Pathogen by Jessica L. Webb

Author:Jessica L. Webb [Webb, Jessica L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw
ISBN: 9781626398320
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2016-10-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Kate woke alone in the motel room in Hidden Valley, disoriented and still tired. She watched the bedside clock click over to eight thirty and a peppy, static-driven talk show host announced the wet, cold weather for the day. Kate vaguely remembered Andy setting the alarm on her way out the door to meet Ferris, hours earlier. Kate flicked the switch, got up and showered, feeling the sluggishness in her body, wondering how she’d managed to find her way out of the airport late last night, let alone rent a car and drive to Hidden Valley. Despite her exhaustion, Kate had been anxious to get back here. As she soaped and rinsed, Kate felt a kind of desperation, like something had to break. Soon. Maybe it would be treatment protocol or maybe it would be a solid lead for Andy and Ferris. Considering the bleak look on Andy’s face last night, she wasn’t feeling any farther ahead either.

As Kate drove the darkened highway to the hospital, it felt like the kind of day when the sun doesn’t really rise, and it remains dark and shadowy all day before sinking back into night in imperceptible degrees. The rain didn’t help, making her hunch her shoulders and duck her head to keep it all out. In contrast, the windows of Hidden Valley General were bright, warm, and welcoming, as if the hospital had been built specifically to shelter people from days like this.

The first person Kate saw when she pulled her rental car into the parking lot at Valley General was Chris Ozarc, standing outside in the rain looking up at the hospital. In her headlights, Kate caught a glimpse of his sombre face. His expensive grey jacket was completely soaked, as if he’d been there a while. Kate pulled the hood up on her jacket and ducked out in the rain, avoiding puddles as she went.

“Chris?”

Chris turned around at the sound of Kate’s voice, and she could see a deep weariness in his eyes. It looked strange, out of place, though Kate knew a privileged life could not protect him from pain. Chris acknowledged Kate with a slight nod of his head, then turned away again, coughing loudly.

“Sick?” Kate said.

Chris shrugged, a spasm of some emotion crossing his face.

“Are you coming in to get checked out?”

“Thinking about it.”

They stood silently side by side in the pouring rain, looking up at the inviting lights of the hospital. Kate couldn’t tell from here how busy the ER was, though she knew from Dr. Doyle a constant, steady flow of patients had been coming in over the last few days. And about to get worse, Kate thought.

Kate tucked her hands in her pockets as cold rain seeped around her wrists. “It could be a long wait, but at least you’ll be dry.”

Another shrug from Chris.

“There’s nobody here you need to worry about,” Kate said gently.

Chris turned to her then, his eyes suspicious. Kate kept her expression open, understanding. Whatever judgement Chris had been expecting to see, he didn’t find it, and his shoulders slumped.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.