It's not the carrier. I was
sick before it was given to me."

"You had something, we know that much, but was it this? Even granting
that you're right, it was in contact with you and may now be infected."

"I think life on this planet isn't bothered by the disease. The natives
have been every place I went and none of them seemed to have it."

"Didn't they?" said the doctor, going to the door. "Maybe. It's too
early to say." He reeled a cord out of the wall and plugged it into the
decontagion suit. He spread his legs and held his arms away from his
sides. In an instant, the suit glowed white hot. Only for an instant,
and it was insulated inside. Even so it must be uncomfortable--and the
process would be repeated outside. The doctor wasn't taking any chances.
"Try to sleep," he said. "Ring if there's a change in your
condition--even if you think it's insignificant."

"I'll ring," said Bolden. In a short time he fell asleep. It was easy to
sleep.

* * * * *

The nurse entered as quietly as she could in the decontagion outfit. It
awakened Bolden. It was evening. He had slept most of the day. "Which
one are you?" he asked. "The pretty one?"

"All nurses are pretty if you get well. Here. Swallow this."

It was Peggy. He looked doubtfully at what she held out. "All of it?"

"Certainly. You get it down and I'll see that it comes back up. The
string won't hurt you."

She passed a small instrument over his body, reading the dial she held
in the other hand. The information, he knew, was being recorded
elsewhere on a master chart. Apparently the instrument measured neural
currents and hence indirectly the progress of the disease. Already they
had evolved new diagnostic techniques. He wished they'd made the same
advance in treatment.

After expertly reeling out the instrument he had swallowed, the nurse
read it and deposited it in a receptacle in the wall. She brought a tray
and told him to eat. He wanted to question her, but she was insistent
about it so he ate. Allowance had been made for his partial paralysis.
The food was liquid. It was probably nutritious, but he didn't care for
the taste.

She took the tray away and came back and sat beside him. "Now we can
talk," she said.

"What's going on?" he said bluntly. "When do I start getting shots?
Nothing's been done for me so far."

"I don't know what the doctor's working out for you. I'm just the
nurse."

"Don't try to te