Maggie's Story

Chapter 18 Part III

Olga Rules

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That was the last time I heard from Jim while I was in Trenton. I don't know why he stopped calling, returning my calls or coming down to see me, but it didn't matter. I was once again thrown into my work and used it as a crutch to forget about my time with Greg. Unfortunately, in the dead of night, my work didn't keep me from dreaming of his touch as he lifted my pajama top or his mouth on my breast. I missed him. I even missed arguing with him.

I spent six months on the Anthrax cases. Eventually, dozens of people would spend years, but the need for my talent was over. At the conference we held on the six month anniversary of the first envelope being opened, I warned my superiors that there was a good chance we wouldn't find the person or persons responsible for the attacks. They refused to listen to me and I was promptly transferred temporarily to Atlanta, where I worked a desk, supervising field epidemiologists. I found myself a position as regional director in Peru and within a month, I was gratefully in Lima.

I held the position for three years before returning to Atlanta. In Peru I was happier than I had been in years. It was a Catholic country and seemed to understand my schizophrenic Catholic beliefs. The natives were just as schizophrenic, believing both in the Church and in Pachimama, the Earth Goddess. I felt right at home. I had a few mediocre relationships, but none lasted more than a few months. I really didn't want to move back to the USA, but my superiors were all being shuffled as a result of several retirements and one death. They needed me to take over as Director of Epidemiology in Atlanta.

I bought a house in Atlanta and spent a lot of time commuting back and forth to Philadelphia to see my growing nephew and niece. My brother's "businesses" was doing well. They lived in a huge house just outside of Philadelphia in Buck's County. My little home in Philadelphia needed some work, so I took out an equity loan and when the tenants moved out, I spent 50,000 renovating it. I doubled the rental price to 1600 a month. I was surprised when I rented it out within twenty-four hours to three Residents at Temple. They were quite chuffed to find out they were renting from me, claiming that they had been forced to read all of my papers in their Infectious Disease class at Temple. I was apparently a semi-celebrity at the medical school. They informed me that, at least once a month, one of my old professors brought up the fact that they had taught me.

Things were going well in Atlanta when I received a phone call in December from Dr. Cuddy.

"Maggie? This is Lisa Cuddy at Princeton-Plainsboro.:

My heart felt like it was having spasms, "Yes. Hi, Lisa. Is something wrong with Greg?"

"Oh! No, no. We have a problem here and I wanted to ask for your advice. We have an in-hospital infectious disease that's killed two babies in the last twenty-four hours."

"Jesus!" I took a deep breath, "Is Greg working the case?"

"It was House that discovered that there was a problem. He and his team are working hard on finding out what it is."

"Okay, I'll get clearance and come up right away. Send me what you have."

We hung up and I immediately called my superiors. No one wanted to go because they had each had a run in with Greg. It seemed that I was the most logical person to go. I flew up, rented a car and drove straight to the hospital. I felt sure that I was at a place in my life where I could deal with Greg and not get all girly.

Dr. Cuddy met me at the door, "Maggie, I'm sorry to drag you all the way up here. He's already solved the case."

I chuckled, "Did he know I was coming?"

She shook her head, "No. I didn't dare tell him the CDC was coming. He would have dropped everything and gone back to his office. He doesn't like interference."

"Well, I'm here. I need to document the outbreak and look over your decontamination procedures."

She nodded.

I spent four hours in the hospital on the Maternity Ward. By the time I came up for air, I was convinced that Greg was a genius. The outbreak was well documented, the lab results confirmed his brilliant diagnosis and the clean up was progressing in a manner I found acceptable. There was no need for me to stay. I called and discovered that if I ran, I could make the last flight back to Atlanta. I said my goodbyes to Lisa and rushed out of the hospital. As I was driving through the parking lot, a man with a cane was in the crosswalk. He didn't look at me, but I knew it was Greg. He looked older, as if the pain from his life was pulling him down. I wanted to jump out and grab him, but I was late and we had said goodbye so many times in the past, I didn't have the energy to say it again. Just as he cleared my car, he looked up as I drove past, our eyes locking. I lifted my hand and gave him a royal wave before driving out of sight. I don't know what he was thinking, but he didn't look surprised.

I got back to Atlanta and found an email waiting for me.

Dear Maggie,

Thank you for your prompt attention to our problem. I appreciate your calm approach to handling the outbreak. House said he saw you drive out of the parking lot and wondered if you were avoiding him. I told him that you had to catch a plane. He seemed somewhat disappointed to know that you had gone back to Atlanta. Maybe you should give him a call, I think he might like to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Lisa

Sorry Lisa, but that's one itch I can't scratch again.

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I spent all of 2005 Greg-free. I didn't hear from or about him the entire year. I was now a Division Director for Infectious Diseases and chair of the Intragovernmental Committee of the Strategic National Stockpile as well as the CDC representative on the Executive Steering Committee of the National Interagency Biodefense Campus.

I missed being in the field, but I really enjoyed being close enough to fly home to Philadelphia to see my family. I was now thirty-seven and considered the spinster aunt. Tom O'Leary was married to a woman who had a young daughter. He seemed to be happy when I ran into him at a wedding reception. He had gray hair mixed with his blonde, a few wrinkles, but for the most part he looked the same. He had even managed to keep trim and fit. I hated him. I hated him for making me move my baby, but I didn't let it show. He and Jack had managed to become friends again, although not close friends. Jack still had hard feelings over what he did to Bridget and me.

In 2006, I had flown up to Philadelphia for the Memorial Day weekend and a big barbeque, complete with beef ribs and cheese steaks at my brother's house. Theresa and Luke picked me up at the airport Thursday afternoon. I put my stuff in their guest room and made my way downstairs where Theresa handed me a cranberry martini. We were kicking back, waiting for Jack to get home, when Theresa turned on the news. We continued to talk briefly while the television droned behind us.

"…police are still looking for the man, described as approximately 5'9", going bald, but what hair he has is dark, he was seen leaving the hospital parking lot in a blue Chevy Malibu. He is considered armed and dangerous. If anyone thinks they recognize the man, please contact the Princeton Police Department immediately. Back to you Mark."

I watched the bland looking news anchor looking sober, look at the monitor and ask, "Jackie, is Dr. House expected to make a complete recovery?"

My body went cold, sweat beaded up on my forehead.

"He's currently in surgery at Princeton-Plainsboro. We understand he was shot once in the neck and once in the stomach. We don't have any further information. We should have more for you by the eleven o'clock news."

I jumped up, my heart was pounding.

Theresa was bug-eyed, "Maggie, is that Greg they're talking about?"

"It has to be. Christ, someone finally shot him. Theresa, I have to get to Princeton."

"Sure, take Jack's car, it's in the garage. He has his truck, he won't miss it."

I ran upstairs, grabbed my purse, some underwear, my toothbrush and a shirt, threw them in a plastic bag and flew out the door. By driving at speeds I shouldn't have, I arrived at Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital within an hour. A dozen news cameras and journalists were hanging around the entrance and a couple of cop cars were still pulled up outside the front of the clinic. I went inside and showed my CDC identification to the cop who tried to stop me. He immediately let me through.

I peered into Cuddy's office, but she wasn't there. I ran up to the board and discovered that surgery was on the fourth floor. When I got off the elevator I spotted Jim in the hallway, leaning up against the wall. His head was down, deep in thought. He looked nervous, his fingers tapping behind him on the wall.

"Jim!"

He turned, looking anxious, "Maggie!" He jogged towards me, arms out, "I'm glad you're here."

I was breathless from all my hurrying, "Is he okay?"

Jim shrugged his shoulders, "The bullet nicked his carotid artery and his bowel. They're sewing him up now."

We just kept hugging. I saw several people in the waiting room, but I didn't see Cuddy. "Where's Lisa?"

"She's observing the surgery with the others. I couldn't. I don't know why."

I nodded. "I understand completely. If something went wrong with the operation I don't know what I'd…" I didn't even know it was coming, but I burst into tears, much to the surprise of everyone in the waiting room and Jim.

Jim stepped back, his hand still on my back, rubbing it, "Let's go down to my office."

We waited for word in Jim's office, sitting on his little sofa, my head on his shoulders my mind going over and over the things Greg and I had said and done to each other over the years, both good and bad. The phone rang half an hour later and we made a bee-line for recovery. Jim was holding my hand as we went through the doors. He recognized one of the surgeons who had worked on Greg.

"Tony, how is he?"

"He'll make it. We used the Ketamine like he asked. I wouldn't expect him to come out of it for another three or four hours though."

"Thanks." Jim said.

We went over and found him, mouth open, a unit of blood, saline and antibiotics running through the IV. He had a large bandage on his neck and one between his stomach and abdomen. I grabbed his hand and held it, bending down to kiss him on his forehead.

There were three other people in the cubicle, including Lisa. They all stared at me as tears continued to stream down my face.