Read Online Panacea by F. Paul Wilson - Free Book Online Page B

will work.”
    â€œGoddamn it, Fife. If—oh, hell, here comes Doctor Forman.” He lowered his voice further as a balding, lab-coated man approached down the hall. “I told him the same: experimental and hush-hush. None of your panacea talk, Fife. If asked, just say that you’re not at liberty to discuss the treatment.”
    â€œVery well.”
    Nelson never had any intention of mentioning the panacea. The fewer who knew about it, the better. He even wished he could have avoided this little demonstration, but he knew of no other way to get Pickens on board than to rub his nose in the reality of it.
    After introductions, Dr. Forman gave Nelson a hard look. “I’m against this, you know.”
    â€œI understand,” Nelson said.
    And he did. Perfectly. If positions were reversed he’d feel the same.
    â€œJust let me make sure I’ve got this straight,” the doctor said. “You say you’ve got a single compound that’s going to treat two completely different conditions.”
    Nelson nodded. “That is correct.”
    â€œThe whole idea is preposterous. One man is dying from cellular damage due to acute radiation exposure while the other is infected with a virulent strain of bacteria. So let’s just say, for the sake of argument, you have something that can repair genetic damage from alpha radiation. That same something is not going to act as an antibiotic as well. It’s crazy.”
    â€œIf you have something better…” Nelson said.
    â€œYou know damn well I don’t. That’s the only reason I’m allowing this trial. That and the fact that they’re volunteering. Where is this compound?”
    Nelson fished the two vials out of his pocket and held them out.
    â€œPlease be careful with them. It’s all we’ve got.”
    Dr. Forman took the vials and held them up to the light. “This is it? Two doses?”
    â€œOne each,” Nelson said.
    â€œInsane,” the doctor muttered. “Completely insane. What’s in it?”
    Nelson flicked a glance at Pickens. “I’m not at liberty to give specifics. I can tell you it’s herbal.”
    â€œHerbal, shmerbal.” Forman looked at Pickens. “I know you guys have got your own labs and such, but I expected something a little more scientific.”
    Pickens shrugged. “It is what it is.” He glanced at his watch. “Can we get on with it?”
    â€œI took an oath: ‘First, do no harm.’ I need to know this stuff is safe.”
    â€œGuaranteed,” Nelson said.
    Pickens added, “We have no wish to see further harm come to Ashcroft and Kim.”
    The doctor gave them a dubious look. “I’ve heard that before.”
    â€œThey’re terminal, damn it,” Pickens said, flaring. “You said so yourself. We can’t do any worse than what has already been done.”
    Nelson said, “But I will need to witness the dosing.”
    Forman handed back one of the vials. “You can dose Ashcroft yourself, but Kim is in isolation. You can watch through the glass.”
    Forman led them along a labyrinthine path to a private room in the bowels of Ward 35. Pickens held back at the door.
    â€œIs he…?”
    â€œRadioactive?” Dr. Forman shook his head. “The polonium gives off alpha particles. Won’t even penetrate skin.”
    â€œThen how…?”
    â€œWe’ve concluded that someone slipped ten micrograms into a beer he drank.”
    â€œTen micrograms?” The amount startled Nelson. He knew people had been poisoned with polonium-210 before, but … “That’s next to nothing.”
    â€œIt’s a couple of hundred times the lethal dose when it’s in your gut.”
    They entered and he introduced them to Leo Ashcroft, a pale sickly man propped up in bed with monitor wires running out of his hospital gown. He appeared completely hairless—even