The Madrona Heroes Register: Echoes of the Past

Chapter 19 - The Company Van

“You’re scaring me.” Julie Jordan said to Dr. Huitre, who was now standing on the porch flanked by two security guards from Luce Laboratories. 

Binny thought she recognized the security guards from earlier that day at the greenhouse. After a whisper in Zach’s ear he confirmed her suspicions. Grater and Barrios were in fact the very same guards that were flanking the thin doctor the lab coat. Grater looked smug. Barrios just looked uncomfortable.

“There is nothing to be scared about. It is simply a precaution.” Huitre put his hands on Cassie’s shoulders and gave them a squeeze. Cassie was actually approaching the end of her ice cream cone at this point.

Binny found it hard to listen to what Huitre was saying. All she could do was stare at the small bandage and the slightly larger bruised lump that had formed on the side of Huitre’s forehead. If Huitre blamed the children for what happened, he could have gotten them in big trouble when Binny’s parents inquired about his injury. But he just laughed it off saying he had been ‘clumsy’.

“Could you please explain to me again – why this has to happen right now?” Jay Jordan had a note of irritation in his voice.

“Where’s Rembrandt?” Cassie’s priorities were different than her father’s at the moment.

“He is at home, dear.” Looking back up at Jay, Huitre continued, “It was really your comment that triggered this. When you asked me yesterday whatever happened to the clinical trial, I decided to look it up. What I found was a note to all physicians who had administered the trial to check-in with children born from mothers who participated. Apparently in some extremely rare cases there were potential side effects.”

Binny felt dizzy. She looked over at Zach, he seemed to be shrinking into himself, watching the discussion between their parents and the doctor.

“What kind of side effects?” Jay demanded.

Julie squeezed Jay’s shoulder, trying to keep him calm.

“I want to emphasize that this is only in an extremely low percentage of cases according to Luce Laboratories, but they worry that children who were produced with the help of the drug could have increased susceptibility to meningitis if exposed.”

Julie gasped. Binny didn’t understand… what was that word? What did it mean?

“Okay, so let’s take them to their pediatrician tomorrow to get them checked out. We’ve had a difficult day. It’s almost Cassie’s bedtime.” Jay was starting to get angry.

Huitre continued, “Well, I do not mean to scare you but when I was looking into this, I also saw there have been isolated reports of streptococcal meningitis in our state. Your pediatrician would just refer you to a facility like the one at Luce Labs anyway. And in these cases, we waste no time making sure the children have not been exposed.”

Jay glared at Huitre.

Huitre continued pleading his case. “The notice about this possibility was issued two years ago. For some reason I never received it. I am feeling a special urgency now because of the reports.”

“So because you screwed up, we need to put our kids through some scary experience tonight?” 

There was a long pause as Jay’s accusation sank in.

“What is geninmitis?” Cassie asked interrupting the tense silence. 

Huitre tried to reassure her. “The word is actually meningitis,” he sounded out the syllables, “but you do not have to worry. I am sure you are fine, and this is just a precaution.”