A meeting of minds

A meeting of minds (August 25, 01:15:28 AM)

Zachary is pulling off the tunic to a pair of scrubs. He already has removed the overshoes and the pants, but beneath all of that, he is wearing a pair of loose athletic pants and a tee-shirt. He looks as if he has not slept in days, and he has a noticeable stubble of beard - far from any self-respecting head of a hospital, and more like one of its custodial staff. He rams his hand through his hair and sighs, "Priya, If I survive this with my sanity intact, it will be nothing short of a miracle." <English>

Sushmita has resorted to wearing scrubs underneath her lab coat as well and pretty much given up trying to hide her pallor and fatigue behind make up - which makes her look both younger and frazzled. "It'll pass.", she assures him, probably not for the first time, "Think of our beach on Bernadette..." Perhaps that is HER happy place for now. Then she adds more seriously: "I think I am on to something with the hGC - we'll see what Doctor Ehime has to say, I'm sure she has an opinion. She always does." <English>

[DOOR] There is a knock on the door leading to Derrial Book Memorial Hospital

You call out through the door marked West Wing, "Come!"

With the call to come in heard. Amaya steps into the office. She is tired to put it mildly. Her suit has been cleaned and she is dressed in it but once she enters the quiet of the office she takes the helmet off. Her long ebony hair is in a single sweat soaked braid. "And that is the pot calling the kettle black Khan." Amaya points out with some amusement in her grey eyes. "Zachary, good to see you wish it was under better circumstances. Khan it is good to see you as well. Thank you for taking us all in. I could barely get them off of Silverhold the Rim breeds them violent." <English>

Zachary sighs and pours two cups of coffee. Their blood must be brown by now from all of the coffee that they have consumed in the past few days. He looks toward the door when Amaya enters, and he greets, "Welcome to Book, Amaya." Then he offers, "Coffee or tea?" Then he gestures to Sushmtia, and says, "You know Sushmita. If you don't mind, I'd like to keep this informal so that we don't have confusion by addressing each other as 'doctor.'" <English>

"It's no longer Khan.", Sushmita informs Amaya with a little tired smile and accepts the coffee from Zach, "So what has your research found so far, Dr -- Amaya?" Another weak smile, making an honest effort to be nice and sweet. She's too tired for anything else. <English>

Interestingly enough, at the mention of not calling everyone Doctor is what causes the door to open once more, and stepping in... still in those ship-board workmans/gunhand's style clothes you see closer out to the Border... is Cougar. He pauses a moment, and then holds up a small box, "I heard there was a meetin... I brought donuts?" <English>

"Alright call me May." She tells them both. "Sushmita, I have to say after our last meeting at the Dregs I had no idea what to expect." She pauses and her tone is soft and gentle. "Zach you know where I stand but I do not think they should all be put on Carm's ship. I think we need teams and medical to watch them closely but I also think that we need to do this smart. This is just to buy us time to find. I know you are working with the HGh I am also thinking that we need to pay attention to the antibodies that are found in those who are immune. I think it might deal also with a number of other factors." <English>

Zachary bows to May and then he sets two cups of coffee on the low table. He looks to the door and nods to Cougar. "Come in," he invites. "This is Cougar," he says to the ladies in the room. Then he looks to Cougar, and invites, "Put the donuts on the coffee table, grab a cup for yourself, and tell us about your research." <English>

Sushmita smiles weakly when Cougar arrives as well. This crisis does make for strange bedfellows. She does focus on Amaya though and her words. "My tests on hGC have shown some positive results.", she explains, "But I know this can't be all because little children are immune too and they don't possess hGC anymore. So what has your research on antibodies shown so far? And what other factors could you mention? My tests with hemodialysis have yielded nothing I'm afraid." She picks up her tablet though to start taking notes. <English>

After a few moments, the /far/ overdressed man (because when are you /underdressed/ in a biosuit?) slips into the Chief of Staff's office, nodding to Amaya as he does so. Jacobs checks his taser for a moment, before bowing his head deeply to the rest present. "Doctor Ehime. My apologies. I'll try not to be obtrusive." He says, quietly, before posting a little behind the Doctor, and to the left. <English>

it's a few moments after Jacobs that Billy enters still dressed in his quarantine suit, though it's shiny from going through the decontamination shower Face hidden behind the mirrored visor of his suit, he looks around the room quietly, not saying a word because Moira already said it all. <English>

The man who just walked in makes an odd clucking sound as he moves to get some tea from where the coffee is, and the small form that the table blocked anyone else from seeing trundles up and then makes a LEAP! to land on the man's shoulder. It is an honest to Buddha Red Panda! Scritching under Zuko's chin, Cougar turns and walks back over to sit at an available chair as he looks around, "Well... 'maya has my blood on file. I din't get 'nfected from my one exposure t' the virus... 's been four, maybe five days now. No rash, no nothin." Fishing into a pocket, he brings up a small bit of dried strawberry to the raccoon-like creature, who makes a small squeak before chewing away at the treat, "'d be happy t' give more'n a few samples. Also... I ain' ever had any gene ther'py neither... 'f that's also somethin' all th' infected got 'n common... might be another thing t' check. Ever'one who's had it's on record 'n databases here, on Londinium, 'n on Ariel." <English>

Cougar looks at Zuko, and then adds, "Doct'rs? Zuko... Zuko? Nice people... no stealin' hearts're loose change." <English>

"That is not good, Shit. Forgive me for my outburst. Cougar and I know each other well. Jacobs you are fine, everyone has something to bring to the table." Amaya may sound calm but there is a look of horror in her eyes. She is getting ready to leave when Billy enters. "I need it in legal writing. Why?" She asks him point blank. "Cougar, Sushmita and Zacary this is Billy." Her eyes are still on Billy as she asks him and tone is taking on that of a parent who has just found out their child has gotten a bad grade in school. <English>

Zachary waits while the others arrive. When the red panda arrives with Cougar, he smiles for a moment but then a frown crosses his face and he murmurs, "I hope that none of Captain Wong's people were in the lobby to see our ... four footed guest. The Alliance tends to take a low view toward animals in hospital settings. That often results in fines for the institution." He reaches for his coffee and cautions, "Just be careful." <English>

Sushmita just nods to the newcomers in greeting, but remain silent as she is still waiting for Amaya's response to her questions. <English>

Jacobs nods, "I'm just here as your attendant, Doctor, but if you need any assistance, I am at your service." The valet nods, before looking towards Billy, frowing, "Monsiour Bedlam. Who in Hades do you think you are?" He asks. Very. Very calmly, before standing up, "I'd like to speak with you a moment. To the side here." <English>

Cougar turns his head to reach up and scratch under Zuko's chin, and then leans in to let his nose brush into that russett fur, "I brough' 's papers with me jus' 'n case. But I get 't... sorry... 's jus' been a lil' lonely cooped up. He'd be a joy 'n th' pediatric ward... y'wouldn' believe how many kids fall 'n love with'm when they see'm." But then he coughs once, and adds, "Maybe f'r the time bein' we switch t' chinese so I ain' makin' people have t' ask me twice..." <English>

Looking at Amaya, Billy grunts, his voice coming through the speakers. "You know why, Not going to explain here, yeah? wasting time." Looking at Jacobs through the Visor, he turns and moves to where jacobs suggests, reaching up to slide the tinted visor back revealing a clear one behind it. An eyebrow raised as he watches Jacobs. <English>

"Sushmita, Billy was on a therpy that included Hgh." She looks at her. "We may want to study him." May pauses a moment then she looks to Jacob. "No, fighting, I have had enough of that to last me a few years." <English>

Zachary settles back into the couch and suggests, "Cougar, would you mind telling these people what you told me earlier about the patients and primitive behaviors, along with your recommendations?" Then he sips some of his coffee while he waits for the response. <Chinese>

"Was he now?", Sushmita murmurs, looking over towards Billy, "And is he immune against this virus or has he been wearing hazmat suits all the time? We might indeed move him to a separate unit." <English>

"I will say this once. I'm not here to fight. I'm to scold. It is /utterly/ fortuitous that your irresponsiblity may lead to some advance. If you feel you have the right to shirk your duty, you are utterly wrong. I simply /hope/ you had some sort of reasonable explination at the time." Jacobs frowns, shakes his head, and turns about, stepping back towards the group, looking to Cougar curiously. <English>

Looking at Jacobs for a moment, Billy pulls a whiteboard and small pen from a broad pocket in his suit, writing for a moment, he shows it to Jacobs before wiping it clean, then turns and looks back to Amaya. <English>

Taking a moment to look around, Cougar crosses one leg onto the knee of his other so that he can bring the red panda down into his lap so he can give him another treat and let him settle in, "The basics are... and I apologize if I'm reiterating for anyone else in the room... but the simple fact is that all of the infectees have regressed back into a hunter-gatherer tribal state." Slipping into another pccket inside his jacket so that he can bring out his PDA and opens it up to the tablet form, but doesn't turn anything on, "While the wing is spacious enough that the exam rooms can be used as their own territories, what happened with Captain Kilbride's attack on another, and his rather... well... interesting display. In order for them to normalize, the infected need to be gotten away from these enclosed environments except for a few of the worst cases, and brought to a more open area. A place where we can establish distance between the tribal social groups, and room for the individuals who have not formed their own. They need mental stimulation.. toys, puzzles, and rewards for those. They need to be given the chance to find their needed food. And most of all, they need a clear understanding that WE are the ones in charge, and not to be trifled with. Once they are aware of their social standing, there will be less outbursts, and more cooperation. Not to sound like I'm making us out to be... but we have to be as unto gods to them, at least to the proto-civilization instincts that have become dominant in them. We are their keepers, protectors, and punishers." <Chinese>

"I made him wear a hazmat suit, and yes he was. Yes, depending on how this goes we may want to put him in his own place. Billy tell them how you normally introduce yourself." She pauses. She is not pleased with any of this. "After all the work we did." She mutters she gives herself a mental shake. "He was also on Stemcell therapy." She then grows quiet and listens. <Chinese>

Zachary nods when Cougar launches into the same presentation that he gave earlier in the lobby, but its repetition does not seem to bother the doctor. Instead, he watches and listens with interest. When Amaya then urges Billy to explain himself, Zachary's gaze flickers to Sushmita and then Jacobs before settling on the young man. <Chinese>

Sushmita listens to Cougar with more interest now too. "It doesn't solve the problem of finding a cure, but it may be better than keeping them here in the hospital.", she acknowledges, "The questions for me are: Where would we find this space - we cannot risk bringing them out to a place and have the germs travel further, now that they are airborne - so it has to be a confined space far away from inhabited areas and how would we transport them there?" <Chinese>

Jacobs looks at Billy's board and shakes his head, "The Lord is already infected. You are an able bodied man, and we /need/ able-bodied men. If that was your intention, you should have been forthright." Jacobs says to Billy quietly, before listening quietly to Zachary. His frown deepens before he shakes his head, "I will not argue with a credentialed anthrolopologist, but... I have two grave concerns. The first I already aired. These people haven't solely regressed /socially/. Society is a product of culture. These people have regressed /mentally/. Territory can be important, but unless they've turned into geese, territory is simply a construct. But, more importantly, we can't loose them on some farm. We have fewer and fewer personnel to dedicate to security, and if you open up access, there will be /no/ way to guarentee the safety of the community, or hold people. Which leads to my second concern. I had not heard that the disease had /mutated/ to be airbourne. If this is true...." He shakes his head, "I'm not a doctor, but that sounds grave. But putting these people in an open space? Unless you ring that space with a line of armed guards prepared to utilize a line of death, you /will/ have an escape, and this disease /will/ leave your hands." <English>

Looking at Amaya, Billy grunts. "Billy Bedlam. I kill people, yeah?" Looking around the room, he adds. "Family has a ranch in the cutting grass. miles from population, nothing but fields far as you can see. Landing pad there. can fly everyone in. Cattle tracking system in place already, implant everyone with a chip, we put them in the ears of cattle, size of a grain of rice, easy to put Sub Q, can find them anywhere on the place from monitoring shed in the barn, yeah? Use it if you want. Bring my rosarie to Hap Bedlam, tell him the Long Strider is making command. They'll move out. Give you space, offer protection if needed, yeah? You need a guinea pig, sho sho? A murderer dies, you burn the evidence, gather your progress, move on. you'll make better progress not having to worry about ethics of hurting someone that hurts others. My crew and friends are dying. let's get this done, sho sho? I volunteered, Letter in my possibles saying so. Done talking, Neck hurts. Be in quarantine zone." With that, he turns and heads back towards the door. <English>

Arching a brow in surprise at Billy's eloquence, Cougar would stand if he wasn't weighed down by twenty or so pounds of firefox. So instead he says, "It is good to see you doing well, Billy. It has been a long road from the Aces and Eights, for both of us." But then he tilts his head to address Jacobs, "I am not in fact credentialed... this was research I did into the old colony databases still alive on Sihnon. All the anthropological data was garnered from there. I just did what I do best. I took the pieces in front of me, ran them around a few times, and began picking up the corners and borders until I had a picture."

With that, he adds a nod in understanding to something, but then continues on, "The regression is causing a swelling in the brain, if I recall what I've seen so far, since for the level of evolution they're caught in, that larger brain was not in fact intelligence, but the potential for intelligence. So I suppose the question is... how do we balance safety for the infectees, safety for those watching them, AND safety for the people trying to combat this... thing... while at the same time giving the rest of YOU a place to work."

Tapping on his tablet once more, he starts an upload of his findings to the Book systems, "I still say that this thing is like a program. It comes in, designed to keep what we'd use as anti-virus software from killing it, and it's telling the computer that is US to function in a different capacity. But the problem is that you've got one program trying to work on top of another, and thus you get the interplay between the person they are, and the person the infection has made them become." <Chinese>

"If we take them off this planet then we will have to use the Guan, it is a floating hospital. There are state of the art labs on it. If we use Billy's ranch then we do not need to worry too much. With it already airborne here on this planet, there is little we can do but that ranch is in an isolated area and it is here on this planet." Amaya tells them. "As he said it would be self contained. As for the lord in question he cannot not give legal consent because he is not in his right frame of mind." May nods in agreement with Cougar on some of the points he brings up. <Chinese>

Zachary frowns and considers, "Of the two ideas, moving them to the ranch would less in terms of logistics, and it would mean that once we have a cure, we would not need to travel as far to deliver it. However, there is still the Alliance and their plans to quarantine people." <Chinese>

Sushmita remains silent for now, letting the others discuss (pose around me, got to get some work done) <Chinese>

Cougar interjects, "Not to sound a bit presumptuous on Billy's family's part... and somewhat callous... but we provide the place, they provide the manpower... everyone gets what they want, and they can sit back and take public credit for removing the panic from the spaceport city, while we sit back and do the real work." <Chinese>

"I was wondering when /that/ would come up. The if they've got those plans, then they've got a good idea of the problem here." Jacobs nods to Cougar, "That'd be best. As long as they can /ensure/ security, with tracking devices and a ring of men.... they might feel better about moving to a facility off site." He shakes his head, "There's got to be something else though...." He sighs, "These aren't /cattle/, they're not /tribesman/, these are civilized human beings, patients, friends! All we have left is to give into what this... /thing/ has made them? To bow to its presumption and cater to its awful whim, against their reason?" He looks dejected, "I will help you, but Minerva help /me/, I will never forgive myself for being a party to this." <Chinese>

"Jacobs, this is worse for them. This has no dignity in it. Our goal it treat them as a whole, mind, body and spirit." May pauses. "Having them here is not good for them. No offense Zachary I would be saying the same thing about the Guan." She looks at each and everyone of them. "With it airborn we are working against the clock. This is the best solution that will give us a chance to focus and a chance of treat them as a whole. Meaning the body, mind and spirit." <Chinese>

Zachary inclines his head when Amaya speaks about treating the whole person. "I take no offense. As others can attest, I agree that keeping them here, in a tight space, is only an invitation to more confrontations like the several that we have seen already between Rodney and others. I know many of these people. They're my friends as well. I want them to have the best situation. This would be a temporary solution, something to ease their pain while we deal with finding a cure." <Chinese>