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Dr. Chen stiffened, then turned away so that she couldn't see his face.
"If you're going to help me, you need to put on some gloves. There's extras in the top drawer."
Chapter 5
BY THE END of the afternoon, Rebecca had her story. Using a combination of fawning interest and indirect questioning, she'd weaseled a wealth of information out of the brilliant but naive Dr. Chen. She'd get an official confirmation, or official "no comment," before she submitted it, but she had all the facts she needed.
Chen and his colleagues had discovered a new kind of white blood cell that revolutionized the way the body's immune system worked. A better understanding of the mechanics of this cell might be the breakthrough needed in the fight against AIDS and previously incurable cancers.
This scoop would be her ticket to the big time. She couldn't wait to write it up.
Evan returned for Rebecca at six o'clock, and she rushed him out of the lab before Dr. Chen had a chance to let slip how much he'd told her. Fortunately, Evan was his usual brusque and untalkative self as he led her back to Desmond's apartment. She didn't want to be distracted before she could write everything down.
Evan knocked on Desmond's door, interrupting a medley of shouts and laughter inside. Desmond answered the door after a minute, his daughter giggling and kicking as he held her upside down in one arm.
Gillian wriggled loose, and he grabbed her before she could fall. She laughed as he set her down.
"Do it again, Daddy. Do it again."
"Not now, sweetheart. Play time is over. We've got company."
Gillian stopped fidgeting and peeked around her father's leg at them. Rebecca didn't know whether or not to be insulted when Gillian ignored her and Evan, and lifted her arms to Desmond.
"Up, Daddy. I want up."
He picked her up and tried to introduce her to Rebecca, but she was more interested in flipping his collar up and down.
"Gillian, this is...Gillian? Are you listening?...This is Rebecca. She'll be staying with us...Gillian? Oh, never mind." He turned to them and smiled. "Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. Rebecca, why don't you wash up? And I'll see you the same time tomorrow, Evan."
Evan nodded and closed the door as Rebecca stepped inside.
"Dinner?" she asked. "You cook?"
"Hardly," he said with a laugh. She followed him into a kitchen decorated entirely in brick, natural oak and gleaming copper. The homey atmosphere coaxed a smile from her, until Desmond set Gillian on the counter in front of a blacked-out window. Then Rebecca recalled the lengths to which Desmond had already gone for his daughter's sake. He wanted her here because he thought she could save Gillian. He'd be furious if he found out Rebecca planned to expose their research.
His muttered, "Damn!" gave her a guilty start, as she thought for a moment she'd somehow given herself away. But his attention was focused on Gillian. Then he turned to Rebecca.
"I should have asked Evan to stay," he said, shaking his head. "I don't know what I was thinking of. Can you give me a hand? It's time for her shot."
Gillian started squirming and trying to get free. "No, Daddy! No shot! No!"
He let out his breath in an exasperated sigh. "Can you hold her?"
Not quite sure what else to do, Rebecca stepped up to the wriggling girl and placed her hands above Desmond's. The brief contact touched off a tingling charge up her arms, then she had to focus all of her attention on Gillian.
"No! No shot! I had Daddy medicine today! I don't need a shot! No-o-o!" Gillian flailed her heels and fists. When that didn't work, she tried to bite Rebecca.
"Gillian! No! Little girls do not bite people." Desmond grabbed his daughter and pulled her off the counter. Gripping her tightly, he turned to Rebecca. "I'd better hold her. Can you get the medicine from the refrigerator? It's in the cold cut drawer."
Trying to ignore Gillian's screaming, Rebecca opened the refrigerator. Tiny glass bottles filled two-thirds of the drawer, lined up in neat rows like little soldiers. She took out one of the little bottles. The glass chilled her fingers.
Suddenly her story became more than just a collection of facts. It was the story of one little girl's fight against a killer she couldn't hope to understand, a disease so new it didn't even have a name yet.
Shaken by the revelation, Rebecca turned back and placed the medicine on the counter. Desmond had somehow managed to get a needle ready while wrestling with his daughter. He nodded to Rebecca.
"Will you take her again?"
Rebecca grabbed hold of the squirming child, too numb to care about the kick to her thigh. Operating on sheer instinct, Rebecca managed to tuck all of Gillian's arms and legs close to her body and pin her there. Gillian wriggled, and screamed louder.
