cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第32章

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d　tilted　or　knocked　down。　I　climbed　Lila　Pruitt's　front　steps；　noticing　more　headstones　in　the　shadows　of　junipers　in　a　corner　of　her　yard。
　The　screen　door　was　rusting　in　spots；　and　the　spring　protested　loudly　as　I　entered　an　enclosed　porch　sloping　toward　the　street。　There　was　a　glider　upholstered　in　floral　plastic；　and　beside　it　a　small　plastic　table；　where　I　imagined　her　rocking　and　drinking　iced　tea　while　she　watched　tourists　buying　her　recipes　for　a　quarter。　I　wondered　if　she　had　spied　to　make　sure　they　paid。
　The　storm　door　was　unlocked；　and　Hoyt　had　thought　to　tape　on　it　a　homemade　sign　that　warned；　SICKNESS：　DO　NOT　ENTER！！　I　supposed　he　had　figured　that　Tangiermen　might　not　know　what　a　biological　hazard　was；　but　he　had　made　his　point。　I　stepped　inside　a　dim　foyer；　where　a　portrait　of　Jesus　praying　to　His　Father　hung　on　the　wall；　and　I　smelled　the　foul　odor　of　deposing　human　flesh。
　In　the　living　room　was　evidence　that　someone　had　not　been　well　for　a　while。　Pillows　and　blankets　were　disarrayed　and　soiled　on　the　couch；　and　on　the　coffee　table　were　tissues；　a　thermometer；　bottles　of　aspirin；　liniment；　dirty　cups　and　plates。　She　had　been　feverish。　She　had　ached；　and　had　e　in　here　to　make　herself　fortable　and　watch　TV。
　Eventually；　she　had　not　been　able　to　make　it　out　of　bed；　and　that　was　where　I　found　her；　in　a　room　upstairs　with　rosebud　wallpaper　and　a　rocker　by　the　window　overlooking　her　street。　The　full…length　mirror　was　shrouded　with　a　sheet；　as　if　she　could　not　bear　to　see　her　reflection　anymore。　Hoyt；　old…world　physician　that　he　was；　had　respectfully　pulled　bed　covers　over　the　body　without　disturbing　anything　else。　He　knew　better　than　to　rearrange　a　scene；　especially　if　his　visit　was　to　be　followed　by　mine。　I　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　and　took　my　time。　The　stench　seemed　to　make　the　walls　close　in　and　turn　the　air　black。
　My　eyes　wandered　over　the　cheap　brush　and　b　on　the　dresser；　the　fuzzy　pink　slippers　beneath　a　chair　that　was　covered　with　clothes　she　hadn't　had　the　energy　to　put　away　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　softe