Dr. Taboso spoke: "I don't believe so."Marissa had not expected a positive answer. That would have been too easy. She watched the floor indicator. The elevator stopped on eight.As they walked down the corridor, Marissa realized that none of the rooms they were passing were occupied. When she looked closer, she realized that most weren't even fully furnished. And the walls of the hall had only been primed, not painted.Dr. Taboso noticed Marissa's expression. "Sorry," he said. "I should have explained. When the hospital was built, too many beds were planned. Consequently, the eighth floor was never completed. But we decided to use it for this emergency. Good for isolation, don't you agree?"They arrived at the nurses' station, which seemed complete except for the cabinetry. Marissa took the first patient's chart. She sat down at the desk and opened the metal cover, noting the man's name:Zabriski. The vital-sign page showed the familiar complex of high fever and low blood pressure. The next page contained the patient's history.
