Grantville Gazette Volume V by Eric Flint

Author:Eric Flint [Flint, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 1-4391-3279-8
Publisher: Baen Books
Published: 2009-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

Dell Beckworth left Lora at Daisy's bedside and made his way to Dr. Shipley's office. "Can you tell me what's wrong with Daisy, Doctor?"

Dr. Susannah Shipley was tired. She tried to sit up straight in her chair. "I'd rather talk to Daisy's mother or father, Mr. Beckworth."

"Well, that'll be a trick. Lora's in there crying over Daisy, and her father's miles away down in Nürnberg."

Susannah slumped a little. "Can you get a message to her father?"

"Oh, shit! It's that bad?"

"We think Daisy has tetanus."

"Tetanus? But surely you can treat that. There're vaccines . . . aren't there?"

Susannah shook her head slowly. "Up-time, there were vaccines and antitoxins and we could always get more. I'm sorry, Dell, but we've run out. We've used what we brought back with us on neonatal cases. We're doing the best we can using plasma taken from some of the last people to get a tetanus shot up-time, but I don't think it'll make much difference in Daisy's case."

"What the hell do you mean you don't think it'll make much difference in Daisy's case?" Dell yelled.

"Everything is happening too fast, Mr. Beckworth. Even if we had the antitoxin, I don't think we could do anything for Daisy. Even up-time, when someone wasn't immunized, tetanus was a very dangerous disease. It's caused by a toxin that kills in extremely low doses. Daisy, from what we can tell, has had more than a lethal amount." Susannah rested her hands on her desk. "I'm sorry, Mr. Beckworth, but I think you should prepare yourself for the fact Daisy isn't going to get better."

"Not get better?" Dell shot to his feet, the chair went flying backwards. "You mean she's going to die? She's too young to die. Daisy's only fucking four years old."

"I'm sorry Mr. Beckworth, but we've doing everything we can. In Daisy's case, I don't think it's going to be enough."

"How much time, Doctor?"

"The speed it's been working, a couple of days, if that."

"Shit!" Dell buried his head in his hands. He sniffed, and pulled out a handkerchief, blew his nose and mopped his eyes. "I better see about getting a message to Lora's husband."

Susannah remained seated. She grabbed a handkerchief and blotted her eyes. Sometimes she really hated her job.

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