Estella and Sonny had just finished their interview of some medical personnel of a private hospital. Health protocols became tighter as the diseases became more severe and the spread became faster. Other than face mask, they also had to wear face shield and medical gloves. It felt like the district was in serious medical calamity.
According to the doctors, the Falling Star plague was not only about the outbreak of an unknown sickness caused by meteor dust called Subangdakudium but also about the sudden spread of known diseases like dengue fever, malaria, cholera, leptospirosis, and many others. They were common diseases but the sudden spike in the number of cases confused the doctors. It happened too quickly since the number at least doubled in just one day. They could not imagine the horror if the trend continued. The victims came from different places but they all had visited the district health center or the isolation camp or had come into contact with persons from the said places. It was as if the diseases came from them.
Estella was not aware of that particular detail until they interviewed the doctors. There were rumors on Monday that the outbreak had worsened but the mayor's office had not issued any statement. So it remained a rumor but she intended to make an exclusive report about it on the evening news program. The people deserved to know what was happening.
"Where to now?" Sonny asked as he gobbled the last piece of his burger. That was his lunch already, and like him, Estella was also finishing her pasta.
"The isolation camp at Subangdaku Elementary School," she answered. "If it was already that bad in the hospitals, it could be worse at the camp."
To Sonny's horror, Estella was so right. The moment they entered the camp, there was chaos all over the place. While the nurses and medical personnel were running to and fro, the patients and their companions were panicking from the worsening sicknesses. It was a scene both heart-breaking and scary.
The duo tried to interview as much people as they could. The patients were saying that their sicknesses only worsening instead of being alleviated while inside the camp. This infuriated them, including their loved ones. For the nurses' part, they claimed they were understaffed. Estella understood that for she saw how the medical team exerted plenty of effort in order to attend to everyone's needs. She also learned about what happened to Tara. She was about to go inside the clinic to interview her when Dr. Alvarado suddenly appeared.
"You should not be doing that, Ms. Estella," Dr. Alvarado was talking behind her. "She just needed some rest."
"Why do you think, Doctor?" Estella asked when whe turned around and faced him. "Is the camp really understaffed?"
"Sadly, you are right. Many of our nurses and even doctors, finally succumbed to the outbreak and got the diseases. We sent them away in order to recover. So the situation really placed the camp in a dangerous condition. However, additional help will be coming, most probably by Thursday."
"Oh, that's two days from now."
"Yes, correct. Tomorrow will be another challenging day for the team. But I believe they could endure for another day."
Estella nodded and went on their interview.
Meanwhile, Grace woke up sad that Tuesday morning. She already missed working in the camp. For the next few days, she would have nothing to do but stay in her apartment. She would have no work until the school opens again. As to when, she did not know. As long as the outbreak continued and the isolation camp inside the campus was still present, classes would not resume. So Grace just took her time and did the chores she had been putting them aside for days already. She did her laundry and cleaned her bedroom.
By noon, Grace decided to visit Alex. He had been so considerate and caring about her so she wanted to cook lunch for him. His apartment was only in the next ten zones and she could reach him with her bike in under ten minutes. Quickly, she prepared her bike and rode.
Grace rang the doorbell of the apartment but it did not open. She was certain he was inside because his car was still parked outside the building. By the third try, Grace became worried. She was thinking of alternatives in reaching him when the door finally opened.
"Hello," Alex said weakly. "This is a surprise."
"Yeah, I'm cooking lunch for you to show you my appreciation."
They both smiled at each other. Alex swung the door wide when he lost balance and tripped. Grace caught her and because he was too heavy for her, they both fell on the floor. Grace laughed loudly at the little incident but Alex could only smile back. He was in pain. Grace immediately sat up and held him.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "You look sick."
"I think I am," Alex answered. "I was fine yesterday but when I woke up this morning, my head felt crashing in pain. I also had high fever."
"Did you take some medicines?"
"Yes, but I don't think they helped. Hours already passed but I still feel don't feel good. I think I got infected by that thing that caused this outbreak."
"Well, you better be wrong. For now, you better take some rest and a full meal."
Grace helped him up and transferred him to his bed. While Alex took a nap, she hurriedly went to rummage his small kitchen and cooked some noodles. Once done, she went back to the bedroom and served Alex his food. She went back to the kitchen and also brought her food in the room. They shared their meals in bed together.
They rested and slept that afternoon. By four, Grace awakened and opened the television. She was scanning for channels when Estella suddenly appeared on TV and delivered a breaking news story. Estella reported the rapidly increasing number of outbreak patients in all hopsitals and clinics in Subangdaka, including the district health center. Alex stirred and also watched the news.
"What I fear is coming true already," Grace commented.
"The government must do something about this," Alex sympathized.
Grace nodded and hoped appropriate actions were already undertaken by the local officials, or else, it would be catastrophic.