Viral by Robin Cook

Author:Robin Cook [Cook, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-08-17T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 21

September 1

Jeanne, Camila, and Brian stepped out of Juliette’s room, and all three hesitated at the top of the main staircase. Both Brian and Camila had been impressed with the creative way that Jeanne had managed to interact with Juliette and gotten her to talk. What she’d done was first engage Bunny as if Bunny was the one suffering, telling Bunny that as a little girl, she had a very similar rabbit friend who was so important to her that she’d brought her to America. Jeanne had then asked Juliette if she could hold Bunny, and to Brian’s and Camila’s surprise, Juliette had handed her the floppy stuffed rabbit.

“Oh, poor Bunny,” she had said, stroking its head. “No wonder she’s not feeling well. She’s missing one of her eyes.”

“But she can see fine,” Juliette responded. With that little exchange Jeanne had started a conversation and had been able to switch the topic to Juliette’s symptoms. Within a relatively short time she was able to get the child to admit to a sore throat, a headache, and an upset stomach.

“You certainly have a way with children,” Camila observed.

“Thank you,” she said. “I had a lot of practice being a school psychologist.”

“So, what do you think?” Brian asked.

“I do think Juliette is experiencing psychosomatic symptoms, but I’m a little concerned she might also actually be sick,” Jeanne said. “The fever issue is what bothers me. You say you confirmed her temperature is elevated?”

“I did,” he said. “I took it again just before you got here. It’s 100.8, which I guess is just over borderline. She has a fever, but not much of one.”

“Whether it’s a fever is beyond my expertise. I’m hardly a doctor, but tell me this: Is there any chance she might have been exposed to the coronavirus? I hate to say it, but there is a very slight chance she could have Covid.”

“Not while I’ve been with her,” Brian said. “And not here in the house.” He looked at Camila questioningly.

“Certainly not here in the house,” Camila said. “We haven’t had any visitors, aside from the medical personnel yesterday, and they were in full protective gear. And I can’t imagine when she could have been exposed on the few times she and I have gone out since Emma was hospitalized. On those occasions we only went to Emerson Playground or Isham Park, and she didn’t socialize and wore her mask. But you know, thinking about how she has been acting makes me think she hasn’t been feeling well for some time.”

“I agree,” Brian said. “Ever since my wife got sick, and Juliette saw her have a seizure, she hasn’t been herself.”

“Well, if we have learned anything over the last eight months, coronavirus spreads remarkably easily in certain situations,” Jeanne remarked. “My advice is that she should at least be seen by her pediatrician. Does she have one?”

“Of course,” he said. “Dr. Rajiv Bhatt on Broadway. Let’s go down to the office, and I’ll give him a call.”

Brian led while the others followed.

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