Post by Sarah Sharpe on Oct 16, 2015 0:30:10 GMT -5
-Jan. 9, 2013
Belle Isle Island - Detroit, Mich.
...its' 9am here in the Motor City and you're listiening to AM 1400, WDTK the Patriot; here are your morning headlines. Health officials in Detroit are reminding everyone that we are at the height of the seasonal flu season, so Wayne County health authorities wish to remind to everyone to make sure you get your yearly flu shot. In other news, officials with the CDC are reporting...
Pulling into the parking lot in front of the Detroit Yacht Club, Sarah switched off the radio and got out of her car, the cold gripping her like an icy glove. If I hear another reminder to get my yearly flu shot, I'm going to write a strongly worded letter to the Wayne County Health Department, she muttered as she walked inside the building. Greeting some of the other yacht club officials as she bounded up the stairs to the warren of second-floor offices that constituted the club's leadership, she slowed down and smiled at the sight of her secretary, standing near her desk outside Sarah's office, coffee in hand. "Thanks, Gemma," she said, taking the proferred cup and drinking from it. "I could've used this on the way in from Greektown," she said. "How are you this morning?"
"Good," her secretary replied, adding, "there's some people inside your office--"
"Club officials?" Sarah asked, surprised.
"No, state officials, I think," Gemma replied. Noting the slight flush of anger in Sarha's face, she added, "I asked them to wait, but they..."
"Its' alright," Sarah said, finishing her cup and setting it down on the secretary's desk. "Maybe its' related to all that activity on the other end of the island, by the bridge." Before leaving for her office, she added, "Is Mr. Duchanel is yet?"
"No, I think he called in sick, Sarah," Gemma replied. "He said he was going to see his physician; maybe he's got that flu they're talking about on the radio."
"Well, knowing Henri," she quipped, "he probably caught a 24-hour bug and freaked out.. Don't worry about it," turning and walking over to where her office was.
Entering, she was both surprised and not surprised; by their appearance, they definitely looked the part of state officials. That part wasn't surprising...what was surprising to her was seeing one of the two officials dressed in military fatigues. "Morning, gentlemen," she said, shaking both of their hands before sitting down behind her desk. "I'm Sarah Roland, director of Dockside Operations here at the Detroit Yacht Club..and you gentlemen are...?"
"Dr. James Haveman, Michigan Department of Community Health," said the first individual, pointing towards the second and adding, "this is Major General Gregory Vadnaris, Michigan National Guard. I'm sorry we had to come here on short notice; we were going to speak to the director of the Yacht Club, a Mr. Duchanel, but we were told he was feeling under-the-weather, so we asked for the senior assistant director...we were told that was you, Ms. Roland."
"You would be correct, gentlemen," Sarah replied, taking off her pantsuit jacket and setting it over her leather chair as she sat down. "Would you two like some coffee while we talk?"
"No, we've got a lot to do and not much time to do so, ma'am," Dr. Haveman replied. "Ms. Roland, are you familiar with the current seasonal flu outbreak?"
"I hear about it all the damn time," Sarah said, "and I'm about to write the county health department about it, why?"
There was a long, and somewhat pregnant pause between the three of them; the only sounds inside the office were the sounds of Sarah's grandfather clock quietly ticking in the background. Noticing the slight embarrassed looks on both men's faces, Sarah added, "This isn't about the seasonal flu, is it, gentlemen?" asking what seemed like the most logical question that came to mind. Besides working for the DYC, Sarah Roland was on the board of the directors for the Detroit Medical Center; there were things she'd heard over the past week or so...and by the looks of the two men's faces, her suspicions were confirmed. "Well?"
"Ms. Roland," Dr. Haveman began, "what I'm about to say here stays in this office for the time being. When your boss, Mr. Duchanel, is well enough, you may tell him what I'm about to tell you, but no one else, is that understood?" After a moment's silence, he began. "A couple of weeks ago, health officials across Western Europe and Canada began reporting cases of an unknown pathogen, a flu-like illness, by most accounts; because of Detroit's proximity to Canada, health officials began watching the hospitals in the Metro Detroit area. Over the past two weeks alone, we've seen over 150 cases and its' beginning to worry state officials in Lansing, so much so..." pausing to slide a folder across Ms. Roland's desk, "that the state's decided to begin implementing precautionary health measures in the state's urban areas, beginning with the Metro Detroit area."
"Okay, so?" Sarah said, opening the folder as he continued. "Part of that precautionary measure is the setting-up of research stations in the Metro Detroit area, including one here on Belle Isle--"
"Wait, hold it," Sarah said, closing the folder quickly. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her legs and stared at both gentlemen with an angry tone. "If you're thinking of closing off Belle Isle to the public--"
"We're not thinking of it, we've done it," spoke the Guard general. "As of noon today, vehicular access on and off the island is hereby restricted on orders of the Governor of Michigan, as instructed by this executive order," pausing to hand Sarah a slip of paper. "That order, Ms. Roland, also states that no one who doesn't work for or is a member of the Detroit Yacht Club will be allowed to use the docks outside. Yacht Club members and their families may continue to do so, but under military watch. They may also continue to use the docks for travel but under military escort, ma'am."
"Would that explain all the activity down by the fountain near the MacArthur Bridge?" Sarah asked, still angry over what she'd heard and read...and slightly frightened by the photos she'd seen inside the folder on her desk, a folder which she also noticed Dr. Haveman made no attempt to retrieve from her desk.
"That would be correct, ma'am," MG Vadnaris replied, seeming somewhat smug in his seat. "On the paper there is listed all the Guard units that will be on the island." Almost as soon as he stopped, Dr. Haveman picked up the proverbial verbal baton. "Ms. Roland, please forgive my colleague here, we've not gotten a moment's rest over the past few days and it's beginning to show on all of us. You will give us your fullest cooperation in the matter, won't you?"
Glaring at the two officials, it was all Sarah could do to not tell them to go jump in the icy waters of the Detroit River...she also knew those words would be useless to say to them for she had a sneaking suspicion that their conversation was nothing more than a fait accompli and that any complaint on her part would go precisely nowhere. Changing tact, she smiled an icy smile at the two gentlemen and said, "Cooperation," getting up from her chair and coming around from her desk, "is my middle name, gentlemen." Opening the door to her office, she added, "I believe the two of you can see yourselves out. Good day, gentlemen." figuring there was nothing else to say and simply wishing to get on with whatever remained of the day to come.