Terminal Reaction Read online

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  Kevin Rogers was in his storeroom checking his inventories. This week he was the only member of staff manning the storeroom which consisted of a general store for items ranging from stationery to protective equipment such as gloves and lab coats. As with any organisation, there was also a need for paper towels, tissues, cloths etc. and he also maintained a supply of replacement glassware, vials, and general chemicals including solvents and basic reagents. The company had considered employing an assistant to help share the workload but it was a small company and money was tight. Management had been surprised that when asked, Kevin had maintained that he thought he could manage the workload single-handedly. He suggested that from time to time they could get someone on work experience from the job-centre, that would be sufficient in his opinion.

  Despite the senior team praising Kevin for his commitment to the company and his desire to work above and beyond the remit of his job they never matched it with any extra pay. Kevin however. had found a way to supplement his income and it was for this reason that he was quite happy to be the sole occupant of his storeroom. It was his domain, he was in charge and he had nobody to answer to. It hadn’t taken Kevin long to realise that many of the consumables as they were called like gloves, tissues, rolls of disposable cloths were unaccountable in the rate at which they were used. Once they were ordered and came on site they were supplied on request to the labs and no one ever questioned whether they were being used at a realistic or a rather too rapid rate. Thus Kevin had spotted an opportunity. Many of these items were now used in small companies like garages, the mechanics all wore disposable gloves nowadays, used paper towels and disposable cloths. Post-it notes were another highly saleable item, and his list was growing month on month. As long as he wasn’t too greedy he saw no reason for this to change. At first, he felt a bit guilty but then this dissipated as he felt the company owed him a bit extra. No way could he afford a flash car like some of those in the car park. His was over twelve years old. Without this extra bonus money, he and his wife wouldn’t even be able to afford a summer holiday and it was far from a luxurious one. They usually managed a couple of weeks in Spain in a basic apartment, having to cook cheap meals. The more he thought about it the more he felt he was entitled to this supplementary income and he did not feel guilty in the slightest.

  Chapter 4

  Bob knocked on Piers’ door and waited to hear the customary “come!”

  ‘Morning,’ said Bob entering the room.

  ‘Bob, hi, come in, coffee, I was just going to have one?’

  ‘No ta, I’ve just had a tea,’ he said flatly.

  ‘Oh, right, I’ll just ask Amanda to make me a coffee if you don’t mind.’

  ‘Be my guest, no matter to me,’ replied Bob.

  Piers popped his head outside his door to ask Amanda for his refreshments and then went over to the small table in his office where Bob was sitting quietly. Normally Bob would be looking at the papers he’d brought with him or making some notes on matters he wished to discuss. Today he seemed unusually detached, in a world of his own.

  ‘So, Bob, thanks for coming to see me, I wanted to discuss where we are up to with the clinical trial, phase one for our prototype BQ-561?’

  ‘It’s in hand, should be due to start in about two weeks,’ replied Bob, giving the minimum information to Piers.

  ‘Well that’s great, remind me which CRO are we using?’ The CRO was the Contract Research Organisation which would be handling the clinical trial. Participants would be selected in collaboration with the contract company in accordance with the design of the study.

  ‘It’s ClinTry, they have a good reputation. StourMed have used them in the past,’ Bob was again delivering just the required information to satisfy Piers, normally he would have talked expansively about the trial, how many participants it involved, dosing regime and so on. Piers felt like he was having to drag the information out of Bob, it was a real struggle. A brief respite from the tortuous discussion came in the shape of Amanda bearing Piers’ coffee.

  ‘Oh, thanks, Amanda, just what I need to wake up my brain,’ he joked. Bob remained unsmiling. ‘So how many participants do we have in this first run?’

  ‘Eight,’ replied Bob.

  ‘Eight, right, and what dosing are we using?’

  ‘Well I’ve got to work it out, but it’s a standard protocol, why, do you want me to go back and find the actual numbers?’ he said aggressively.

  ‘No, er, no don’t worry for the moment, what’s the safety margin we’ve established, remind me.’

  ‘We saw no effects up to two hundred milligrams in rat and dog. We are going to be way below those limits.’

  ‘That all sounds excellent, I just needed to remind myself. It’s been a busy time with recent events here. Frank leaving, Mel starting. Oh, by the way, have you spoken to Mel yet today?’

  ‘Yes,’ replied Bob, his face betraying no emotion.

  ‘She’s a lovely girl,’ added Piers forgetting that woman would have been more politically correct. ‘I’m sure she will be marvellous for the company. What are your thoughts, Bob?’

  ‘Don’t have any, I’m a biologist, not a bean counter.’

  ‘I think that’s a bit unfair Bob, Mel is far more than a bean counter, she’s full of ideas which could be a game changer for the company. Did she mention her vision to you?’

  ‘Not sure, I wasn’t really listening, she didn’t ask for my opinion,’ added Bob rather rudely.

  Piers started to look decidedly uncomfortable, his face flushed slightly. He sipped his coffee and there was an awkward silence. Bob started to gaze out of the window.

  ‘Bob, there’s something I need to mention and I hope I won’t upset you but as your employer and I hope friend, there’s something I can’t ignore any longer.’

  ‘What?’ asked Bob, raising his eyebrows.

  ‘Well, how can I put this, I’m rather worried about you, well we all are,’ and he paused to play nervously with his drink coaster on the table. Bob continued to stare out of the window. ‘We all have the utmost sympathy for you Bob, what happened was terrible, we had no idea your wife Joan was so ill. If we had known we would have suggested you took some time off before,’ and Piers paused, ‘well you know, before Joan passed away.’

  ‘Before she died you mean,’ said Bob aggressively.

  ‘Er, yes, before she died. We can’t imagine how you must be feeling. I’m more than happy for you to take some more time off, after all it’s only a week since, well, you know.’

  ‘Since she died, yes, eight days exactly. The funeral is on Thursday so I won’t be in.’

  ‘No, of course, absolutely, and don’t feel you have to come in on Friday either.’

  Bob frowned, ‘Friday? Why shouldn’t I be in on Friday, the funeral is on Thursday, we’ve just said that.’

  ‘Well, I just mean, well, perhaps you might need some time to yourself, with your children, that’s all.’

  ‘No I don’t think so, I’d rather be at work, carry on as normal.’

  Piers felt he wasn’t making any progress with this conversation. Bob was trying to present a stiff upper lip and it was admirable he wanted to get back to normal but it was not good if it was affecting his work. Piers had one last attempt, he felt it had to be said. ‘Bob, I don’t want to upset you any further but do you think you need to speak to someone, I mean someone in a professional capacity who might be able to help you at this time?’

  ‘What, a shrink you mean?’

  ‘Bob, no I don’t mean a psychologist necessarily but perhaps a counsellor. There’s no shame in accepting help, no stigma at all. The company would be willing to pay, well the health insurance to be exact would pay. I’d like you to think about it.’

  ‘Right, yes, well I’ve thought about it and the answer is no. I don’t need it, I’m fine, I want to get on with my work and if there’s nothing else I’d best get on,’ said Bob rising from his seat and gathering his papers.


  ‘Er, no, nothing else. My door is always open if you reconsider,’ said Piers wearily.

  Bob stomped out with his usual heavy gait letting the door swing closed under its own steam. Piers sighed and put his head in his hands. He’d anticipated it would be difficult but that was a complete disaster. Bob was an excellent scientist but they couldn’t afford any mistakes with this clinical trial in the offing.

  Chapter 5

  Nick’s meeting with Kirsty had been rather tense. They’d had some difficult issues to address and Kirsty’s immediate reaction had been defensive, then she’d burst into tears and claimed it wasn’t her fault she’d not had adequate supervision. Billie hadn’t time and everyone else was busy, they were still waiting for a replacement for Zac, she felt under pressure, and so it went on. Nick asked her to think about what he’d said and think about the safety aspect and how important that was for everyone. Eventually, they decided they would reconvene the next day when she’d had a chance to calm down.

  By 5 p.m. Nick decided he’d had enough of work and got ready to leave. The company had made it clear they didn’t mind if he worked shorter days whilst he was still recuperating. It would be a long haul and he often got headaches particularly in stressful situations. It all stemmed from the violent beating he’d had at the hands of Zac’s drug friends. As he had to drive back home he downed a couple of painkillers and decided to read something for a few minutes. However, staring at the small print was making his head worse and he couldn’t concentrate. He went back into the lab and decided to have a general tidy up and check if there was any need to top up supplies of anything. He liked tidying and organising things, it gave him a feeling of satisfaction and would take his mind off his headache.

  He surveyed the boxes of gloves and cursed as the medium and large sizes were down to the last box and were almost empty. The paper towel dispenser was also nearly empty, as was the supply of tissues and blue cloths. The large acetone solvent bottle which they used to wash up their glassware was also empty. And to add to his annoyance the small vials were down to a meagre supply. He wished people would take more interest in keeping things stocked, it always seemed to fall to him to keep things in good order. As it was now after 5 p.m. the storeman Kevin would have left by now so Nick decided to take a trip downstairs to replenish the laboratory supplies. Before entering he peered through the door just to check Kevin had actually left. As the coast was clear he went in and started to complete his mental shopping list.

  There was plenty of acetone solvent so he picked up a large bottle and placed it in a carrier. Vials were in plentiful supply so he put a box on the side. However, in the gloves section, there were only five boxes of medium and six boxes of large gloves. Why had Kevin let supplies run so low thought Nick, he wanted to take at least four boxes back with him, and that would leave hardly any for the whole company. He went over to Kevin’s desk and scribbled a note to order more gloves. He was similarly dismayed to see that the blue cloths were also down to the last few packets. He added those to the list. Suddenly he froze, he heard whistling. Shit he thought, that’s Kevin, no way did he want to be trapped with one of his long and rambling conversations. He was too late, Kevin rushed into the storeroom from the back door and suddenly stopped. He looked shocked to see Nick.

  ‘Hi, Kevin,’ said Nick, ‘you’re here a bit later than usual.’

  ‘Oh, yes, is that the time? Didn’t realise, just collecting my coat and bag.’

  ‘Whilst you’re here, just wondered if there’s a supply problem with a few things at the moment, gloves and blue cloths?’ asked Nick.

  ‘No, why?’ replied Kevin, suddenly he seemed lost for words. Normally a question like that would have provided ample opportunity for a long lecture on the current state of orders.

  ‘Well, it just seems that stocks are a bit low and you might be getting some complaints tomorrow unless there’s a delivery due in the morning.’

  ‘Oh, well I don’t know how that’s happened, must have been a rush for them from some of your colleagues,’ said Kevin. ‘Leave it with me, Mr Nick,’ and he smiled, more confidently this time.

  The fact that he had reverted to calling Nick with his title showed that he was annoyingly back to form and it signalled to Nick that it was time to leave hastily.

  ‘Well thanks, Kevin, hope that order comes in tomorrow,’ and Nick scurried back to his lab carrying the items he’d managed to collect.

  Kevin sat down for a few moments. His heart was racing. He would have to make sure he put in an urgent order for those items tomorrow but they wouldn’t arrive until Wednesday at the earliest. He’d been a bit lax in keeping supplies up but recently he’d been able to find a few more customers and had some deliveries to make tonight. Demand had been higher than he’d initially anticipated and as they were new to his little business he wanted to make sure he made a good impression. He was looking at about a fifty pounds bonus tonight which would come in very useful as his MOT on his car was due next month. He would have to watch that Nick though. Word on the grapevine was that Nick was a very nosy individual who made it his business to keep abreast what was happening even if it was outside his actual field of work. Perhaps that unfortunate incident a few months ago when he’d been arrested might have warned him not to poke his nose in too much. He sat and considered the situation, maybe he was reading too much into Nick’s questions this afternoon and it was a guilty conscience provoking these thoughts. Whatever the situation, it would mean he would have to be vigilant. One thing was for certain though, he was not going to curtail his sideline, after all, it was the company driving him to these activities. All he wanted was a decent wage for a decent day’s work. Stay strong he told himself, don’t assume anyone suspects anything, it will all blow over.

  Chapter 6

  Matt Pearson, former CSO of BioQex was at home reading some course notes for his part-time MBA which he had started just two weeks previously. After a couple of months away from the world of work he had decided that he felt ready to do some studying. He had also decided to gravitate towards the field of management and business instead of science. With his qualifications, he’d had no trouble being accepted for the MBA course at Persford University. Many academic institutions offered the qualification but the local university seemed as good as any. It meant that he would be able to attend lectures and meet his tutor without overnight stays which weren’t easy as they had a young son Toby who was still pre-school. His wife Emma had returned to her career as solicitor three days a week. So far the arrangement of Toby in nursery three days and Matt at home and studying part-time was working out well. He could be flexible with his course and so be available to take Toby to and from nursery. Once he was qualified Toby would be at school full-time. It might be necessary to employ a childminder to help with the hours before and after school but that was something for the future. They were just taking things one step at a time and enjoying having more time together as a family. The pressure of a senior position at BioQex had become increasingly stressful and uncomfortable for Matt as he had felt he wasn’t entirely suited for the role. The dramatic sequence of events which had played out earlier in the year could have cost him his marriage and all that was important to him. The tangled web in which he’d become ensnared had taught him a valuable lesson and would never be repeated. He felt he’d been given a second chance to rebuild his life and he was never going to go back down that path again.

  Naturally having spent the last twelve years or so involved with science and in particular pharmaceuticals, meant that Matt was still interested in the area in terms of new developments, mergers and takeovers and news about key people in the field. Each day he scanned the business news for press releases and alerts about upcoming drug launches or prototypes which had reached certain milestones. He still had shares and share options in BioQex and was pleased to see that the share price had gone from strength to strength since he’d left. When Brett Chandler had been appointed as his replacement it had taken a while to
get used to the idea and in truth, for the panic to subside. Somehow he just couldn’t picture Brett having the stamina or the ability to concentrate on the job, but against all the odds in Matt’s opinion, he seemed to be knuckling down and delivering the goods. The share price had nearly doubled since he’d taken up the helm which was great for Matt’s nest egg and for the company as a whole as the market capitalisation had increased markedly. But somehow Matt felt it was too big a rise in too short a time. It was true that they now had two promising compounds going forward but they were still highly indebted as all start-up companies tended to be. They had no revenue from established products and the prototypes were perhaps eight years from coming to market even if they managed to stay the course, and it was a big if. He looked at the share price graph and noticed some particular spikes in its upward trajectory. There was nothing particularly odd in that, it just meant that on certain days there had been some large purchases. Someone certainly had confidence in the company thought Matt.

  His mobile rang, it was his wife.

  ‘Hi, Emma, how’s your day going?’ asked Matt.

  ‘Great, that’s why I’m calling. I’m going to be back a bit earlier today, so I thought I’d let you know so that when you pick Toby up from nursery we could probably all eat together just before six. I thought it would be nice for once if we sat down together for a meal in the week rather than just at the weekend.’

  ‘That’s super,’ replied Matt, ‘I’ll tell Toby he’ll have to wait half an hour or so when he comes back and we will all eat together. I’ll give him some milk if he’s peckish.’