Do they know what's causing your illness? Is it a virus, an infection...something? [ She shrugs off the morbid concern, though. She's been damn near dead herself before. ] I'm always interested in people. People aren't always interested in me, granted, but...I like new people and conversations.

[ She nods at the question. ] It can. It's a bacterium, uh...mycobacterium, I think, but I'm not sure. But yes, being around an infected person means you can catch it, and they used to think it was unclean air.