“Suit yourself,” Robert said. He disappeared from the doorway.
Marissa got up and closed the door to her study. A few minutes later she heard the muted sounds of Robert in the kitchen making himself something to eat.
Marissa had half a mind to go after him. Maybe she should try to communicate with him. Then she shook her head. She knew she could never make him understand, let alone share in her concern for the incidence of TB salpingitis. With a sigh, Marissa sat down on the love seat and began reading the article that Cyrill had given her. He was right; it was a good article.
The twenty-three cases of TB salpingitis had been seen at a Brisbane clinic that sounded similar to the Women’s Clinic. The name of the clinic was Female Care Australia, FCA for short.
Similar to the five cases Marissa knew in Boston, all the patients in the Australian series were in their twenties and early thirties.
They were middle class and married. All except one was Caucasian.
The exception was a Chinese woman of thirty-one who’d recently emigrated from Hong Kong.
The ring of the phone startled her, but she kept reading, deciding it was probably for Robert anyway.
Reading on in the article, Marissa noted that the diagnosis had been made by the histology of fallopian tube biopsy alone since no organisms had been seen or cultured. Chest X-rays and blood work had ruled out fungi and sarcoid.
In the discussion portion of the paper the author hypothesized that the problem was arising from the influx of immigrants from Southeast Asia, but he didn’t elaborate on any possible mechanism.
“Marissa!” Robert shouted.
“The phone is for you! Cyrill Dubchek!”
Marissa grabbed the phone.
“Sorry to bother you so late,” Cyrill said, “But when I returned to the CDC I got some additional information you might find interesting.”
“Oh?” Marissa said.
“These TB salpingitis cases aren’t confined to the U.S. or Australia,” Cyrill said.
“They have been showing up in Western Europe as well, with the same wide distribution pattern. There have been no clusters like the one in Brisbane. Apparently there have been no reported cases as yet in South America or in Africa.
I don’t know what to make of this, but there you have it. If I hear any more, I’ll call ASAP. But now you’ve got my interest. Let me know if you begin to develop any theories.”
Marissa thanked him again for calling and they said their goodbyes. This new bit of information was extremely significant.
It meant that the incidence of TB salpingitis could no longer be dismissed as a statistical fluke. It was occurring on an international scale. Even Cyrill’s curiosity was now piqued. For the moment Marissa forgot her grief, anger, and exhaustion.
Marissa considered the possibilities. Could TB have somehow mutated to become a venereal disease? Could it have become a silent infection in the male like some cases of chlarnydia or mycoplasma?
Should she insist that Robert be checked? Could Robert have picked it up somehow on one of his many business trips?
Marissa didn’t like this line of thinking, but she had to remain scientific.
Reaching for the telephone, Marissa called Wendy. Gustave answered.
“Unfortunately she’s not taking calls,” Gustave said.
“I understand,” Marissa said.
“Whenever it is appropriate, tell her I’ve called and ask her to call me back as soon as she feels up to it.”
“I’m worried about her,” Gustave confided.
“I’ve never seen her this depressed. I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you think she would see me if I came over?” Marissa asked.
“I think there is a chance,” Gustave said. His tone was encouraging.
“I’ll be right over,” Marissa said.
“Thanks, I really appreciate it. I know Wendy will too.”
Marissa got her coat from the laundry room and went out to her car in the garage. As she was about to get in, Robert appeared.
“Where do you think you are going at this hour?” he demanded.
“Wendy’s,” Marissa said, pushing the automatic garage-door opener.
“At least her husband is concerned about her.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Robert demanded.
“If you don’t know,” Marissa said, getting into her car, “I doubt if anybody could tell you.”