Chapter 17

Monday, June 8, 1987- Morning

Juliet Parrish's usual morning routine consisted of a shower, a warm cup of tea and a jog on the beach. Today, she awoke to the sight of a lab technician with syringes, followed by a series of visits from specialists. She drifted off to sleep shortly before eight, and later woke to find Steve with his back turned to her, swabbing the inside of her emesis tray. He placed the swab into a sterile, plastic container.

She cleared her throat. "St…eve."

Pocketing the tube, he turned around and smiled.

"Hey."

"What are… y-." She inhaled then coughed a few times. "Doing?"

He brushed his gloved hand across her cheek. "I came to see you. How are you feeling, Pumpkin?"

He pressed a kiss to her forehead through his protective mask.

She tensed. "D—on't"

"I'm not going to get what you have." He smiled. "I just want to tell you how happy I am to see you… alive."

It was the first time since Friday that she'd seen him. And the last time she'd heard his voice, she'd hung up on him. How quickly he'd forgot. Her mind went back to the source of their argument, his implied jealousy over Donovan. Donovan… whom Julie's mother had shared very few details about, other than he went home. He'll call and check up on me. Maybe he's already been here…

"H-have you seen D-Donovan?"

"He's in the waiting room. Why?"

He's here for me… thank God. Won't they let him see me?

"C-" She tried to draw another deep breath to force air and form the words, "C… can… come in?"

A look of disgust washed over Steve's face. "I don't think your mom wants him near you right now after what happened."

She's blaming Mike? Are you blaming him also?

"Why don't you wait until you're feeling better?" he asked.

"Wh…en?"

"When are you going to feel better? Pretty soon, I hope."

She glared at him. "G-get Donovan… b…fore he… leaves."

#

You can't even speak correctly, Julie. What are you going to ask him? Steve wondered, sauntering into the waiting room. Donovan sat on the couch watching the morning news reports on TV.

"Did Connie leave?" Steve asked.

"I think she went to the chapel for prayer. Did you find anything out?"

"That you don't know how to acquire the correct samples for assessment."

Donovan joined Steve at a table. "What are you talking about?"

Steve removed the plastic container from his pant pocket, flashed it at Donovan then stuffed it back into the pocket. "That vial came from a Human specimen. The one you provided did not."

"Visitors?"

He knows more than he's letting on. "I don't know what you're trying to pull. You want to play games when Julie's life is at stake? If you have any admiration for her, you'll be truthful about the source of that sample."

"Admiration?" Donovan mouthed the word as if it were a new concept. "I told you where it came from. There's more." He lowered his voice. "Pico had some live specimens in that lab. Live Sirian specimens. They were sick with this disease."

"And what became of them? Did you annihilate them as well?"

"No. I had them taken to the Visitor hospital. There were Humans too. They didn't survive."

"You think Pico was crossing this Sirian bronchial disease over to Humans?"

"Dunno. I'm not the one with the Ph.D in biochemistry. How is she, by the way?"

Man, this guy is an ass. What did she see in him? Steve wondered.

Through clenched teeth he spat, "Conscious and inquiring about her Old Pal."

"Is she doing better?"

"She might relax if she saw you are unharmed."

"I'd like to see her."

Peering at his watch, Steve asked, "I wonder how long before her mother returns?"

"I doubt she'll let me in there. Look," Donovan said. "I need to take care of some things before my shift tonight. I don't know if I'll be back down here today."

"Still trying to locate your accomplice?"

"There's no chance you'd let me in to see Julie? I'm sure she'd consider it a favor."

#

Dressed in surgical scrubs, a mask and latex gloves, Donovan and Steve waited outside of Julie's ICU room window watching as a team of medical attendants shoved a thin plastic tube down Julie's throat. Yellow gunk moved through the tube into a cylindrical-shaped container. After finishing the procedure, a nurse summoned Donovan in. Julie covered her face, hiding her tears.

My God, she's so pale. Donovan felt his heart sink.

Touching Julie's hand he said, "Hey, hey, hey. I'm here."

"M…mike," she whispered.

"Yeah. You gave us a scare there, Sweetheart."

Squinting, Julie drew a breath then coughed. "P…Pic-?"

"The police are on it. You just concentrate on getting better, eh?"

"D-on't leave… mmm."

"Your mom's here. Maitland's here."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't…," she coughed. "Let them… handle…"

"What?"

"Donovan, I need y-ou." Another cough "To.. h-help me."

She coughed repeatedly, drawing the nurse's attention.

"You have to leave," the nurse told Donovan.

He reluctantly complied.

#

Initial reports from the Med Center lab indicated Julie was infected with a rare type of Bordetella Pertussis bacteria not previously known within the scientific community. The revelation sent Steve scrambling back to his in-home lab that afternoon while Julie slept and Connie stayed at her bedside.

Steve spread Julie's mucus droplets and others from the vial Donovan gave him onto glass slides, then placed them on the stage of a compound microscope. Both samples containing the rod-shaped bacteria appeared identical under each lens. But how can that be? Steve knew of no cases of bacterial bronchitis, or the more notorious Whooping Cough, among reptiles, or Visitors. Both bronchitis and Whooping Cough were common to Humans. Given the appearance of Julie's mucus sample, she seemed to have the Bronchitis variety.

After pulling a micro-organism diagram book from a shelf, Steve made subtle comparisons between the two bacteria slides and illustrations within the book. Organisms on the slides appeared more elongated than the one on the diagrams.

Was Pico trying to invent a new strain to infect Visitors, or Humans? Why? He wondered. I should've demanded more information from Donovan…

#

In the few minutes Donovan had with Julie she'd confirmed what he already knew; she didn't want her mother or Steve in charge of her situation. She despised both of them equally. She still trusts you. You can't take responsibility for her. Maggie will visit soon and Julie will let her know how she feels.

Donovan pulled up in front of a two-story home on Carroll Avenue, a street known for having the largest collection of Victorian era homes. A great number of ex-Sirians had petitioned the City of Los Angeles to convert the historical landmark into a Visitor hospital. Although these Visitors were Human sympathizers, neighborhood residents didn't welcome their presence. Protests broke out within a day of the hospital's opening. Two Visitors and one Human died during the scuffle. Others were injured.

A pair of Visitor guards, dressed in civilian uniforms, stood watch outside the front door. Donovan shook their hands, then stated his business. They gave him permission to enter. Inside, a female receptionist directed Donovan to a large room on the second floor.

Willie sat up in a wrought-iron hospital bed, holding a dining tray on his lap. A half-eaten salad and some type of fruit cocktail garnished the tray.

He probably put in a special request, Donovan thought.

Donovan knew Willie had adopted vegetarianism to show support for his Human comrades during the war, but not all Visitor turncoats did the same. They consumed non-Human meat products, along with the Red Dust antidote Julie had developed for them during the first war.

"How you doing, Old Friend?" Donovan gave Willie a reassuring smile.

"I'm afraid the others did not make it. But I am doing well."

Donovan sat in an empty chair by the window. "Willie, I'm investigating this guy, Dr. Pico."

"For your work?"

Donovan nodded, pulling a notepad from his shirt pocket. "How long did he hold you hostage?"

"Since Thursday. I was bringing my groceries to my car when he grabbed me, and intoxicated me."

"Intoxicated?" Donovan figured it was probably a misnomer. In spite of having resided on Earth for five years, Willie still had a way with messing up the English language.

Willie blinked. "He gave me a shot?"

"You mean, inoculated?"

"Yes, inoculated." Coughing, Willie rubbed his forearm where a welt from the injection had developed in his pseudo skin. "When I woke up, I was in that place. The doctor put something in my nose."

"You'll be okay, though?"

"Yes. Howie said I can leave in a couple days."

"Were you able to call Thelma to tell her where you are?"

Willie nodded. "She'll stay at home with Elias William until I am well again."

"Elias?" Donovan smiled. It didn't come as a surprise to him Willie chose to name his child after his old boss, former proprietor of the now extinct Club Creole which served as headquarters to the Resistance during the second war. Elias had fallen victim to the Visitors high-tech weapon known as the disintegrator.

Willie cleared his throat. "Elias has gotten so big now. Julie said he's in the ninetieth percentile of the growth cart."

"You mean chart? Julie's his doctor?"

"She comes here sometimes, to help. You have not seen her in a long time."

A bit ago, Donovan thought, but didn't want Willie to worry about her.

"No. Look, Willie. I need to ask you not to tell the police what happened to you and the others. I need access to the place to conduct my investigation."

"Okay?"