Particles in the Air


 
 
 
 PARTICLESIN THE AIR
 JENNA PODJASEK, MD
 
 
 
 Copyright: Jenna Podjasek, MD 2021. All rights reserved
 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote passages in a review.
 Cover Design: Alex Kirby
 Interior Design: TracyCopesCreative.com
 Author Photo: Megan Drane, fireflynightsphotography.com
 Particles in the Air Title Info
 978-1-61088-537-9 (HC)
 978-1-61088-538-6 (PB)
 978-1-61088-539-3 (Ebook)
 978-1-61088-540-9 (PDF)
 978-1-61088-541-6 (Audiobook)
 Published by Bancroft Press
 “Books that Enlighten”
 410-358-0658
 P.O. Box 65360,
 Baltimore, MD 21209
 www.bancroftpress.com
 Printed in the United States of America
 
 
 To Rebecca Petschke, 1954-2012
 
 
 Contents
 Prologue: Mission Beach, San Diego, CA
 Chapter 1: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA Day –50
 Chapter 2: Paragon Genomics, Malmö, Sweden Day –50
 Chapter 3: Cynthia and Robert Hayes’ Residence, Atlanta, Georgia Day –47
 Chapter 4: Holdings Condominium Complex, Malmö, Sweden Day –47
 Chapter 5: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA Day –43
 Chapter 6: Paragon Institute of Sweden, Malmö Day –42
 Chapter 7: Holdings Condominium Complex, Malmö, Sweden Day –40
 Chapter 8: Alexi Place Luxury Apartments, Atlanta, Georgia Day –39
 Chapter 9: Holdings Condominium Complex, Malmö, Sweden Day –38
 Chapter 10: Holdings Condominium Complex, Malmö, Sweden Day –33
 Chapter 11: Skane Housing Estate, Malmö, Sweden Day –19
 Chapter 12: 5 Roslin Street, Malmö, Sweden Day –6
 Chapter 13: Central Network Station Headquarters, Los Angeles, CA Day –3
 Chapter 14: Alexi Place Luxury Apartments, Atlanta, Georgia Day –3
 Chapter 15: Holdings Condominium Complex, Malmö, Sweden Day –3
 Chapter 16: Sturup Guesthouse, Malmö, Sweden Day –2
 Chapter 17: Pineview Apartments, 6C, Malmö, Sweden Day –2
 Chapter 18: Pineview Apartments, Malmö, Sweden Day –2
 Chapter 19: Holdings Condominium Complex, Malmö, Sweden Day –2
 Chapter 20: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA Day –2
 Chapter 21: Sturup Guesthouse, Malmö, Sweden Day –2
 Chapter 22: Mission Beach, San Diego, CA Day –1
 Chapter 23: Airspace, North Atlantic Ocean Day –1
 Chapter 24: Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, CA Day +16
 Chapter 25: Las Colinas FEMA Temporary Relocation Camp Day +18
 Chapter 26: Las Colinas FEMA Temporary Relocation Camp Day +22
 Chapter 27: Malmö, Sweden Day +22
 Chapter 28: Las Colinas FEMA Temporary Relocation Camp Day +22
 Chapter 29: 
 Prologue:
 Mission Beach, San Diego, CA
 Emily Williams, prone and relaxing on her beach towel, closed her eyes, her floral cover-up flapping in the breeze. Her book, momentarily forgotten, lay spine-up on the sand. The nearly deserted beach was quiet except for the waves lapping the shore. Her reverie was broken by the low voice of her boyfriend Matt.
 “It’s too cold,” he complained. “Let’s go.” They had been there more than an hour and his cheeks were flushed from the cool, salty air.
 She raised an eyebrow without opening her eyes. “You just want to go to my house because my parents aren’t home.”
 “Get your mind out of the gutter, Williams,” he said with mock innocence. “Maybe I just want to warm up. You have me out here freezing my ass off.”
 Emily sat up and hit him playfully on the arm. “I told you to grab a sweatshirt before we left.” Purposely changing the subject, she asked, “So, what do you think? A 4.1, 4.2?”
 “Hmm…I’m going to say a 4.5,” Matt said absently, gazing out at the navy-blue water. He leaned forward, pulling his towel out from beneath him, half-heartedly shook out the sand, and draped it around his shoulders while sitting back down on the damp sand.
 Born and raised in southern California, both Emily and Matt had grown accustomed to the occasional low-magnitude earthquake. So when they felt the mild trembling shortly after their arrival at the beach that morning, they acknowledged it with a shared, knowing look.
 As Emily propped herself up, she vaguely registered that there was something different about the water today. It had receded farther out