Chapter 5: Doctor Kelly

Stefan's meeting with Eve was after lunch.

He was still a little worried about Gabby.

She'd started replying to her emails over the last few days, but Stefan was disconcerted by their tone. They seemed overly cheery, especially for Gabby, and Stefan didn't know what Eve could have her doing that required her to work so hard, and to stay at the hospital for so long.

As far as he could tell, she hadn't been out of the hospital for a week.

Eve was presenting to Stefan on his own, and, as with Cassie and Julie, Eve carefully closed the blinds and locked the door before beginning her presentation.

Stefan was intrigued by the worms. He had read a bit about the invasion on conspiracy-theory websites, but had thought it all rather far-fetched. However, the graphic nature of Eve's videos convinced him, and he found the experience of watching these videos with such an obviously attractive woman very disturbing, especially as Eve seemed more interested in him than the screen.

"Stefan, I know you find this awkward, but I cannot emphasise enough how important your work will be to the cancer ward, and to the lives of countless women.

"You have been programming the Taubett interferometer for longer than anyone, and I can see that you've been able to produce some beautiful data, despite the complexity of the phase recovery problem.

"If we are to analyse the lingering effects of a worm infection, we will need your image processing expertise to get the highest-quality images. We shall also need your knowledge of operating systems to configure the kernel for maximum security. The FDA will be going over the source-code with a fine tooth-comb, especially given the national security implications of this project.

"I know it will be a pain, but I would appreciate it if you could move into the new hospital for a few weeks. We really do need a system for detecting worm trails as quickly as possible, and your work must necessarily be finalised before Julie can commence her project.

"Most of your colleagues from Physical Sciences are already at the hospital, working hard, so you will be in good company.

"I've made an appointment for you to see Doctor Kelly at 2pm this afternoon.

"She appreciates punctuality, and I am sure you will want to get started.

"I'm driving over to the hospital after lunch if you need a lift."

Stefan felt a flash of displeasure. He resented the pressure that Eve was applying to him, all of a sudden.

He was a university programmer, not some over-remunerated banking quant, for goodness sakes! What right did she have to push him around?

Still, Eve had increased his salary very substantially, and he was actually very curious about learning more about the worms.

He could have walked to the hospital in less than half an hour, but the offer of a ride was welcome.

He liked Eve, and appreciated the opportunity to talk to her.

"I'm happy with those arrangements Eve, that will be fine. I'll come by your office this afternoon."

"Thank you, Stefan. I shall see you outside my office at 1:50pm."

Eve seemed a lot more open with Stefan in the car. She told him all the details about the work that Julie and Cassie were doing, and noted that Gabby had been thinking of quitting, but had decided to continue her work at the hospital, where the lab was newer and better-equipped.

Stefan asked about the guys he hadn't caught up with since getting back from his holiday, and was surprised at how hard Eve had all of them working. Stefan knew that some of them had been little more than dead wood since they had obtained their permanent positions at the Uni.

He asked her about Doctor Kelly.

"Doctor Kelly and I don't actually talk very much." said Eve. "My projects seem quite irrelevant to her, I think. She believes that fighting cancer is the most important job in the world, and I can't say that I disagree with her."

Eve drove right up to the doors of the new building, where two ambulances were parked.

A security guard walked out and raised his hand to stop the car. Eve had some kind of card ready, and she showed it to him. When he saw the name on the card, he smiled, and motioned her into a parking place.

"I won't be long," said Eve to the guard, and motioned for Stefan to get out.

Stefan felt a little light-on with only his wallet, and hesitated.

"I don't think you'll need anything, Stefan." said Eve. "If you want something sent over, just give me a tinkle."

Stefan hopped out, and Eve drove away.

The security guard walked him into the building.

Just inside the door, Stefan was confronted by a security scanner, like an airport scanner. The sign on the scanner said "Gamma Ray Detector", but Stefan knew that this was ridiculous. There was no way the gamma source would leak out of its housing.

Stefan had no choice; there were two uniformed security guards next to the scanner, and they were ushering him inside. They were extremely polite, but Stefan couldn't see the point.

What were they scared of?

Terrorists?

When he finally gained entry into the foyer he only saw one doctor present. She was chatting to the receptionist, and, when she saw Stefan, she stopped and waved at him, and walked over.

"You must be Stefan."

"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Lucille Kelly."

Doctor Kelly was in her mid-thirties, had frizzy, dirty-blonde hair, and was dressed in conservative clothes with a white lab-coat over the top, and had the obligatory stethoscope around her neck. She was very business-like, but had kindly eyes, one hundred percent a professional doctor.

She extended her hand in greeting.

Stefan was surprised by the American accent, and how similar it was to Eve's.

"I'm glad to see you're here on time." said Doctor Kelly. "Please, come with me, I'll get a nurse to show you around, and then we'll set you up with a workstation for your project with Eve."

Stefan interrupted.

"Doctor, Eve told me that I would need to stay at the hospital. I've actually got a fair bit of stuff I'd like to bring in from my new apartment. I don't want to spend much time here today."

Doctor Kelly was surprised.

She hoped that this Stefan person would not be so impertinent all of the time!

"Stefan, I don't think you need to worry. Eve will keep an eye on your apartment while you're away. If you still want anything after you're all settled, I'm sure we can ask someone to bring it in."

A nurse appeared. She was pretty, and bubbly, a rosy glow in her cheeks.

"Hi, Stefan. I'm Jane. I'll be showing you around the ward, and where you'll be working.

"There's a huge amount of work to do, but it's brilliant what they can do for the patients here. I've met all of your friends from Uni, and I know that you'll fit right in here.

"Please, come with me."

She took Stefan up to the fourth floor, and showed him the little room containing the gamma source. There wasn't much to see, as all of the electronics was in a room outside, and the need for heavy shielding meant that the room had to be as small as possible.

The Taubett machine was right next door. There had been talk of integrating it into the gamma-ray treatment, but it was far to early for anything to have been accomplished quite yet.

Since it had been transferred from Physical Sciences it had been modified slightly for hospital use, with more hand-holds added, and some of the hard edges covered with soft padding.

Jane's pager beeped.

"Oh, shit.

"Sorry, Stefan.

"I'll have to leave you. Have a look around, this machine has been modified a little from when you were at Uni. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

Stefan felt a little odd. He had been left completely alone, and the room seemed very quiet.

He had almost decided to walk out and go on his own little tour, when in walked Gabby.

Stefan was surprised that she had found him, but very pleased. He blushed, and found his mind stumbling over the words he would use to greet her.

With her slender build, pale skin, and wispy hair, she always looked so delicate, but today she looked particularly harried, and stressed. Despite the warmth of the clinic building, she was still wearing that big old coat, and she still had it buttoned up, as if to keep her from the cold.

"Stefan, thank God you're here.

"Come with me, I'll show you where to get your pens and stuff."

Stefan could see she was in a hurry.

Gabby took Stefan down in the lift to the first floor.

Jane and another nurse were standing at the entrance to a long corridor, chatting animatedly about some problem with surgery suppliers. They smiled and waved, and Gabby gave a wan shake of her hand in reply.

Down the corridor she led Stefan, right to the end, and opened a side door into a store-room. She flicked on the light.

"Here's where you can get pens and paper, and anything else you need.

"Just come in here, and let's load you up."

Stefan followed Gabby into the room.

Gabby closed the door, and leaned back against it, and undid the top buttons of her coat, still looking hot and harried.

They were in the confined space together.

This feels a bit weird, Stefan thought to himself.

Gabby's face crumpled, and she looked like she was going to cry.

She gestured Stefan closer, and began to speak, quietly, but quickly.

"Stefan, I don't know who I can trust. They have black thread-worms here, Stefan, this whole building is full of worms. That's how they're treating the women, Stefan, they're using worms. They say they have a lot of security, but I think it's really really dangerous. These are aliens, they are mind-controllers, they want to control us, they want to take over the world. Those women, when they look ate me, I can tell they want me. They want to infect me, to control me, to force me to join them. It's like a drug, Stefan, it's like a terrible, addictive, drug. They control those women with horrible pleasure, Stefan, I can tell.