Chapter 26. One More Time

House got back out of his car slowly. He followed the crowds of people across the planks to the parking lot for the clinic. None of the other businesses in the strip of stores were open; all of the people were headed for the clinic. He and Cameron had underestimated the number of affected people. He was curious to see how Cameron would handle the flood of patients, and how seriously ill they were.

He knew he wouldn't be able to get through the front door, so he walked around the end of the building to the back parking lot. Cameron's car was still there, the fallen tree still resting on it. In the bright daylight he could see it was in even worse shape than he'd thought. He doubted the car could be repaired. Cameron would need another one.

The back lot was as crowded as the one out front, presumably with the cars of some of the patients. House easily found the back door and tried the knob. It was unlocked and he could walk right in.

The examination room was dimly lit by the lantern he'd bought, still going strong, and a few flashlights placed strategically around. All four beds were occupied. House assumed these were the most critical patients. Several others stood against the walls or sat on the few chairs.

Cameron was asking a group of five people questions while Kelly dutifully wrote down their answers. Then Cameron examined each of them, swabbed their arms and injected them. She'd changed into the outfit she was wearing the first time he saw her here, her usual slacks, blouse and vest. He'd always wanted to tease her about those vests, but never had. Now was not the time to start.

Taking in the situation, House walked over to her. "Why don't you and Kelly get the histories and take their vitals, and I'll handle the shots," he suggested, leaning his cane against the nearest wall, and putting on a pair of gloves.

Cameron was only momentarily startled. She nodded and did as he said, bringing him up to date on what she'd done. "We brought the most critical patients in first."

"The four on the cots," he guessed.

"Yes, and a few sitting." She smiled ruefully. "Only four beds as you know. The others in here have had a first shot, but I asked them to hang around to see how well it worked. Carol's handing out numbers to all the people who are waiting and we're taking them in order."

"How much more atropine do you have?" House asked.

"Not nearly enough. Maybe forty more shots."

"There must be over a hundred and fifty people outside and the line is growing by the second!" he told her. "How are you going to handle them all?"

Cameron pursed her lips and frowned.

"Ralph went to get more atropine," Kelly said. "He should be back soon."

"Not enough meds, not enough room," House mused as he deftly injected a middle-aged man who couldn't stop coughing. In fact, the predominant sounds in the room were coughing and wheezing. House gave the man a decongestant.

"I thought you'd be long gone," Cameron finally said.

"What's a few hours, more or less?" House replied.

She studied him briefly, but didn't comment further. Better to leave well enough alone.

"Did you want to move the critical patients to the motel?" Kelly asked. She'd been thinking about that for a while, it seemed, but was too timid to suggest it.

"Even if we could use more than the five rooms we occupied before, the patients would be scattered," Cameron said. "And House and I need to stay here so who'd watch the patients over there?"

"I could do it," Chrissy said. They hadn't noticed the teen slip in through the back door. "I brought you some coffee and danish," she added, then looked around the room. "But not nearly enough for all of these people!"

"The motel rooms haven't been cleaned, beds haven't even been stripped and changed," House argued, picking up the conversation about what to do with the patients. "Kelly, it was a good suggestion, but I don't think it'll work in this case."

The woman smiled at him. "Thanks for saying that, Doc."

As Chrissy walked over to help House with the injections, Ralph swung open the back door and carried a few plastic bags over to Cameron. "Phil had about a hundred doses," he told her. He'd also brought back a second battery-powered lantern.

House looked up and said, "Still not nearly enough atropine."

"He's calling around to all the other pharmacies in town to see if they have any," Ralph said. "Someone will deliver it all here as soon as possible."

House nodded. That was better. He went back to work, but his mind was still working on the problem of space and logistics. "How far away is the high school?" he asked.

"The high school?" Cameron asked.

"It's less than a mile, on Delaney past the community park," Chrissy replied.

"During the storm that's where they took all the people who lived along the water, right?" House asked rhetorically.

"Brenda and Herb said there were over fifty families in the gym," Kelly said with a nod.

"That's the couple who were at the diner this morning?" House asked, and she nodded again. "Gyms have bleachers for people to sit while they're waiting." He was thinking out loud. "They must have had cots for all of those people. And, it's a school, so there are bathrooms. Do they have vending machines?" he asked Chrissy.

"Yes," she said with a laugh. "And even more important, I think there's an emergency generator."

A couple of people who'd spent the storm there nodded in agreement.

"It would be perfect!" Cameron said with a smile. "Once more, you've come to the rescue!"

"Don't we need permission to use the school gym?" Ralph asked.

"You have it!" the man House had just injected said.

"He's the principle," Chrissy told House and Cameron. "Principle Berman, do you really think it would be all right?"

"Sure. And we had propane for four or five days of generator power, so there should still be plenty."

"How fast can we get all these people over there?" House was still working out the details in his head.

"Ralph, can you ask Carol to let everyone who's waiting know that we're shifting operations to the high school?" Cameron requested. "We'll continue to take people in order once we get there."

"Sure," Ralph said, and went through the door to the front room.

"How are we going to get the critical patients there?" Kelly asked.

"Carol brought Seth in their van," Cameron said. "She should be able to take him and at least one other with her."

"My husband brought me in our SUV," one of the patients spoke up. "We can take some of the other patients, even ones that need to lie down."

"Thanks, Gail," Cameron said. "I'm sure we can find transportation for everyone."

"Let's get everything we need together," House told her. "You're coming with me."