"Harry Adam Knight - Fungus" - читать интересную книгу автора (Knight Harry Adam)

emotions that way, no matter what she might have witnessed. Carter began to get an unpleasant feeling in
the pit of his stomach.

He went through the door marked тАЬContagious DiseasesтАЭ in big red letters. Beyond, in a short
passageway, sat a nurse at a desk. There was another nurse with her, talking in a low voice. They both
looked up at him as he entered. Their eyes had the same expression of dull shock as the nurse heтАЩd passed
outside. His feeling of foreboding increased.

He gave them his name and one of them took him along into a small room. She handed him a plastic anti-
contamination suit and told him to put it on. He stared at the suit with surprise. HeтАЩd worn such clothing
before, but only rarely, in extreme situations. The last time had been during the investigation of a

file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%2...oks/Harry%20Adam%20Knight%20-%20Fungus.htm (25 of 161) [12/28/2004 12:37:51 AM]
 file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/Harry%20Adam%20Knight%20-%20Fungus.htm

suspected escape of smallpox bacillus from a research lab.

He gestured at the suitтАЩs self-contained oxygen supply and said to the nurse, тАЬRather drastic this, isnтАЩt it?
IsnтАЩt your patient in an isolation unit?тАЭ

Tersely she said, тАЬThereтАЩs more than one of them and, yes, they are in isolation units, but Dr. Mason
advises the use of the suit just the same.тАЭ

He said nothing more as he climbed into the suit. When he was ready she checked the seals then indicated
another door. тАЬGo through there. YouтАЩll find a door at the end of the passageway. Dr. Mason will be
waiting to meet you beyond it.тАЭ

тАЬWhatтАЩs the problem?тАЭ he asked her, his voice distorted by the plastic helmet.

тАЬI think youтАЩd better let Dr. Mason explain the situation,тАЭ she said and then left the room.

Carter paused for a while, then went to the door sheтАЩd indicated. He was positive now he was not going to
enjoy what lay at the end of the passage.

Dr. Mason, similarly attired like an extra from Star Wars, met him as he stepped into a small ward that
was all pristine whiteness and glittering medical equipment. Carter had met

Dr. Mason once before at an emergency meeting to discuss the AIDS problem about a year and a half ago
but knew him mainly by reputation. And that was very impressive indeed.

тАЬAh, Dr. Carter, IтАЩm glad you made it here so quickly,тАЭ said Mason. тАЬIтАЩm afraid we have quite a serious
problem on our hands... quite a serious problem.тАЭ

Behind the plastic of his helmet MasonтАЩs round, sweat-covered face was haggard with strain. Carter
glanced past him at the six beds the ward contained. Each bed was covered by a plastic tent. In four of the
tents he could make out vague shapes .

He peered hard at the nearest bed/tent. The patient within it seemed to be entirely covered in thick
bandages. Yellow bandages. He went nearer. Mason followed.