Lockdown Decision Ch. 04

Concluding his Zoom presentation with his trademark "follow the data, document the evidence, try not to go too viral" Tom started to close his laptop when the little speakers crackled into life. "What you have said is all very reasonable but it doesn't properly acknowledge the role of mitochondria response in metabolically compromised patients, who we know are typically having a more severe response to COVID-19, do you have any comments?" came the assertive yet sincere female voice. Tom quickly scanned the 25 or so silent heads on his screen to identify the unexpected questioner.

He recognised the voice, but wanted to be sure. Yes - Dr Sheona Carr - smart, assured and yet not as emotionally disconnected as many of his colleagues, she could be relied on to have listened, assimilated, processed and progressed the analysis. He had debated with her quite strenuously over the last few months as together they had striven to make sense of the data flooding in on this novel coronavirus.

Now her question needed his answer. Taking off his glasses, he attempted to make impossible eye contact with her over the video call. "It's a question we have to broaden out a little, particularly for those in younger age categories and without comorbidities. There is a new paper released this week by the gerontology team over at USC Leonard David. Let's go through their work next week at the conference and see if we can't find a way to move it forward - OK?" "Yes, of course" was the immediate reply - she sounded pleased he had acknowledged the import of her question, and he was happy to have satisfied his need for public authority to be intact.

And yes, the conference next week would be a great chance to discuss this with the wider group and if the opportunity arose, one-to-one.

The conference had added energy for Tom and his fellow scientists. There was renewed life and urgency, like a once in a lifetime chance for relevance and attention, almost like a Manhattan Project. And it was a good chance to discuss many options for research, for attracting funding, for moving things forward at an unusual pace. Even the most sedentary of colleagues had an extra spring to their dialogue and the post-conference drinks and dinners positively hummed with that energy. And of course it helped that everyone had the option of a hotel room upstairs to collapse into.

So the usual conference procedures had of course been observed and Tom was able to make meaningful discussions with many fellow researchers, which was after all the point of meeting up like this. Sheona Carr had sought him out and pushed her line of questioning from last week's call. He liked her energy and the twinkle in her eye was unmistakable. "Was she coming onto me?" he wondered, and laughed at his own stereotyped appraisal of a female colleague's no-doubt innocent enthusiasm. Although they had caught each other's eye over drinks a couple of times, the cliched "across the crowded room" did hold some weight. She was an attractive woman, no doubt about that. Tom had noted the swell of her breasts against her blouse, that slight strain of the second button hole, the top two buttons undone.

No cleavage on display, just a pretty brooch design and the obvious promise of what appeared to be very well formed breasts. "Even if she has one of those padded..." He checked himself. "Not very professional, Mister, '' his internal voice scolded. And of course he was not the only one observing; he was caught red-handed so to speak as his eyes travelled upwards to meet Sheona's firm gaze on him. "Shit" he heard himself say as he looked into the distance straight though her to disguise his intended target. Caught or not, he wondered. He decided to take the bull by the horns and go over and engage her some more. She was not unreceptive to his small talk, it was nice to get to know a bit more about her. And the wine flowed easily from the servers bottles.

The drinks reception was unmistakably winding down. The crowd had thinned and those left had the bleary eyed stares of those who had taken a glass or two more than they should. Sheona had worked the room professionally, as had Tom, but there was a tangible chemistry to their dialogue. They had connected a few times during the evening, and had started a little low level flirting almost. "We must stop bumping into each other like this, '' Sheona had said. "Oh, how would you like to bump into me?" Tom had cheesily replied with a cheeky smile. Sheona had smiled back, almost in a pre-war "I'll smile and flirt with any man I like right now as tomorrow we are to die" sort of way. Or had he imagined it, because of wine. In any event, her breasts were maddeningly persuasive to him, and he decided to roll the dice. "All she can say is no'' he concluded.

"There's something else I'd like to show you." Tom said. "It's on my other laptop upstairs". And predictably Sheona laughed and "ye righted" him, but she didn't decline. "Let's take a look at what you have." she merrily replied. He figured he had plenty to show her, on the laptop and otherwise, and if his naughty plan did not materialise there was plenty plausible deniability to make a graceful retreat.

The short trip in the elevator to the fourth floor and along the quiet corridor was extremely awkward for Tom. He wanted to show her his laptop content - his personal laptop, not his work one. Or just assume that as she was willingly in his room he could make a move on her. Every passing closed door in the corridor seemed to be getting smaller and smaller as the options narrowed in his mind. Room 485 arrived and he swiped his card and the door lock gently clicked. Sheona followed him into the darkness of his room and headed straight for the window. "You have a better view than me" she said looking out at the nightscape with her back to Tom. "Oh my view is pretty decent from here" he heard himself say, admiring the curves of her silhouette figure. Pencil tight skirt hugging her contours and blouse neatly tucked in, he observed, somewhat nervously.