"The body will be bathed three times." Stu placed three bowls next to the training mannequin. "The first bowl is water and Sidr leaves; Dr Mara should be one of the handlers, but follow whoever has that bowl. You should probably take the second bowl - there's camphor with this water. Only pilgrims are exempt; their souls are ready, water is all their body needs."
Marsha reached for the clean water bowl. "I need to see everybody-"
"They still need to be prepared for burial." Stu blocked her reach for the water. "The final bather is also helping secure and dress the bodies, and I don't have time to teach you everything they do. Take the camphor bowl and repeat every motion the first bather does. If the body is sick enough for someone to see, they will need more than water anyway."
Marsha nodded. "That works for me. How many do they have so far?"
"When I called her, she said there were 43 so far, and 8 familes intend on retrieving their loved ones in the morning. You won't have much time to look, certainly no official examination."
Marsha pulled the CPR mannequin towards her, pointing out areas for Stu to examine. "We're looking for signs of respiratory infection: flu-like symptoms under the eyes, nostrils, even ear canals. The cuticles have a unique symptom - keep an eye for purple and white under the nails."
"And what do I do if I find someone?"
Marsha took his hand in hers, startling her. He turned his hand over to see the oversize thumbtack Marsha had placed in his hand. "I've got tons of these, and labels in my other pocket to keep them straight. You know how to use that?"
"Yes. Are you sure this will work?"
"Well, it's a needle in a haystack. But somewhere in that mass of the infected are people who chose to die that way. And this is our best chance of finding them."
inspired by Discover Magazine article, "Fast Proof of Nerve Gas in Syria"
No comments:
Post a Comment