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Chapter 4

"Rachel, don't you dare…you promised you'd fight!" Tom Chandler cried out as he reached for her hand.

Rachel had heard Tom's panicked voice but fatigue swept over her and she drifted into the darkness.

"Move her onto the floor now" ordered Dr Milowsky as he turned to Rios and the corpsman. "Captain, Sir, I need you to let go of her hand…"

Rios together with the corpsman lifted the doctor onto the floor, while Dr Milowsky grabbed a pillow off the bed placing it under her shoulders. The Captain moved across the room to stand next to Rachel watching every move of the doctors with increasing dread.

"Captain, I'm going to disconnect you from the IV..." Swiftly Rios removed the needle and gave the Captain a swab to press against the bleeding vein. "You might want to step outside, Sir "

"No, I'm staying…" The firmness in his voice made it clear that it wasn't up for discussion.

With practised movements Milowsky tilted Rachel's head backwards, pushing her jaw downwards and slid the laryngoscope into her mouth, while gently pushing down to visualise the cords. He reached out with his right hand only to have Rios place the endotracheal tube in his hand.

"Damn,I can't see the cords" Milowsky hissed.

Rios leaned forwards and put gentle pressure on Dr. Scott's larynx.

"Here goes nothing…" he quickly placed the tube after he caught a flash of the cords. Rios took over fastening the breathing tube while Dr Milowsky checked the airway. "Good air entry right, left lung not so good…most likely blood in the chest cavity"

"Rios start ventilating…She's still in VF and we need to shock her…" The whine of the machine charging vibrated through the room. "Captain, start CPR while I charge the defib"

Tom carefully placed his hands over the left side of Rachel's breastbone and pushed down rhythmically. Her skin felt so cold under his hands. He pressed his lips together willing Rachel's heart to start beating again.

After completing his first set of compressions Tom lifted his hands off as Rios quickly provided two puffs of air.

"Stand clear charging…200J…analysing rhythm: still in VF... stand clear shocking" Milowsky called out.

The current pulsed through Rachel's chest and her body arched in response while in her mind a bright light exploded, pulling her into a sea of memories.

"Doctor Scott, welcome to the White House. If you will follow me I'll show you to the meeting room"

The White house staffer smiled as she turned, walking briskly towards a stair case on the left of the reception hall.

"Has Dr Hunter arrived?" Rachel asked falling into step with the young woman.

"Yes, he arrived an hour ago with the director of the CDC."

Rachel sighed in frustration. She had hoped to have a few minutes with her mentor before facing the committee who were to give a final judgement on her proposal. Nervously she clutched her bag containing the details of her hypothesis. The scientific and medical community was clamouring for answers to the recent deaths associated with the outbreak in Egypt where the mortality rate came close to 100%. Although still limited to few geographical locations the fierceness of the virus and the inability of the CDC to identify its origin had caused significant concern among the top ranks of virologists who required a template to build a vaccine on.

She had presented her theory first to the British Government only to be ridiculed by one of the leading virologist working in the advisory group. It had shaken her confidence and when she had confided in her mentor she had never thought it would lead to an invitation to the White House.

The staffer had reached their destination, opening the teakwood door which led into a middle sized room with about 15 people sitting around a large table. Rachel stepped through the doorway, nodding her thanks to her guide before walking across to sit next to her mentor Dr Hunter. She could see copies of her proposal in front of each person. Projected on the wall were several sets of numbers which Rachel identified as estimated infection rate of the world population if the virus continued unhindered. Next to it were several graphs showing the infection rate per continent. A recent projection on infection rates in North Europe took her by surprise and she frowned catching her mentor's eye.

"Yes, it's worse…" Dr Hunter confirmed in a hushed voice "The virus has mutated. Infection rate has increased and we'll be at pandemic stage within weeks."

"Dr Scott, thank you for joining us." Rachel turned to the man addressing her recognising Dr Frieden, the director of the CDC. "I'll skip introductions for now. We have read through your proposal and Dr Hunter has been very eloquent in supporting your request. If you give us a moment the President will be joining us via a link from the oval office"

Her surprise must have been evident on her face because Dr Hunter reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Convince the President and the ship is yours, my dear"

There was a loud crackle and the video conferencing system came on line. The President skipped straight to the point.

"Dr Scott, I have read your proposal and my scientific and medical advisors have given me their views –all in all I have not been convinced that you are not peddling a science fiction novel"

Rachel straightened her shoulders and thrust her chin forward as she answered in her clipped British accent.

"Mr President, my theory is sound and at the moment the only one that would explain the appearance of a novel virus with no precedent…it has to be an ancient virus released from the permafrost into our eco system. Only last year did a French medical genomics team discover a 30 000 year old virus in the Siberian permafrost which they were able to revive under laboratory conditions. My idea that via avian carriers such as arctic birds a virus has re-entered our society finding us with no natural defences is not science fiction but a hypothesis I can prove. I ask for the opportunity to go to the Arctic to gather samples, identify and isolate the primordial viral strain so it can be used for a vaccine."

"And you would like me to provide one of my Navy ships for this little expedition of yours?"

"That's right, Mr President. I need you to believe in me and trust that I'll find the answers we have been looking for" Rachel stood tall and looked the President straight in the eyes.

"Mr. President, if I may…" Dr Hunter interjected the standoff between his protégé and the leader of the free world. "Dr Scott's resume speaks for itself. She has in the past demonstrated an inspired gift at recognising connections before anyone else in her field of paleomicrobiology. The world is sick and at the moment Dr Scott presents the best hope for a cure"

The President's gaze had turned thoughtful as Rachel held her breath.

"Okay Dr Scott, I will order one of my ships at your disposal but your mission will be top secret, not even the Captain will know about it. You will stay in contact with the CDC who will keep me informed. Good Luck Doctor."

The screen went blank a fraction of a second later.

"Analysing Rhythm: VF…" disappointment was audible in Milowsky's voice. "Continue CPR. Charging 200J"

Tom had commenced chest compressions again.

"Rachel, you listen to me…your work isn't done…we all still need you…"he urged her under his breath.

"Stand clear shocking…"

Helpless Tom watched as the current surged through the woman he loved.

"Michael, where are you?" Rachel held her hand up over her eyes to shield them from the bright sun light as she pressed her cell phone against her left ear listening for an answer.

She was standing on the dock next to the Nathan James waiting for Quincy to arrive with the truck, watching the crew say good bye to their families. Her thoughts had drifted to Michael her boyfriend of several years who had left last week following up on a story in Southern China. They had argued because Rachel had deemed it too dangerous for him to travel but Michael didn't listen, laughing off her warnings. Over the last few days she had left messages for him on his voice mail but today she had been lucky and Michael answered his phone on the third ring. The connection was bad with Michael's voice breaking up so Rachel could only understand every third word. He was somewhere west of Chengdu and well. Relief filled her and she had explained to him that she would be out of cell phone range for a while. Before she could urge him to return back home the line suddenly went dead. Frustrated Rachel tucked her phone away. The burden of what she knew and the task ahead weighed heavily on her. Sadness washed over her as she realised that she may never see or talk to him again and she felt tears pricking behind her eye lids. A sudden joyful whoop made her turn around just in time to see a young boy launch himself into the waiting arms of his father. The Navy Officer was tall and solid built with grey blond hair reflecting the sun light. Rachel observed as a blond woman with a young girl by her side came and joined the father son duo, laughing and hugging, love reflected in every gesture between them. Conscience stricken Rachel turned away from the sight of the family, fighting the pangs of guilt at having to deceive everyone around her. This was going to be much harder than expected, she thought as she quickly wiped away a stray tear.

"Analysing rhythm…VF…unchanged…damn" Dr Milowsky sat back letting his head drop onto his chest as he took in a deep breath. "Rios get the chest tube tray out" Milowsky nodded to the Captain who was already performing compressions again.

"Sir, I'll need you to move in a minute…I'm going to place a tube into the doctor's chest after the next shock."

Tom nodded grimly, watching Dr Milowsky prepare the instruments.

"Charging 360 J" Rios called out before commencing the charging sequence.

"Rachel, come back to me!" Urged Tom with emotion as he watched Rios prepare for a third shock.

"Stand clear shocking…"