Chapter 27
It didn't take Natalie very long to identify some of the components of the virus strains and find out a course of treatment for the patients. Fortunately the hospital pharmacy was stocked with the
required meds and a call made requesting that they be delivered to the lab.
In the meantime Stephen was trying to contact Miles to give him the latest news about the treatment. But so far his attempts had resulted in a persistently ringing phone and no one picking up.
After the second try, Stephen was trying to get more concerned than impatient and annoyed. Miles never turned off his phone, especially when he was working. Even if it meant being roused from his
sometimes infrequent rest periods.
"No answer?" Frank asked as Stephen abruptly closed his phone and stuck it back in his pocket.
"No answer. And that is not like Miles. Maybe I sound a little paranoid after what we just found out. But I have the feeling that something is definitely wrong. I'm heading back to Bay View."
"I'm coming with you," Frank told him.
"Keep working on it, Natalie. I'll call you as soon as we get there," Stephen told the women as he and Frank rushed out the door.
Natalie exchanged glances with Eva. Despite Stephen's instructions, she knew there was no way she could really concentrate on the work. Not until she heard from him that Miles was okay, that he'd just been too busy to answer. Oh, how she hoped he was okay.
Stephen was hard pressed to keep the legal speed limit as he headed for Bay View. Frank had also tried to call Miles and was met by the same lack of response, which only added to their suspicion thatsomething was definitely wrong.
Once they reached Bay View, the two men headed directly for the quarantine unit and pushed open the door, immediately noticing the ominous silence. "Miles?" Stephen called out.
Miles was lying face down on the floor, not moving. Stephen knelt beside him and quickly checked for a pulse, relieved when he could feel a steady beat beneath his fingers. Looking up at Frank who was hovering nearby, a worried expression on his face, the doctor announced, "He's alive."
Frank let out the breath he'd been holding and asked, "How bad is he hurt?"
"Hard to tell," Stephen answered, fingers probing the bloody lump on the back of Miles' head. "There's some head trauma but the skull feels intact and his pulse is steady. Hand me the medical kit and then help me turn him over."
Frank quickly handed over the medical kit and helped to get Miles lying on his back. "The patients are all dead. And I could bet you a week's pay that Natalie won't find out that they died of the
influenza virus," he said quietly.
"You're the ex-cop. What's your assessment on all this?" Stephen asked.
"You mean, besides wanting to spend five minutes alone with whoever did this to Miles? I'd have to say that they're 'cleaning house' by disposing of the patients in some quick way. Looks like Miles
either walked in on them or the other way around. He's probably lucky that they didn't kill him too but then tat would be hard to explain," Frank answered.
"That sounds about right," Stephen agreed. He removed the penlight flashlight from his pocket as Miles began showing signs of coming around.
A/N Here is the correct chapter 26. I was in a big hurry and posted the wrong chapter. Sorry.