IV
690 Words
IV"HEY CATHY, HOW'S IT going?"
"Fine, Detective Johnson, how's the real world?"
"Call me Reg, OK?"
"OK, Reg-OK - how's the real world" She smiled at her own joke. Something that lightened her tired face.
I had to smile at that, which just made hers wider. "At least you've got some time for humor, even if sleep is tight."
"Sleep is always tight for nurses, but we make do."
"Well, over to questions, then. I've been over and over your reports and I just don't get it. How come you and your students don't get sick from what your patients have?"
"We've been over this ground before, Reg. It's our proprietary training and our faith in that training."
"But you don't seem to be doing anything different, other than you ignore safety protocols and do what seems to be normal nursing actions."
"And we didn't have time or the necessary suits available when we had to break quarantine to save the life of that nurse. After that, it's of little consequence. We are still alive and that again goes back to our faith."
That line of questioning was getting me nowhere, as usual. Science didn't account for faith more than a placebo effect. "Your student nurses and you all come from very small towns, and it looks like you were all adopted."
Her eyebrow raised. "That's of no concern to you. Our methods could be taught to anyone. It might be that our students have more personal moral values than those found in larger metropolitan areas. Or maybe it goes to the love of our families, which again goes back to that 'faith' point you find so disturbing."
I hadn't realized my face gave away so much. "I don't mean to question your faith..."
"Don't you? Are you quite certain? You've almost done nothing but. And if it weren't for those children, we wouldn't be here and we shouldn't be having these questions. And if whoever is paying you had an ounce of courage, they'd come right out and see this scene for themselves." Her frown deepened as she leaned toward the glass.
"I'm sorry to offend you and I don't..."
"Don't give me that 'sorry to offend' crap! Just like those insane 'Tolerance Edicts.' All they've done has been to harass a lot of innocent people who just want to live the life they were given. A small minority few don't have more rights than anyone else..."
"Cathy, Cathy, please. I'm sorry, OK? Sorry. You look much prettier when you aren't upset, and I'm sure your job goes easier as well. How 'Cagga and the Secessionists treat people should be none of our concern. How your nurses are actually curing your patients is all I want to find out."
She calmed at this, a little bit. "I'm sorry, too, Reg. I'd prefer to be smiling more. These long hours have us all a bit on edge."
"Is that singing something you do as part of your training?"
"Oh, well that singing is between us nurses. It's not part of nurse training, but are just some hymns from my local church that seem to help everyone keep their spirits up."
"I see from the video's that some of the patients are singing along now. Most of them were unconscious when you went in there."
She had to smile at this. "Yes, we're finding that they have some healthy lungs in there. Probably good exercise for their Cardiod-pulmonary. Mr. Smith has an amazing baritone, and Clara - she insists we call her that - has a contralto good enough to sing a church solo." She looked away. "I don't know if you can hear it from there, but they just hit that chorus on 'Little Brown Church in the Wild-wood'." Cathy was nodding her head. "Singing helps everyone."
At that point, the buzzer went off. I had minutes to get into decontamination before the interview area would be showered from overhead nozzles. It happened once before. Made talking impossible.
Cathy stood with graceful ease. "See you tomorrow." She smiled and gave me a half-wave.
From that angle, I could see my own reflection and how impersonal and bureaucratic I looked.
I rose to leave, and she was already gone, her own door closing automatically behind her.
- Writer
