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PHYSIC

CHAPTER 14

XANDER

I’roup of new patients your way," the head physic tells me over the miniport

"Good," I say "We’re ready for theue, things are finally tapering off, thanks in large part to the increase in i The scientists and pilots and workers have all done their best and we’ve saved hundreds of thousands of people It’s an honor to be a part of the Rising

I go to the doors to let the transfer medics inside "Looks like we had a minor outbreak in one of the suburbs," one of theon to one end of a stretcher Sweat drips down his face and he looks exhausted I admire the transferTheir work is physical and exhausting "I guess they missed their iht over here," I say They move the patient fro the patient into a gown and I hear her exclaim in surprise

"What is it?" I ask

"The rash," the nurse says She points to the patient and I see red stripes running across his chest "It’s bad on this one"

While the small redall the way around the torso "Let’s turn him and check his back," I say

We do The rash extends to the patient’s back I glance down at my miniport to enter a notation "Are the others like this?" I ask

"Not that we noticed," the medic says

The medics and I examine the rest of the new patients None of them exhibit the acute rash, or even have the s," I say, "but I’ll call in one of the virologists"

It doesn’t take the virologist very long to respond "What do we have?" he asks, his tone confident I haven’t had ht and reputation as one of the best research"A variation?"

"It looks that way," I say "The acute viral rash, for on derist looks at ht language But I’ve been here for three months I knohich words to use and, more importantly than that, I knohat they loved and ist reaches into a case and pulls out a cure "Get me a vital-stats machine," he tells one of the other et a line running"

"It’s nothing we didn’t anticipate," the virologist says as I slide the needle into the man’s vein The head physic watches us froe all the ti up in different tissues, even in the sa and start the drip

"For a ist says, "there would have to be so that inal virus"

He’s teaching me, I realize, which he doesn’t have to do And I think I understand what he’s saying "Like a cure?" I ask "Could that be the selective pressure?" Could we have given this new virus the opportunity to flourish?

"Don’t worry," he says "What’suniquely to the virus"

He looks at the patient and , it pops up on my miniport as well Rotate patient every two hours to prevent skin breakdown Clean and seal affected areas to inhibit the spread of infection The instructions are the same as those for all the other patients "Poor fellow," he says "Maybe it’s best he stays under for a while He’s going to hurt before he heals"

"Should we quarantine the patients from this transfer in a separate part of the center?" I ask the head physic over the port

"Only if you’d prefer not to have the," he says

"No," I say "We can quarantine later if necessary"

The virologist nods "I’ll let you know as soon as we have the results from the samples," he says "It may be an hour or two"

"In the meantime, start them all on the cure," the head physic tellsthe blood," the virologist says as he leaves the room "You’d think you were still a medic"

"Thanks," I say

"Carrow," the head physic says, "you’re long past due for a break Take one nohile they’re running the sample"

"I’m fine," I say

"You’ve already extended your shift once," the head physic tells me from the port "The nurses andallmy food out there to eat It’s a little patch of trees and flowers that are starting to die because no one has time to take care of them, but at least when I’ht

Also, I figure if I stay in the same place most of the time, there’s more of a chance I’ll see Lei and we can talk about our work and e’ve noticed

At first, I think I’m out of luck because she’s not in the courtyard But then, right when I’ my meal, the door opens and Lei comes out