Chapter 6
Kate knew it was wrong. It was against the rules. But part of her didn't care. Part of her wanted that damn A on for the science project. Home-school kids don't get to do science fairs. But once a year, they do the 'Big Science Project' and kids make a theory, test it, prove it or not and send in their findings in a report. First place for her grade wins $500. And damn, Kate wanted that $500. Carefully, Kate put on the gloves. She pulled one pill out of every prescription tube and put it in its own plastic baggy. Then, she went to the kitchen. She put on new gloves and measured out one teaspoon of the bleach into a baggy. And another of the rat poison. Kate told herself it was just paranoia. Kate told herself that every day for the last seven weeks. But the rat poison was there, behind the bleach. The rat poison was open, not full, and yet, there were no rats. Kate went the freezer and dug to the back where she'd hidden it, just in case, "Kate – Sunday Dinner". That night, over seven weeks ago now, they'd gotten pizza instead. And the fact that her father was so…weird and adamant about asking how things are she'd gotten into her own head. Or rather, he'd gotten into her head. Kate had two ideas. One: what similar compounds are found in pharmaceuticals and poisons and therefore why people are afraid of things they don't understand. But the other idea for the Big Science Project was: did my family poison me? Here is proof. Either way, it was almost a guaranteed A.
Kate had managed to convince the librarian that ran the study groups to get her access to medical testing and a medical student at the hospital. She asked if that would be done at the university, or the hospital and the librarian laughed. The university was good enough. Kate didn't see how that was an odd question, but she guessed letting a 14-year-old into a hospital lab is a little unprofessional.
Kate put all her supplies in a cooler. Packed her bag and left.
"All right, let's see," said the medical student, Lisa Jones.
Kate wheeled back on her stool. She had to grind up all of evidence to the same level and measure it out to the same about, 6 grams.
"Good work," said Lisa. "Now we're going to run two tests-"
"Wait!" said Kate. She pulled out her camera and took a photo of the set up. "Gotta document."
Doctor Jones rolled her eyes. "Two tests," she repeated. "Microscopic, and digital. Microscopic we will test one tenth of a gram, the other for the digital we need going for 2 milliliters of the substance, and 3 milliliters of this liquid to 'water it down' so to speak to get the machine to test it. That's going to take around a few hours, so you need to come back tomorrow and we can go through those results."
"So, your next step would be?"
"Measuring 1/10th of a gram for the slides, and 2 milliliters into the test tubes for each."
"Good. Go."
Kate obeyed. She could practically feel Lisa's annoyance as she took a photo of each measurement. Kate wanted that damn A and $500.
"How come you signed up for this?" asked Kate. She still had two more measurements to go and they'd been in the lab for over an hour at this point.
"My professor said I could get extra credit."
"Why do you need extra credit?"
"I nearly failed a test, I wanna pass this class with a decent grade. I want my internship to be at the hospital next year."
"Ah. What are you hoping to intern in."
"Oncology."
Kate nearly dropped the test tube.
"Careful!" said Lisa.
"Sorry," said Kate. She put the tube down and took the photo.
"Why so many photos?""
"I win $500 if I come first. I want to be thorough. But stepdad works in research too, he always has tonnes of documentation to prove beyond any doubt that he's right."
"Fair enough."
Kate finished off.
"Okay, I'm going to put these in for the digital test, it's a multi-million-dollar machine. But you can take some photos if that will help."
Kate smiled and took 27 photos of Lisa carrying the tubes, placing the tubes, and turning on the machine.
"All right, microscopic."
Kate and Lisa used the digital microscope so Kate could save the images from the microscope on an SD card to analyze later. Kate was feeling far more confident about her A now, and even more confident that it was going to be option one that would get her there.
Lisa Jones was not an idiot. Even though she'd overseen Kate do everything pretty much by the book, she didn't trust the results. It was 8am and Kate said she could be here at 10. Lisa thought she would read the results first, to make sure Kate got her results right. But this was…Lisa ran with the results over to her professor's office.
Professor Singh wasn't sure about Lisa's own analysis. Which hurt. But at least he took it seriously enough to tell Lisa to rerun the test but take the three products raw over to Princeton Plainsboro and have someone over there run the test. Their machine could the test in an hour or 2, rather than 12. Lisa checked the time, 8.45, when she arrived. She was told to find Doctor Allison Cameron in the diagnostics team.
"I'm doing this for what?" asked Cameron in the lab.
"You agreed before even knowing why?"
Cameron shrugged and prepped the test tubes. "It seemed important."
"I've got a high school kid working on a science fair thing, she tested more than these things, but two of them came up has having traces one of the constants which is concerning…"
"Concerning why?" Cameron put the tubes into the machine.
"The two variables were a lasagna and paracetamol."
"And the constant?" Cameron started the machine.
"Rat poison."
Cameron didn't know what to say. "The, the student, they've ingested both of those?"
"I assume so."
"What was their project?"
"Do people really understand what's in what they consume."
Cameron almost had to the laugh at the irony. But she didn't. "When was the student due today?"
"10."
Cameron checked her watch. It was a quarter to. "Bring them over here, straight away, okay? In case this is positive too…we'll need…well, let's just hope it's negative, hey?"
"Yeah," said Lisa.
Lisa thought Kate was disappointed at going to the hospital because it was a 10-minute walk. Kate was disappointed for so many other reasons.
"Three of them were inconclusive so my professor suggested an immunologist at the hospital to retest. They're machine is better, it should be done soon," Lisa explained.
Kate nodded.
They made it to the lab and froze.
"Doctor Cameron?" asked Kate.
"Kate?" said Doctor Cameron.
"You guys know each other?" asked Lisa.
"Doctor Cameron was in on my surgery a few months ago."
Lisa nodded. "Oh, okay?"
"Is everything all right with my samples?" asked Kate.
Cameron froze. She was literally holding the results. But now, somehow, she found herself unable to speak. "Um, actually, it's going to be a little bit longer. Look, I uh, have to go check in with House about something but I'll be back in about an hour or so, can you guys wait?"
Kate nodded.
"I guess," said Lisa. She did have study to do but maybe she could squeeze some more extra credit out of her professor for the time she'd put into this kid.
"Maybe wait down in the cafeteria, I'll come find you?" with that, Cameron left.
Cameron was so preoccupied with her patient coming in with a cough that she forgot about the other result she'd been carrying around. She went to see Doctor Wilson for a consult on Cindy. Feeling awful about what she probably already knew.
"Did you redo the x ray?" Wilson asked.
"Twice."
"Well, you don't need a consult. You know the diagnosis."
"All she has is a cough."
"Cameron."
Cameron sighed. And then looked at her hands. The results from Kate's experiment. Cameron took a breath.
"What is it?"
"It's another…thing," she said.
"What?"
"A medical student was helping a high school student run an experiment. The results were…concerning so the professor had me rerun the test to confirm."
"And?"
"And…" Cameron took another breath. "We tested the chemical similarities between a meal, paracetamol, and…rat poison."
"What?"
"And there are traces of rat poison in each."
"Did the student do it on purpose? Is that the experiment? To see how much will show up on a medical test?"
"No. She has no idea."
"Did you ask her? Kids do crazy things."
"It's…the high school student, Doctor Wilson, it's Kate."
Wilson's face fell. "Is she here?"
Cameron looked at her watch. "Oh my god. Maybe hopefully? I told them to wait in the cafeteria. That was hours ago…"
"Let's go."
Kate and Lisa had gone to playing with the rolls. They were flinging them over their mug tower. The game they'd created meant you got 2 points if it landed behind the arms, but on the table, one if it landed in their lap. Lisa had just tied the game of 13-all when Doctor Cameron finally reappeared.
Kate smiled at her. "Finally!"
Lisa turned around. Kate's face dropped when she saw Wilson behind Cameron.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Your experiment," said Wilson.
"MK Wilson and J Wilson are different enough that you can't steal my project. The A is mine," said Kate. "And the $500. The extra credit though, is Lisa's."
Lisa laughed.
"It's not about that," Wilson sat down at their table, as did Cameron.
"The lasagna and the paracetamol," said Cameron. "Did you have any?"
"Of that bit of lasagna, no. But it's from a batch I ate from. The paracetamol, yes. Two days ago. I had a headache."
Wilson and Cameron exchanged a look.
"Oh, Kate…" said Lisa sympathetically.
"What?" Kate was really good at her denial. But she knew.
"There's rat poison in each," said Cameron.
"I mean, how much rat poison?" asked Kate.
"That's kind of beside the point."
"I mean, I was doing the experiment, maybe I mixed it," said Kate.
"Kate, you didn't," said Lisa. "You were a pro. And we've got probably a few hundred photos to prove it."
"We need to check your liver and kidney function right away," said Wilson. "Have you had any other symptoms again? The chills, twitching, thirst?"
"What do you mean again?"
"Rat poison explains the damage that was done to your stomach, your intestines. You were probably ingesting it for a week, small doses, but enough to make you really sick, and worse. Rat poison, obviously, is poisonous to humans."
"Lisa, can you go to a nurse's station and get them to call child services please?" asked Cameron.
"What for?" asked Kate.
"I'm guessing you didn't put rat poison in your food or regrind your medicine to have rat poison in it," explained Cameron.
Lisa was already gone before Kate could tell her to stop. Kate slumped back in her chair.
"We've got to get you tested," said Wilson. "The fact you're not showing symptoms is a good thing, but last time your kidney and liver were already not in good shape. They could have gotten worse."
Kate sighed. She didn't want it to be true. Not at all.
"Let's go," said Wilson. He and Cameron stood up.
Kate rolled her eyes and followed them.
"Is there really no other way to test other than needles?" asked Kate. Cameron had the needles and supplies ready to go. Kate was sitting awkwardly in a chair in a vacant room.
"Sorry, no," said Cameron.
"That's a lie," said House. "We could operate."
"We're not operating," said Wilson plainly.
"Why are you here anyway?" asked Kate to House.
"Heard there was a kid genius who diagnosed herself. Had to see for myself," House grinned.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Who told you?"
"I'm just that good as sensing medical problems."
Cameron tied the strap around Kate's arm. Kate closed her eyes and breathed.
"All right, here we go," Cameron stuck her.
Kate gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes shut. "Needles should be outlawed."
"All right," said Cameron. "One down, two to go."
"Two?"
"I'm going to inject you with some things to test your liver function. In an hour I'll come back and take more blood."
"This day just gets better and better."
Cameron ignored her and gave her the shot.
"OW!"
"You're fine," said House. "Pathetic and poisoned, but fine."
"That's not funny," said Wilson.
"Is there any particular reason I have three doctors now standing around my room doing nothing?" asked Kate.
"You're a VIP?" offered House.
Kate glared at him.
"Very Important Patient, no? I thought that was a good one."
"I have a patient to run some tests on," said Cameron. She took the vials of blood with her to take to pathology.
"You already know what she's got," said Wilson.
Cameron gave Wilson a look, threw the rubbish in the sterile bin and left. Kate watched her leave and then noticed the cops.
"Why are there cops everywhere?" asked Kate.
"Don't worry, they're not here for you," said House, "we have a death row inmate coming in. Which I should…" House left.
"Death row inmate as a patient?" asked Kate.
"It's odd, I know."
"It's an oxymoron is what it is."
Wilson had to agree.
"Did you call mom or Doug?"
"No."
"Did Lisa call child services?"
"Yes."
"How do you know?" asked Kate.
"Because Lisa's out there with someone who looks suspiciously like a child services officer."
Kate sighed.
"They're going to want to talk to you."
"Good for them."
"This is serious. You need to tell them what happened."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Wilson sighed and went out to talk to child services.
"Hi, I'm Anne Wheeler," said the woman shaking Wilson's hand. "It was rat poison?"
"Yeah, we're just getting the blood test to confirm now, but it was in her medication and her food. Plus seven weeks ago she was admitted for internal bleeding, chills, extreme thirst, twitching, the surgeon found chemical burns in her stomach and intestine. Liver and kidney function were bad then too."
"And she was discharged?" asked Anne.
"Against medical advice, her stepfather signed her out."
"And you're her doctor?" asked Anne.
Wilson cocked his head to the side. "I'm…I'm her father."
Lisa's eyes went wide.
"Okay," said Anne. "You're a doctor here, though?"
"Yes."
"All right, I'm going to speak with her now, alone," said Anne.
"Hi, I'm Anne," said Anne.
Kate said nothing, just stared forward.
"You live with your mom and Stepdad?"
Kate continued to stare forward. She locked with Wilson, her glare intensified. Wilson couldn't take it, he turned around. "You should go see your professor," said Wilson to Lisa. "Who is it?"
"Professor Singh."
"I'll call him, tell him to give as much extra credit as he's allowed. Thanks."
"Is she going to be okay?" asked Lisa.
Wilson shrugged. "I don't know." He turned back to see Kate who was now at least looking at Anne.
"Kate, I can't help you if you don't tell me anything."
"Who says I need help?"
"I'm going to go with the rat poison you've been given."
"What if I did it to myself?"
"Did you?"
Kate wasn't necessarily the happiest person, but she certainly wasn't suicidal. And given how much Wilson was giving her the 'sad' eyes she couldn't imagine it being any better if he thought she tried to kill herself. "No," she admitted.
"Does your mom ever give you anything your uncomfortable with?"
"No."
"Your stepdad?"
"No."
"Where do you go to school?"
"I'm on a home-school program, we normally move a lot."
"Where do you that, just at home or?"
"Home, mom or Doug's offices, library…"
"Do they both work?"
"Yes."
"So you're left to own education?"
"I'm not an idiot. I know how to read and complete a packet."
Anne changed tactics. "What made you do this experiment?"
"I was curious about chemicals in things. And there's a $500 prize for first place."
"Curious or you had a hunch that your health was being caused by something else?"
Kate paused and looked at Anne, "I don't know."
"Anything like this every happened before?"
"No. Are we done?"
Anne sighed. "Do you feel safe in the hospital?"
Kate made a face. "Yes."
"I mean, are you happy to stay here, near your dad?"
Kate frowned. "Duh."
"You're allowed to say no. We can move you to another hospital if that would be better."
"No," said Kate. "I don't mind. He's annoying as all hell, but he's…" Kate breathed out and looked Anne in the eye. "I trust him, okay?"
"She's not very chatty anymore. Gave me a bit, my colleagues are going to question the parents. Cops are going to want to results from both the tests."
Wilson frowned. "Are you supposed to be telling me this?"
Anne shrugged. "Kate won't say anything much about her mom or stepfather. She won't say if she feels safe at home, or if they've done anything, but she did say that she trusts you. That's worth a lot in my book. Also, I need you to know that no one's going to arrest you for being in the same room as her. Isolation in situations like these can make things a lot worse."
"But Colleen and Douglas will be arrested?" Wilson asked, genuinely curious. He'd pay big money to see either of them in cuffs.
"Now that I am not at liberty to say. But I will be suggesting to your Dean that security remove them if they try and gain access to the hospital. Excuse me," said Anne and pulled out her ringing phone.
Wilson went back into Kate's room. "You didn't bite her head off, well done," he said.
Kate ignored him.
Wilson sat on the edge of the bed. "You don't have to tell me what happened, but you can't keep lying to people that can help."
Kate looked at Wilson without moving her head. "Am I going to die? Remember if you lie, you're a hypocrite."
Wilson took a breath, "I don't know."