Before the outbreak, you were an ER doctor. After the outbreak, you’re… what?

I’m still a doctor—willing to help those in need. However, it seems I’ve also become a pathologist, a virologist, a medical examiner, and a surgeon. These are not typical career trajectories for someone like myself.

I pretend to agree, even though I would have no idea. My extent of medical knowledge is from Doctor Mike on YouTube. She enquires who that is and I give her a scrap a paper with his name on it. I feel like they’d be good friends.

Humans are peculiar and particular.

What’s the hardest part about being the calm, clinical one when everything is falling apart?

I don’t think I’ve ever asked myself that question before. I suppose it’s just my nature to be calm and collected in a panic. My ability to think rationally is truly what saved us prior to meeting Jack.

Now that we were on the subject of Jack, I de-briefed her on my own interview with him. She nods at the appropriate moments and smiles politely at the others. She’s definitely not as much of a sharer as her other half.

When Jack tries to hide something from you, what’s your tell?

He doesn’t look me in the eyes when he’s lying. Believe me, I understand that’s a very cliché body language observation, but it’s true in his case. He’s a very bad liar. I find it endearing.

For a moment, we share thoughts on Jack’s relationship with his father, Ray. I had seen, firsthand, his angst about the man, so I hadn’t prodded. But I wanted to know more.

Do you think Jack will ever let go of his anger toward Ray?

I truly hope so.

I feel her shutting down just a bit, so I pivot to talk more about her. We are sitting down with her and not her man, after all.

When laws and regulations are removed, some of us revert to our most basic of behaviors—instability, competitiveness, violence.

If you had one uninterrupted week with full lab access and no survival pressure, what would you research first?

First, I would learn everything I possibly could about the virus and the way it works—It’s path through the body and incubation periods. Those periods were the most curious part about this ailment. I had seen anywhere from two days post-exposure to thirty.

She’s warming again, and the light has come back into her eyes. That same fire and passion I saw from Jack is mirrored in her own work.

You’ve seen both the best and worst of humanity up close. Which sticks with you longer?

Humans are peculiar and particular. Our nature makes it impossible to predict the behavior we may inherit after a pandemic. If I had to chart this, I would say Jack is an exemplary specimen of human nature. His affinity to protect the ones he loves rivals any I’ve ever seen. But you’re correct—I’ve seen the worst we have to offer as a species. When laws and regulations are removed, some of us revert to our most basic of behaviors—instability, competitiveness, violence.

I nod. We’d all seen what happens during a pandemic when rules are just flimsy frameworks. It’s easy to go back to simpler reactions to things. I get it, but it doesn’t mean I like it.

If you could give your pre-Day One self one piece of advice, what would it be?

I would take all my research and my family somewhere safe. And I would never tell the CDC or anyone what I was researching until I’d figured it out. All I’ve known since the outbreak is running. And I’m truly tired of it.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Lisa Calloway as we end the interview. She asks to see this Doctor Mike, so we watch a few of his videos. She seems impressed and takes the scrap of paper with her.

To read more, see my Salt & Bone series page.