Again, Warmack began with a carefully crafted statement that gave an overview of the new cases and hinted at “an experimental treatment” without providing details. After he finished, Lopez spoke without notes on the MRGAS distribution along the West Coast and the CDC’s attempt to contain it. She ended by saying, “We will briefly field questions—” but the rest of her sentence was instantly drowned out by the cacophony of yells and shouts erupting across the room.

Warmack waved down the din with two hands. When quiet was finally reestablished he pointed to a reporter in the front row who was waving her arm.

“Yvonne Davies, Seattle Times,” the reporter said. “The ten-year-old girl with the pneumonia—”

“Is steadily improving.” Warmack cut in reassuringly. “She will be out of the ICU soon.”

“I know,” Davies said impatiently. “But I heard she had never been in the hospital before. Does this mean that MRGAS has spread into the community?”

Warmack took a quick sip of water. “She had a relative who was recently discharged from hospital, so it was a form of secondary hospital spread. But, yes, this is the first known case of community spread in Seattle.”

“Will there be others?” a man yelled out from the middle of the sea of faces and hands.

“As we know of MRGAS carriers with mild or no symptoms, we have to assume there will be more community spread.” Warmack flashed his most disarming smile. “Then again, if there’s one lesson MRGAS has taught us so far, it’s that we shouldn’t assume anything. This bacteria doesn’t play by the rules.”

Warmack pointed to a man standing in the aisle.

“Dr. Lopez,” the reporter shouted, “you talk about ‘containment strategies,’ but by my count there are now at least five major cities in two countries affected by this outbreak. Aren’t you and the CDC trying to close the barn door after the horses have already left?”

Lopez shook her head calmly, refusing to be baited. “HIV affects seventy million people in over a hundred countries, yet we’re still trying our best to contain it. You must understand, containment does not necessarily mean eradication.”

“Are you saying, MRGAS might be the next HIV?” said a woman in the front row who aggressively jabbed a pen toward Lopez.

“No,” Lopez replied suppressing the urge to tell the woman how stupid she considered the question. “I am saying it’s possible we will not be able to eradicate MRGAS in the near future,” she said evenly. “Which means we will have to focus our efforts on minimizing the further spread and damage it causes.”

Warmack pointed to a man in the third row. Rising unhurriedly from his seat, the man identified himself “Adam Pearson, KOMO news.”

Lopez still smarted from his inflammatory interrogation at the previous press conference. “Oh, we remember you, Mr. Pearson,” Lopez said pointedly, drawing a scattering of laughter.