Valley Fever | Lawrusso

Valley Fever Chapter 6 / 6

On day 8, after the side effects of his treatment had passed, Johnny had a visitor.

He looked official and carried a clipboard in his hand.

Daniel spoke to him first, outside the room, then came back inside, followed by the man.

"He needs to speak to you," Daniel said. "Are you OK to answer a few questions?"

"Yeah," Johnny replied. He looked at the guy and asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Alan Carter," the man said, as he came forward and shook Johnny's hand. "I'm from the Division of Occupational Safety and Health of California."

"Oh shit, did I do something wrong? " Johnny said, pushing himself up in his bed. "I swear I never touched the electrics at that house."

"No, no," the man said, holding up a hand. "Your partner lodged a complaint with us about the safety at your workplace where you contracted Valley Fever."

Johnny turned to Daniel and asked, "You did what?"

"There are laws to stop this happening, Johnny," Daniel said, as he sat on the edge of the bed. "They can't be allowed to get away with it."

"That's why I'm here," the guy said. "I just need to ask a few questions, if you're well enough."

OK," Johnny replied with a nod of the head.

"In the complaint your partner filed, he said it was a windy day when you went to Santa Barbara?" he asked, as he held up his clipboard and pen.

"Yeah, it was," Johnny replied. "I was covered in dust by the time we finished."

"Was any water poured around the plants and trees, prior to you digging them up?"

"No," Johnny said. "But, they poured some water over the sacks we put the roots in after we finished, so they wouldn't dry out on the way back."

"Were you given any overalls or a change of clothes?" he asked. "Did they advise you to bring a change of clothes?"

"No, I didn't even know we were going out there till like five minutes before we went," Johnny replied.

"Were you given a respirator or mask or advised to bring your own?"

"No," Johnny said.

"And you weren't given any training on how to avoid Valley Fever?"

"I'd never even heard of it till the Doctor told me I had it."

"Has the foreman or any of the crew contact you since the time you worked for them?" the man asked.

"No," Johnny replied, shaking his head.

"OK," the man said, as he lowered his clipboard. "That tallies with what the others told me."

"Others?" Johnny asked.

"About 4 weeks ago, two of the other members of the crew who went out to Santa Barbara were diagnosed with Valley Fever."

"Four WEEKS?" Daniel asked loudly. "Johnny was only diagnosed just over a week ago. Are you really telling me that they knew he could be sick and did nothing?"

"It seems that way," he replied. "And they didn't notify us when one of the other crew members was admitted to hospital either, which is against the law."

"They knew before I got really sick?" Johnny asked, staring at him in disbelief.

"I've spoken to your Doctor and he told me that if you'd been treated for Valley Fever four weeks ago, when the first crew member was diagnosed, then you wouldn't have needed to be hospitalised," the man said.