Chapter 1
It was a long flight back from Asia and the President was tired. He stayed in his cabin most of the trip, trying to rest. But what he had just seen and heard continued to bother him.
Avian Flu.
Pandemic.
Thousands, if not millions dead.
Countries around the world disrupted.
Economic chaos.
Jed shuddered just thinking about the possibilities. The worst possible scenarios had the complete collapse of the world's countries and thousands, if not millions dead. Rosier predictions believed that anti-viral medicines currently available would stop the spread of such a disaster. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Don Moore, and the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Diane Black, had accompanied the President on this fact-finding trip. The President had wanted to see the problem first hand before he signed a billion dollar congressional bill. And the heads of two of the main agencies in charge of America's response had been invited to accompany him.
Although the Department of Homeland Security would share responsibilities with HHS and CDC, these two groups would be primarily responsible for the multitude of public health issues that the Unites States would face if such an epidemic would spread to this country.
But there was also good news. At the moment, there was no indication that there was any reason to believe that there was human to human transmission. All of the known cases of avian flu, nicknamed the bird flu by the world press, had been caused by bird to human transmission. And it had been mainly in people who had constant contact with infected birds.
But the fear was that the virus could mutate and somehow develop the capability of human to human transmission.
Jed stayed with the known facts and prayed that the virus would stay a virus spread only through direct contact with infected birds.
The phone rang in his cabin and he rolled over to pick it up. "Yes?"
"Hi, hon. How was your trip?"
Jed smiled. Somehow Abbey always knew what he needed, even thousands of miles away.
"Okay, I guess. I wish you could have come with me. We saw so much devastation. This virus is taking away the livelihoods from thousands of people in Cambodia, Vietnam, and so many other countries. We toured several chicken farms where the whole flock had to be destroyed. Thousands of birds. And the victims. We met three of them in a hospital in Bangkok. Thank God these were three survivors but they had been through hell. I've decided to sign the funding bill. America has to get prepared and prepared now. It would be total chaos if we have a pandemic. In fact, it would be chaos around the world."
Abbey knew Jed was upset. Rarely did a medical crisis worry the President of the United States. But she agreed with him. The country was not prepared. But then the world was not really prepared either. She had heard about the virus appearing in Turkey and Romania as well as several other countries. Since it was thought that wild birds carried the virus as well, it could be spread around the world in a matter of days and months.
"Oh, Jed. I hope what you're doing will help. It'll be a disaster if the flu appears here. It really sounds like there's danger ahead."
"Yeah. I want to help but it's not only up to the government to prepare the population. Individuals have to take some responsibility as well."
Changing the topic, Abbey continued, "You sound tired."
"I am. It was such a quick trip and packed with so much to do. I wanted to see as much as I could so I could defend my decision, whatever it turned out to be. But I know now the right thing to do is to sign this bill and get our preparations going."
"When will you land?"
"I think the schedule is for touchdown at three am Washington time so I should be back at the White House by four. I've missed you."
"I have too. I miss you anytime we're apart."
Jed smiled. "I love you, Abbey. See you in a few hours. Go on to bed and when you wake up, I'll be by your side."
"Love you too, Jed. We'll get through this just like we always do. Good night."
"Night, Abbey."