February 2020, Bedford Township, Colorado. Winter is in full bloom. The snow-covered mountains shimmer in the sunshine, which is a common occurrence even in the winter. Detective Benjamin Creager and his partner, Detective Alex Ritch, are at Stuby’s Coffee Shop having a cup of the special dark brew when Creager’s phone rings. He glances at the screen and wonders why his wife, Sheri, a nurse at Bedford Memorial Hospital, is calling. Why the call? Her shift just started––something’s not right.

“Hi, honey, what’s up?”

“You need to get down here quick. Several tribal members from the Reservation came in distressed and could barely breathe. Other members are congregating in the hallways, making demands. Some said the white man put a curse on them. We need help.”

“OK, Sheri, we’re on our way.” Creager turns to his partner and commands, “Ritch, call dispatch and alert them of the situation. Tell them not to respond to the hospital until we find out what is going on.”

Twenty to thirty Rez members are milling around the hospital entrance, and more inside as Creager pulls up. He blasts his siren and announces over his PA system, “Everyone, back to your vehicles.” Some follow Creager’s orders and begin to disperse. As they pass by the detective’s unmarked vehicle, Ritch notices several are pale, coughing, and appear to be sweating, although it’s barely above 40 degrees. “Creager, something’s wrong. These people are sick!”

“OK,” Creager responds. “Stay away from everyone while I call Sheri.”

“Are you here yet?” she asks. “These people are out of control. Many are complaining of a terrible headache and are coughing.”

“Yes, we’re out front. There are more sick people out here.”

 “I just got off the phone with the CBC,” Sheri continues. “They say there’s a pandemic brewing in several large cities on the east and west coast.”       

 “It’s probably too late, but all of you need to keep protective gear on. There won’t be anyone to take care of all these people if you guys get sick.”

“Yes, we have the necessary gear. Problem is, we may not have geared up in time.”

 “I’ll call the National Guard to see if we can get some medical tents set up in the parking lot.” Just then, Creager spots Chief Niwot, the Reservation tribal council leader.

“Chief, what happened here?”

 Out of breath and barely able to speak, Niwot replies, “This is terrible. We have already lost a dozen of our elders.”

“When did this start?”

“For the first time ever, the Chinese Ambassador to the US invited twenty of our youth to attend the Chinese New Year in Wuhan Province, China. Said they wanted to share their culture with the young Native Americans. They paid for everything: air flight, hotel rooms and even gave each teen three hundred dollars for food and trinkets. When the students returned home, a few were coughing and developing temperatures.”

Creager looks down as if clearing his head. “Oh yeah, now I remember. Melinda, from the Bedford Reporter, authored the article, ‘First Time Ever, Kids From the Rez Invited to China for Chinese New Year.’ All expenses were paid. So, what you’re telling me is that when the students arrived home, tribal members started getting sick?”

“Yes, Detective,” Chief Niwot, breathing heavily and barely able to speak without coughing, replies, “About a week passed, and we noticed everyone was coming down with sickness.”

“OK, Chief, take the tribal members who can make it back to the Rez. I’ll make some calls and get some help as soon as possible.”

Creager’s first call is to the governor’s office and then to Sheri’s longtime associate and the doctor who helped Benjamin with his PTSD challenge, Dr. Jex, in Denver. The governor wasn’t available, but Dr. Jex was extremely helpful.

Doctor Jex tells Creager. “I already know about the pandemic and have been prescribing ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. These two drugs have been around for many years and seem to be effective against this virus. I can send you as many doses as available and put out calls for more.” 

Two hours later, a van pulls into Bedford Memorial and is greeted by Sheri and her staff. As the shipment is being unloaded, Dr. Jex pulls up and rushes to Sheri’s aid. He also brought protective gear and plenty of disinfectants.

Dr. Jex and Sheri go to the location of the sickest patients and start the 155mg intravenous doses of hydroxychloroquine. They put the patients who are not immobile on a five-day course of ivermectin.

While they are doing that, Creager takes a nurse and several doses of ivermectin to the Rez and starts treating the tribal Rez members.

 Within a few days, a medical team from the CDC arrives with more staff and medications, including monoclonal antibodies. The CDC director thanks Dr. Jex and Detective Creager for their quick response. “Your quick action saved several tribal member’s lives and a possible total collapse of the local Reservation,” he tells them.

Feeling better, Chief Niwot also thanks Detective Creager and tells him that the Tribal Council is indebted to him.

But the situation is not over. The pandemic has now spread to hospital staff members and their families.