least he knew he would get there in a reasonable time frame. Pulling up in front of the building was a relief. Arnie was still there, standing under the awning, staring down the street.
“Nope, no news yet, Mr. Ryan. Guess it was impossible to drive out of town?”
“Yes, Arnie, it is a mess out there. I gave up but will try again tomorrow.”
Mike hoped so anyway. He had lived in NYC a long time, but the uncertainties and the lack of information was beginning to raise many questions. As soon as Mike got into their apartment, he dialed Johns Hopkins, asking for the ER. Finally he was connected and asked for Jane Phillips.
“This is Jane Phillips,” she answered. “May I help you?”
“Yes, this is Mike Ryan. You called me earlier this morning, about my wife Maggie. Can you please tell me how she is doing?”
“Mr. Ryan, your wife is in isolation. She is stable, and we have ordered lots of tests, and so far, the results have been inconclusive. But it appears that she has a virus of some type. Her lungs are congested, indicating pneumonia. She has a high fever, and we have placed her on antibiotics as well as an anti-viral medication. She is sleeping, and we are administering oxygen, to make her more comfortable.” She was blunt but reassuring.
He said, “When can I bring her home?”
Ms. Phillips hesitated but said, “We can’t be sure, Mr. Ryan. She is no doubt highly contagious, and we are monitoring her condition carefully.”
“May I see her if I come there tomorrow? I tried to get out of the city today, but traffic was heavy.”
Phillips said, “You can look at her through a window, for now. We are being cautious. I am sorry,” she answered. “But if she improves, you may certainly visit her. I suggest you call before you make the drive.” He was quiet.
Nurse Phillips said, “Mr. Ryan, she is getting the best of care. Please rest tonight, and let’s hope she is better tomorrow so you can talk to her, at least on the phone.”
Mike said, “You have my phone number if anything changes. Right?”
“Of course, Mr. Ryan.”
“Thank you, I will call later this evening. Please tell her I love her and that I will see her tomorrow.”
Mike hung up the phone, upset and confused, and just wanted one thing, to be with his wife. But he also understood she must be pretty sick, and somehow he felt a chill, feeling something was very wrong. He shook it off and knew he had to keep it together for the boys. He went to the family room, adjoining the kitchen, and turned on the TV set, hoping to hear any further news about the possibility of a citywide lockdown and the subway incident.
.
39
Captain Wesley kept the air-conditioning and ventilation systems running at full capacity while on the ground as they were waiting for the standby flight attendants to sub for Terry and Maggie. They couldn’t fly without the FAA approved number of flight attendants for this equipment. Both standbys had checked in at operations and would arrive momentarily. Boarding would be slightly delayed, but hopefully they wouldn’t be too late getting back to New York.
Flight Service was still cleaning the plane, loading fresh supplies, warm meals, and restocking the liquor drawers as the passengers on Flight 943, from MIA to LGA were waiting at the gate. Nearly all seats were booked.
John and Allen were in the cockpit, doing their pre-flight cross check, waiting for boarding to begin. They were concerned about Terry and Maggie, having received no further reports of their conditions. The hospitals were contacting the families, and John and Allen would be notified if there were updates.
John requested that maintenance check out the ventilation system and run it at maximum velocity to make sure it was thoroughly flushed with fresh air. No other passengers or crew, to his knowledge, had symptoms similar to Maggie’s and Terry’s, but he didn’t want to take chances. They had checked with flight control for any news coming out of NYC, but so far, nothing conclusive, though the Mayor was to address the city momentarily. Traffic tie-ups and the usual announcements of “nothing to report” continued. However, there was speculation that there had been a possible terrorist attack on the subway but nothing definitive.
John and Allen called their wives upon arrival in Miami, reassuring them that things were fine and that they would be home as usual. Both were at home, watching the