Superstitions

Chapter 8 - Bats

Hello !!!! I found some time to write and as if by chance while studying my imagination is running at full speed (which doesn't really help me in my study but that's another problem). I hope you will enjoy this new chapter, but first of all I would like to thank you very much for all your votes and comments. I don't know if you can imagine how happy I am. Every time I see that I have a new comment I jump for joy (literally and figuratively) so a big thank you to you. Now I stop talking and let you read.

Enjoy !!!

CHAPTER 8 - Bats

Once there, Ava, Mr. Scott, his assistant and the two pilots were taken care of by a team in biohazard protective suits. Since the pilots had not been in direct contact with the potentially infected persons, they were placed in a separate isolation room.

Connor, who like more than half of the hospital was aware of the situation, had gone to the isolation rooms to assess the situation. Ava was sitting on the bed, she didn't seem sick. When she saw it, she rushed towards the window.

"You shouldn't be with them, maybe you haven't been infected. It is far too dangerous for you to stay in this room" Despite the wall that separated them, Ava could hear all the anxiety in her voice.

"Look Connor, I talked to his assistant and they weren't what you might define as close. So either the disease is contagious and is easily transmitted by direct contact and in this case it is very likely that I am infected. Either it's a false alarm and I'm not risking anything serious by staying here. In addition, I am a doctor, I know how to take vitals and perform procedures if necessary."

"I know, but I still wish I'd known you were in another room. And if it's only for staff reasons, I'll put it on a thousand times their suit."

"Seriously, Connor, you've already tried to put in an IV, intubate someone or anything else with these astronaut suits, it's nearly impossible."

Connor knew she was right, but before he could tell her he loves her, they were cut off by the CDC doctors. They wanted to talk to Ava to clarify the symptoms presented by the patients and to gather as much information as possible about their movements. Getting information was not an easy task. Mr. Scott could barely look at Ava and his assistant looked overwhelmed. She wouldn't drop her phone or tablet and when she seemed to take a break, her boss glanced at her with a sharp eye and she would dive back into her screens. Since the current symptoms were not specific, the doctors asked Ava to take a bunch of samples of all kinds. It was going to be a long wait.

Once she had finished, Ava returned to Connor who had been waiting for her. They remained, one in front of the other, hand against hand, separated by this transparent wall supposed to protect them but for the moment all they wanted was to be embraced in each other's arms. They were interrupted by Connor's pager, which started beeping.

"You should go, there's nothing more you can do here. They need you there."

"Try to stay alive... love you" His eyes expressed so much, anger, why did it have to happen to the woman he loves? Fear, he thought he had lost her so many times. Admiration, she was so strong even after all she had experienced. But above all love, he loved her so much, he would do anything for her.

"Love you too."

Connor left and Ava went back to sit on her bed, she needed to do something or she was going to go crazy. Fortunately, she had been able to access her computer. She then began to research diseases that could match the symptoms but the list was too long.

As time passed, CDC agents were finally able to determine that only Ava, Mr. Scott and his assistant were sick, but there was no indication of what was wrong with them, and even less if they had contracted the same disease. Both pilots were released as research on the pathogen intensified.

Mr. Scott and his assistant were deteriorating. They were having more and more difficulty breathing, and Mr. Scott had been given oxygen. As for Ava, she had none of the symptoms. She had to find out what made them so sick.

"Suzanne, right? I would like you to give me as much detail as possible about Mr. Scott's activities during his stay. There could be crucial information about the cause of this disease."

"It was a trip for Mr. Scott's hobby, he's a fan of ornithology, of all flying animals actually."

Mr. Scott abruptly interrupted the conversation and forbade his assistant to say anything more. Ava, who was beginning to get used to Mr. Scott's behavior, gave him a black look.

"If you want to die, that's your problem. But there are people here who would like to survive so either you help us or you shut up and die in silence." Ava was so upset with Mr. Scott. She had never gotten so angry with a patient like that before, but that was too much. A few seconds later, Dr. Bekker resumed the conversation she had started with Suzanne.

"So where were you exactly in South Africa?"

"I don't really remember the name Tackumba, maybe."

"It was near Kuthumba..." Mr. Scott sharply said.

At that moment Ava had an insight, she was almost certain to know what was making them sick.

"You didn't go there for the birds, you went to the bat caves, right?" The man struggled to answer and seemed to avoid the doctor's eyes. "I'm not from the police, Mr. Scott, I don't care that you went to these caves which are only authorized for scientists. But I need you to confirm that you were there."

"Yes, I did go there, but I didn't think it could be dangerous. I thought it was like all those other places that were off-limits to the public, that it was just for preservation and other ecological bullshit."

"It's not just for ecological bullshit as you say. These caves promote the development of potentially deadly bacteria in bat droppings. That's why they're banned from the general public, you need biohazard suits to get in." Ava felt numb for a few moments and felt a sharp itch in her neck as a wave of memories invaded her. She pulled herself together, looked at Suzanne and Monsieur's neck before pressing the call button frantically.

Maggie rushed to the room. "Is everything all right?"

"Call the CDC guys, I know what we're suffering from!"