when you dealt with him during that plague episode, " Chet said.
"Well, let's see if I have any better luck with the director of the Mayor's office of Emergency Management, " Jack said.
"Why on earth are you calling him? " Chet asked.
"It's a courtesy call, " Jack said. "Strict orders from our deputy chief." A secretary answered, and Jack asked for Stan Thornton.
"Is that the guy who lectured to us on weapons of mass destruction? " Chet asked.
Jack nodded. To his surprise the director himself came on the line immediately. Jack explained who he was and why he was calling.
"Anthrax! " Stan exclaimed. It was obvious the man was impressed. In sharp contrast to Clint Abelard, he bombarded Jack with questions.
Only after he learned that the probable cause was contained and that there was only one case did his voice lose its urgency.
"Just to be on the safe side, " Stan said, "I'll use my contacts with the Department of Health to make sure there are no other inpatients in the city with suspicious symptoms."
"Good idea, " Jack said.
"And I'll have that warehouse quarantined, " Stan added.
"That's already in the works, " Jack said. He related to Stan his conversation with Clint Abelard.
"Perfect! " Stan said. "Clint Abelard would have been high on my list to contact. I'll coordinate with him." Good luck! Jack thought to himself.
"Thanks for your quick response, " Stan continued. "As I mentioned in my lecture, you medical people might be the first to see the effects of a bioterrorism event. The faster the response, the higher the possibility the event could be contained."
"We'll certainly keep that in mind, " Jack said before winding up the conversation and hanging up.
"Congratulations, " Chet said. "That was a very civilized conversation."
"My intra-agency diplomatic skills must be improving, " Jack quipped.
"I didn't irritate the guy in the slightest." Jack gathered up the papers from Jason Papparis's file and stuffed them into the folder. He pushed it aside and redirected his attention to the prisoner-in-custody case.
For a few minutes, peace reigned in the cluttered office. The two medical examiners bent over their respective desks and went back to work. Chet glued his eyes to his microscope while he diligently scanned a section of liver from a case of fatal hepatitis. Jack began to outline the significant pathology on the prisoner case.
Unfortunately, the tranquillity didn't last long. A sound similar to a gunshot reverberated around the tiny room. Chet sat bolt upright.
Jack uttered a string of expletives, making Chet even more anxious.
But, then Chet realized that they weren't in jeopardy of becoming their office's next two cases. The sudden noise had come from Jack's slamming his ballpoint pen down onto the desk's metal surface.
"Damn! You scared the hell out of me, " Chet complained.
"I can't concentrate, " Jack said.
"What's the matter now? "
"A lot of things, " Jack said vaguely. He didn't want to get into a discussion about Laurie.
"That's not being very specific, " Chet said.
Jack reached over and retrieved Jason Papparis's folder. "This case, for one."
"What could bother you now? " Chet questioned irritably.
"You made the diagnosis, reported it to the deputy chief, called the city epidemiologist, and even the Director of Emergency Management.
What the hell else can you do? " Jack sighed. "Like I said before, it's too pat. It's like it was designed to go into a textbook, and it's bothering me."
"Bull! " Chet said. "Sounds to me like you're using it as an excuse.
What else is on your mind? " Jack blinked and eyed his officemate.
Jack was impressed with Chet's clairvoyance. For a fleeting moment Jack considered telling Chet about Laurie's early-morning phone call, but then decided against it. Such a conversation might lead to questions about Jack's true feelings about Laurie, an issue Jack wasn't ready to probe, even on his own.
"There is something else, " Jack said. His face fell into an
"Well, let's see if I have any better luck with the director of the Mayor's office of Emergency Management, " Jack said.
"Why on earth are you calling him? " Chet asked.
"It's a courtesy call, " Jack said. "Strict orders from our deputy chief." A secretary answered, and Jack asked for Stan Thornton.
"Is that the guy who lectured to us on weapons of mass destruction? " Chet asked.
Jack nodded. To his surprise the director himself came on the line immediately. Jack explained who he was and why he was calling.
"Anthrax! " Stan exclaimed. It was obvious the man was impressed. In sharp contrast to Clint Abelard, he bombarded Jack with questions.
Only after he learned that the probable cause was contained and that there was only one case did his voice lose its urgency.
"Just to be on the safe side, " Stan said, "I'll use my contacts with the Department of Health to make sure there are no other inpatients in the city with suspicious symptoms."
"Good idea, " Jack said.
"And I'll have that warehouse quarantined, " Stan added.
"That's already in the works, " Jack said. He related to Stan his conversation with Clint Abelard.
"Perfect! " Stan said. "Clint Abelard would have been high on my list to contact. I'll coordinate with him." Good luck! Jack thought to himself.
"Thanks for your quick response, " Stan continued. "As I mentioned in my lecture, you medical people might be the first to see the effects of a bioterrorism event. The faster the response, the higher the possibility the event could be contained."
"We'll certainly keep that in mind, " Jack said before winding up the conversation and hanging up.
"Congratulations, " Chet said. "That was a very civilized conversation."
"My intra-agency diplomatic skills must be improving, " Jack quipped.
"I didn't irritate the guy in the slightest." Jack gathered up the papers from Jason Papparis's file and stuffed them into the folder. He pushed it aside and redirected his attention to the prisoner-in-custody case.
For a few minutes, peace reigned in the cluttered office. The two medical examiners bent over their respective desks and went back to work. Chet glued his eyes to his microscope while he diligently scanned a section of liver from a case of fatal hepatitis. Jack began to outline the significant pathology on the prisoner case.
Unfortunately, the tranquillity didn't last long. A sound similar to a gunshot reverberated around the tiny room. Chet sat bolt upright.
Jack uttered a string of expletives, making Chet even more anxious.
But, then Chet realized that they weren't in jeopardy of becoming their office's next two cases. The sudden noise had come from Jack's slamming his ballpoint pen down onto the desk's metal surface.
"Damn! You scared the hell out of me, " Chet complained.
"I can't concentrate, " Jack said.
"What's the matter now? "
"A lot of things, " Jack said vaguely. He didn't want to get into a discussion about Laurie.
"That's not being very specific, " Chet said.
Jack reached over and retrieved Jason Papparis's folder. "This case, for one."
"What could bother you now? " Chet questioned irritably.
"You made the diagnosis, reported it to the deputy chief, called the city epidemiologist, and even the Director of Emergency Management.
What the hell else can you do? " Jack sighed. "Like I said before, it's too pat. It's like it was designed to go into a textbook, and it's bothering me."
"Bull! " Chet said. "Sounds to me like you're using it as an excuse.
What else is on your mind? " Jack blinked and eyed his officemate.
Jack was impressed with Chet's clairvoyance. For a fleeting moment Jack considered telling Chet about Laurie's early-morning phone call, but then decided against it. Such a conversation might lead to questions about Jack's true feelings about Laurie, an issue Jack wasn't ready to probe, even on his own.
"There is something else, " Jack said. His face fell into an
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