The Noise by James Patterson

Author:James Patterson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2021-08-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Tennant

Tennant sat in a cold metal chair in the far corner of the room and watched the strange man hovering over her sister. He wore thick, rimless glasses, and his beady dark eyes seemed a little too close together for the size of his face. His hair was gray, and it must have been awhile since he cut it. She’d been told his name was Dr. Fitch, which didn’t seem right—it was too close to finch, the small bird, and he reminded her more of an opossum than a bird.

Sophie was still unconscious, wearing a straitjacket, and bound to the gurney the soldiers had used to transport her from home.

Dr. Fitch hovered over her for a moment, then took out a small recorder, pressed a button, and spoke into it. “Subject is female and appears to be six to eight years old—”

“She’s eight,” Tennant informed him.

He gave her an irritated glance, then turned back to Sophie. “Eight years old, restrained and unconscious due to a mixture of…” He reached for the clear plastic bag hanging from a pole over Sophie and read off some long words Tennant didn’t recognize. “Per Lieutenant Colonel Fraser, she’s been unconscious for approximately three hours. Blood pressure is extremely elevated at 183 over 122, heart rate is highly erratic. I’ve checked three times now and the lowest reading was 133 beats per minute, the highest was 174—far above expected for a child of this age, particularly in a near comatose state.”

He reached to the table behind him, picked something up, and ran it over Sophie’s forehead. “She currently has a temperature of 102. Again, this presentation is uncharacteristic considering the medications being administered. That said, the medications appear to be slowing the progress of this affliction, potentially preventing it from running its course. It’s too early to know if her condition has in any way reversed.”

Dr. Fitch set the recorder down on the table, examined the end of the IV tube, the needle the other doctor had inserted in Sophie’s neck. He began peeling back the tape holding it in place. “I’m removing the cannula now.” He glanced up at the clock. “Discontinuing all medications at 1642.” He yanked out the tube and let it fall to the floor. Several drops of liquid came out and shimmered on the white tile.

Tennant jumped up in her chair. “What are you doing? She needs that to get better!”

The doctor reached behind him and clicked off the recorder. “Your sister is lost, young lady. Dr. Chan made a valiant effort to save her, but it’s not working. All she’s doing is holding back the inevitable, prolonging your sister’s suffering. At this point, the best use of your sister will be in allowing her condition to run its course, document the progression, and utilize the resulting information to prevent this infection from spreading to others.”

“Best use of my sister…” Tennant repeated the words, let them fall off her tongue as she contemplated their meaning.

“Yes. Best use.” Dr. Fitch repeated.

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