In the Land of Milk and Honey Read Free Page A

failure. I doubt there’ll be an autopsy. There usually aren’t with the Amish unless it can’t be avoided. His mother said the whole family had been sick for three days, and William wasn’t keeping liquids down. He worked on the farm that day too. His body just gave out.”
    Kirsch was an older man, early fifties, stocky, with a superior air. He clearly was a busy man and not overly curious about the medical mystery of the Hershbergers.
    â€œIf it’s a viral infection you don’t recognize, wouldn’t it be the procedure to call in the CDC?” I asked.
    Dr. Kirsch looked incredulous. “Well . . . no. Not without a lot more evidence that it’s something unusual. It’s flu season. There are dozens of common viruses going around. If we called the CDC every time we had a patient with flu symptoms, we’d need a CDC the size of the U.S. military.”
    â€œBut a boy died.”
    Kirsch squinted impatiently. “There have been over forty deaths from flu so far this season alone in the U.S. It’s tragic, but it happens. Dehydration can be very dangerous.”
    I pulled out my notepad—not because I really needed it, but to reinforce the message that I wasn’t some dim relative he could bully. “Mrs. Hershberger says the entire family came down ill at the same time, overnight. There were also severe chills and tremors. Isn’t that unusual for the flu? People in a family would normally get sick in waves, not all at once.”
    â€œIt depends on when and how they were exposed to the virus.” Kirsch leaned forward, elbows on his desk. He seemed to be taking me a bit more seriously, but I sensed defensiveness in his tone. “If they were all exposed to someone who had the virus—say, at the same church meeting—it’s conceivable they would fall ill at the same time. And chills and shivering are to be expected with severe flu.”
    â€œWhat exactly did their blood work show?”
    Dr. Kirsch opened the file on his desk. “I can’t show you the results without permission from the patients, but in regards to this flu scare, the blood work is about what you’d expect. Electrolyte abnormalities, hemoglobin and red-blood-cell counts are elevated, and the acidosis . . . that’s all typical for severe dehydration.”
    â€œDoes it actually show the virus?”
    â€œViruses are detected via a swab culture, not blood work.”
    â€œAnd was a swab culture done?”
    He gave a subtle huff. “No. Confirming the influenza virus via a swab test wouldn’t change the treatment.”
    â€œI understand. Still. My i’s dotted and t’s crossed—you understand. Is it possible for you to administer a swab test now and confirm that it’s influenza? Just for our records?”
    Kirsch frowned. “You understand that we’re conservative on our use of tests since these patients are not insured. It’s not in their best interest to rack up avoidable expenses.”
    I gave Dr. Kirsch a brittle smile. “Run the test on Samuel Hershberger, please, doctor. Text me with the results today.”
    Ezra was working in the garden when I got home from the hospital. As I parked the car, my text alert went off.
    Rapid flu test negative in both Hershbergers. No influenza A or B virus present.
    I read the message twice.
    I typed:
    Meaning it’s not the flu?
    The reply took seconds.
    Inconclusive. Likely the virus has left the system and now it’s complications. Treatment same.
    Well. That wasn’t very helpful. I’d been hoping for something concrete to report to Hannah. I sighed, got out of the car, and stretched my back. I also took the opportunity to check out my partner like a shameful hussy.
    Since leaving the Amish a little over a year ago, Ezra had changed in many ways. He never had taken to T-shirts, but he loved jeans. In the warm April afternoon, he wore a denim