But her case had proved more serious. When pills failed to work and she spiked a fever, she was forced to go to the emergency room where the doctors prescribed once-daily intravenous injections for three days. Two days after completing her treatment and recovering from the infection, she noticed redness at the site where the intravenous had been. The pain soon followed, and it was unimaginable—even worse than childbirth. Soon her fever ran higher than ever. In the middle of the night, Gurdev rushed her back to the emergency room where she heard the doctors and nurses whispering a strange term, “nectrotizing fasciitis,” that she couldn’t even pronounce. Dr. Wong was the first person to call it flesh-eating disease. Even in her rudimentary English, Parminder understood the gravity behind the term.

She was too tired to remember the rest. She felt herself floating off to sleep.

“Please, God, don’t let me die,” she mumbled in Punjabi.”Not for me. Gurdev cannot care for Harjeet all alone. They need me … .”

11 - Vancouver, Canada

11

Vancouver, Canada

As soon as Kilburn stepped into his office, Louise rose from the chair behind the reception desk. Her hair was its usual frizzy tangle of gray, and her blue eye shadow as thickly applied as ever. Limping over to meet him at the door, she threw her flabby arms around him and squeezed tightly. He hugged back, thankful for the embrace.

“Even you can’t win them all, Dr. Kilburn,” she said as she finally released him.

He sighed. “This one was tough.”

“How’s his wife?” Louise asked.

He shook his head and swallowed away the sudden lump in his throat.

“She’ll be okay, you’ll see,” Louise said, though she had never met Annie Mallek. “She needs time to grieve. Believe me, I know.”

He nodded. Louise’s husband had died long before Kilburn met her, but he knew how much she still missed him. “Louise, do you have any bottles of the good stuff buried around here?” he asked.

She let loose a throaty laugh. “Remember last year’s Christmas luncheon? After that, I thought I was forbidden from bringing my friend Johnnie Walker to work any more.”

“He’s welcome here today.” He forced a smile. “In fact, tell him to bring a couple of buddies.”

Louise eyed him knowingly. “Speaking of, Kyra called twice this morning. Said it was important.” She sighed. “Of course, the poor thing always says it’s important.”

Kilburn felt the anger surging. He rubbed his eyes aggressively with his palms. “Not today, Louise. I can’t deal with her today,” he grumbled.

“Fair enough.” she said. “Besides, you’re one popular doc. Seems like everyone wants a piece of you.”

Calmer now, Kilburn pulled his hands away from his eyes. “Who else?”

“Let’s go check the list.” She turned and headed for her desk.