cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第47章

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　'Burn　all　but　the　patient。　Bodies　will　be　cremated。　The　Pruitt　house　will　be　torched。'
　Fujitsubo　tried　to　reassure　us。　'USAMRIID's　got　a　team　heading　out。　We'll　be　talking　to　citizens；　trying　to　make　them　understand。'
　I　thought　of　Davy　Crockett　and　his　son；　of　people　and　their　panic　when　space…suited　scientists　took　over　their　island　and　started　burning　their　homes。
　'And　we　know　for　a　fact　that　the　smallpox　vaccine　isn't　going　to　work？'　Wesley　said。
　'We　don't　know　that　for　a　fact　yet。'　Martin　answered。　'Tests　on　laboratory　animals　will　take　days　to　weeks。　And　even　if　vaccination　is　protective　in　an　animal　model；　this　may　not　translate　into　protection　for　humans。'
　'Since　the　DNA　of　the　virus　has　been　altered；'　Fujitsubo　warned；　'I　am　not　hopeful　that　vaccinia　virus　will　be　effective。'
　'I'm　not　a　doctor　or　anything；'　Martinez　said；　'but　I'm　just　wondering　if　you　could　vaccinate　everyone　anyway；　just　in　case　it　might　work。'
　'Too　risky；'　Martin　said。　'If　it's　not　smallpox；　why　deliberately　expose　people　to　smallpox；　thereby　possibly　causing　some　people　to　get　the　disease？　And　when　we　develop　the　new　vaccine；　we're　not　going　to　want　to　e　back　several　weeks　later　and　vaccinate　people　again；　this　time　with　a　different　pox。'
　'In　other　words；'　Fujitsubo　said；　'we　can't　use　the　people　of　Tangier　like　laboratory　animals。　If　we　keep　them　on　that　island　and　then　get　a　vaccine　out　to　them　as　soon　as　possible；　we　should　be　able　to　contain　this　thing。　The　good　news　about　smallpox　is　it's　a　stupid　virus；　kills　its　hosts　so　fast　it　will　burn　itself　out　if　you　can　keep　it　restricted　to　one　area。'
　'Right。　So　an　entire　island　gets　destroyed　while　we　sit　back　and　watch　it　burn；'　Miles　angrily　said　to　me。　'I　can't　believe　this。　Goddamn　it。'　He　pounded　his　fist　on　the　table。　'This　can't　be　happening　in　Virginia！'
　He　got　out　of　his　chair。　'Gentlemen。　I　would　like　to　know　what　we　should　do　if　we　start　getting　patients　in　other　parts　of　this　state。　The　health　of　Virginia；　after　all；　is　what　the　governor　appointed　me　to　take　care　of。'　His　face　was　dark　red　and　he　was　sweating。　'Are　we　supposed　to　just　do　like　the　Yankees　and　start　burning　down　our　cities　and　towns？'
　'Should　this　spread；'　Fujitsubo　said；　'clearly　we'll　have　to　utilize　our　hospitals；　have　wards；　just　as　we　did　during　earlier　times。　CDC　and　my　people　are　already　alerting　local　medical　personnel；　and　will　work　with　them　closely。'
　'We　realize　that　hospital　personnel　are　at　the　greatest　risk；'　Martin　added。　'Sure　would　be　nice　if　Congress　would　end　this　goddamn　furlough　so　I　don't　have　one　hand　and　both　legs　tied　behind　my　back。'
　'Believe　me；　the　president；　Congress；　knows。'
　'Senator　Nagle　assures　me　it　will　end　by　tomorrow　morning。'
　'They're　always　certain；　say　the　same　thing　every　time。'
　The　swelling　and　itching　of　the　revaccination　site　on　my　arm　was　a　constant　reminder　that　I　had　been　inoculated　with　a　virus　probably　for　nothing。　I　plained　to　Wesley　all　the　way　out　to　the　parking　lot。
　'I've　been　reexposed；　and　I'm　sick　with　something；　meaning　I'm　probably　immunosuppressed；　on　top　of　it　all。'
　'How　do　you　know　you　don't　have　it？'　he　carefully　asked。
　'I　don't　know。'
　'Then　you　could　be　infectious。'
　'No；　I　couldn't　be。　A　rash　is　the　first　sign　of　that；　and　I　check　myself　daily。　At　the　slightest　hint　of　such　a　thing；　I　would　go　back　into　isolation。　I　would　not　e　within　one　hundred　feet　of　you　or　anybody　else；　Benton；'　I　said；　my　anger　unreasonably　spiking　at　his　suggestion　that　I　might　risk　infecting　anyone　with　even　a　mundane　cold。
　He　glanced　over　at　me　as　he　unlocked　doors；　and　I　knew　that　he　was　far　more　upset　than　he　would　let　on。　'What　do　you　want　me　to　do；　Kay？'
　'Take　me　home　so　I　can　get　my　car；'　I　said。
　
　Daylight　was　fading　fast　as　I　followed　miles　of　woods　thick　with　pines。　Fields　were　fallow　with　tufts　of　cotton　still　clinging　to　dead　stalks；　and　the　sky　was　moist　and　cold　like　thawing　cake。　When　I　had　gotten　home　from　the　meeting；　there　had　been　a　message　from　Rose。　At　two　P。M。；　Keith　Pleasants　had　called　from　jail；　desperately　requesting　that　I　e　see　him；　and　Wingo　had　gone　home　with　the　flu。
　I　had　been　inside　the　old　Sussex　County　Courthouse　many　times　over　the　years；　and　had　grown　fond　of　its　antebellum　quaintness　and　inconveniences。　Built　in　1825　by　Thomas　Jefferson's　master　brick　mason；　it　was　red　with　white　trim　and　columns；　and　had　survived　the　Civil　War；　although　the　Yankees　had　managed　to　destroy　all　its　records　first。　I　thought　of　cold　winter　days　spent　out　on　the　lawn　with　detectives　as　I　waited　to　be　called　to　the　witness　stand。　I　remembered　the　cases　by　name　that　I　had　brought　before　this　court。
　Now　such　proceedings　took　place　in　the　spacious　new　building　next　door；　and　as　I　drove　past；　heading　to　the　back；　I　felt　sad。　Such　constructions　were　a　monument　to　rising　crime；　and　I　missed　simpler　times　when　I　had　first　moved　to　Virginia　and　was　awed　by　its　old　brick　and　its　old　war　that　would　not　end。　I　had　smoked　back　then。　I　supposed　I　romanticized　the　past　like　most　people　tended　to　do。　But　I　missed　smoking　and　waiting　around　in　miserable　weather　outside　a　courthouse　that　barely　had　heat。　Change　made　me　feel　old。
　The　sheriff's　department　was　the　same　red　brick　and　white　trim；　its　parking　lot　and　jail　surrounded　by　a　fence　topped　with　razor　wire。　Imprisoned　within；　two　inmates　in　orange　jumpsuits　were　wiping　down　an　unmarked　car　they　had　just　washed　and　waxed。　They　eyed　me　slyly　as　I　parked　in　front；　one　of　them　popping　the　other　with　a　shammy　cloth。
　'Yo。　What's　going；'　one　of　them　muttered　to　me　as　I　walked　past。
　'Good　afternoon。'　I　looked　at　both　of　them。
　They　turned　away；　not　interested　in　someone　they　could　not　intimidate；　and　I　pulled　open　the　front　door。　Inside；　the　department　was　modest　on　the　verge　of　depressing；　and　like　virtually　all　other　public　facilities　in　the　world；　had　profoundly　outgrown　its　environment。　Inside　were　Coke　and　snack　machines；　walls　plastered　with　wanted　posters　and　a　portrait　of　an　officer　slain　while　responding　to　a　call。　I　stopped　at　the　duty　post；　where　a　young　woman　was　shuffling　through　paperwork　and　chewing　on　her　pen。
　'Excuse　me；'　I　said。　'I'm　here　to　see　Keith　Pleasants。'
　'Are　you　on　his　guest　list？'　Her　contact　lenses　made　her　squint；　and　she　wore　pink　braces　on　her　teeth。
　'He　asked　me　to　e；　so　I　should　hope　I　am。'
　She　flipped　pages　in　a　loose…leaf　binder；　stopping　when　she　got　to　the　right　one。
　'Your　name。'
　I　told　her　as　her　finger　moved　down　a　page。
　'Here　you　are。'　She　got　up　from　her　chair。　'e　with　me。'
　She　came　around　her　desk　and　unlocked　a　door　with　bars　in　the　window。　Inside　was　a　cramped　processing　area　for　fingerprints　and　mug　shots；　a　banged…up　metal　desk　manned　by　a　heavyset　deputy。　Beyond　was　another　heavy　door　with　bars；　and　through　it　I　could　hear　the　noises　of　the　jail。
　'You're　gonna　have　to　leave　your　bag　here；'　the　deputy　said　to　me。　He　got　on　his　radio。　'Can　you　get　on　over　here？'
　'Ten…four。　On　my　way；'　a　woman　answered　back。
　I　set　my　pocketbook　on　the　desk　and　dug　my　hands　in　the　pockets　of　my　coat。　I　was　going　to　be　searched　and　I　did　not　like　it。
　'We　got　a　little　room　here　where　they　meet　with　their　lawyers；'　the　deputy　said；　jabbing　his　thumb　as　if　he　were　hitching　a　ride。　'But　some　a　these　critters　listen　to　ever　word；　and　if　that's　a　problem；　go　upstairs。　We　got　an　area　up　there。'
　'I　think　upstairs　might　be　better；'　I　said　as　a　female　deputy；　hefty　with　short　frosted　hair；　came　around　the　corner　with　her　hand…held　metal　detector。
　'Arms　out；'　she　said　to　me。　'Got　anything　metal　in　your　pockets？'
　'No；'　I　said　as　the　detector　snarled　like　a　mechanical　cat。
　She　tried　it　up　and　down　one　side　and　the　other。　It　kept　going　off。
　'Let's　get　rid　of　your　coat。'
　I　draped　it　on　the　desk　as　she　tried　again。　The　detector　continued　to　make　its　startling　sound　as　she　frowned　and　kept　trying。
　'What　about　jewelry；'　she　said。
　I　shook　my　head　as　I　suddenly　remembered　I　was　wearing　an　underwire　bra　that　I　had　no　intention　of　announcing。　She　put　down　the　detector　and　began　to　pat　me　down　while　the　other　deputy　sat　at　his　desk　and　watched　slack…jawed；　as　if　he　were　gawking　at　a　dirty　movie。