FULL CIRCLE
Chapter 3
One by one the team members arrived at Stephen's office, taking their respective chairs at the table in the adjoining boardroom.
Miles had taken time to grab his laptop out of his locker and now he had it set up and open in front of him. "What's the case?" he asked, ready to seek out any necessary information.
Stephen spread out a pile of papers and began passing them around. "A nursing home in San Francisco is having an outbreak of a mysterious illness. It looks like influenza but much more virulent. Mortality rate is 50-60."
Miles was listening intently but at the mention of 'San Francisco' and 'nursing home' he unconsciously tensed. Neither were a place he particularly cared to be at. They both brought back memories of a part of his past best left buried.
"What's the nursing home?" Natalie asked.
"Bay View Nursing Home," Stephen replied.
Miles paused with his hands half way to the keyboard. "Did you say Bay View Nursing Home?" he asked evenly
"I did," Stephen replied, his eyes on the younger doctor. "Is something wrong?"
"No. Nothing," Miles said hastily, pulling his attention back to the laptop. He was fully aware that the rest of the team was staring at him but he pushed it to the back of his mind.
"Okay, then. Our flight leaves from National in two hours," Stephen said. He watched them get to their feet. "Dr, McCabe, a moment please."
"Yes?" Miles asked. He placed his hands on the table and waited for Stephan to speak.
Stephen waited until the others had filed out before turning to Miles. "Okay, what's going on? I noticed that you started looking edgy the moment I mentioned San Francisco and I think you recognized the name of the nursing home."
Miles sighed, "Let's just say that I've put as much distance as I can from San Francisco and I have no pressing desire to return there. Is that all?"
"Yes, it is," Stephen replied. He knew that the younger doctor was clearly hiding something but as long as it didn't affect how he worked, he'd let him keep his secrets.
"I will be on that flight and I will do my job," Miles stated. He quickly gathered up the reports and lap top and left the room.
"Miles?" Natalie started to ask as he strode past her, his eyes fixed on some distant point. "Connor?"
"Don't ask me. I know he has some connection to San Francisco but he's not saying," Stephen told her.
"I'm not certain but I think that's where he grew up," Natalie said.
"And he obviously doesn't want to be. Damn," Stephen swore softly.