Chapter 3
AVA
A va’s eyes burned with a lack of sleep, but the team of four set out well before six that morning. Elizabeth was leading the team that consisted of her and Ava as well as two laboratory technicians to collect samples and see if they could find what it was that had infected Sandra’s team.
Before heading to the camp site, they stopped for breakfast at Lavender’s cafe-bar which had a couple of B and B rooms one of which Elizabeth had been booked into.
Ava found it hard to shake the affect Dr. Elizabeth Grant was having on her. Elizabeth was ol der than her, beautiful, accomplished and disarming. The way she looked at Ava with her piercing blue eyes made her feel desired, yes. But also something else that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
“Do you want help to check your baggage in?” Ava asked.
“No thank you, all I have is this,” Elizabeth said with a slight smile and gestured toward her carry-on.
“I guess you weren’t planning on staying long,” Ava said, attempting a joke, but it fell flat.
“Not exactly,” Elizabeth said with a slightly amused smile. “I’ve just learned to pack light; it makes traveling much easier. I don’t tend to stay in one place very long.”
Ava felt her cheeks burning, but she tried to dismiss the feeling. “Do you want me to come with you to get your room sorted at least?”
Elizabeth blinked a couple of times before answering, and Ava could swear that she saw some color blossoming in her cheeks.
“I’ll have the others grab us a table, or whatever you want,” Ava said quickly .
“No, it’s fine,” Elizabeth said, though she still seemed flustered. “I guess I’m just used to a certain professional um… detachment, and everyone here is so friendly.”
“Um… Thank you?” Ava answered, she had no idea whether it was a compliment or an admonishment.
“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said. “I’m just tired, I think. Come with me, you can help me find my room.”
“Okay,” Ava said and shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.
This woman was able to get to her in ways she couldn’t put her finger on.
She could feel the blood rushing to her face as she realized that she would never have offered to walk with any other doctor.
She was acting like a teenager with a crush; no wonder Elizabeth was confounded by her.
They went over to the counter and Elizabeth asked for her room key.
“I don’t think I’ve ever stayed somewhere with actual keys,” Elizabeth said mostly to herself.
“Lavender’s old-fashioned like that,” Ava said with a smile. “This is the best place to stay a round here though. The big hotels are fancy for sure, but they don’t have near the personality that this place has, plus it’s closer to the hospital. Lavender’s is the lesbian hub of Phoenix Ridge.”
Elizabeth laughed, “Is it really?” Her blue eyes burned into Ava and she raised an eyebrow.
Oh god, why did I say that? Is Elizabeth even a lesbian?
Elizabeth nodded and smiled and tucked the key into her pocket. They went to the staircase they were directed to and started up the stairs. “Have you stayed here before?” Elizabeth asked.
Ava’s cheeks colored at the question, she had, but it was with past relationships, if you could call them that. They were more like quick romantic flings, and they never lasted more than a few dates. “A couple of times, yes,” she finally answered. “It’s nice to get away from home once in a while.”
Elizabeth eyed her as though Ava were a puzzle. Elizabeth fitted the key into the lock and gave a slight grin as the tumblers turned and the heavy door opened. She pushed inside and Ava held the door so she could maneuver her bag inside.
“Do you come here with your… partner ?” Elizabeth asked, and Ava almost choked in surprise.
“I, um… well, no, I-I’m single,” Ava sputtered.
Elizabeth laughed out loud at Ava’s floundering, but it was friendly, and Ava suddenly felt more comfortable, though she couldn’t explain why. “I guess relationships are difficult in our line of work,” she said.
“True,” Ava was forced to agree. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a long-term relationship, it was just that especially in a city like Phoenix Ridge where she knew everyone, others had a difficult time understanding the demands of her job on her time and attention.
That was usually what ended the relationships quickly.
Ava waited respectfully by the door, though her curiosity tugged at her to follow Elizabeth as she quickly put away her personal effects. After which they headed back downstairs to join the others for breakfast.
The lovely cafe-bar had a breakfast bar where they each made their own plate, Ava took s ome yogurt and berries along with a cheese omelet, and though she tried to convince herself it was none of her business, she watched as Elizabeth took a similar meal.
The team received a few sideways glances from the regulars who recognized Ava, and Ava wondered how much the city knew about what was happening at the hospital.
Sandra had made it through the night, but she was getting weaker.
The other campers were starting to show signs of whatever disease this was, but the progression seemed to be much slower, hopefully it was responding to the antiviral medication they were administering, but nothing seemed to work long term.
Still, the team at the table stayed quiet.
That was the one thing on all their minds, but the one thing they didn’t want to risk discussing in the public eye.
They ate quickly and headed out to their vehicle.
They had taken one of the medical vans that were usually reserved for home visits with patients.
It was large and spacious, giving them plenty of room for their medical bags and tools that they would need.
They had to figure out where this virus had been c ontracted, and hopefully that would give them a better idea of how to treat it.
The ride was also quiet, though Elizabeth would occasionally give instructions or reminders to the team about what to look for and how to handle the samples that they took.
Ava felt that the reminders were more for Elizabeth herself than the rest of the team, but she listened intently, regardless.
She found Elizabeth’s mind fascinating; it almost seemed like she could think about several things all at once.
She would point out interesting things in the landscape and ask questions, then almost immediately she was focused on the virus again.
They drove as far as possible, but the last couple of miles were only traversable on foot.
Ava was well aware that Sandra liked to get as far away from the lights and sounds of civilization as she could—that was part of why she was so good at what she did.
If the group was prone to accidents or problems, she wouldn’t be able to take them that far out into the wild.
Elizabeth had been acting strangely since they left Lavender’s, and Ava tried to chalk it up to a lack of sleep, but suddenly she seemed almost stand-offish, which was certainly a far cry from last night when she had complimented her on her appearance and this morning when she was inquiring about Ava’s love life.
Elizabeth was walking a few feet ahead of Ava as her eyes trailed toward the woman.
Elizabeth was not as tall as Ava, though she wasn’t short.
The lines of her face were beautiful, as though they had been curated by an expert on graceful aging.
Her stature was strong and graceful with full hips and slightly muscled arms. Her skin was a warm tanned color as though she was naturally sun-kissed.
She wore khaki pants and a sleeved shirt that fit well around her curves.
Ava felt her cheeks color when Elizabeth turned to look over her shoulder and found Ava watching, though she could have sworn that Elizabeth smiled slightly. The air was crisp and refreshing this early in the morning, and Ava quickened her pace to catch up to Elizabeth.
They found themselves on a slight ridge looking down into a small alcove where Sandra’s class had set up their camp.
Small, simple tents sat in a circle around a firepit that had not been lit, personal effects were scatte red around as they had not finished setting up completely before emergency services had to be called in.
Ava’s heart sunk in her chest as she looked at the area, Sandra would be kicking herself for leaving the place like this even though she had not had a choice in the matter.
Before making the slight descent to the campsite, the team put on protective gear, masks, gloves, the works. They didn’t know what they were up against, so it was better to be over-cautious.
Elizabeth directed one of the technicians to go and take a sample of the water from the spring, though the group had reported that no one had yet gone near it. They quickly located Sandra’s tent and focused their search there before expanding outward.
At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Ava noticed Elizabeth standing and looking out through a gap in the mountains where the landscape could be seen for miles. She approached her, noting the tightness around Elizabeth’s eyes.
“Hard to believe something like this could happen out here,” Ava said, trying to sound nonchalant. Elizabeth’s eyes glistened as she glanced back at Ava over her mask.
“It is beautiful,” Elizabeth said, her voice almost reverent.
“I know,” Ava answered. “I missed it so much when I went to medical school, I guess it’s just… part of me now.”
“You went to Emory?” Elizabeth asked, though it was more of a statement.
“Yes,” Ava was surprised again at how much Elizabeth knew about her. “I heard you did your undergraduate there, too.”
“I did,” Elizabeth nodded but didn’t look at her.
“Then you had a residency with Johns Hopkins,” Elizabeth said, again it felt like a statement, like she was trying to figure out a puzzle.