FULL CIRCLE
Chapter 21
Having determined from Natalie that Mrs. Randolph was indeed sick with whatever the other residents had, Frank headed back to Bay View to take samples from her room. He had begun to notice one disturbing factor with all the other sick residents. They each had a private
room and no visitors or family to speak of. In fact, when the first one died, there had been no next of kin to inform of her demise.
It may have been a precaution to keep the disease from spreading or it might be a cover up. But all the rooms of the sick residents had been scrubbed clean, sanitized with no trace of the infectious agent left. Even though were most still alive, all of their personal effects had been removed to be destroyed. It was as if these people were expected to die.
Frank was hoping that Mrs. Randolph's room had not gotten the same treatment. She hadn't been sick that long so maybe nothing had been done yet. The expression "Once a cop, always a cop," came to mind and he smiled wryly. He couldn't deny that his training and instincts were sometimes a part of how he did his investigating for the N.I.H. And this place was starting to put those instincts on edge. As he headed for The room, frank pulled out his cellphone and dialed.
Miles had had just finishing administering another round of antivirals to his patients when his phone rang. Pulling off his gloves, he flipped it open saying, "Dr. McCabe."
"Hey, Miles. Did you ever a chance to see the patients' rooms?" Frank asked.
"No. I've been too busy. Should I have?" Miles asked.
"I was just wondering. Every room I have been in has been sanitized, scrubbed clean with no trace of anything, including personal effects. This place could be overly cautious or something else isn't
quite right. I'll see if Mrs. Randolph's room has gotten the same treatment."
"Have you told Connor anything?" Miles asked.
"Not yet. I'm keeping my suspicions to myself until I know something for sure. This maybe nothing but then again it could be everything, "Frank replied. He hung up the phone, pulled on a pair of gloves and cautiously opened the door to the latest patient's room.
He was surprised to see that Mrs. Randolph's room looked virtually undisturbed. Except what had been the result of transferring her to the makeshift quarantine unit. Looking about of what remained of the woman's seventy plus years of life, he could see how it might easily fit into a couple of cardboard boxes. Swabs in hand, he began taking samples off anything that might bear evidence of the infectious agent. Maybe then they would have an idea of how it was spread and
what they were dealing with.