Pandemic

Anna sat alone in the chair facing the camera. In jeans and a white turtleneck, her black hair was tied back in a ponytail. Haldane had almost forgotten how beautiful his wife was. The realization didn't engender the usual yearning in him. Whether spontaneously or by willful suppression — Haldane wasn't sure himself — he had not thought of his wife in a sexual sense for some time.

With Chloe gone from the room, Anna's carefree expression gave way to a grimace. "Noah, you are still okay, right?"

Haldane nodded. He forced a smile. "I'm not going to catch this virus."

Her expression didn't budge. "But you're still in quarantine?"

"A formality. I've got less than twenty-four hours to go." Haldane nodded reassuringly to her. "Anna, I would have known by now."

"That's wonderful." Anna exhaled heavily and for a moment it looked as if she might burst into tears, but she held her composure. "Noah, people are so scared here. Chloe's preschool is two-thirds empty. Half the kids canceled for the party. A lot of people won't leave their house."

"I've seen it before." Haldane nodded. "It's only natural, Anna."

She shook her head. "There's nothing natural about any of this! What if the virus comes here? Washington would be the obvious choice for them."

"If it comes, we'll deal with it. It will be okay," Noah promised. "Anna, believe me, they can't win. All viruses are stoppable. This bug is no exception," he said, sounding more definite than he felt.

"Will you come home tomorrow, once your quarantine is over?" Her brown eyes implored.

"It depends."

She held her hands out in front of her. "Look if it's about me… us… I've been doing a lot of soul searching, lately. Julie knows how confused I am. Nothing is written in stone. Maybe—"

"Anna," Haldane cut her off. "It has nothing to do with us. I hate being away from Chloe a second longer than I have to."

He realized from her fleeting wince that the comment might have come across as cold, which he hadn't intended, but nor did he want to rip the scab off the wound again, so he let it stand. "I've already lost four precious days stuck here. I have to go where I am needed now. We're running out of time."

She nodded distantly. "Only two more days until the terrorists' ultimatum expires."

"A lot can happen in two days."

Anna nodded grimly. "I better get downstairs to Chloe and Mom. The kids will be here any second," she said.

Noah noticed with newfound ambivalence how Anna had withdrawn again. He was so tired of their constant emotional tug-of-war. "I wish I could be there. Good luck with the big party." He forced a reassuring smile. "Anna, everything is going to work out."

Haldane clicked the video box closed and stared at the blank screen.

Three hard raps at the door interrupted his thoughts. Haldane didn't even remember ordering room service, but he hadn't eaten today and his stomach had begun to growl. "Leave the tray at the door, thanks!" Haldane called out.

"Yeah, right!" a Scottish accent bellowed from the other side. "I've just flown four thousand goddamn miles so I can bring you your lousy lunch."

Haldane hopped out of his chair pleased to hear his friend's voice. He slipped on his N95 mask and walked to the door. "You wearing precautions, Duncan?" Haldane asked at the door.

"Again, Haldane, I want to reiterate that we don't have that kind of a relationship." McLeod unleashed a roar of laughter. "But I do have my clown mask and hat on if that helps."

Haldane opened the door. Duncan McLeod stood on the other side with a surgical mask covering his scraggly beard. He wasn't gowned. And a baseball cap stood in for the shower cap he was supposed to wear. His asymmetric eyes twinkled with the obvious humor he found in their situation. "Haldane! I'd give you a big hug, but I don't particularly want to die."

Haldane laughed. "Finally, there's an upside to my quarantine."

McLeod bellowed another laugh. "Ah, Haldane, I might actually have missed you if this fucking virus had killed you." He sauntered into the room and flopped into the loveseat behind the desk. Pointing at the mountains outside the windows across from him, he said, "When I was quarantined with TB, I was stuck in a mud hut in Borneo. You've got a slightly better deal here."

Haldane followed after the Scotsman. "Not that I am unhappy to see you, Duncan, but what are you doing here?"

"The great Jean Nantal sent me. He spewed some crap about me being the new authority on the Gansu Flu PCR probe test. Set up a bunch of meetings for me with the Vancouver infectious disease boys." McLeod shrugged. "But let's face it, he sent old expendable McLeod to keep an eye on his golden boy." McLeod clutched his chest. "'Tis a far far better thing I do than I have ever done' and all that shite."