Metropolitan Clinic
Birmingham, Alabama
Every Thursday morning, Dr. Mary Grandeson made formal teaching rounds with her residents and medical students. She had just finished answering the last of the group’s questions when Wright Zarella stepped up with a self-satisfied grin. Humility in the face of accomplishment was not a social grace he possessed.
She looked at him and shook her head a couple of times. “Before you explode, I suggest you tell me what’s burning in your mind.”
“I got a call about a half an hour ago from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Service. New Hampshire has a very sophisticated electronic health data bank. They are meticulous to a fault in their information gathering regarding all forms of public health disorders.”
“I’m sure New Hampshire appreciates your praise. What did you find out?”
“About eight weeks ago two pregnant women were treated for strange neurologic symptoms.”
“What type of symptoms?”
“Muscle twitching of the arms and legs, fatigue and seizures.”
“Dancing eye syndrome?”
“No.”
“So, what happened?”
“They both fully recovered after a few days, so the illness didn’t attract an enormous amount of attention. But no cause was ever found. The cases caught the attention of the epidemiologist who put them in the state registry. When he read my blast e-mail, he responded right away and briefed me in detail on the cases. He also put me in touch with the women.”
“And?”
“Well, it seems both of them began using a new skin moisturizer a week or so before they got sick. The manufacturer’s a new boutique company headquartered in Dover, New Hampshire. Nanotechnology was used in the product’s creation. The company decided to confine the distribution of the moisturizer to New Hampshire as kind of a test market.”
“And there have been no further cases?”
“None to my knowledge, but remember we’re talking about a fairly small distribution with respect to both area and population.”
“There are no cases of GNS in New Hampshire. Do we have enough information from our patients here in Alabama to cross-reference this data?”
“Only partially, but none of our patients used the same product the women in New Hampshire used, which obviously makes sense.”
With her posture stiffened, Grandeson drew a deep breath. “Leave me everything you have on this. I’m going to ask Kendra and Roger to pursue it.”
“Kendra and Roger are two years behind me. I was the one who found out about this,” he said, dropping his hands to his side. “Don’t you think I should be the one to…”
She smiled. “The surgeon general and I have much more important work for you.”
“I beg your pardon.”
“I sent Dr. Brickell the article you gave me the other day. Last night, she called me back and we had a nice long chat about it. She was very intrigued and thinks the researchers in Germany may be onto something. She called Dr. Kurt Dressin, who’s the researcher heading up the project. He trained in Chicago.”
“This is all very interesting, but I’m not sure…”
Mary paused long enough to button the middle button of her white coat. “We’d like you to spend a few days in Magdeburg.”
“You want me to go to Germany? Are you serious?”
“Don’t I sound serious?”
“But, why?”
“Because that’s where the medical school and the research unit are. Dr. Dressin personally extended the invitation.”
“What exactly am I supposed to do over there?”
“Observe, ask a lot of questions and bring home as much information as you can. This group is obviously a lot more advanced than any research team in the U. S.”
“I agree, but I’m just not sure going to Germany is necessary.”
“The surgeon general and the president disagree. They think it’s a good idea to send the individual who may have stumbled across the cause of GNS. If you feel like taking up your objections with them, be my guest.”
He cupped his chin. “The president of…”
“Yes, Wright, of the United States.”
Wright’s face filled with surrender. He blew out every molecule of air in his lungs and then shrugged his shoulders. “When do I leave?” he asked.