She’s driving. Buckets of rain splash the windshield of her SUV.

"Where are we going?" you ask, finally.

"Two Forks."

"I’m new here. Is that a town or a restaurant?"

She’s amused. "Town. Population 695. Our ranch is near there."

"Our?"

"My family’s."

"Tell me about your brother."

"He’s my younger brother, Cam. He got food poisoning. Salmonella. At the town Fourth of July celebration."

"Which type?" There are thousands.

"Salmonella paratyphi A."

That’s a nasty one, you think. "How is he?"

"Okay," she says. "But here’s the thing. My older brother Cord got food poisoning over Memorial Day. Also Salmonella paratyphi A."

"No one else has gotten it?" S. paratyphi A is very infectious.

"Not yet."

"Quite a coincidence," you say, and she nods.

Created by Ken Eklund, writerguy
A Science Mystery originally developed for Access Excellence

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