Chapter 3
"So you're saying that," he said with another laugh, "you're overcrowded or understaffed, or are you short on tools here?"
"Pretty much," she confirmed.
He studied the random questions he had written in his notebook, and pretended he had more questions ready. "What about the rebels?" he asked her. "Are you getting any resistance from the UFF soldiers in the area?"
"Actually, no."
Dean was surprised by her statement. It was no secret that the United Freedom Fighters resented the alliance between San Jose and America. For the past ten years, the UFF has only caused trouble in the San Jose area. What started out as an admirable movement to fight a genuinely oppressive government had transformed into violence, unrest and borderline terrorism.
"I've been here for eight months and so far, the rebels haven't messed with us here. They might not appreciate American interference in their political affairs, but I believe that most of the rebels really care about the people of the country. Because they didn't mess with medical workers like us who also help people, like the ones they are fighting for."
"That's a good point." Readjusting in his uncomfortable chair, he carelessly crossed his ankles together. "Let's change the topic first. Tell me about the inpatient care you offer. Nadine said that you have AIDS patients in-house at your clinic..." He said innocently. "And something about cholera?"
Thalia nodded. "We do treat a handful of AIDS and HIV patients, but as you probably discovered in your research, this area isn't heavily afflicted by either one. We tend to see more outbreaks of cholera and malaria."
"So at the moment you're dealing with a cholera outbreak?" he asked casually.
She smiled and shook her head. "No. We're keeping about a dozen of patients for observation, but only until their blood test results come back. It's a precaution to test for cholera if the patients exhibit any of the symptoms, but I'm pretty sure none of the patients here have the parasite."
"But a few patients did recently have it, right?"
"Yes, but those were just isolated incidents and not indicative of a major outbreak."
"Can you tell me more about the cases? You don't have to reveal their names or their private details."
"They come from the same family, that's why I don't believe that we have a cholera problem here. The family in question neglected to take the preventive measures we encourage the locals to employ. Unfortunately, they themselves don't want to protect themselves. They didn't even come here immediately to the clinic for treatment. By the time they did, it was too late."
The pain in her eyes told Dean that she was the kind of doctor who actually cares about her patients. Then again, he wasn't surprised by that. Because if it's really just about money, she can build a clinic in the Philippines or maybe in the U.S. so that she has her own income. But instead, she works in a place far from civilization, like here in the remote area of South America and Africa."
He continued to be curious about the doctor, and maybe he couldn't bear to ask the doctor why she chose to work here in a foreign place. But he can't just change the topic, not when they were on the very subject he'd come here to talk about.
"How many were killed?" he asked.
"The mother of the six children and their grandmother who also lives in their house. The father did not get sick. But he was the one who was hurt the most. He lost his loved ones in just one week."
Dean felt a strange pain in his emotions. Because he knows the feeling of how painful it is to lose a loved ones in life.
But this is not the right time for him to think about painful things. He came here to find out if the virus that was nested by Dr. Edison was connected to cholera, but it appears to be a false alarm.
Unless Dr. Thalia Ricafort is an accomplice to the people who want to kill him. She might be the one to continue the secret project of Dr. Edison by killing their patients.
He let the possibility absorb for a moment, then dismissed it. Nah, he seriously doubted that. This doctor's appearance does not seem suspicious.
"I hope we can do something more for these people," she said in a hopeful tone. "But it's very difficult. Our organization only gets funds from private donors, and with the recession, we're not seeing as many donations as we used to. A small fund means we only have a few supplies, and we can only hire a few staff."
"But that's better than nothing," he pointed out. "You've done your best, Doc, which is more than anyone else has done."
"You are also doing differently," she said with a smile. "You're shedding light on the issues, forcing the people back home to open their eyes to the conflicts and inequality, and inferior health care others are struggling with."
An arrow of guilt pricked his chest, and for a moment he wished he was writing an article, just so he could put another one of those beautiful smiles on Thalia's face.
Damn, it's confusing. Because when it comes to women, he doesn't have an exact type, not unless temporarily counted as a type. He also never had a serious or long-term relationship, and Thalia Ricafort had serious and long-term written all over her. She is a doctor, for chrissake, their seriousness is no joke.
And why was he even thinking about this, anyway?
He only came here to do an interview with the doctor, and not to like her.
But his body seems to be saying something else. Instead of doing his job well, he seems to be lusting after a good doctor.
"Dean?"
He dropped the notebook he was holding in shock when the doctor spoke, because he was deep in thought. When he picked it up, his finger was sliced with the paper.
"Damn," he said and immediately sucked the blood from his finger.
Thalia's hazel eyes sparkled with amusement. "Paper cut?"
Something about her teasing voice snapped him into flirt mode again. "Yup. Wanna patch me up?"
She laughed, but he noticed the blush on her cheeks. "Really? A big tough guy like you is worried about a little paper cut?"
"Yeah, deathly worried." He tilted his head. "So what exactly did you say, Doc? Are you going to kiss my wound so it will heal quickly?"