Invasion

"Calm down, Miss Winthrope," Ed said. "We have to let our students express themselves. Besides, it's entertaining to see if a prepubescent boy like Jason up there is capable of accomplishing this kind of feat."

Cassy looked up. The wobbling had increased. She shuddered to think of what would happen if the boy fell.

But Jason didn't fall. Benefiting from the crowd's support, he managed to get to the top, touch the eagle, and begin the descent. When he reached the ground, Mr. Partridge was the first to congratulate him.

"Well done, lad," Ed said, giving Jason a pat on the back. "I didn't think you had it in you." Mr. Partridge then looked out over the crowd. "Okay, everybody, time to break it up."

Cassy didn't leave immediately. She watched as Mr. Partridge herded many of the students toward the central wing while maintaining an animated conversation. Cassy was confused. Encouraging such an act seemed irresponsible and certainly out of character for Mr. Partridge. "I believe these are your books," a voice said. Cassy turned to see Jonathan Sellers extending her texts to her. She took them and thanked him.

"No problem," he said. He looked off at the fading image of Mr. Partridge. "He's become a different man all of a sudden," Jonathan said, mirroring Cassy's thoughts. "Just like my parents," another voice said.

Jonathan turned to see Candee. He'd been unaware that she'd been in the crowd from the beginning. Stumbling over his words, he introduced her to Cassy, and as he did so, he noticed her eyes had a red-rimmed, sleepless appearance.

"Are you okay?" Jonathan asked.

Candee nodded. "I'm all right, but I didn't sleep much last night." She stole a self-conscious glance at Cassy, concerned about talking in front of a stranger. At the same time she had a strong urge to unburden herself. As an only child she'd not spoken with anyone, and she was troubled.

"How come you couldn't sleep?" Jonathan asked.

"Because my parents have been acting very strange," Candee said. "It's like I don't know them. They've changed."

"What do you mean 'changed'?" Cassy asked, thinking immediately of Beau.

"They're different," Candee said. "I don't know how to explain it. They're different. Like old Mr. Partridge."

"How long have you noticed this?" Cassy asked. She was amazed; what was happening to people?

"It's been just the last day or so," Candee said.

9

4:15 P.M.

"Do you want the Phenytoin?" Dr. Draper yelled at Dr. Sheila Miller. Dr. Draper was one of the senior residents in the emergency medicine program at the University Medical Center.

"No!" Sheila snapped. "I don't want to take any chances on causing an arrhythmia. Give me ten milligrams of Valium IV now that we have the airway secured."

The city ambulance had called earlier to report that they were bringing in a forty-two-year-old diabetic who was in the throes of a major seizure. Considering what had happened with the seizing, diabetic woman the day before, the whole ER team, including Dr. Sheila Miller, had turned out for this new emergency.

Upon arrival the man had been taken directly into one of the bays where his airway had been given top priority. Then stat blood work had been drawn. Concurrently monitors were attached followed by a bolus of IV glucose.

Since the seizing had continued, more medication was necessary. That was when Sheila decided on the Valium.

"Valium given," Ron Severide said. Ron was one of the evening RNs.

Sheila was watching the monitor. Remembering what had happened with the woman the day before, she did not want this patient to arrest.

"What's the patient's name?" Sheila asked. By that time the patient had been in the ER for ten minutes.

"Louis Devereau," Ron said.

"Any other medical history besides the diabetes?" Sheila asked. "Any cardiac history?"

"None that we're aware of," Dr. Draper said.

"Good," Sheila said. She began to calm down. So did the patient. After a few more jerks, the seizing stopped.

"Looking good," Ron said.

No sooner had this positive assessment escaped from Ron's lips than the patient starting convulsing again.

"That's amazing," Dr. Draper said. "He's seizing in the face of both the Valium and the glucose. What's going on here?"

Sheila didn't respond. She was too busy watching the cardiac monitor. There'd been a couple of ectopic beats. She was about to order some lidocaine when the patient arrested.

"Don't do this," Sheila cried as she joined the others in a resuscitation effort.

In a fashion eerily similar to the experience with the woman the day before, Louis Devereau went from fibrillation to flatline no matter what the ER team did. To their great chagrin they had to admit defeat once again, and the patient was pronounced dead.

Feeling anger at the inadequacy of their effort, Sheila snapped her gloves off her hands and threw them forcibly into the appropriate container. Dr. Draper did the same. Together they walked back toward the main desk.