DECEMBER EIGHTEENTH
NUMBER OF CASES: 7,389
NUMBER OF DEATHS: 29
As Jack had predicted, Helen called him to ask him to sit in on a meeting she had arranged with Madison and Hollis Sinclair. He accepted her invitation, and even though the vaccination theory had been his brainchild, he decided it would be better to allow Madison and Helen to be the principals in the meeting. Jack’s gut feeling was the plea they would make to Sinclair would fall on deaf ears, but he allowed an ember of optimism to flicker.
The meeting began at ten as scheduled. Before Helen could thank everyone and talk about the basic reason for the meeting, Sinclair spoke up. “I’m very busy, Madison. What’s so important that I had to drop everything to meet with you?”
“I apologize for disrupting your schedule but we have some new information we’d like you to share with you.”
Sinclair heaved an impatient breath and then looked at his watch. “Go ahead.”
“I would ask you to listen with an open mind.”
“If you’ll promise to get to the point, I’ll promise to listen with an open mind.”
“Our information is still preliminary, but we’ve studied the charts of over five hundred women in Florida and found all of them received the flu vaccine from one of two companies. What’s of particular interest is that they all received it about six weeks prior to becoming ill.”
Sinclair said nothing, glancing back and forth every few seconds at all three of them. Finally, in an incredulous voice he asked, “That’s it? You dragged me away from what I was doing to tell me that? As I recall, the flu vaccine is recommended for pregnant women. I would guess to date, millions of doses have been administered. And what difference does it make which company manufactured it?”
“Because there are six companies that manufacture a vaccine. It’s too much of a coincidence that five-hundred-plus women with GNS all received the vaccine from one of the two companies.”
Leaning back in his chair, Hollis raised a finger and inquired, “How many pregnant women received the vaccine from either of these two companies who are perfectly fine?” When Madison didn’t answer, he said with a smirk, “That’s what I thought.”
“We believe the vaccine may be an important factor in facilitating the disease,” Jack said. “We’re not saying it’s the direct cause.”
“A factor facilitating the disease? For God’s sake, man, we’re looking for a cure not a facilitating factor.” With undeniable disbelief on his face, he continued, “First it was an elevated hormone level that you were going to cure by removing an ovarian tumor. The last I checked Isabella Rosas is worse now than she was before the operation. Now it’s the flu vaccine?” He laughed and threw his hands up. “What are you going to tell me next—all women with GNS use the same brand of mouthwash?”
“We think that both the elevated inhibin level and the flu vaccine are factors necessary for GNS to take hold,” Madison answered.
“I’ll restate my question. How do you explain how thousands of pregnant women, all of whom have elevated inhibin levels and all of whom have received the flu vaccine, don’t have GNS?”
“We don’t know that yet,” Madison said.
He came to his feet with a dismissive sneer. “As soon as you do figure it out, let me know. In the meantime, I would remind you that our patients’ families aren’t interested in wild theories about shots and hormones. They are interested in a treatment that will cure their loved ones. This isn’t a high school science fair; this is real medicine. The only thing you two have accomplished is to plunge further into the depths of irrelevance and absurdity.”
“We disagree,” Madison said in a clear and calm voice.
“Really? I’ve laid out in detail why I think GNS is caused by a virus. What’s your evidence that it’s not?”
“We just don’t feel it fits clinically,” Madison said.
“That’s it?” he demanded, looking at each of them in turn. “Speaking as a perinatologist with no training in neurology or infectious diseases, you have a feeling?” His eyes switched to Helen. “I can’t believe they have you believing this ridiculous bedtime story about the flu vaccine.”
Helen said, “Jack and Madison are just asking you to hold off beginning Vitracide treatment until they can look into these findings a little further.”
“Nothing that was said here this morning would give me the slightest reason to delay treatment.” He took a few steps toward the door before stopping and turning around. “Since the day you arrived, Dr. Wyatt, you’ve been uncooperative and openly dismissive of my professional efforts. Based on your personal relationship with Michael Ryan, I’ve chosen to overlook your rude and unprofessional behavior. But now we’re on the cusp of curing this disease and saving not only Tess Ryan’s life but thousands of others. I understand you’re under great personal pressure and I’m sorry you weren’t the one who discovered the cause of this disease, but isn’t it time to set your ego aside and do the right thing?” Sinclair didn’t wait for a response. With a tired shake of his head, he strolled out of Helen’s office.
Feeling no need to explain himself to a man such as Sinclair, Jack did nothing to stall the retreat. Jack had never been one to throw a quick punch, but at the moment he was hard-pressed to think of a better solution to Sinclair’s arrogance than taking matters into the alley.
“I guess none of us is surprised at Hollis’s reaction,” Helen said. “I’m not sure he’s as difficult as he tries to be. He’s just so convinced he’s right.”
“It’s obvious he’s not going to cooperate with us, so our only choice is just to keep working,” Madison said.
“I’m afraid it’s not quite that simple. Hollis has put the full-court press on everybody he’s ever met in the hospital or at a cocktail party. We’re not the only ones he’s told that Jack’s presence is disruptive to the care of the patients. He’s made several requests that his guest professorship be terminated. He’s also complained that your argumentative and inflexible approach is impeding measures to cure GNS.”
“As the dean, isn’t there anything you can do?” she inquired.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t a monarchy. I, too, have people to answer to. For reasons beyond comprehension, Hollis Sinclair has the sympathetic ear of a lot of influential people. He’s already gone over my head. I have the tire tracks to prove it.”
“Just because he’s a persuasive man with the gift of gab doesn’t mean he’s right about GNS,” Madison said.
“There’s enormous pressure in every state of this country to find a way to treat GNS. Politicians, public health officials and hospital boards are getting thin on patience. In addition to the families of the GNS victims, they’re being squeezed by every social organization and religious organization under the sun to come up with a cure. We already have numerous reports of a cottage industry of scam artists selling a host of products guaranteed to prevent or cure GNS.” She covered her mouth for a few moments and added, “People are desperate for an answer right now, and unfortunately, Hollis Sinclair is the only one claiming to have it.”
Jack looked squarely at a woman he had grown to admire. “I’m here at your invitation, Helen. If you feel my presence at Southeastern State has become a…”
“I have no such concerns, Jack. I’m still the dean of this medical school, and until I say otherwise, your invitation is good.” She turned to Madison. “If you could keep your head down a little, it would help. I’ll do the best I can to keep Dr. Sinclair calm, but you and Jack need to come up with something pretty damn quick—even if it’s only the promise of a cure. My phone’s ringing off the hook and I’m running out of ways to keep the enemy from storming the gate.”