Jack made a beeline for the microbiology section. His hope was to run across either the head tech, Richard, or the vivacious Beth Holderness. But when he arrived he found no one. The micro area appeared as deserted as the rest of the lab.
Jack approached the spot where Beth had been working on his last visit. There he found something encouraging. A Bunsen burner was aflame. Next to it was a tray of throat culture swabs and a large stack of fresh agar plates. On the floor stood a plastic trash barrel brimming with discarded culture tubes.
Sensing that Beth must be in the immediate area, Jack began to explore. The microbiology section was a room about thirty feet square divided by two rows of countertop. Jack walked down the center aisle.
Along the back wall were several biosafety cabinets. Jack rounded the lab bench to his right and glanced into a small office. It had a desk and a file cabinet. On a bulletin board he could see some photos. Without going into the room, Jack recognized Richard, the head tech, in several of them.
Moving on, Jack came abreast of several polished aluminum insulated doors that looked like walk-in refrigerators. Glancing over to the opposite side of the room, he saw a regular door that he thought could lead into a storeroom. As he was about to head in that direction one of the insulated doors opened with a loud click that made him jump.
Beth Holderness emerged along with a waft of warm, moist air and nearly collided with Jack. “You scared me to death,” she said, pressing a hand to her chest.
“I’m not sure who scared whom more,” Jack said. He then reintroduced himself.
“Don’t worry, I remember you,” Beth said. “You caused quite a stir, and I don’t think you should be here.”
“Oh?” Jack questioned innocently.
“Dr. Cheveau is really mad at you,” Beth said.
“Is he now?” Jack said. “I’ve noticed he’s been rather grumpy.”
“He can be cranky,” Beth admitted. “But Richard said something about your accusing him of spreading the bacteria that we’ve been experiencing here at the General.”
“Actually, I didn’t accuse your boss of anything,” Jack said. “It was only an implication I made after he irritated me. I’d come over here just to have a conversation with him. I really wanted his opinion about the plausibility of all these relatively rare illnesses having appeared so close together and at this time of year. But for reasons unknown to me, he was in as inhospitable a mood as he’d been on my previous visit.”
“Well, I must admit I was surprised how he treated you the day we met,” Beth said. “Same with Mr. Kelley and Dr. Zimmerman. I just thought you were trying to help.”
Jack had to restrain himself from giving this lively young woman a hug. It seemed as if she were the only person on the planet who appreciated what he was doing.
“I was so sorry about your co-worker, Nancy Wiggens,” Jack said. “I imagine it’s been difficult for you all.”
Beth’s cheerful face clouded over to the point just shy of tears.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything,” Jack said when he noticed her reaction.
“It’s all right,” Beth managed. “But it was a terrible shock. We all worry about such a thing, but hope it will never happen. She was such a warm person, although she could be a bit reckless.”
“How so?” Jack asked.
“She just wasn’t as careful as she should have been,” Beth said. “She took chances, like not using one of the hoods when it was indicated or not wearing her goggles when she was supposed to.” Jack could understand that attitude.
“She didn’t even take the antibiotic Dr. Zimmerman prescribed for her after the plague case,” Beth said.
“How unfortunate,” Jack said. “That might have protected her against the Rocky Mountain spotted fever.”
“I know,” Beth said. “I wish that I had tried harder to convince her. I mean, I took it, and I don’t think I was exposed.”
“Did she happen to say she did anything different when she got samples from Lagenthorpe?” Jack asked.