The Epidemic

The Epidemic

         Dr. Kevin Jayson sat at his desk. He leaned back in the high backed chair and closed his eyes. He had locked the door and left the lights out hoping that no one would realize he was in there. Things were getting out of hand. There were twenty-two new cases admitted to St. Luke’s Hospital today. That brought the total to hundred twenty-two cases at St. Luke’s in less than three weeks. He knew of four other hospitals with as many, if not more. The symptoms started out with a mild low-grade fever, headache, and sometimes a sore throat. Many patients complained of swelling and pain in their joints. The fever continued to rise until patients lapsed into a coma. St. Luke’s had placed all these victims on the sixth floor.

         The Infection Control Department had people work on it, taking cultures and trying to identify the cause. As yet, there were no answers.

         He wiped the perspiration from his forehead and he rubbed his eyes. He took two pills from the bottle in the desk drawer for the pain in his head, back and legs. It had been a long hard day, he was sure he would be all right if he just got some rest. He leaned forward resting his head on his arms on the desk and let the world slip away.

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         Early the next morning two nurses sat in the cafeteria. “Did you hear?” one asked the other. “They were looking for Dr. Jayson last night.”

         “Oh, they found him early this morning in his office,” the other replied. “They’ve taken him to the sixth floor.”