stitches get settled.”
She did not wait for his response but instead went to the sink and stripped off her rubber gloves. She put the disposable gloves into a plastic bag which she tied tightly, dropped that into another plastic bag which she also double knotted. She placed the double bag into the sink and then ran the hot water and started to scrub her hands vigorously with dish detergent.
“Hey doc, can I have something for the pain?” Ian asked.
Ravi shook her head. “Not yet.”
“How about some ibuprofen, Ravi?” Brian asked. “Just something to help him with the pain.”
“No,” Ravi said adamantly. To me she said, “I need to speak to you. Now , please.”
I looked at Brian and then back at Ravi, unsure about what was happening. Brian’s brow furrowed and he shrugged his shoulders slightly, indicating he had no idea either. I nodded my head and followed Ravi as she led us through the kitchen and into the laundry room. Brian followed us in and closed the door.
“Ravi, what was that all about?” Brian started in. “If you don’t want to give him the good stuff, I understand, you want to keep that for our own folks, but—”
“I think he might be infected,” Ravi said in her matter-of-fact, all business doctors’ voice.
We all fell silent and the small room had suddenly grown very uncomfortable. I could see that Brian was considering his response carefully; his mouth was closed tight and his eyes flicked back and forth between me and Ravi.
“You mean infected with…”
“You know what I mean,” Ravi said loudly enough to surprise me. I saw Brian flinch as if struck.
“Why do you think he’s infected?” Brian asked.
“You have to ask?” Ravi questioned and gave him a look of incredulous contempt. “You should know better than anyone why I think he’s infected. He was sliced by a weapon used on those things out there. That blood is in his system now.”
“We don’t know that’s true,” Brian said. I had never seen him so subdued. Ravi’s unusual attack was just as much a surprise to him and had likely thrown him off his game.
“We don’t take chances here. He needs to be isolated immediately.”
“Look, I brought him here so let me handle it,” Brian said.
“I know he’s with you but that doesn’t mean shit around here anymore,” Ravi snapped. She turned to me and said, “I want him quarantined. He needs to be watched and dealt with. We need to follow protocol.”
“What the hell is happening here?” Brian asked, obviously as confused as was I. “What exactly are you trying to say, Ravi?”
“Okay, let’s all calm down here,” I finally said, raising my voice. “Everyone just take a damn breath and be quiet for a second.”
“I don’t exactly know what the hell is going on right now,” Brian said, “but Ian is my problem, man, and I’ll handle this.”
“He’s our problem,” I said, suddenly feeling like I was in the middle of a tennis match. This was an argument for which I would be forced to take sides. Making a conscious decision under pressure, I looked my brother in the eyes and continued, “Ravi’s right, we have procedures and we follow protocol, no exceptions.”
“Dude, this is bullshit—“
“You’ve been away for too long, brother, and maybe you forgot what happened the last time that fucking disease got inside of our walls. That shit is not going to happen again. Ian will be quarantined.”
Brian shook his head and kicked his foot against the washing machine startling Ravi. He looked at her sharply for a second and then his face changed and he softened. “Sorry, Ravi. This isn’t your fault.”
“Thank you,” Ravi said. “I appreciate your understanding.”
“Do what you have to do. But at least let me stay with him. He doesn’t know anyone here.”
“Not a good idea,” I said. “Listen, we need to do this quietly. I don’t want anyone getting spooked or panicked until we know for sure what happens with Ian one
She did not wait for his response but instead went to the sink and stripped off her rubber gloves. She put the disposable gloves into a plastic bag which she tied tightly, dropped that into another plastic bag which she also double knotted. She placed the double bag into the sink and then ran the hot water and started to scrub her hands vigorously with dish detergent.
“Hey doc, can I have something for the pain?” Ian asked.
Ravi shook her head. “Not yet.”
“How about some ibuprofen, Ravi?” Brian asked. “Just something to help him with the pain.”
“No,” Ravi said adamantly. To me she said, “I need to speak to you. Now , please.”
I looked at Brian and then back at Ravi, unsure about what was happening. Brian’s brow furrowed and he shrugged his shoulders slightly, indicating he had no idea either. I nodded my head and followed Ravi as she led us through the kitchen and into the laundry room. Brian followed us in and closed the door.
“Ravi, what was that all about?” Brian started in. “If you don’t want to give him the good stuff, I understand, you want to keep that for our own folks, but—”
“I think he might be infected,” Ravi said in her matter-of-fact, all business doctors’ voice.
We all fell silent and the small room had suddenly grown very uncomfortable. I could see that Brian was considering his response carefully; his mouth was closed tight and his eyes flicked back and forth between me and Ravi.
“You mean infected with…”
“You know what I mean,” Ravi said loudly enough to surprise me. I saw Brian flinch as if struck.
“Why do you think he’s infected?” Brian asked.
“You have to ask?” Ravi questioned and gave him a look of incredulous contempt. “You should know better than anyone why I think he’s infected. He was sliced by a weapon used on those things out there. That blood is in his system now.”
“We don’t know that’s true,” Brian said. I had never seen him so subdued. Ravi’s unusual attack was just as much a surprise to him and had likely thrown him off his game.
“We don’t take chances here. He needs to be isolated immediately.”
“Look, I brought him here so let me handle it,” Brian said.
“I know he’s with you but that doesn’t mean shit around here anymore,” Ravi snapped. She turned to me and said, “I want him quarantined. He needs to be watched and dealt with. We need to follow protocol.”
“What the hell is happening here?” Brian asked, obviously as confused as was I. “What exactly are you trying to say, Ravi?”
“Okay, let’s all calm down here,” I finally said, raising my voice. “Everyone just take a damn breath and be quiet for a second.”
“I don’t exactly know what the hell is going on right now,” Brian said, “but Ian is my problem, man, and I’ll handle this.”
“He’s our problem,” I said, suddenly feeling like I was in the middle of a tennis match. This was an argument for which I would be forced to take sides. Making a conscious decision under pressure, I looked my brother in the eyes and continued, “Ravi’s right, we have procedures and we follow protocol, no exceptions.”
“Dude, this is bullshit—“
“You’ve been away for too long, brother, and maybe you forgot what happened the last time that fucking disease got inside of our walls. That shit is not going to happen again. Ian will be quarantined.”
Brian shook his head and kicked his foot against the washing machine startling Ravi. He looked at her sharply for a second and then his face changed and he softened. “Sorry, Ravi. This isn’t your fault.”
“Thank you,” Ravi said. “I appreciate your understanding.”
“Do what you have to do. But at least let me stay with him. He doesn’t know anyone here.”
“Not a good idea,” I said. “Listen, we need to do this quietly. I don’t want anyone getting spooked or panicked until we know for sure what happens with Ian one
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