back seat, where she can lie down. Her Mom joins her in the back seat with some cold compresses. She uses a thermometer that registers a temperature by placing a heat sensitive strip applied to her forehead. The result:102.1°!
As it turns out, Alex and Clover's parents decided to take their daughters to the emergency room too. Nothing they were doing at home was bringing the temperature down, or even getting it to level off.
The emergency room is overcrowded with people experiencing the same problem. After talking to the first 20 or so, the hospital realizes that all the people were at the same beach! There must be something wrong there! They immediately call the city, and the city closes the beach down, until further notice. They also post two off-duty police officers to ensure no one goes on the beach.
At WOOHP, Jerry has an assignment for the gals, but on monitoring their compowders, he realizes that they are very sick. He quickly reassigns the mission to Britney's team. He then calls the hospital to see how the gals are doing. All the hospital can tell him is that the girls will be admitted – no further information is available until the logjam in emergency is cleared.
Jerry uses the WOOHP computer to hack into the hospital computer. He finds out that the girls will all be in room 201, and their temperature is being monitored continuously. He checks the temperature of the gals; it is not encouraging. Their temperatures range from 103.3° to 103.5° and are still slowly rising. The girls have slipped into a fever-induced coma. The girls' parents are at their bedside, and will stay there until the situation passes. Jerry knows that if a cure isn't found within the next 24 hours, the girls, and everyone else afflicted with the same symptoms will die.
Jerry starts his investigation at the hospital, talking to other patient's families. He disguises himself as a Board of Health inspector, down to his ID badge.
"I am with the Board of Health," says Jerry as he approaches one man, "and I am trying to get a clue as to what may have caused this fever!"
The husband of a woman with the fever responds. "I don't know what I can tell you, but ask away!"
"Were you both at the beach today?"
"Yes. We went around 10 AM. We set out our blanket and umbrella and began to enjoy the day. Suddenly, my wife told me she didn't feel well. I could see she was pale, so I brought her here."
"What had your wife done, prior to feeling ill?"
"Well, she napped a little on the blanket, took a swim. That's about it."
"Did you do the same?"
"No, I can't swim so I stay out of the water."
"Thank you."
Jerry continues to interview a few more families. He quickly realizes that all of the ill patients swam in the water. Beachgoers who did not swim were unaffected. That was the clue he needed! While he was at the hospital, Jerry connects to the hospital computer to check on the gals. They are sinking. Their temperature is now 104.2° plus or minus 0.1°, and their coma is deepening. He only has 22 hours left to find a cure!
After removing his disguise, Jerry employs a WOOHP copter, and lands on the beach, out of sight of the policemen. He carefully extracts two test tubes of water, puts them in a spill-proof case and takes off for WOOHP. He will have to work in the lab alone, as the entire lab crew went to Germany for training this week. They'd never get back in time to help!
On arriving at WOOHP, Jerry hurries to the lab where he begins his search to find the cause of this deadly disease. There are only 21 hours left! Before he gets started, Jerry again checks on the girls. Temperature, 104.4° and slowly rising.
After 10 agonizing hours, Jerry believes he has isolated the problem. Someone had polluted the water with a bacterium. He identified the bacterium and has developed a tentative cure, but he has to make sure. It needs to be tested on lab animals. This will take 5 more hours.
The cure works, but there is only 6 hours left! Jerry needs to synthesize enough of the antidote to treat all of the patients. This will take 4 more hours.
With only 2 hours left, a visibly tired but determined Jerry loads the antidote into a spill-proof briefcase and heads for the hospital by WOOHP copter.
On arriving, Jerry introduces himself as "Dr. Harry from Cambridge". He tells the hospital staff that he had heard of their plight, and realized he could help with this antidote. It was administered through the breathing tube of the patient.
At first the staff was skeptical, but Dr. Harry insisted that they let him try it on three patients. Naturally he picks the spies as the three guinea pigs. The girls' concerned parents agree out of desperation! Nothing else was working and they could almost see the very life slowly leaving their daughters.
Dr. Harry quickly attaches the small bottle to the breathing tubes of the three gals. Within one minute, the gals' temperature stabilizes at 104.9°. After about 5 minutes it starts to drop. The hospital staff is elated! They mobilize every available hospital personnel, including Dr. Harry, to administer the antidote to the sick patients. Within 45 minutes, all patients were receiving the antidote, with the same encouraging results.
Jerry quietly doubles back to the spies' room, but stops short of entering the room. What he hears satisfies his heart.
"Mom, Dad" says a very tired Sam, "why are you crying?" She finally snapped out of her coma! Her temperature has come all the way down to 99.4° and her temperature was still falling slowly. Sam's parents don't answer in words. They give Sam a big hug and kiss, holding her like they never want to let go. "Thank God! You're going to be all right, buttercup!" says her Dad through his tears. Her Mom adds "And thank you, Dr. Harry!"
Clover is the next to snap out of her coma. "Hi, Mom, Dad! You look tired!", says a tired Clover. Gratefully, they both hug and kiss their daughter repeatedly, tears streaming down their faces. "My little flower! Thank you, Dr. Harry!" says her Dad. "Everything is going to be all right, dear! Rest now!", says her Mom, as both her Mom and Dad say a silent prayer of thanksgiving. They thought they were going to lose their daughter, but God restored her through Dr. Harry.
Alex is the last to snap out of her coma. "Mommy? Daddy? Why do you look so sad?", says a tired Alex. "My Sunshine has returned, thank God!", says her Dad. "My little daughter is going to be all right! She's going to be all right!! Thank you Dr. Harry!" says Alex's Mom, as she and her Dad engulf Alex in hugs and kisses.
Jerry decides not to break in on these emotional reunions, and quietly slips out of the hospital to his copter. He will take a short nap and get back to work, because he knows this case is only half over. He now has to try and trace the bacteria.....