“Which metal, though?” Noah asks, already pulling up research on the computer. “Lead? Mercury?”
“Could be either. Or arsenic.” I lean over his shoulder, scanning the symptom comparison chart. “We need to test for anything plausible.”
“We can send blood samples to Anchorage, but that will take days.”
I think of Emma, lying unconscious in a hospital bed. Of Maya, who could be next. “We don’t have days.”
Noah turns to face me, his expression serious. “The county health department has a mobile testing unit for lead. Part of their childhood screening program. They might be able to run other heavy metals too.”
“Can we get them here today?”
He checks his watch. “They’re usually in Fairbanks on Thursdays. If we call now, they can detour to us before the end of the day.”
I’m already reaching for the phone when a thought stops me. “Wait. These kids should have been tested for lead already, right? It’s standard at pre-kindergarten check-ups.”
Noah nods. “Yes, but that would have been years ago for all of them. If this is a recent exposure, then they wouldn’t have shown elevated levels back then.”
I dial the county health department, explaining the situation to the coordinator. They agree to send the mobile unit, but it won’t arrive until tomorrow morning.
“Maya’s coming in this afternoon,” I tell Noah after hanging up. “We should draw blood and send it to the lab in Anchorage as a backup.”
“Agreed. And we should call the hospital, let them know to test Emma and Evan for heavy metals, too.”
I start to reach for the phone again, then hesitate. “If we’re right about this—if somewhere in town is contaminated with heavy metals?—“
“Then the whole town could be at risk,” Noah finishes, his face grim. “But we need proof before we cause a panic. Let’s test Maya first, then figure out the next steps.”
I nod, the weight of what we’re potentially facing settling over me with a weight that feels almost too heavy to carry. If these children have all been exposed to heavy metals, then the entire town might be at risk.
“One step at a time,” Noah says softly, sensing my distress through our bond. “We’ll figure this out.”
I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “Right.”
But as I prepare for Maya’s appointment, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re already several steps behind whatever is happening here.
The spine case takes hours longer than expected, and I get called in to help for the rest of the afternoon. By the time we finish, my back aches and my feet throb in my sensible clinic shoes. Dr. Mercer, of course, seems perfectly fresh, as if he hasn’t spent the past five hours hunched over a patient with a complex spinal fracture from a climbing accident.
“Excellent work, everyone,” he announces to the room at large. “Dr. Chang, your assistance was adequate.”
From him, that’s practically effusive praise. I nod in acknowledgment, too tired to care about his backhanded compliment. My mind is still stuck on Emma Frost, Maya Calloway and the possibility that the sacred springs at the heart of this community might be poisoning its children.
I help clean up, then head to the break room for coffee. The clinic is quieter now, appointments finished and the afternoon rush of walk-ins already done.
The door opens, and Noah steps in. His expression is serious, his movements purposeful. He glances around to ensure we’re alone, then approaches.
“I got the results of Maya’s bloodwork from the health department,” he says, his voice low.
My heart jumps. “Already? How?”
“I called in a favor at the county lab. They ran her samples immediately.”
I set down my coffee cup, suddenly alert despite my exhaustion. “And?”
“This is just the preliminary result for lead. They’ll need a few more days to let us know just how bad it is.” Noah sighs as he meets my eyes, a combination of sorrow from the news he is about to deliver and relief at having a medical question finally answered. “Her level is way above the CDC recommendation. Highest the county has ever seen, in fact. This isn’t just some incidental exposure, there is significant contamination somewhere in this town.”
A complex mixture of emotions washes over me—vindication that my theory was correct, dread at what this means for Maya and the other children, fear for what it might mean for the entire town.
“How bad is this?” I manage to ask.
