Page 45 of Viral Justice

“Come, let me show you.”

Max stepped in his path. “Where is Dr. Beaulieu?” Behind him, he could feel Ali and the boys tensing up, preparing for...anything.

Cornett’s eyes looked sunken and black above his mask. “That’s who I want you to see.”

He led them to another room next door. This one was furnished with bedroom furniture, but the person on the bed was shrouded with a sheet. There were three other bodies stacked against the far wall, also wrapped in either blankets or sheets.

Cornett unwrapped the sheet from around the head of the body.

She appeared to be a woman in her early thirties. There were blood trails leading from the corners of her mouth and both nostrils. The skin of her face was unblemished.

“I need to see her arms and torso.”

“Why?” Cornett asked.

“I’m looking for lesions or blisters.”

Cornett unwrapped her upper body and Max helped him push her clothes aside so he could see her skin.

“No lesions,” he reported aloud.

“Is that good or bad?” Tom asked.

“Since she’s dead, it doesn’t mean much,” Max explained. “I need a sample of mucus from the nose or mouth of a person who’s recently begun showing symptoms. Actually, I’d like to test samples from a half-dozen people.” He looked at Cornett. “Will that be a problem?”

“No.” Cornett’s shoulders were hunched and his head hung like it was too heavy. “Everyone is frightened now and afraid they’re going to die.” He glanced at the body, then turned to Max and said, “You can start with me.”

“Fuck,” Bull said behind him.

“Rewrap the body,” Max told Cornett. “I’ll have a swab ready when you’re done.” He walked back into the room where he’d left his bag and crouched down to open it. Ali and the boys added their bags to his.

“What do you need?” Ali asked in a voice only one decibel louder than a whisper.

“I need to set up my equipment and gather the samples. The first test is quite quick. Takes about fifteen minutes. That test isn’t very specific, though, so if it’s positive for flu, I’ll have to do a second one that takes a little longer.”

“What do you need from us?”

“Keep people from interrupting me.”

She smiled—he could tell from the wrinkles dancing around her eyes. “We can do that. Bull is especially good at roadblocks.”

“One of my favorite things to do,” the soldier said with a nod.

“Just don’t be a pain in the ass when you do it,” Tom told him.

“Don’t worry, Max,” Ali whispered loud enough for the two men to hear. “I’ve got you covered. I’ll keep these two bozos from tripping you up.”

They were making fun of the situation, a common coping strategy among soldiers. Soldiers who had a bond with each other. Trust. And they’d invited him in. “I feelsomuch better knowing that.” He glanced over his shoulder at Ali, who crouched next to him, and the two men standing behind her. He gave them all a nod. “Carry on.”

He began pulling out what he needed to get the samples. Given that there were a lot of people in the vicinity, he left the analyzer in the bag.

“Is Cornett close by?” Max asked Ali.

She moved away, but was back in only a couple of seconds. “He’s talking to someone in the hallway.”

“As soon as he’s finished, ask him to come in. I want to give him some of the extra medical supplies I managed to jam into these bags.”

“Sure.” She left the room.

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