Superstitions

Chapter 9 - Fever

So, so, so it's been a long time and I'm really sorry but the "back-to-school" was not easy this year, administrative and lodging problems. When finally everything came back to normal, I had to catch up on the delay I had taken. Happily for you (well, I hope so), I had a surge of motivation and I wrote 2 chapters. The bad news is that the next chapter I wrote isn't the following of that one so I can't tell you when will be the next update but I'm not giving up on this fiction. Ava deserve a better end than the once they gave us (in my opinion). I'll put a note at the end about one point but no spoiler. There are probably conjugation errors but I try to do my best and he is 23h50 when I write this so I'm already more or less asleep. I can't upload it tomorrow because I really have to study. I hope you'll appreciate.

Enjoy !!!

CHAPTER 9 - Fever

"Coxiella burnetii chiropterae... You're sure? It's a rare bacteria."

"Symptoms match, cough, high fever, rash on the neck, respiratory and cardiac failure. It is highly contagious and is transmitted through the respiratory tract. In addition, my patient has been in an endemic area. Specific tests must be carried out, this bacteria doesn't grow on a normal culture environment."

The man seemed skeptical so Ava insisted.

"It doesn't cost you anything to try. Please."

The man nodded before going back to the CDC HQ. Ava sat on her bed, this situation reminded her one of the worse period in her life. And she was alone, without Connor to wrap her in his arms. She tried to convince herself that she wasn't sick, she knew this disease better than anyone else. It always appeared in the same way and she didn't had the first symptoms so she couldn't be sick, the itch in her neck should be psychosomatic. When Connor came, she tried to persuade him that she was okay, he didn't need to worry more about her physical and mental health so she was acting like everything was fine.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yes as I lived in South Africa a may be immunized for that disease" She definitely wasn't okay, all these memories that came back, it began to be hardest to support. She was a beautiful liar and she knew exactly how to hide her emotions but Connor wasn't fooled by it. He could see that something was wrong. Unfortunately he had to go and see after his patients but he tried to come back to check on Ava as more as possible.

Hours passed and Ava was feeling even worse. She was so cold, last time she remember being so cold it was when she was sick from the same disease in her childhood.

"No, it can't be fever, I don't have cough, this disease always gives cough it should be psychosomatic like when I had my post-traumatic stress syndrome." That was what she was repeating in her head. She wasn't sick, she didn't want to be sick but she was feeling so bad.

When Connor came he immediately saw that she wasn't fine. She was fading and shivering.

"Ava stop lying to me I see that you're not okay."

"No I told you, I'm tired and a little bit stressed that's all"

"So you have no problem taking your temperature?"

"I don't have fever!"

"If you don't take it I'll come and take it by myself"

She didn't want to argue with him now so she got up to take the thermometer, she suddenly feel so weak and her head was turning.

"It's nothing, it's just because you didn't eat today that's all"

She took the thermometer and pointed it on her forehead. It didn't take a long time before it ring.

"Show me." Connor asked but before she can do anything she collapsed on the floor. Connor rushed into the airlock and put on a suit. Ava started convulsing so he abandoned the suit and hurried inside. He took the thermometer, it indicated 106.34°F / 41,3°C. He was angry with Ava, why did she always have to do stupid things? But he didn't have time to think about that now, he absolutely had to lower Ava's temperature. He lay her on the bed, called some help and started to try to lower her fever. Despite the colds packs and the medication her fever stayed high. So high that she was starting to hallucinate.

"I'm so sorry Mia, I didn't want all of that, I'm sorry, I killed her, that's my fault. He died for me the both died, I killed them"

Connor wasn't understanding what she was talking about but she seems to blame herself so much. By the time, the results came back, they were all positives for Coxiella burnetii chiropterae. Ava was right. Unfortunately there was only one treatment in the world for this bacteria and it was in South Africa. They'll have to wait at least 24 hours before it arrived to Chicago. It was going to be the longest 24 hours of their lives.

Mr. Scott and Suzanne's conditions were getting more and more preoccupying. Doctors had to put them under artificial respiration. The good news was that Ava's fever lowered a bit. She had brief moments of consciousness where she was complaining for being cold. The CDC guys had also ended the quarantine, the good point with this disease was that she wasn't contagious during a long time. They also found that if Ava presentation was abnormal it was because she already have antibodies against the bacteria. It signified that she had already suffered from this disease earlier in her life. Ava had never been contagious.

In the morning they finally received the treatments but once they opened the box their faces have broken down. One of the vials had been broken during the transport so they only had 2 treatments.

"Hey Ava, we received the treatments, you're gonna be okay"

"There is a problem I can see it in your eyes ..."

"One of the vials broke during the transport"

"They need it more than me, I refuse you to give me that dose"

"But Ava ..."

"No"

"You have to promise me that you can hold on until tomorrow"

She didn't have time to answer that she had already slipped into unconsciousness. Mr. Scott and Suzanne were improving, it was slow but there vitals started to stabilize. Connor wouldn't let Ava out of his sight. He loves her too much to let her go but as time went by, the more disturbing her vital signs became. Connor eventually fell asleep but was awakened by a noise he knew very well, the sound of the monitors getting into a rush. Ava saturation had drop down too much, she was visibly in respiratory failure. They had no choices but to intubate. Her muscles started to weaken from struggling to allow Ava to breathe despite the water that was gradually filling her lungs because of the infection. It was 6pm, they had to wait until 6am, the normal hour of arrival for the treatment. 12 hours and Connor didn't know if Ava would be able to hold on for a long time.

NOTE:

As you probably understand I love medicine and as a medicine student, I like when my story match to the reality but I try to make it digestible for the people who don't know medicine. But if there is thinks you don't understand don't hesitate to write it in the comment and I'll try to put explanations in the notes after the story about some "medical terms".

Also don't worry reality is more boring than it is in the series so I take a real base and I modify it so it became more interesting. So for the most hypochondriacs among us, no Coxiella burnetii chiropterae does not exist in real life (but it is inspired of real facts, yep like in horror films). PS: it's been 15 seasons of Grey's anatomy and they always put their stethoscopes upside down.

And the last one, you may wonder why Ava is always acting "stupidly", it is voluntary and in link with her past that I'm building. I've already devoted a chapter to it, but it's a surprise.

Good night/day (for me it will be night)