cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第26部分

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or　wash。　On　the　bedside　table　was　a　Bible　with　a　black　leather　cover　that　was　dried　out　and　flaking；　and　a　sample　size　of　Vita　aromatherapy　facial　spray　that　I　imagined　she　had　used　in　vain　to　cool　her　raging　fever。　Stacked　on　the　floor　were　dozens　of　mail…order　catalogues；　page　corners　folded　back　to　mark　her　wishes。
　In　the　bathroom；　the　mirror　over　the　sink　had　been　covered　with　a　towel；　and　other　towels　on　the　linoleum　floor　were　soiled　and　bloody。　She　had　run　out　of　toilet　paper；　and　the　box　of　baking　soda　on　the　side　of　the　tub　told　me　she　had　tried　her　own　remedy　in　her　bath　to　relieve　her　misery。　Inside　the　medicine　cabinet；　I　found　no　prescription　drugs；　only　old　dental　floss；　Jergens；　hemorrhoid　preparations；　first…aid　cream。　Her　dentures　were　in　a　plastic　box　on　the　sink。
　Pruitt　had　been　old　and　alone；　with　very　little　money；　and　probably　had　been　off　this　island　few　times　in　her　life。　I　expected　that　she　had　not　attempted　to　seek　help　from　any　of　her　neighbors　because　she　had　no　phone；　and　had　feared　that　if　anyone　had　seen　her；　they　would　have　fled　in　horror。　Even　I　wasn't　quite　prepared　for　what　I　saw　when　I　peeled　back　the　covers。
　She　was　covered　in　pustules；　gray　and　hard　like　pearls；　her　toothless　mouth　caved　in；　and　dyed　red　hair　wild。　I　pulled　the　covers　down　more；　unbuttoning　her　gown；　noting　the　density　of　eruptions　was　greater　on　her　extremities　and　face　than　on　her　trunk；　just　as　Hoyt　had　said。　Itching　had　driven　her　to　claw　her　arms　and　legs；　where　she　had　bled　and　gotten　secondary　infections　that　were　crusty　and　swollen。
　'God　help　you；'　I　muttered　in　pain。
　I　imagined　her　itching；　aching；　burning　up　with　fever；　and　afraid　of　her　own　nightmarish　image　in　the　mirror。
　'How　awful；'　I　said；　and　my　mother　flashed　in　my　mind。
　Lancing　a　pustule；　I　smeared　a　slide；　then　went　down　to　the　kitchen　and　set　my　microscope　on　the　table。　I　was　already　convinced　of　what　I'　d　find。　This　was　not　chicken　pox。　It　wasn't　shingles。　All　indicators　pointed　to　the　devastating；　disfiguring　disease　variola　major；　more　monly　known　as　smallpox。　Turning　on　my　microscope；　I　put　the　slide　on　the　stage；　bumped　magnification　up　to　four　hundred；　adjusted　the　focus　as　the　dense　center；　the　cytoplasmic　Guarnieri　bodies；　came　into　view。　I　took　more　Polaroids　of　something　that　could　not　be　true。
　Shoving　back　the　chair；　I　began　pacing　as　a　clock　ticked　loudly　from　the　wall。
　'How　did　you　get　this？　How？'　I　talked　to　her　out　loud。
　I　went　back　outside　to　where　Crockett　was　parked　on　the　street。　I　didn't　get　close　to　his　truck。
　'We've　got　a　real　problem；'　I　said　to　him。　'And　I'm　not　a　hundred　percent　sure　what　I'm　going　to　do　about　it。'
　
　My　immediate　difficulty　was　finding　a　secure　phone；　which　I　finally　decided　simply　was　not　possible。　I　couldn't　call　from　any　of　the　local　businesses；　certainly　not　from　the　neighbors'　houses　or　from　the　chief's　trailer。　That　left　my　portable　cellular　phone；　which　ordinarily　I　would　never　have　used　to　make　a　call　like　this。　But　I　did　not　see　that　I　had　a　choice。　At　three…fifteen；　a　woman　answered　the　phone　at　the　U。S。　Army　Medical　Research　Institute　of　Infectious　Diseases；　or　USAMRIID；　at　Fort　Detrick；　in　Frederick；　Maryland。
　'I　need　to　speak　with　Colonel　Fujitsubo；'　I　said。
　'I'm　sorry；　he's　in　a　meeting。'
　'It's　very　important。'
　'Ma'am；　you'll　have　to　call　back　tomorrow。'
　'At　least　give　me　his　assistant；　his　secretary　。　。　。'
　'In　case　you　haven't　heard；　all　nonessential　federal　employees　are　on　furlough　。　。　。'
　'Jesus　Christ！'　I　exclaimed　in　frustration。　'I'm　stranded　on　an　island　with　an　infectious　dead　body。　There　may　be　some　sort　of　outbreak　here。　Don't　tell　me　I　have　to　wait　until　your　goddamn　furlough　ends！'
　'Excuse　me？'
　I　could　hear　telephones　ringing　nonstop　in　the　background。
　'I'm　on　a　cellular　phone。　The　battery　could　die　any　minute。　For　God's　sake；　interrupt　his　meeting！　Patch　me　through　to　him！　Now！'
　Fujitsubo　was　in　the　Russell　Building　on　Capitol　Hill；　where　my　call　was　connected。　I　knew　he　was　in　some　senator's　office　but　did　not　care　as　I　quickly　explained　the　situation；　trying　to　control　my　panic。
　'That's　impossible；'　he　said。　'You're　sure　it's　not　chicken　pox；　measles　。　。　。'
　'No。　And　regardless　of　what　it　is；　it　should　be　contained；　John。　I　can't　send　this　into　my　morgue。　You've　got　to　handle　it。'
　USAMRIID　was　the　major　medical　research　laboratory　for　the　U。S。　Biological　Defense　Research　Program；　its　purpose　to　protect　citizens　from　the　possible　threat　of　biological　warfare。　More　to　the　point；　USAMRIID　had　the　largest　Bio　Level　4　containment　laboratory　in　the　country。
　'Can't　do　it　unless　it's　terrorism；'　Fujitsubo　said　to　me。　'Outbreaks　go　to　CDC。　Sounds　like　that's　who　you　need　to　be　talking　to。'
　'And　I'm　sure　I　will　be；　eventually；'　I　said。　'And　I'm　sure　most　of　them　have　been　furloughed　too；　which　is　why　I　couldn't　get　through　earlier。　But　they're　in　Atlanta；　and　you're　in　Maryland；　not　far　from　here；　and　I　need　to　get　this　body　out　of　here　as　fast　as　I　can。'
　He　was　silent。
　'No　one　hopes　I'm　wrong　more　than　I　do；'　I　went　on　in　a　cold　sweat。　'But　if　I'm　not　and　we　haven't　taken　the　proper　precautions　。　。　。'
　'I'm　clear；　I'm　clear；'　he　quickly　said。　'Damn。　Right　now　we're　a　skeleton　crew。　Okay；　give　us　a　few　hours。　I'll　call　CDC。　We'll　deploy　a　team。　When　was　the　last　time　you　were　vaccinated　for　smallpox？'
　'When　I　was　too　young　to　remember　it。'
　'You're　ing　in　with　the　body。'
　'She's　my　case。'
　But　I　knew　what　he　meant。　They　would　want　to　quarantine　me。
　'Let's　just　get　her　off　the　island；　and　we'll　worry　about　other　things　later；'　I　added。
　'Where　will　you　be？'
　'Her　house　is　in　the　center　of　town　near　the　school。'
　'God；　that's　unfortunate。　We　got　any　idea　how　many　people　might　have　been　exposed？'
　'No　idea。　Listen。　There's　a　tidal　creek　nearby。　Look　for　that　and　the　Methodist　church。　It　has　a　tall　steeple。　According　to　the　map　there's　another　church；　but　it　doesn't　have　a　steeple。　There's　an　airstrip；　but　the　closer　you　can　get　to　the　house；　the　better；　so　we　don't　have　to　carry　her　past　where　people　might　see。'
　'Right。　We　sure　as　hell　don't　need　a　panic。'　He　paused；　his　voice　softening　a　little。　'Are　you　all　right？'
　'I　sure　hope　so。'　I　felt　tears　in　my　eyes；　my　hands　trembling。
　'I　want　you　to　calm　down；　try　to　relax　now　and　stop　worrying。　We'll　get　you　taken　care　of；'　he　said　as　my　phone　went　dead。
　It　had　always　been　a　theoretical　possibility　that　after　all　the　murder　and　madness　I　had　seen　in　my　career；　it　would　be　a　disease　that　quietly　killed　me　in　the　end。　I　never　knew　what　I　was　exposing　myself　to　when　I　opened　a　body　and　handled　its　blood　and　breathed　the　air。　I　was　careful　about　cuts　and　needle　sticks；　but　there　was　more　to　worry　about　than　hepatitis　and　HIV。　New　viruses　were　discovered　all　the　time；　and　I　often　wondered　if　they　would　one　day　rule；　at　last　winning　a　war　with　us　that　began　with　time。
　For　a　while；　I　sat　in　the　kitchen　listening　to　the　clock　tick…tock　while　the　light　changed　beyond　the　window　as　the　day　fled。　I　was　in　the　throes　of　a　full…blown　anxiety　attack　when　Crockett's　peculiar　voice　suddenly　hailed　me　from　outside。
　'Ma'am？　Ma'am？'
　When　I　went　to　the　porch　and　looked　out　the　door；　I　saw　on　the　top　step　a　small　brown　paper　bag　and　a　drink　with　a　lid　and　a　straw。　I　carried　them　in　as　Crockett　climbed　back　inside　his　truck。　He　had　gone　off　long　enough　to　bring　me　supper；　which　wasn't　smart；　but　kind。　I　waved　at　him　as　if　he　were　a　guardian　angel；　and　felt　a　little　better。　I　sat　on　the　glider；　rocking　back　and　forth；　and　sipping　sweetened　iced　tea　from　the　Fisherman's　Corner。　The　sandwich　was　fried　flounder　on　white　bread；　with　fried　scallops　on　the　side。　I　didn't　think　I'd　ever　tasted　anything　so　fresh　and　fine。
　I　rocked　and　sipped　tea；　watching　the　street　through　the　rusting　screen　as　the　sun　slid　down　the　church　steeple　in　a　shimmering　ball　of　red；　and　geese　were　black　V's　flying　overhead。　Crockett　turned　his　headlights　on　as　windows　lit　up　in　homes；　and　two　girls　on　bicycles　pedaled　quickly　past；　their　faces　turned　toward　me　as　they　flew。　I　was　certain　they　knew。　The　whole　island　did。　Word　had　spread　about　doctors　and　the　Coast　Guard　arriving　because　of　what　was　in　the　Pruitt　bed。
　Going　back　inside；　I　put　on　fresh　gloves；　slipped　the　mask　back　over　my　mouth　and　nose　and　returned　to　the　kitchen　to　see　what　I　might　find　in　the　garbage。　The　plastic　can　was　lined　with　a　paper　bag　and　tucked　under　the　sink。　I　sat　on　the　floor；　sifting　through　it　one　item　at　a　time　to　see　if　I　could　get　any　sense　at　all　of　how　long　Pruitt　had　been　sick。　Clearly；　she　had　not　emptied　her　trash　for　a　while。　Empty　cans　and　frozen　food　wrappers　were　dry　and　crusty；　peelings　of　raw　turnips　and　carrots　wizened　and　hard　like　Naugahyde。
　I　wandered　through　every　room　in　her　house；　rooting　through　every　wastepaper　basket　I　could　find。　But　it　was　the　one　in　her　living　room　that　was　the　saddest。　In　it　were　several　handwritten　recipes　on　strips　of　paper；　for　Easy　Flounder；　Crab　Cakes　and　Lila's　Clam　Stew。　She　had　made　mistakes；　scratched　through　words　on　each　one；　which　was　why；　I　supposed；　she　had　pitched　them。　In　the　bottom　of　the　can　was　a　small　cardboard　tube　for　a　manufacturer's　sample　she　had　gotten　in　the　mail。
　Getting　a　flashlight　out　of　my　bag；　I　went　outside　and　stood　on　the　steps；　waiting　until　Crockett　got　out　of　his　truck。
　'There's　going　to　be　a　lot　of　motion　here　soon；'　I　said。
　He　stared　at　me　as　if　I　might　be　mad；　and　in　lighted　windows　I　could　see　the　faces　of　people　peering　out。　I　went　down　the　steps；　to　the　fence　at　the　edge　of　the　yard；　around　to　the　front　of　it　and　began　shining　the　flashlight　inside　the　cubbyholes　where　Pruitt　had　sold　her　recipes。　Crockett　moved　back。
　'I'm　trying　to　see　if　I　can　get　any　idea　how　long　she's　been　sick；'　I　said　to　him。
　There　were　plenty　of　recipes　in　the　slots；　and　only　three　quarters　in　the　wooden　money　box。
　'When　did　the　last　ferry　boat　e　here　with　tourists？'　I　shone　the　light　into　another　cubbyhole；　finding　maybe　half　a　dozen　recipes　for　Lila's　Easy　Soft…Shell　Crabs。
　'In　a　week　ago。　Never　nothing　since　weeks；'　he　said。
　'Do　the　neighbors　buy　her　recipes？'　I　asked。
　He　frowned　as　if　this　were　an　odd　th