The Mystery Illness

A mysterious illness has plagued the town of Palmer's Grove, Florida. After The Harvest Plenty Café opened, there was a terrible outbreak of a mysterious illness. The symptoms of the illness were: severe skin inflammation, painful blisters, stomach cramps and skin sensitivity to sunlight. The owners of the café Perry and Minnie Riley was confused of what in their café was causing the people to have become so sick so fast. Dr. Browne came in and run test samples on several of the food items to be sent off to a lab in Winchester to be tested. In the meantime the café was closed until the culprit was found. The Riley's felt awful that the people were sicken by something they had inside their café and agreed that closing would be the best thing. Dr. Browne was up to his elbows with sick patients coming in and out of his office daily. He had to hire back a couple of his retired nurses Mandy Charles and Vicki Blake to help at his office. It was 7:33 am on a Monday morning and already the office was so full patients, that there wasn't enough seats for them to sit down. The phones in the office were ringing loudly like wind chimes blowing in the wind.

“Mr. Everett,” said Mandy. “Dr. Browne will see you now.”

“It's about time, said Mr. Everett. “These damn blisters are hurting me to death.”

“Mrs. Ball,” said Vicki. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Not good dearie,” says Mrs. Ball. “These blisters are the most terrible thing ever.”

There were only four office to hold the patients. Dr. Browne had to make arrangement with the nurse practitioner at the local clinic to help with most of his patients.

“Glenda,” said Dr. Browne. “ I need you to open up the clinic for the rest of the week to help with all my patients.”

“What's the matter?” asked Glenda concerned.

“We have some type of outbreak,” said Dr. Browne. “I really need your help.”

“ Sure thing,” says Glenda. “I'll be opened up by 10:00 am.”

“Thanks a million,” said Dr. Browne.

Dr. Browne spoke to his patients inside his waiting room area. They all looked so distressed. There was no way he could see all of them by himself today.

“People please listen!” said Dr. Browne. “I know you are all here to see me but I have made arrangements with the Urgency Clinic.”

“We have to leave?” asks Mr. Payne. I just signed in five minutes ago.”

“I know,” said Dr. Browne. “The clinic is opened now and patients that have come in after 9:45am will be seen at the clinic. “I'm so sorry but we don't have enough rooms to put you all in.”

The patients were not happy about leaving the office, but they understood and left for the clinic.

“It would be nice,” said Dr. Browne. “If I could find out the cause of this thing to treat it better.”

“The pain medicine and the aloe calamine lotions are helping,” said Vicki.

“That's the best thing,” said Mandy. “Mrs. Ball told me that her pain was so bad that she couldn't sleep at night.”

“I hate giving sleep medicine,” said Dr. Browne. “No one has asked for any yet.”

Mr. Patterson was the last patient to be seen at the doctor's office. His blisters had begun to ooze yellowish fluid. Dr. Browne ran blood test and kept him at the office overnight for observation. The nurse Vicki came in and put a IV in his arm so that he could be put on a antibiotic drip. It was a race against time as Dr. Browne desperately tired to find the culprit to the mystery illness. The next morning he checked on Mr. Patterson. His bloods tests came back normal. Dr. Browne along with nurse Mandy wash his blisters with sterile solution and wrapped bandages around his arm.

“Okay,” said Dr. Browne. “Mr. Patterson we'll see you in two days to change those bandages alright?”

“Okay,' says Mr. Patterson. “Is my daughter Macy in the waiting area to pick me up?”

“Yes,” says Mandy. “Would you like for her to come back here?”

“No,” says Mr. Patterson.

“Come with me,” says Mandy. “The doctor wants to see him back in two days to change his bandages.

“Alright,” says Macy. We'll both see you on Thursday.”

“Okay,” says Mandy. “Have a nice day.”

Mandy closes the door behind the Patterson's and returns to Dr. Browne's office. Dr. Browne sits on the phone with the lab technician assistant from Winchester. After testing all the food from the café, the culprit behind the people's mysterious illness was an ingredient in the house salad mix. Dr. Browne suspected it maybe the salad. The Riley's had purchased the produce from a new farmer in the Older Town area. The man gave them a business card when Dr. Browne was present with the Riley's at the café. Giant hog weed plant leaves which looks a lot like arugula greens was added to the salad which cause all the symptoms making everyone who ate the house salad sick.

“Thank you so much,” said Dr. Browne. “I have to go see two people who this will be good news to their ears.”

“Mandy,” said Dr. Browne. “Giant hog weed plant.”

“What?” says Mandy. “Is that the cause of people getting sick?”

“It's the one,” said Dr. Browne. “I have to go see Riley's this news will surely make their day.”

“What time can I expect you back?” says Mandy.

“Sometime after lunch,” said Dr. Browne. “ I hope I can catch the Riley's at home this morning.”

“Alright,” says Mandy taking a sip of her coffee.

Dr. Browne leaves his office to see the Riley's. On his way to their house he runs into the produce farmer Rudy. Dr. Browne blows his car horn to get the mans attention but he drives off even faster. Dr. Browne follows the man who runs the red light to get onto the busy freeway. There were so many cars coming, that it hard for Dr. Browne to catch up with the man. This puzzles Dr. Browne.

“I wonder why the hell he was running away?” Dr. Browne asks himself. “Could he have known what he was selling all along?.

The Riley's were outside their house sitting on the porch when Dr. Browne pulls into their yard. He gets out of his car and goes onto the porch to talk to the Riley's.

“Good morning,” says Dr. Browne. “How are you doing?”

“We're hanging in there,” says Mr. Riley. “You found the thing that was making everyone sick right?”

“I sure did,” said Dr. Browne. “It was your house salad.”

“The house salad?” asks Mrs., Riley looking surprised. “What was the ingredient?”

“It was giant hog weed plant,” says Dr. Browne. “I'm not sure it was sold to you by accident either.”

“What do you mean?” asks Mr. Riley. “You think someone did this purposely to shut down our business and make people sick?”

“I do believe that's the reason,” said Dr. Browne.

He went on to explain the Riley's about his encounter with Rudy the farmer on his way to their house. Dr. Browne though it was very suspicious of the farmer to run away without even talking to him.

“He knew I was trying to get him to talk to me," said Dr. Browne. “Why else would someone run unless they're guilty?”

“I think we need to go to see Sheriff Green,” said Mrs. Riley.

“I agree,” says Mr. Riley.

Mr. and Mrs. Riley along with Dr. Browne to call Sheriff Green and told him what they suspected the farmer had done.

The receptionist at the sheriff department told the Riley's that sheriff green was odd on an important call. The Riley's decided to talk to the sheriff in person instead of over the phone.

“The curious part is,” says Mr. Riley. “What is the reason behind what he done?”

“I don't know,” said Dr. Browne. “That the thing the Sheriff has to find out.”

“Is Old Town a part of Sheriff Greens jurisdiction?” said Mrs. Riley. “I believe that's the city part of town right?”

“I believe you're right my dear,” said Mr. Riley. “ We may need to go see the Chief Ramsey.

“It maybe the city portion of town,' says Dr. Browne. “The crime happened with in the county.

“You all go to the Sheriff office to find out for sure,” “I have to get back to the office..”

“Okay, Dr. Browne,” says Mrs. Riley. “We will go to see him right now.”

“Great,” says Dr. Browne. “Let me know what he tells you.”

Back at the office Dr. Browne still had patients to see. Most of the patients with the hog weed illnesses were on their road to recovery. Many of them complained about skin sensitivity because of the hot summer heat. Dr. Browne prescribed them ointment for relief it they had to go out doors. Advised them to cover up their skin and wear a straw hat if they were going to be out in the sun for long periods of time. Sheriff Green came in to talk to Dr. Browne. The Riley's had told the Sheriff about what Dr. Browne suspected about farmer Rudy.

“Come on in Sheriff,” says Dr. Browne. “I believe what farmer Rudy did to the Riley's was not an accident.

“You're right,” said Sheriff Green. “Rudy confessed to why he sold the Riley's the hog weed greens.

“My goodness,” says Dr. Browne. “ Why did he do such a terrible thing?”

“The reason for all this mess,” says Sheriff Green. “Is pure jealousy that's all.”

“About Mrs. Riley?” asks Dr. Browne looking curious.

“No,” says Sheriff Green. “About the Harvest Plenty Café.”

“That's plain silly,” said Dr. Browne. “Mr. Riley's Aunt Mable left him the café in her will.”

“I know she did,” said Sheriff Green. “Rudy just a jealous idiot that's all.

“To cause this much trouble is so unnecessary,” says Dr. Browne. “what will happen to Rudy now?”

“He's over in my jail,” says Sheriff Green. “He'll remain there until his court hearing.”

“I'm just glad no one died because of this foolishness,” said Dr. Browne.

“Then that would have been murder,” says Sheriff Green. “Well I'll be going back to the office now Dr. Browne.”

Glad you stopped in,” says Dr. Browne.

The rest of the hog weed plant was destroyed by the deputies. The county inspector ordered a through cleaning of the Harvest Plenty Café before it was allowed to reopen. The Riley's bought their produce locally from farmers in town. They learned their lesson about buying cheap produce because they found out first hand that you get what you pay for. The people who got sick from eating the house salad were all in good health. Thanks to Dr. Browne and his determination to find the true mystery behind the mysterious illness of Palmer's Grove.