The Island Experiment

Chapter 14 Quarantine

                           Chapter Fourteen

                               Quarantine

             Rochelle was gone just like Cat, but she vanished, before going to bed.
     Jake spoke quietly to the leader,"we have more, than one bad situation Chance.Amy, Julie and Page, all awoke covered with red spots. I questioned them, they all had chicken pox. All three had measles immunizations. I think us guys and Lizy, should stay away from the girls. Who knows what tropical illness they have?"
       Chance could think of nothing to cause it,"of course you're right Jake,the three girls will be quarantined, to swim camp."
            The guys and Lizy moved all of their things to shed camp, they boiled all of their clothing. Amy, Julie and Page, could not go into the supply shed,supplies would be left for them daily.
            Amy scratched her arms,"it itches as bad as poison ivy, Chance said, he hasn't seen poison ivy, or poison oak, on the island."
     Page looked into her, small makeup mirror crying,"it's all over my face."
     Julie felt the girl's forehead,"at least you don't have a fever Page,and none of us feel sick. We don't have to do chores, or put up with the annoying guys."
     Amy was confused,"out of the whole group, why us?We eat the same food, live together. No one in our sleeping cabins but us, has red itching spots."
     Julie threw her hands into the air,"I give up, I want my mommy."
     Amy and Julie got into bed with Page, they cuddled together, consoling each other.
            Chance paced,"this camp, never thought of anyone getting sick. All of the reality shows,have medical professionals. What is this poor mans camp?"
     Jake worried for the leaders sanity,"calm down Chance, you're the smartest person I know, but you have no medical training. Like you said, we stay away from the girls. Perhaps the red spots will go away?"
      Ronny sat down with his friends," I delivered the girls supplies for today, I spoke to them from a safe distance.Amy said, the red spots are worse.I could see them, on all their exposed skin."
     Jake made a fist,"I have never felt so helpless."
     Chance wiped away a tear,"I need to be alone."
                 Chance walked into the jungle, leaning against a tree,"you are watching, you have to help us."
     Rochelle answered back,"we have seen the illness, they are in no medical danger. Do not speak to us again."
     Chance fell to his knees crying, if only Cat was there to comfort him.

            The group avoided swim camp, other than to get supplies, and drop them off. It had been three days, the red spots were still there.
     Two nights later Chance sat up in bed,"my mind wonders when trying to sleep, I recalled a bad reaction, I had to a new soap. I got a spotty red rash, all over my body. I then recalled, all of the different cleansers, the girls used on the bath tub.Amy, Julie and Page, all took a bath together, after cleaning the tub.I haven't seen anyone else, from the group, use the tub."
     Lizy gasped,"you're right Chance, the girls bathed once per day, for three days,then the red spots appeared."
                Chance didn't take the time, to put on his shoes ,he ran to swim camp.
     Chance heard talking from the tub shack,"girls I figured out what is wrong with you all."
     Page walked out of the door, with a towel on,"we thought an oatmeal bath, would help with the itching."
     Chance smiled,"the red spots are a reaction, to all of the combined chemicals,you used to clean the bath tub. Since you continued to take baths, the reaction got worse."
     Page blew the leader a kiss,"Lenerd Sanders, I could kiss you."
            Chance couldn't tell his bunk mates the truth, about how he determined, the girl's condition.Rochelle said, it wasn't a medical condition.If it wasn't a medical condition, then it had to be a rash.what was the one thing, that the girl's were exposed to, no one else was?It was much easier to bathe, from dumping buckets of water, over your body, from the swimming hole. The three girl's, heated several buckets of water, for the tub. Chance was annoyed, it took him days, to figure it out.Rochelle could have told him the truth. Perhaps illness was another test?