Love's So Contagious

Things

Mew had witnessed a lot during his thirty-something years. He understood that people reacted differently to stress. Even doctors weren't exempt from this. They may believe they were immune, but in reality, they were just like everyone else. They would panic and lose their composure until someone knowledgeable stepped in to guide them.

However, these two doctors were different. They didn't panic or scream in frustration. They didn't try to assert their authority either. Instead, they exchanged concerned glances. "I apologize," the shorter one said. His accent, unmistakably from Udon Thani, grated on Mew's nerves. "This doesn't make any sense. It implies that someone intentionally unleashed meningitis at Sekhmet, as some form of attack."

Mew raised his hands, realizing he had completely forgotten about the shotgun.

The taller doctor took a step closer, suggesting, "Maybe it's best to just set the gun down, okay? We don't want any accidents happening." His smile was warm and reassuring, but his eyes showed concern. Who was he to judge Mew, anyway? "By the way, using meningitis for a bioterror attack would be quite uncommon."

Mew shrugged. Maybe he shouldn't have waved the shotgun around the ER. And maybe he forgot he had it in the first place. But that didn't change the fact that someone released a disease at Sekhmet just because they felt like it. "Well, unusual or not, that's what they did. I never do meet the smart criminals."

The shorter doctor flinched at that. What was his story? What was he guilty of that caused him to flinch when Mew brought up dumb criminals? He was pretty enough, for a City guy. He might have been a little on the short side, but that slim body and those narrow hips more than made up for it. "Do you have the lab report? And do you know whose belongings the vial was found in?" He blinked. "Why were the police going through someone's things, anyway?"

Mew clenched his jaw for a moment. He needed to keep in mind that there were other officers elsewhere who were causing doubts about everyone's integrity. This was making it much more difficult for everyone to carry out their duties. "We didn't actually discover it first," he explained, once he had managed to control his initial anger. "It was his roommate who found it while searching for some of his belongings to bring to him at the hospital. He contacted us, which is how we gained access to the room. We followed the proper procedures. And we have it all documented, in case you want to bring in the DOH or anyone else."

Hot Doctor simply shrugged. "Alright. If you've documented everything, then it should be all good, right? Besides, I can't recall any instances of meningitis being used as a weapon. And I did work with the CID, so it's something I would have investigated."

Taller Doc had a smug expression on his face. "Let me introduce you to Dr. Gulf Kanawut, our top Infectious Disease Specialist."

Mew wasn't impressed at all. "I'm Mew Suppasit from the Police Department. So, why hasn't anyone tried to turn meningitis into a weapon? It seems like a disease that really sucks."

Gulf forced a small grin. "Oh, it definitely does. It can kill within twenty-four hours sometimes. Not fun at all. But it needs specific conditions to spread, mainly close contact. When you want to cause terror, you need a disease that can easily pass from person to person. Meningitis is highly contagious, but you need prolonged and intimate contact with an infected person's bodily fluids to start an outbreak. It's not like smallpox or anthrax, for example."

"Alright." Mew couldn't perceive any distinction, but he didn't inquire. The doctor might provide him with the information, and Mew wasn't concerned. He didn't have the luxury of staying there all night. He needed to uncover the truth and focus on identifying the culprit. "The important thing is that someone clearly made the decision to release the disease among college students. Can you think of anyone who might have had access?"