Chapter 2: The Needle
"Well what was he doing in Africa in the first place?" Luka asked when he got there.
"His friend needed help for this charity fund to help the sick people there..." Abby whispered. You had to wear a special suit when you went into Dave's room now and a mask so you didn't breathe the air.
"I can't sit here and wait!"
"Well there's not much you can do in there!"
"Damn it there has to be something! How much ribavirin is he getting?"
"Calm down Luka, we're doing the best we can," Abby whispered again. She took one of the suits and a mask.
"Come on. Mark wants me to take a blood sample. I know it's Lassa Fever and so does he. He just doesn't want to know. You can come with me," Luka agreed and put on his suit as well. They entered. Green was already there with Carter and Benton. Cater was basically trying to restrain Dave because he was lashing out at anyone near him. Benton was trying to calm him down and Green was giving him some ribavirin, an antiviral drug used for patients with Lassa Fever.
"Abby," Mark said when he saw her. Abby took out a needle.
"You know, we don't have to do this. It's the only thing he could have-"
"Do it, Lockhart!" Carter ordered. Abby finally agreed and took some of Dave's blood with a needle.
"Owe! Oh shit!" she swore.
"What?" Carter asked, worried.
"I..." she didn't answer. She left quickly and took off her gloves when she was out. She handed the needle to Luka who followed swiftly after her. She ran to a sink and began washing her hand vigorously. The water turned into a thin red liquid.
"Abby, you didn't just-"
"Shut up, Luka!" she screamed. She could have kicked herself. What the heck did she do to herself? Luka held her face up so they could see each other's eyes.
"You have to tell them."
"No..." a few tears were running down her cheek, "I'm so stupid! I should have waited until Carter had him fully restrained!"
"Abby, don't worry. If they know about it now... The disease takes a few days to take effect. Go tell them," Abby nodded and took off the suit, "I should get this to be analyzed," He left and as Abby was running down the hall, holding the hand she'd pricked with the needle, she ran into Elizabeth Corday.
"I've heard. I just got here... What's wrong?" she asked when she saw Abby's tear-stained face. Abby held out her hand to Elizabeth.
"Mark wanted me to... To take some of Dave's... To take some of Dave's blood. I... The needle went through my glove..." Abby stuttered but she didn't even have to finish.
"Abby, you didn't!" Elizabeth said, grabbing Abby by the arm abruptly and leading her down the hall. Maybe it was because she knew what was going to happen, but it seemed to Abby that the disease had already started the symptoms. She felt dizzy and things were coming in and out of focus. It was so hot. The last thing she saw was Kerry Weaver before she passed out.
"Abby? Abby can you hear me?" Abby barely heard Carol Hathaway's voice.
"Who..." Abby gasped. She couldn't feel any part of her body.
"Abby, you fainted. Your fever isn't that high yet, it's only 99 right now but it will go much higher very soon. Just relax..." she felt a sharp pain in her left arm as Carol made her look to her right. She knew Carol was trying to calm her down. She looked over to her left. Luka Kovac was injecting something into her. Ribavirin, most likely. Kovac looked up at her when he had finished.
"You will be all right Abby," he said. Abby could feel the sweat on her forehead.
"How do you know?" she asked. Her speech was unclear to everyone but her, but they understood.
"The disease is in its early stage. We've gotten the results and you were right, it is Lassa Fever,"
"And Dave? Will... Will he be... be OK?"
"Um, Dave? We still aren't sure yet, but we have brought his fever down. Just hang in there, Abby, hang in there," Carter answered. Abby turned her head again and saw him on her left with Carol. She looked again to her right and saw Kovac wasn't alone either. Elizabeth Corday was there as well. They were all in special suits. Abby was scared. Scared for her own life, and scared for Dave's.
"Well what was he doing in Africa in the first place?" Luka asked when he got there.
"His friend needed help for this charity fund to help the sick people there..." Abby whispered. You had to wear a special suit when you went into Dave's room now and a mask so you didn't breathe the air.
"I can't sit here and wait!"
"Well there's not much you can do in there!"
"Damn it there has to be something! How much ribavirin is he getting?"
"Calm down Luka, we're doing the best we can," Abby whispered again. She took one of the suits and a mask.
"Come on. Mark wants me to take a blood sample. I know it's Lassa Fever and so does he. He just doesn't want to know. You can come with me," Luka agreed and put on his suit as well. They entered. Green was already there with Carter and Benton. Cater was basically trying to restrain Dave because he was lashing out at anyone near him. Benton was trying to calm him down and Green was giving him some ribavirin, an antiviral drug used for patients with Lassa Fever.
"Abby," Mark said when he saw her. Abby took out a needle.
"You know, we don't have to do this. It's the only thing he could have-"
"Do it, Lockhart!" Carter ordered. Abby finally agreed and took some of Dave's blood with a needle.
"Owe! Oh shit!" she swore.
"What?" Carter asked, worried.
"I..." she didn't answer. She left quickly and took off her gloves when she was out. She handed the needle to Luka who followed swiftly after her. She ran to a sink and began washing her hand vigorously. The water turned into a thin red liquid.
"Abby, you didn't just-"
"Shut up, Luka!" she screamed. She could have kicked herself. What the heck did she do to herself? Luka held her face up so they could see each other's eyes.
"You have to tell them."
"No..." a few tears were running down her cheek, "I'm so stupid! I should have waited until Carter had him fully restrained!"
"Abby, don't worry. If they know about it now... The disease takes a few days to take effect. Go tell them," Abby nodded and took off the suit, "I should get this to be analyzed," He left and as Abby was running down the hall, holding the hand she'd pricked with the needle, she ran into Elizabeth Corday.
"I've heard. I just got here... What's wrong?" she asked when she saw Abby's tear-stained face. Abby held out her hand to Elizabeth.
"Mark wanted me to... To take some of Dave's... To take some of Dave's blood. I... The needle went through my glove..." Abby stuttered but she didn't even have to finish.
"Abby, you didn't!" Elizabeth said, grabbing Abby by the arm abruptly and leading her down the hall. Maybe it was because she knew what was going to happen, but it seemed to Abby that the disease had already started the symptoms. She felt dizzy and things were coming in and out of focus. It was so hot. The last thing she saw was Kerry Weaver before she passed out.
"Abby? Abby can you hear me?" Abby barely heard Carol Hathaway's voice.
"Who..." Abby gasped. She couldn't feel any part of her body.
"Abby, you fainted. Your fever isn't that high yet, it's only 99 right now but it will go much higher very soon. Just relax..." she felt a sharp pain in her left arm as Carol made her look to her right. She knew Carol was trying to calm her down. She looked over to her left. Luka Kovac was injecting something into her. Ribavirin, most likely. Kovac looked up at her when he had finished.
"You will be all right Abby," he said. Abby could feel the sweat on her forehead.
"How do you know?" she asked. Her speech was unclear to everyone but her, but they understood.
"The disease is in its early stage. We've gotten the results and you were right, it is Lassa Fever,"
"And Dave? Will... Will he be... be OK?"
"Um, Dave? We still aren't sure yet, but we have brought his fever down. Just hang in there, Abby, hang in there," Carter answered. Abby turned her head again and saw him on her left with Carol. She looked again to her right and saw Kovac wasn't alone either. Elizabeth Corday was there as well. They were all in special suits. Abby was scared. Scared for her own life, and scared for Dave's.