The T. B. Test Results

“Your T. B. test is clearly positive, sir.” I knew that the spot on my arm just didn’t look quite right, but this was a shock. “Does that mean that I have the disease, or does it mean that I’ve been exposed to it?” The answer was reassuring. “It just means that you’ve been exposed to it. Your chest x-ray was completely clear, so you don’t have the disease. But if you notice a cough that just doesn’t seem normal over the next few months, you need to see a doctor and let him know that you’ve had a positive reaction to a T. B. test.”

I thought back over the past year, trying to remember any time when I might have been exposed to the disease. Maxx interrupted my thoughts, “Don’t you remember when Serka had that quarantine in Tal Afar?”

“I do remember, but it was for chicken pox, right?”

“No, sir. A couple of the guys had T. B. and they were sent home immediately.”

This was a startling piece of news that I’d never received and it was then that I remembered Sanjeev. He’d arrived in the fall of 2008, healthy and strong, but by spring he was thin and it was evident that he was very ill. He’d lost weight and his face was drawn and his eyes had begun to sink back. I was worried about him, even when they finally sent him home because I just didn’t know if he was going to make it.

At the office they told me to proceed normally, but that if I became aware of the unusual cough I should seek out medical attention immediately. This is clearly a better company to work for than my last one. The last company seemed anxious to throw people under the bus in order to recruit new ones, something that I never understood. Training an employee takes a lot of time and effort and it seems like a company would be more anxious to hold on to a good employee. It’s all water under the bridge now, though.

I went back to the hotel and checked out. I filled the rental car with fuel for the return at the airport. I checked my voicemail. “Sir, you need to return to the hotel forthwith and check back in. The flights for the day have been cancelled because of weather in Atlanta.” The news came as another shock. Maxx was getting updates from the office and it looked like we’d be spending one more night in Panama City.