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Part II
OnesectionoftheteamssetupbyTarrouwasengagedinthetaskofpreventiveassistanceinover-populateddistricts.Theyweretryingtoencourageessentialhygiene,andwerecheckingoutloftsandcellarsthathadnotbeenvisitedbythedisinfectionsquads.Anothersectionofthehealthteamshelpeddoctorsduringhomevisits,transportedplaguevictimsandeven,later,whentherewerenolongeranytrainedstaff,droveambulancesandhearses.AllthisrequiredregistrationandstatisticaltaskswhichGrandhadagreedtodo.
Fromthispointofviewthenarratorthinks,evenmorethanRieuxandTarrou,thatGrandwastherealrepresentativeofthequietvirtuethatinspiredthehealthteams.Hesaidyeswithouthesitating,withhishabitualgoodwill.Heaskedonlytobeusefulinsmallways.Hewastoooldforanythingmorethanthat.Hecouldgivehistimefromsixintheeveninguntileight.AndwhenRieuxthankedhimwarmly,hewassurprised:"There’snothinghardaboutthat.Wehavetheplagueandwemustgetridofit.Ah,ifonlyeverythingweresosimple!"Andhewentbacktohissentence.Sometimes,intheevening,whenworkonthecardindexwasfinished,RieuxspoketoGrand.Eventually,theybroughtTarrouintotheirconversationandGrandconfidedinhistwocomradeswithmoreandmoreevidentpleasure.TheywereinterestedtofollowthepatientworkthatGrandcontinuedinthemidstoftheplague.Eventually,theytoofoundasortofoutletinit.
