The Deadliest Strain

Chapter Sixteen

In the east, a full moon hung low over the water. The research boat, Harmony, rolled gently on the calm rise and fall of the Atlantic. In the distance, lights from the cities and towns along the shore twinkled happily, offering a sense of direction to those unaccustomed to the broad black expanses of the sea. The kids, the parents and the crew were exhausted from the workday, but no one was ready to call it a night. Everyone was on deck.

David wished Sally could have been here. Josh and two other boys had immediately formed a friendship. The other seven kids on the boat were girls, but they were definitely not the enemy.

One of the guidance counselors played his harmonica while another one tried to match the melody with his guitar. The parents were happy just to sit and watch. Divided comfortably into various-size groups, everyone was sitting around, some with sleeping bags wrapped around them, enjoying this reprieve from hospitals and doctors and the day-to-day worry that was part of the illness.

'Ten hours into the trip and there hasn't been one medical emergency," a young father sitting next to David commented.

"That's a victory, isn't it?" he replied.

The younger man's name was Craig. His son was eleven and one of the boys that Josh had befriended right away. They'd come all the way from Virginia. Dan had the same type of leukemia that Josh did, except that he had been declared "cured" last month. The father and son were on this trip to celebrate. David thought that it was a good thing for Josh to see the full head of hair on the boy, the healthy-looking skin, the energy. Dan was a reminder that life could get back to normal.

No, David told himself. Would get back to normal.

A sore-sounding cough emanating from someone climbing the steep, narrow stairs from the galley drew both men's attention. Ever since Josh had been diagnosed, David and Sally had been very careful about keeping their son away from illnesses. The program director came out on deck. He was still coughing.

"He doesn't sound good," Craig commented under his breath.

"You would think they'd be sensitive about sending someone who was sick on one of these trips," David said.

"He's in charge of the trip, but he's also the lead diver, I heard," Craig told him. "A PhD candidate at Woods Hole. He does this in the summer. Real nice guy. I got talking to him for a while this afternoon when the kids were checking out the different instruments. He pretty much runs the show on these trips. I don't imagine they could have replaced him at the last minute. He doesn't think he's sick, though."

David snorted. "Really? What does he think is wrong with him?"

"He told me his allergies have been acting up, but it sounds like something worse to me, too," Craig said. "He was complaining of a sore throat. I have a bag full of homeopathic stuff that my wife packed for us. She's a distributor for a West Coast company that makes them. Maybe I'll ask him if he wants to try something."

"Well, I'm a walking pharmacy myself," David admitted. "He's welcome to whatever he needs. I've got a ton of stuff in my briefcase."

The young man was working his way along the deck toward them.

"Let's ask him," Craig said.