“You look like hell,” Jack said to Marc when he walked into the ICU.
“I didn’t exactly make it home last night. We had another GNS death at about three. We did an urgent C-section. The baby’s pretty sick but holding his own in the newborn ICU.”
“I’m glad the baby survived,” he said. “Has there been any change in Tess’s condition?”
“No, not really.”
“I know it’s only been an hour or so, but did you have any time to look at those patients on the National Data Record we talked about?”
“I did,” he answered, pulling out four pages of patient printouts from his pocket. “And, as it turns out, I was able to locate four women in Florida who were suspected of having GNS, but they turned out to have something else. Two were from Miami, one was from Tampa and one was from Pensacola.” Marc continued to refer to the printouts as he spoke. “The two from Miami were hospitalized at Suncoast Medical Center. They both presented with mild confusion, spasms of their legs and a sore throat. Neither had a dancing eye syndrome, fever or a rash. But to be on the safe side, the physicians at Suncoast admitted them with the diagnosis of possible GNS. Both were in the hospital for a couple of days, got better and were sent home.”
“What was their discharge diagnosis?”
“Viral syndrome.”
“Did their records mention if they had the flu vaccine?”
“They both got it.”
“What about their past medical history?”
“Nothing of interest. They were both very healthy.”
“Was there any mention if they had their tonsils out?” Jack asked.
“Their tonsils out? Is that important?” Jack returned Marc’s inquiry with an icy stare. “Sorry,” he said, leafing through the pages. “According to their past surgical history, neither of them had any prior surgery.”
“What were the final diagnoses on the other two women who turned out not to have GNS?”
“They had pretty similar symptoms and hospital courses. They both had received the flu vaccine and neither of them, apart from C-sections, had undergone any other surgery.”
“Did any of the four women have a strep screen done?”
“Let me check,” Marc said with a degree of hesitation while he again shuffled through the printouts. At the same time, Madison walked up. “It looks like two of them did, and they were both positive.”
“You didn’t call me,” she said to Jack.
“I’ve been a little busy. I need to talk to you two,” he said, before turning to Madison and adding, “and then you and I need to meet with Helen Morales immediately.”
Jack watched as Madison rolled her head from side to side as she massaged her neck.
“Sure, we can talk in the conference room.”
She made a grand gesture toward the other side of the ICU and the three of them walked off.