Page 53 of Deadly Strain

Chapter Twelve

Sharp opened his eyesto meet the gaze of the doctor who’d sewn him up. “Concussion, huh?” he asked quietly.

“A CT scan might take a few hours.” The doctor glanced around, then continued, “Marshall fully intends to prosecute Dr. Samuels for insubordination and all those other charges. I’ve tried to tell him she was correct in her assessment of the situation at the village, but when she went over his head, he took it personally. Then his men in the original patrol died and that cemented his opinion she’s at fault.”

“She thinks it’s some sort of super-anthrax,” Sharp told the doctor. “Fast-acting, and she thinks it might be in the air and water supply, but she isn’t sure.”

The doctor paled. “That’s not good.”

“No shit. Has Marshall done anything right since we left?”

“No. Some of your A-Team are still there. Cutter wanted to take the rest of the team out there, but Marshall ordered them to stand down.”

“Have you heard what the status is at the village?”

“Not in the last couple of hours.”

“Shit.” Sharp glanced at the bag of blood hanging over his head. It looked nearly empty. “I may not make that CT scan.”

“You’re in no condition to go anywhere,” the doctor said, as Sharp sat up.

He reached for the IV line, intending to yank it out. “Doesn’t matter, I’ve got a job to do.”

The doctor moved surprisingly fast. “I’ll do it. I don’t want you spilling all the blood we just poured into you.” He took out the IV line and put a bandage over the hole in the back of Sharp’s hand. The doctor ducked down and pulled something out of a box stored underneath the exam table and handed Sharp a bottle of electrolyte water. “Drink all of this before you leave the base, and eat something substantial or you’re going to fall over in a few hours.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Sharp said with a grin. He cracked open the bottle and drank several swallows. “Where’s the rest of my team?”

“After your aircraft disappeared, they moved their gear to a shack next to the helicopter landing area. I think in anticipation of going to that village, but Marshall told them to stay put and confiscated their SINGCAR radios when they tried to contact Colonel Maximillian.”

“They’re under arrest?” Sidelining an A-Team wasn’t what Sharp would call a smart move. They had their own orders to follow, and their own chain of command to keep in contact with.

“No, I would say they’re grounded to the base. No one is stopping them from going to the mess, chapel, or medical. They just can’t leave or call out.”

Sharp finished the bottle of water and stood. No dizziness, good. “Marshall is digging himself a deep hole.”

The doctor nodded. “Do yourself a favor and don’t jump in it with him.”

“I’ll try, Doc, but I’ve always been a curious fellow.” Sharp glanced down at himself. The medical people had cut his clothes off to get at his wounds. “Got anything I could wear?”

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