Decrease

Tuesday - September 14

Before she does, she wants to check her email one more time. Quickly scrolling down, she notices an email from Aunt Ruth.

Claire, darling, attached is your pass for the Population Control Administration Conference on Thursday. See you tonight.

Claire prints out the pass and deletes the message.

With only thirty minutes left before she meets Danielle, Claire goes to the bedroom and dresses for the venture out into the glistening abyss of snow. While dressing, she gets an eerie, chilly feeling that something awful might happen. She closes her eyes and hopes that nothing happens to her and her baby.

Noticing that the clock on the night stand says 10:10 a.m., Claire rushes to the kitchen to grab her cell, then dashes to the hall closet to put on her coat. She exits our apartment and begins to descend the stairs when she realizes that she has forgotten the item that was delivered. She turns around and commands the door to reopen and runs in to retrieve it. Not wanting to lose the item, she decides to put it in a small hidden pocket within her coat. Making sure that she has everything now, Claire once more returns to the chilly outdoors.

__________________________________

After a long night of performing autopsies on the three cadavers in the lab, Ted, Monica, and I decide it's time to get something to eat from the cafeteria. When we arrive, the cafeteria is jam-packed with CDC employees. Looking around, I decide it would be better for us to go to my office to discuss our findings.

"Here, Monica," says Ted, as he grabs her tray, "let me get this for you."

"Thanks, Ted," replies Monica, as they accompany me to my office to discuss our friends flown in by the Air Force yesterday.

When we arrive at my office, I notice a yellow envelope underneath the doorway. As I order the door to open, I bend down to retrieve it, nearly dropping the contents on my tray. Steadily, I approach my desk, and carefully release the tray from my grip before I drop it.

Tired and weary, I grab my chair and dive into it, wishing I could go home and sleep with Claire by my side. All of us have been here since 9:00 a.m. yesterday morning, and we're exhausted. I rest my head against my chair and shut my tired eyes. I think of Claire and the baby; but instead, our current situation keeps preoccupying my thoughts. I can feel myself starting to enter slumber, but immediately open my eyes. This is not a dream, John! This is not a dream!

I glance at my exhausted co-workers. Ted's resting on the edge of the couch with his head in his hand. His head keeps nodding as he tries to keep it steady. Monica sits on a hardwood chair with her head turned slightly, resting against the wall. The light of the morning filtering through the window begins to glide across her face. I've never looked at another woman since I've been with Claire. This is the first time. What do I think? I love Claire so much, that no other woman can ever take her place.

Ted lets out a loud snore, causing Monica to wake. Unaware that I'm watching her, she stretches her arms high, takes a deep yawn, and then quickly covers her mouth when she notices my stare. We both laugh.

"What's so funny?" Ted asks, as he stirs, stretching and yawning.

"Nothing, Ted. Just tired silliness," I say.

After a moment of laughter, Ted and I start eating our breakfast before getting down to business. Monica looks at the yellow envelope I put on my desk, and notices it's a lab report. She springs from the hardwood chair, and like an Eagle preying upon a mouse, swoops up the folder and opens it. I turn my chair around to look out the window and continue to enjoy my delicious cup of coffee.

I notice CDC employees performing their morning ritual of clearance through the security gate. The majority of employees have some type of business or science degree. I then turn to look at Ted and Monica. I've known them both for nine years, and have absolutely no idea where either of them studied. I never interviewed either one of them for the positions they hold. I've never even bothered to look at their diplomas in their office. What kind of a friend am I?