Jack swatted him in the chest with Katherine Mueller’s folder. “Remember the saying ‘The early bird gets the worm’?”
“Oh, barf,” Vinnie said. He took the folder from Jack and opened it. “Is this the one we’re doing first?” he asked.
“Might as well move from the known to the unknown,” Jack said. “This one had a positive fluorescein antibody test to plague, so zip up tight in your moon suit.”
Fifteen minutes later Jack began the autopsy. He spent a good deal of time on the external exam, looking for any signs of insect bites. It wasn’t an easy job, since Katherine Mueller was an overweight forty-four-year-old with hundreds of moles, freckles, and other minor skin blemishes.
Jack found nothing he was sure was a bite, although a few lesions looked mildly suspicious. To be on the safe side he photographed them.
“No gangrene on this body,” Vinnie commented.
“Nor purpura,” Jack said.
By the time Jack started on the internal exam, a number of the other staff had arrived in the autopsy room and half of the tables were in use. There were a few comments about Jack becoming the local plague expert, but Jack ignored them. He was too engrossed.
Mueller’s lungs appeared quite similar to Nodelman’s, with extensive 1obar pneumonia, consolidation, and early stages of tissue death. The woman’s cervical lymphatics were also generally involved, as were the lymph nodes along the bronchial tree.
“This is just as bad or worse than Nodelman,” Jack said. “It’s frightening.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” Vinnie said. “These infectious cases are the kind that make me wish I’d gone into gardening.”
Jack was nearing the end of the internal exam when Calvin came through the door. There was no mistaking his huge silhouette. He was accompanied by another figure who was half his size. Calvin came directly to Jack’s table.
“Anything out of the ordinary?” Calvin asked, while peering into the pan of internal organs.
“Internally this case is a repeat of yesterday’s,” Jack said.
“Good,” Calvin said, straightening up. He then introduced Jack to his guest. It was Clint Abelard, the city epidemiologist.
Jack could make out the man’s prominent jaw, but because of the reflection off the plastic face mask, he couldn’t see the fellow’s squirrelly eyes. He wondered if he was still as cantankerous as he’d been the day before.
“According to Dr. Bingham you two have already met,” Calvin said.
“Indeed,” Jack said. The epidemiologist did not respond.
“Dr. Abelard is trying to discern the origin of this plague outbreak,” Calvin explained.
“Commendable,” Jack said.
“He’s come to us to see if we can add any significant information,” Calvin said. “Perhaps you could run through your positive findings.”
“My pleasure,” Jack said. He started with the external exam, indicating skin abnormalities he thought could have been insect bites. Then he showed all the gross internal pathology, concentrating on the lungs, lymphatics, liver, and spleen. Throughout the entire discourse, Clint Abelard stayed silent.
“There you have it,” Jack said as he finished. He put the liver back into the pan. “As you can see it’s a severe case, as was Nodelman’s, and it’s no wonder both patients died so quickly.”
“What about Hard?” Clint asked.
“She’s next,” Jack said.
“Mind if I watch?” Clint asked.
Jack shrugged. “That’s up to Dr. Washington,” he said.
“No problem,” Calvin said.
“If I may ask,” Jack said, “have you come up with a theory where this plague came from?”
“Not really,” Clint said gruffly. “Not yet.”
“Any ideas?” Jack asked, trying to keep sarcasm out of his voice. It seemed Clint was in no better humor than he had been the day before.
“We’re looking for plague in the area’s rodent population,” Clint said condescendingly.
“Splendid idea,” Jack said. “And just how are you doing that?”
Clint paused as if he didn’t want to divulge any state secrets.
“The CDC is helping,” he said finally. “They sent someone up here from their plague division. He’s in charge of the trapping and analysis.”
“Any luck so far?” Jack asked.
“Some of the rats caught last night were ill,” Clint said. “But none with plague.”
“What about the hospital?” Jack asked. He persisted despite Clint’s apparent reluctance to talk. “This woman we’ve just autopsied worked in central supply. Seems likely her illness was nosocomial like Nodelman’s. Do you think she got it from some primary source in and around the hospital, or do you think she got it from Nodelman?”