Natalya smiled broadly. “Of course it is. It will give us a good opportunity to collaborate on the epidemic research. And you can ease yourself into your children’s lives. I am so happy that you are willing to do this,” said Natalya. “Are you still at the hotel or did you check out?” She wanted to find out how sure he was that this was a good idea.
“I checked out. I have my bags right here, outside your door. I will take them to your house when we leave his evening,” he said.
“That will work out great. Grab your bags and let me show you the office I have set up for you,” said Natalya.
Natalya walked Ben down the hall to a vacant office. There was a computer set up on the desk and some basic office supplies on a book case. In addition, Natalya had placed a picture of the two girls and a picture of Natasha with Natalya and himself on the corner of the large desk.
“I thought you might like something to brighten up the office, so I took the liberty of providing some photos. I hope you don’t mind.”
“These are great shots of us and the kids. I didn’t have this picture of you, Natasha and me. Where did you get it?”
“It was the time we went ice skating together in Gorky Park. The attendant took the picture for us.”
“Well, he did a great job,” said Ben.
“I will leave you to get down to business. If you need help with anything please let me know. Your computer is connected to the internet. They wouldn’t allow me to have it hooked up to our network because of security. I hope you understand.”
“Completely,” Ben said. “Thank you.”
Ben got down to business straight away and was soon busy obtaining all of the data and reports associated with the baby mammoth over the last five years. He hoped to find something that would show him a pathway to further investigation. He reviewed his email account and saw an email from the lab in New Delhi.
“Dr. Shah, the samples have been prepared and the tests are in progress. We should have all the results to you within the next twenty-four hours. I have attached some reports based on the research we conducted when we first obtained the mammoth. I hope you find this information useful. Cordially, Dr. Vishnu Patel.”
Ben clicked the forward arrow and sent the email on to Natalya, Sarah, and Katie to keep them in the loop.
Ben clicked on a file entitled “Preliminary examination.” As Ben read through the report, he realized that the excavation team had been directed to the area by a team of construction engineers who had found the mammoth while preparing for the construction of a new above-ground oil pipeline. The mammoth was partially exposed and it appeared that someone had been there previously, because some of the internal organs were missing. They weren’t sure if this happened during the current era or shortly after the mammal had died. The mammoth had been almost perfectly preserved because of the peat bog environment in which it died. They believed that the receding permafrost, caused by global warming, was what led to the discovery of this large mammal. The mammal still had blood in its body which remained frozen. Some of the blood was extracted and saved, with the thought of research and possible cloning of the animal in the future. The blood had been kept in a frozen state since its discovery and never tested because of moral concerns surrounding cloning.
Ben wondered why someone would have harvested the internal organs of the mammoth unless it was for food or some religious rite. He would have to look at that later. But right now he didn’t see any glaring signs of hope. He did wonder why the mammoth had died so young. Maybe it was killed by SDX or maybe it had been infected by a disease from humans or other animals. He hoped the blood work would offer some clues.
It was almost lunch time and Natalya stuck her head in Ben’s office. “Join me in the cafeteria?” she asked.
“Just give me a minute. I have to call a colleague at the U.S Embassy to arrange for a meeting this afternoon. I will stop by your office as soon as I am off the phone.”
Ben reached Dan Block and set up a meeting for two p.m. in his office. It would be good to catch up, but he also needed to establish a process for use of the Embassy offices during his stay in Moscow. And he was also waiting for Dan to tell him, “I told you so!”
Ben stopped by to get Natalya on the way to the cafeteria. She grabbed her cell phone and they took the elevator down to the basement floor. The room was crowded and some people stared as they walked into the room together.
“I take it you don’t come down here often,” said Ben, noticing the attention.
“Not with a man, I don’t,” replied Natalya. “They are probably staring because you’re so handsome,” she said with a smile and a wink.
Ben had always loved Natalya’s smile. It lit up any room. He was starting to get hooked on her again, and this was only his second day in Moscow. Maybe he never really got over her.
“It has been a long time since I have eaten the local fare. I will let you order for me, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I think I remember what you like,” said Natalya.
They got their meals and moved to a table by itself in a corner, out of the main line of sight of the large crowd.
“So, how is your research going this morning? I got the email you forwarded and it looks like they are making good progress towards getting the blood results,” said Natalya.
“Yes, it was good news. I read the preliminary investigation report and it was very interesting. I am starting to wonder if a disease similar to SDX caused the extinction of the mammoth in the first place.”
“It could have, I guess. Something had to kill them off. We have started DNA testing on a group of victims to see if there is anything that could lead us to the cause. The difficulty will be in identifying what has changed, since we don’t have a baseline on most people,” said Natalya.
“Since everyone is infected, I would recommend you do the DNA testing on people for whom you do have a baseline, not just the victims. Maybe there’s a possibility of doing gene therapy to eliminate the intruder gene, if there is one,” said Ben.
“Good idea. I will have them include testing using known subjects as well.”
“How were the girls this morning?” asked Ben.
“They were up early and ready to go. Nadya even asked if you were coming back today and I told them both that you were not only coming back, but that you might stay with us for a while. They were both very excited.”
“I am glad that Natasha is warming up to me. I wasn’t too happy that she thought I didn’t call, but I guess you had to handle that they best way you could, since you had her to raise by yourself,” said Ben.
“It has been really hard. She has asked about you from time to time, and then Nadya with her special needs. But it is much easier now. They are more self-sufficient and Anna, as always, is wonderful with them,” said Natalya.
“Well, I am here now and I will do what I can to ease the burden. I look forward to spending some time with them tonight.”
“How about me?” asked Natalya with a glint in her eyes.
“Well of course, I especially look forward to spending some time with you,” said Ben.
Natalya reached across the table and placed her hand on Ben’s. “I am glad you are here. And I especially look forward to your company too,” she said.
They finished lunch and Ben caught a taxi to the U.S. Embassy. He called Dan en route and he was waiting as Ben entered the atrium.
“Hi Ben, and how did your dinner go last night?” asked Dan teasingly.
It was as if he already knew he was going to be shacking up with Natalya and the kids.
“It went well. We had a good time and she had a big surprise for me,” said Ben.
“Oh yeah, what surprise?” asked Dan.
“I have a second daughter. I didn’t know it but Natalya got pregnant right before I left for the states,” said Ben.
“And this is a good thing?” asked Dan.
“The best. You should see how beautiful she is. She is four years old
now and her name it Nadya. Such a pretty name,” said Ben.
“If I am not mistaken, the name means hope in English, doesn’t it? Maybe that means there is hope that you’ll get back into Natalya’s pants,” kidded Dan.
“Oh man, don’t be so crude,” said Ben as he punched Dan. “You are talking about the mother of my children.”
“Just joking, you know. So what are your plans? How long are you staying for?”
“I am going to be here at least thirty days. Natalya has offered to let me stay in her guest bedroom.” As Ben said this he knew he would get an immediate reaction from Dan.
“Va-va-voom and he scores!!” said Dan.
“Knock it off, wise guy. Let’s get down to business,” said Ben. “I am going to need an office to use periodically to check my secure email and to make calls to the U.S. Also, I would like to be able to participate in secure DVCs, if that is possible. What do you think?”
“My man, this is Moscow,” said Dan proudly. “We have it all. I will have to get your access upgraded with the Regional Security Officer so that you can enter the controlled access area.”
“If you can do that it will be great,” said Ben. “I expect I will be by here at least daily. We’ll have to go to lunch sometime soon.”
“Can you brief me at least a little more on what you are doing here? I know it has to do with SDX, but what tack are you pursuing?” asked Dan.
“I’m not allowed to talk about it right now, but I am hoping that will change in the next day or two. Once it does, I promise to give you a detailed brief.”
“Ok, if I have to wait, I have to wait,” said Dan.
The next several minutes were spent reminiscing about old friends and family, then Ben said good-bye and caught a cab to take him to the GUM mall so he could pick up something special for his girls. All three of them.
Back in Washington D.C. the two p.m. DVC happened per usual. No one had anything new to report. The acting Secretary updated them on the release of the WHO’s death toll data. The daily global toll had climbed to four million and the U.S. was hovering around three hundred thousand per day. Based on her initial work, Katie expected the death rate in the U.S. could get as high as one and a half million per day. Things didn’t look good. All they could do was hope for better news tomorrow.
CHAPTER 39
Ben arrived back at Natalya’s office shortly before quitting time. He checked his emails and then checked with Natalya to see what time they were leaving.
Half an-hour later they both got into Natalya’s car and she started the thirty minute commute to her house. Ben was a little apprehensive, but he reassured himself that everything was going to be alright. When they arrived they were greeted excitedly by the girls. Hugs and kisses for everyone, even Ben. He was liking this more and more.
The table was already set and Anna was getting ready to serve dinner. Natalya tried to keep the girls to a schedule, eating at 6 p.m. so that after dinner the girls could play awhile. After that, Natasha did her homework and Nadya was encouraged to play some computer skill games. Natalya believed that exercising their brains in the evenings was important, while Anna took care of the physical exercise during the day.
After dinner, the girls played charades with Natalya and Ben. The girls had been playing this with their mom for as long as they could remember, and Ben picked it up quickly. Both girls were fluent in Russian and English, so it made conversation easier for Ben. He was relieved: he did speak some Russian, but nowhere near the fluency of his children.
After an hour, Anna herded the children away to their respective rooms for their evening study session. They complained a little, but they knew resistance was futile. Their mother ruled with an iron fist when it came to education.
When they had gone, Natalya opened a bottle of red wine and poured two glasses. They talked about the epidemic, where they thought it would lead and what the future might hold if generations of people were suddenly lost. Ben estimated that the equivalent of one generation would be lost every two months if the epidemic continued unabated. Already, almost one entire generation had been lost in just a few days. He had a way of putting the problem in perspective that unnerved Natalya.
About an hour later the girls appeared, all ready for bed. They gave both Natalya and Ben good night kisses then left for their rooms with Anna.
“Anna really makes taking care of the girls doable, doesn’t she?” said Ben.
“Particularly on work nights,” said Natalya. “She works Monday through Friday from morning to bedtime. I have the weekends, unless I have to work, and then Anna will work overtime. I try not to let that happen too often because I want the girls to know me as their mother, not just someone who comes home in the evening and has dinner with them.”
They talked a bit longer and drank more wine as they reminisced about mutual friends, and Natalya filled Ben in on the children’s lives. As they talked, Ben thought he could see a twinkle in Natalya’s eyes, but he didn’t want to make any assumptions.
“If you show me where my room is I’ll put my bags in there.”
The guest room was right next to the master bedroom, on the opposite end of the house from the children’s and Anna’s room. Ben pulled his luggage into the room and sat down on the bed. “This should be really comfortable,” he said.
“You know, you don’t have to sleep in here by yourself,” said Natalya. “We can share my bed like old times, if you like.”
Ben had not expected this on the first night, but he certainly wasn’t going to turn down the offer. He was trying not to look to eager, but he couldn’t stop a big smile spreading across his face.
“Ok, that would be nice,” said Ben.
Natalya walked over to him, took his hand and led him to her room, locking the door behind her. She unzipped her dress and let it drop to the floor. Ben took her hand and led her to her bed.
“You know, I haven’t been with man since you left five years ago,” said Natalya.
Ben smiled, pulled her body close to his and kissed her. In that instant, they both knew that their relationship had changed and that by being together like this, Natalya was agreeing to let Ben be a part of her life again, and that he was agreeing to be a partner to her and a real father to his children.
The next morning, they left for work together and he held her hand as they walked from the car to the front door to the Ministry of Health. As they entered the halls, Natalya released him.
“They have a strict rule against public displays of affection in government buildings in Russia, my darling,” she grinned. He didn’t mind. From now on he would be able to hold her hand all night, every night if he wanted to.
Later that morning Ben checked his email and was excited to see the test results from the baby mammoth’s blood were in. He just needed Katie’s analysis to determine whether the mammoth was a carrier of SDX.
He forwarded the email to her, with the bold subject line that read “MAMMOTH BLOOD TEST RESULTS!!!” He knew Katie would be all over this, but he wasn’t going to take any chances.
Ben went down the hall to Natalya’s office to let her know about the arrival of the information. She looked at Ben in all his excitement and said, “Honey, you look like a kid in a candy shop. You must have gotten the blood work back on the mammoth.”
“How did you know?” said Ben.
“Maybe it was the way you ran straight in and are now jumping from one foot to the other and have a silly grin on your face,’ she teased.
“Well, I hope you don’t mind, I still get excited about my work.”
“Not at all, so do I. So, when do you think you will know if there is a correlation with SDX?”
“With the time difference I expect I’ll have the answer in about ten hours. Maybe sooner, depending on when Katie makes it into work today.”
“Isn’t it Katie that has the daughter who is negative for SDX?” asked Natalya.
“Yes.”
“What do you know about her daughter,
anything?” Natalya asked.
“No, not really. I know she is about twenty years old and is in school at a community college. That is about it. I have only known Katie since the start of the epidemic, so I guess that is less than two weeks now, even though it seems much longer,” said Ben.
“From a clinical standpoint, don’t you think it would be a good idea to know more about her daughter to determine if there is something special about her that has given her an immunity?”
“I’ve been so close to the problem that I figured Sarah or Katie would have brought it up already, that is, if she had some distinguishing characteristic. I will have to ask Katie later today, after we get the results from the mammoth blood test,” said Ben. “My bet though is that Katie may want to protect her child until she has more proof.”
“I can understand that. But ask the question. It may offer another avenue to explore. I know you’ve been looking for another negative, but maybe knowing more about her daughter’s physiology and past would be helpful,” said Natalya.
“I agree totally. I will make that a priority today. Thanks for the suggestion,” said Ben.
“You know the old saying, two heads are better than one.”
Ben was kicking himself for not thinking of this simple common sense approach sooner. He wondered why Katie had not offered up the idea. He knew Katie wanted to keep her daughter out of the limelight, but he knew she would understand that having her examined might be beneficial in the search for a cure. He would make a point of calling her later.
CHAPTER 40
Katie made it into work at the normal time and was surprised the mammoth blood test results were back already. And she also knew that having to wait for her to run the analysis would be driving Ben crazy.
She entered the data into her computer program and scanned her emails for more blood bank test results while she waited. There were three more emails, and an additional 9,000 results to analyze. She entered the data into her algorithm and set the process running. Another 9,000 positives she thought. This would give her a total sample base of 24,000 live samples. “Why weren’t’ there any negatives?” she wondered to herself.
The Perfect Pathogen Page 24
