that no one noticed was suddenly seriously missed.
‘Bio-safety alert,’ said Malloy. ‘First we’ve had. Let’s hope it’s a false alarm.’
Under the terms of a bio-accident alert, staff had to remain exactly where they were until further notice. Doors were sealed so that no one could enter or leave; the windows in the building were designed not to open anyway. The main objective was to contain any infectious agent at loose inside the building.
Five minutes passed before the telephone rang. It had never sounded so jarring before.
‘Malloy.’
‘Paul Hutton here. We’ve had an HIV incident on Level 3. There’s been a spillage in the containment lab.’
‘So what’s the problem if it’s in the containment lab?’
‘The air lock was open when it happened.’
‘What?’ exclaimed Malloy.
‘Two of Cairns’ people had been working in there. When they were preparing to leave one turned back for some reason - maybe he forgot to do something or maybe just to check something but he knocked over two vials of live virus almost at the same moment as the other one opened the air lock.’
‘Sod’s law,’ said Malloy. ‘But it’s been contained within the outer lab?’
‘As far as we know. Cairns’ people seemed to know what they were doing. They stayed where they were inside and sounded the alarm.’
‘You’ve arranged a decontamination team?’
‘There’s a bit of a problem.’
Malloy closed his eyes.
‘Malcolm Cairns and his two post docs are away at the AIDS meeting in Chicago. There are only a couple of first year PhD students left in Cairns group.’
‘Malloy let out his breath in a slow sigh. ‘You mean it’s going to be down to somebody else to clear up the shit?’
‘In a manner of speaking,’ said Hutton, suggesting that it wasn’t his manner of speaking.
‘I suppose volunteers have been tumbling over themselves?’ said Malloy.
‘Well actually, I thought as yours is the only other AIDS lab you might agree to help out?’
Malloy paused before replying, ‘Okay, I’ll do it and I’ll ask for one other volunteer from my people but I’m not putting any pressure on them …’
‘Count me in.’ said George Ferguson who’d picked up the general gist of the conversation, standing beside Malloy.
Malloy looked at him, as if needing a second affirmation.
‘It’s okay. Count me in.’
Malloy, still holding the phone, said, ‘I’ve got my volunteer. George Ferguson has just signed on.’
‘Ferguson?’ exclaimed Hutton. ‘I’m not sure if that’s entirely …’
‘In the present circumstances it’s what I think that’s important,’ said Malloy edgily. ‘Unless of course, you’re telling me that you are prepared to take George Ferguson’s place, Professor?’
‘You know very well that I’ve not worked with live viruses for many years and never with that particular one.’
Ferguson, who had now been listening in to the conversation in the unusual silence of the room, smiled wryly and whispered, ‘Another bugger who learned to swim from a book. He’d drown if he ever hit the water.’
‘It’s George and me then. Perhaps you’ll arrange for the suits and decontamination fluid to be ready for us on Level 3 when we get there. Oh, and is the phone line still open to the two inside?’
‘Yes, I have contact.’
‘Maybe you could close your end so that I can speak to the people inside?’
‘Of course.’
‘Who are they by the way?’
‘Simone Clary and Gregor White.’
‘Post doc and third year student. Okay ready when you are.’
The phone went dead and Malloy allowed ten seconds for Hutton to close the other phone link before dialling the Level 3 lab. It was answered first ring by a woman’s voice.’
‘Hello Simone, this is Steve Malloy. What’s your situation?’
‘I don’t think it’s too bad but Gregor …’
‘What about him?’
‘He’s upset.’
Simone had lowered her voice to say it. Malloy guessed it was so that White
‘Bio-safety alert,’ said Malloy. ‘First we’ve had. Let’s hope it’s a false alarm.’
Under the terms of a bio-accident alert, staff had to remain exactly where they were until further notice. Doors were sealed so that no one could enter or leave; the windows in the building were designed not to open anyway. The main objective was to contain any infectious agent at loose inside the building.
Five minutes passed before the telephone rang. It had never sounded so jarring before.
‘Malloy.’
‘Paul Hutton here. We’ve had an HIV incident on Level 3. There’s been a spillage in the containment lab.’
‘So what’s the problem if it’s in the containment lab?’
‘The air lock was open when it happened.’
‘What?’ exclaimed Malloy.
‘Two of Cairns’ people had been working in there. When they were preparing to leave one turned back for some reason - maybe he forgot to do something or maybe just to check something but he knocked over two vials of live virus almost at the same moment as the other one opened the air lock.’
‘Sod’s law,’ said Malloy. ‘But it’s been contained within the outer lab?’
‘As far as we know. Cairns’ people seemed to know what they were doing. They stayed where they were inside and sounded the alarm.’
‘You’ve arranged a decontamination team?’
‘There’s a bit of a problem.’
Malloy closed his eyes.
‘Malcolm Cairns and his two post docs are away at the AIDS meeting in Chicago. There are only a couple of first year PhD students left in Cairns group.’
‘Malloy let out his breath in a slow sigh. ‘You mean it’s going to be down to somebody else to clear up the shit?’
‘In a manner of speaking,’ said Hutton, suggesting that it wasn’t his manner of speaking.
‘I suppose volunteers have been tumbling over themselves?’ said Malloy.
‘Well actually, I thought as yours is the only other AIDS lab you might agree to help out?’
Malloy paused before replying, ‘Okay, I’ll do it and I’ll ask for one other volunteer from my people but I’m not putting any pressure on them …’
‘Count me in.’ said George Ferguson who’d picked up the general gist of the conversation, standing beside Malloy.
Malloy looked at him, as if needing a second affirmation.
‘It’s okay. Count me in.’
Malloy, still holding the phone, said, ‘I’ve got my volunteer. George Ferguson has just signed on.’
‘Ferguson?’ exclaimed Hutton. ‘I’m not sure if that’s entirely …’
‘In the present circumstances it’s what I think that’s important,’ said Malloy edgily. ‘Unless of course, you’re telling me that you are prepared to take George Ferguson’s place, Professor?’
‘You know very well that I’ve not worked with live viruses for many years and never with that particular one.’
Ferguson, who had now been listening in to the conversation in the unusual silence of the room, smiled wryly and whispered, ‘Another bugger who learned to swim from a book. He’d drown if he ever hit the water.’
‘It’s George and me then. Perhaps you’ll arrange for the suits and decontamination fluid to be ready for us on Level 3 when we get there. Oh, and is the phone line still open to the two inside?’
‘Yes, I have contact.’
‘Maybe you could close your end so that I can speak to the people inside?’
‘Of course.’
‘Who are they by the way?’
‘Simone Clary and Gregor White.’
‘Post doc and third year student. Okay ready when you are.’
The phone went dead and Malloy allowed ten seconds for Hutton to close the other phone link before dialling the Level 3 lab. It was answered first ring by a woman’s voice.’
‘Hello Simone, this is Steve Malloy. What’s your situation?’
‘I don’t think it’s too bad but Gregor …’
‘What about him?’
‘He’s upset.’
Simone had lowered her voice to say it. Malloy guessed it was so that White
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