All thoughts led to Jack, but that was okay, because all she wanted was to understand. That was some mighty fine logical reasoning leading up to a half-believed conclusion. Who was she kidding, though? Because peel back all that logic and she just plain liked his gruff exterior, even his distance. That was what Argentina did for her, gave her different freedom than she was used to. Changed her perspective. It happened every time she was here, maybe because deep down she’d always felt the innateness of who she was. Or wanted to be.
“Anything going on other than what’s being recorded in the charts?” Jack asked from his casual seat behind the old wooden desk that sufficed as the hub of the ward. One desk, one swivel chair, a rusty file cabinet, all of it tucked into the corner, out of the way. And Jack’s size overwhelmed everything. An immense man in a small space made the man look even more immense.
Amanda noticed that, fought to keep her gaze steady. “Not really. Symptoms are mild, nothing you wouldn’t expect. No one critical or even in danger.”
“And you don’t think that this might be some run-of-the-mill hospital infection, one that’s not going to cause any real trouble.” It was a statement, not a question. “Ben’s downplaying it, so he’s not the best one to go to for an objective answer. You, though, got me here, which means you’re worried. So what’s your assessment?”
“That’s just it, Jack,” she said, perching herself on the edge of the desk. “I don’t know. Ben’s been fighting this HAI for a few weeks now, it’s isolated, but it’s not going away. Not getting better or worse, either. With the way things mutate … and I’m not the expert on this, so bear with me. But you read how these various strains, bacterial and viral, mutate, and how so much of what we thought would stop the spread is rendered ineffective very quickly. My brother is smart, and he’ll do whatever it takes to protect the hospital. Me too, because I’m also involved in this, and I believe you’re what it takes or else I wouldn’t have asked for your help.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, every hospital known to man runs some sort of HAI strain through it, Amanda. These kids have gastrointestinal flu-like symptoms. That’s all. And according to what I’ve read, they’ve all been cured pretty easily.”
“But per patient, our percentage is huge. One third of them are coming down with something we’re giving them and that statistic, if nothing else, should be a warning. It’s just that I don’t know what the warning is about.”
“Then it’s a good thing you called me because warnings are my specialty.” He glanced up. “So, it’s time for me to meet the ward.”
“Not the children?”
“Nope, not at first,” he said, standing. “Sometimes not at all. I seem to have a better rapport with the contaminant than I do patients, so I try to keep to where I’m better received.”
“Such a low opinion of yourself,” she said.
“Or a high one, depending on your perspective. Anyway, with the symptoms that are manifesting themselves, the scope of what could be infecting the kids should be pretty limited, so I like to look at everything from a fresh perspective, which includes culturing areas that wouldn’t normally be associated with what we’re seeing. In other words, wear a sturdy pair of suspenders along with a belt, just in case.”
“Overreacting?” she asked, smiling.
He didn’t answer her at first. Instead, he merely stood and stared at her, eventually giving in to a half smile, then finally, “Reacting.”
“Okay, then. If you’re intent on reacting, did you bring the testing supplies with you, because we don’t have—”
“I come prepared. Might even have another trick or two up my sleeve.” He grabbed his white lab coat off the back of the chair, which she hated seeing because she liked his look now … cargo pants, and a crisp, white T-shirt. But everybody had something to cover up, didn’t they? Jack covered something dark and despairing. Her parents covered something that scared her. She covered up so many things in herself, as well.
But what would happen once the covers started to peel back? That was a question she couldn’t answer. And wasn’t sure she wanted answered.
CHAPTER THREE
“I DON’T suppose you’ve solved it already?” Amanda asked hopefully. “You know, one swipe of a trusty test swab and you have your answer.” She plopped down on her bed, flat on her back, and looked across at Jack, who was busy reading, also trying hard to ignore her. “You know, Jack, the kids I work with back in Texas don’t respond to me half the time for any number of reasons. They’re slow processing the question, not sure what an appropriate response is. A lot of the time they’re distracted, or they simply don’t know that answering when someone asks them a question is the right thing to do. So when I don’t get a response from them, I understand because my children, for the most part, are autistic, and I teach them how to respond. But you don’t need to be taught.”
He turned his head to look at her, not even bothering to push up the reading glasses that had slid halfway down his nose. “Your point being?”
“We’re roommates. Roommates talk to each other.”
“I don’t have roommates, and if I did, we wouldn’t have anything in common to discuss.”
“Oh, I think you would, and a great place to start would be why you always set yourself apart from everybody else. People think you’ve got a terrible personality, that you’re unfriendly or grumpy. I heard that about you all the time back in Texas, from my own receptionist, from hospital staff. But do you know what I think?”
“Could I stop you from telling me if I didn’t want to know?”
“Just ask. I’ll respect your wishes.” True to form, he did what she expected. Ignored her for about thirty seconds. Then he finally pushed his glasses back up, specifically so he could look over the tops of them at her.
“Then don’t tell.” He cracked a half smile. “Or do. Whichever makes you happy.”
She laughed. “So that’s how you want to be?” He was like a breath of fresh air. No rules, no concern for what others thought of him. Basically, a man on his own terms, and she liked that.
“No, that’s how I am. I learned a long time ago it’s easier to let people just do what they want to do. It makes them happy, which makes my life a whole lot less complicated when it involves me. Besides, human nature … When someone asks you if you want to know what they think, they’re going to find a way to tell you.”
“Better watch out, Jack. You could be giving me insight into who you are, which means that if I do tell you what I think, I might be saying something you don’t want to hear.”
“Yeah, right. Like I haven’t heard it all before?”
“Not from my perspective, you haven’t.”
“Human nature again. While you think your perspective of me may be unique, it isn’t.”
“But you won’t know that until I tell you what I think.”
“Which leaves the ball in your court. Tell me, or don’t tell me. Either way … ” He held up his journal. “Reading. Seven articles to catch up on. All of them on the HAIs du jour. You know. What’s trendy, what’s new, what’s coming back into style.”
She studied him for a moment, and saw something that surprised her.