2007-10-24: Not Acceptable

Starring:

Bob_icon.gif Cass_icon.gif Mohinder_icon.gif

Summary: Mohinder and Cass corner Bob in regards to the virus information and what the Company is hiding.

Date It Happened: October 24th, 2007

Log Title Not Acceptable


Kirby Plaza

Busy, busy. "Busy" is Bob Bishop's middle name. Or not, but it also a B word, and in order to stay in good-to-neutral graces with another B word who happens to be his boss, he's running himself even more ragged than usual. Who knew being demoted entailed this much work? Presently, we find Mr. Bishop in the wide, open, dark-walled lobby of the Kirby Plaza building where Primatech's offices are located, fishing an ID card out of his drab business suit, a floppy brown leather briefcase under one arm and a cell phone pressed against his ear, pinned against his shoulder. The ordeal is very much wrinkling his suit. "I am aware of that. Please keep me updated on any advancements. And if you see Elle, tell her to meet me in my office."

"I need to talk to you. Now." Mohinder says without any preamble as he approaches Bob there in the lobby. The man's current location certainly helped cut out the searching time. It also helps the security question of Cass's presence in the building. The geneticist is frazzled and harried appearing, and there's a note of finality in his voice. Certainly not the way one would normally speak with their superior, but time is short at the moment. "In private. It's a life and death situation."

Not exactly hurrying, but trying to keep a brisk pace, Cass might not be visible to Bob at first. She's following in Mohinder's wake and trying not to look uncomfortable, being in the belly of the shark as it were. Though no less frazzled, she doesn't have anything to say to Bob at first. Finally catching up with the geneticist, she just gives Bob a look of determination. Just ask her what she's doing here. She dares you.

Now with his security pass at his ear along with the phone, Bob goes on, "When? I don't care when. Any— " … when he is cut off very promptly by Mohinder. Halting in front of one of the middle security gates, he turns to stare at the geneticist, taking in his demeanour, and the presence of Cass shortly thereafter. Bob looks, in short, alarmed - concerned, even. "Something's come up," he speaks into his phone, although he doesn't look away from his visitors in the slightest. Phone: clicked shut. "Dr. Suresh. Miss…" Squint. "Aldric?" Oh-ho. "Well, this certainly seems important. By all means. Follow me."

"You're damn right this is important," Mohinder says testily, as if Bob had a personal hand in the matter. When Bishop leads, Suresh follows and indicates to Cass that she should do the same. "This is about the hantavirus that caused the quarantine at Mt. Sinai a few months back." He does make an effort here to try and keep his voice down, but he's terse and sounds rather worked up.

While she tries not to look surprised at Bob knowing who she is, Cass is a little unnerved by that. While she knows his daughter and her own father works for him, it's still a little disconcerting that he knos her by sight. Still, there's no answer from her, as this is a fight between two Company people for the moment. However, one doesn't need to read auras in order to know that anger radiates off of her and she's not about to be left out of this conversation. Right at Mohinder's side, she follows and listens.

Bob is cool, calm and collected, on the other hand — however, he does give Mohinder a rather disapproving look for being so terse when he was perfectly polite. "I suspected as much." He gives a genial, if short-lived, smile to the security guard as he shows his pass and swipes it through the gate, and nods: an unspoken indication that he can let Cass through as well. Mohinder, they know. "I can't promise full disclosure," he says evenly, knowing full well that his statement will tick them off all the more. He walks briskly to a set of elevators, which open almost automatically for them. "But I have somewhat of a vested interest in the matter. I'll help you as much as I can."

"I need full disclosure on this, you can't leave me in the dark. There are people sick, dying and this could spread. You cannot withhold valuable information and impede the creation of a cure!" Mohinder gives no sign of apology for being rude and abrupt. This is a situation he finds offensive and downright reprehensible. "If you can't give us the information we need to make people better, I'll keep digging and I will not stop." Threat? Nope. It's a promise from the scientist to the upper management type.

"I'm sure you do have a 'vested interest'. You may have the virus as well," Cass finally speaks up, keeping her tone even as she studies Bob and gives the security guard a look down her nose. While not normally haughty, the fact that she has to be nodded through for this meeting is almost demeaning. And Mohinder flying off the handle just makes her try and keep a hold of her own temper. "Mohinder's right. Whatever you keep in the dark may be the key to solving this. I have no doubt that your people had a hand in this and if you don't help us to stop it you're no better than the people you try to stop."

The elevator closes shut, trapping the three of them in a small, well-decorated box with ambient lighting until they get to the 42nd floor… from the bottom. Oh dear God in heaven. "I expect the same disclosure, and here you are conducting research on your own and gallivanting off to Texas," Bob counters to Mohinder. He stands starkly in the center of the elevator. "You're right, Miss Aldric. I have a currently asymptomatic strain of the same virus that is affecting the people you care about — and probably others by now. Have I personally given you reason to believe I don't want to help stop a virus that could potentially wipe out a good portion of New York City, if not more, including myself? No. I don't believe I have. So I expect both of you to keep your tempers down and quit your self-righteous attitudes if you expect to have a cooperative relationship with this company throughout this ordeal." Daddy Bishop has spoken.

Mohinder opens his mouth to retort in a heated fashion, but finds himself shutting up. Bishop.. has a point.. and the geneticist looks very displeased about it. He's quiet for a few moments before he dares to speak up again. "You have my disclosure. I cannot speak for Cass. Time is of the essence, there is no time for bureaucratic red-tape and mind games." Suresh was about to rant about wasted time in Texas, yet, he can't bring himself to doing so in light of Bob's words. If the geneticist had been up front in the beginning, that time would not have been wasted and a cure could have been made by now.

"I will continue to be self-righteous till the day I die, Mr. Bishop," Cass replies through narrowed eyes. "The fact that every attempt I have made to obtain information to stop this virus has been met with people whose memories have been erased and files deleted off their computers does not speak of disclosure. That speaks of a cover up. Now if you would stop trying to pretend like you're some sort of innocent attacked party here then maybe I can be civil toward you while I have this conversation." However, she's trying to be a doctor and the mention of being told that he has the virus, makes her eyebrows raised. "Asymptomatic? But, it's just as dangerous as what everyone else has, isn't it? I'm not about to lie to you - I don't at all like what your Company does. But I'm here to solve this and I'll be honest with you if you're honest with us."

"That would be because there was a cover-up," Bob admits frankly. "We don't want to alarm the public. They're hardly equipped to deal with something like this." He glances at Cass with a stern look of 'please let me finish before opening your mouth again' just as the elevator doors glide open with a pleasant *ding!*. Speedy elevators, one perk of the building. "But to be absolutely honest, neither are we." He strides into the hall to … an office, certainly not the one he was using before, but, well, everyone was shuffled around since they have no Hartsdale facility to speak of anymore. He opens the door, flicks on the lights and waves in. "Please! Be my guest."

"Who is monitoring your symptoms? Dr. Aldric and I can compare your tests thus far with the other patients that are being tended to." Mohinder hears what Cass has to say, and the woman's bravado is admired. "You should be resting as much as possible, Bob. And Cass, we have no proof that their memories were altered.. then again I take it back." The geneticist flashes a dark look at Bob as the coverup is admitted. So much for wanting to play Devil's Advocate. The Company makes it rather difficult. He keeps his mouth shut as he follows off the elevator and doesn't speak again until they are inside Bob's office. "Did we have anything to do with the creation or manipulation of this virus? I recognized the signature of the Shanti virus and that was the only aspect I found recognizable. If we created it, and we aren't equipped to deal with the repercussions, then there should not be tampering with viruses!"

"Alarm the public." The words are repeated with a deadened reflective tone. "They will certainly be alarmed when people start dying of a disease they can't understand because they weren't warned of it." Cass looks right back at Bob with her own stern look and reprimanding look. They're the ones that are trying to deceive the public and could have stopped this before anyone knew what was going on. Though the issue of them manipulating and spreading it is something to certainly be discussed, there are more important issues in Cass' mind. "We'll yell at him for possibly trying to kill people later, Mohinder," she replies. "First, you have to tell us what you know. Do you know how it's spread? How it advances? More importantly, how do you cure it? The antibodies from Mohinder's blood doesn't work any more." Then, she gets a little indignant. "And you knew that this virus was at Mt. Sinai with Cara Hayes and you must have known who was there. Why didn't you do something? At least alert them that they could be contagious?"

"What did I say in the elevator?" Gosh, people! Bob plucks a disinfecting wipe from a stand by the door and methodically cleans his hands before closing the office. He makes his way to his desk, where he sinks into his chair, hands on his knees, to observe Cass and Mohinder from a more kingly position. "Unfortunately, you both pose difficult questions. The fact of the matter is, Ms. Hayes was on our medical staff. So yes, it does trace back to the Company. This was years and years ago. The incident at Sinai was the first we'd seen of her in ten years."

"No alternate form of the cures I know of have worked. It's highly resistant to everything we've tried," Mohinder says, picking up where Cass leaves off. "Even a person with the ability to heal, to not get sick with normal diseases has fallen ill. The blood of this person isn't working as an antibody either.." He gives a dark and almost scathing look to Bob. "So she had something to do with the incident at Mt. Sinai? I don't give a damn at the moment about the whys.. Right now I'm more concerned about making those ill well again."

"Hold on, Mohinder," Cass finally snips at the doctor. "He's actually trying to tell us something. The whys in this case is how we're going to find the cure. The whys are all we have at the moment." This is the only time that Cass will actually defend Bob. But, he's finally getting down to the actual answers that they need and he doesn't want him derailed by Mohinder's chastising. They can yell at him all they want when they're done. "So she contracted the illness while she was here, is that what you're saying? Or, how does this relate back to here?" In finding how she contracted the illness may be the very key in trying to solve it.

"As am I," Bob replies as if offended Mohinder might think otherwise. "Yes," he says to Cass. "She wasn't a pioneer of the research on the Shanti virus, she was a simple assistant. It's possible that she may have been contaminated. However… the strain she would have been at all exposed to at that time was harmless. Inactive. Hell, it wasn't even contagious at the time."

Mohinder glances aside at Cass, his expression still dark, but he's starting to relent some. "Fine. I apologize for my tone and abrupt manner. I'm certain both of you understand." He falls silent as he finds a chair to drop himself into as he waits impatiently for answers. "Viruses mutate over time. Become resistant. Bacteria for example, why do you think those in medicine are speaking out against antibacterial soaps and antibiotics."

Obviously Bob would like to get well again, as Cass doubts this particular strain of virus comes with flowers and happy endings if left to it's own devices. "It's fine Mohinder." Because she doesn't really care about his tone toward Bob, he should just wait till they have the information they need. Then, a flash strikes. "Wait. We never found out when Ms. Hayes' symptoms worsened and she died. When she was admitted to Mt. Sinai, was it really due to symptoms of the Shanti strain? Or was it actually the Hantavirus? Something had to have made it both contagious and active." She, at least, thinks she knows what turned it active.

"Ms. Hayes was very ill when she visited Sinai. I can say with certainty that it wasn't the Shanti virus." Bob nods several times, slowly, to Mohinder. "I believe you're right, Dr. Suresh. That could have been what happened here." The balding man draws in a deep, considering breath, his features becoming more pinched. "Unfortunately," he leans over his desk, folds his hands, and admits, "I'm not the one you need clearance for to access the post-mortem file on Cara Hayes."

While Cass doesn't care about Mohinder's tone, he does. After all, Bob's the boss and the geneticist is probably going to get an earful later. "The introduction of one virus to another.." Mohinder glances towards Cass, as if he's getting the same idea she is. As his mind races, it is quickly derailed by Bob. He gives his boss a rather incredulous stare. "You're joking. A grave situation and we still have hoops to leap through?" While he remains angry inside, the sigh he gives is resigned. "Who has the clearance? Who can we get our answers from?"

Instead of answering right away, Cass frowns as she thinks this over. The Shanti virus crossing with another virus to make it contagious. And from there, Peter's timetravelling bringing back the last part of the virus that made it activate. "Hm." That's all she says for a moment. "Wait, we need soeone else to get access to the files? You're the head of the Company, shouldn't you just be able to tell them that they need to give us what we want?" Since they're going to tell him what they want and he can get it for them.

"I see someone hasn't been reading their company newsletters," Mr. Bishop deadpans with a sour look to Mohinder. He's not about to explain the hierarchy with Cass sitting right there. His brows lower behind his glasses, his look darkening. He's a wee bit bristly on this subject. "I'm not the head of the Company. I'm…" Twitch. "In management." Woe is Bob. "I'll arrange something. In the meantime, keep up the good work."

"Cass, there are many levels of security. No different than the government. I'm not surprised by this revelation," Mohinder says in a very tired manner. He's been burning the candle at both ends, consumed by this need to fix those that are sick. "I.. well no.. I've been working non-stop since the virus was brought to my attention, so yes, I've been neglecting the inbox a little." Ignoring it is more like, but Suresh does give a perplexed look in Bob's direction. A change in the Company perhaps? "Thank you for your help Bob, and I do apologize for the manner in which I addressed you earlier. This situation is one that affects all of us and it's in the Company's best interest to cooperate and see this resolved."

"Wait." This sounds a lot like this conversation is over. And that's just not good enough for Cass. She didn't get any more real answers out of this than she got from flying to Texas. "Okay, so you're in management, but you knew a lot when this whole thing started. You have to know more than you're telling us right now." There has to be something more! "We can't just twiddle our thumbs and expect whoever this other person have their people call our people and do lunch some time. We need answers soon!" Now it's Cass' turn to sound desperate. She doesn't want to go back to her friends to tell them this has all been for naught.

Bob drums his fingers on the heavy desk in front of him. Tap tap. "I know you must be tired of meeting dead ends, Ms. Aldric. So am I. I have a daughter you may have been exposed to this virus through me, and now she runs the risk of getting sick like the patients you have waiting on you. I can assure you, if we have information that will stop the spread of this disease, we will use it, regardless of whether you have all the puzzle pieces or not." Viral apocalypse is not scheduled in their plans for October, evidently. "I'm afraid, however, that there is no cure."

"Cass.. I'll take over from this end. Focus on keeping Peter and the others comfortable." Since now it looks like further information will have to be garnered from the Company and Mohinder will need to coordinate for more details. He pushes up from his seat only to turn and stare at Bob for the umpteenth time. "There is always a cure. Help me get the information we need and we'll see to it that there is a way to neutralize the virus. Who do I need to speak with?"

There's an eye narrow at Bob's solving the puzzle without her. She's been the one staying up nights and barely speaking to anyone because of this virus. Not him. Even if he is the one that's sick. "If you had all the pieces, you should have solved it by now," she replies coolly. And she wouldn't have a house full of sick people to worry about. There's another warning glance shot in Mohinder's direction. Though making sure her friends are taken care of is important to her, so is solving this. "I'm not going to only play nurse." That's not what her skill is in. "If there's something here, I want to help. I don't trust that your Company's solution," her eyes flicker to Bob, "isn't to just lock everyone up and wait for them to die before they infect anyone else for the good of everyone. And that's not acceptable to me."

Bob eyes Mohinder, but can't answer. There's a Cass to deal with. "You've been doing excellent work with Dr. Suresh and your father. I'm not telling you to stop," he says matter-of-factly, holding up his hands. It looks like he's about to stage an intervention on everyone's hostility. His tone is very reasonable. It is as reasonable as his suit and tie and shoes. "I think we all need to get back to work here, don't you? Everyone's running close to the wire. And Miss Aldric, Dr. Suresh," he tags on the end, "Don't let your precautions slip when dealing with this virus. Cara Hayes did not have a special ability. It can target anyone." He pushes a little box of disposable wipes across the desk and smiles. "Disinfecting wipe?"

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