Doctored Death by P.D. Workman

Author:P.D. Workman [Workman, P.D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: P.D. Workman
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

41

Things were pretty quiet the rest of the week. Kenzie caught back up on her pending projects, and nothing untoward happened at work or at home. It was Zachary’s week for individual therapy, so she didn’t have to be there. She felt like she was on top of everything.

“Did you put a rush on the virology for Mr. Cartwright?”

Kenzie looked up from her work. Dr. Wiltshire stood in front of her desk, looking down at his tablet, puzzled.

“No...” Kenzie frowned, shaking her head. “Did you want me to? I didn’t think there was any need to expedite it... I know they’re pushing you to make a finding, but I didn’t know you wanted it rushed.”

“No, I didn’t. I’m just surprised to see results back already. The lab is always backed up. Someone must have put a flag on it for some reason, because I never see results back this quickly unless it’s a high-profile case with a rush on it and feds standing around with their hands out.”

Kenzie chuckled at the mental picture. “So was there anything interesting? Is it all of the virology, or only the blood?”

“I don’t even see the bloodwork. Just the later test for the brain tissue.”

Kenzie straightened, bracing herself for whatever the tests showed. Helpful or another dead end? She laced her fingers together, waiting. “Well...?”

Dr. Wiltshire grinned. He was clearly enjoying drawing it out, making Kenzie wait for the punch line.

“Well, let’s see here...” He tapped his screen. “I’m always all thumbs operating this thing...”

Which Kenzie knew wasn’t true. He needed a hand getting something straightened out every now and then, but he was actually pretty good at it most of the time. He was just teasing her.

“Why don’t you give it to me?” she suggested, putting her hand out. “I’m sure I could figure it out.”

He laughed. His eyes started scanning back and forth and he read through the results of the report he had opened. Kenzie was quiet, waiting.

“Remarkably clean, considering his age and the fact that he’s dead. The blood-brain barrier did what it was supposed to, keeping invaders out of the brain.”

“So, nothing?”

“There was one virus in the brain tissue. An active infection, from what they could tell.”

“Great!” Kenzie felt like punching the air in celebration. “Maybe that’s our answer. Was it one of the herpesviruses?”

“Yes and no.”

“How is it yes and no? Either it’s a herpesvirus or it’s another virus family.”

“It is a herpesvirus. But not one of the ones that you suggested. Human Herpesvirus 4.”

“HHV-4,” Kenzie said slowly. She tried to remember if she had read anything in the studies she had looked at about HHV-4 having anything to do with amyloid plaque production. But she didn’t remember seeing it in any of the medical journals. So had they made a new discovery, or were they on the wrong track? “That’s Epstein Barr Virus, isn’t it? The one that causes mono?”

Dr. Wiltshire, still looking at the report, nodded. “Apparently, that isn’t the full story, though.”

“Was there another pathogen?” Sometimes it took several viruses together to take down a person’s immune system.

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