[Jimbalaya]

She remembered the first time she had taken that hand. It had been strong and gentle, like Bella herself. The older woman had smiled at her, a beautiful smile, which immediately warmed all (add 'who' or 'that' here, maybe?)she bestowed it upon. Bella had been so full of life. The iron of her will was unmatched in her determination to be the voice of the plague refugees. A tear dropped on to the molted flesh, and Margo wiped it with her thumb, wishing she could wipe away the mark of the sickness with it.

“Good-bye Sweet Bella.” Margo breathed as the blue sheet was drawn-up, (not sure you need the hyphen or the comma here, but I'm an idiot so bust out the salt.) over the lifeless face. She watched the orderlies reverently transfer the body to a gurney and then slowly wheel toward the door.

The first orderly backed into the semi transparent membrane stretched across the entrance. It bowed slightly, resisting the pressure for one valiant moment, before ripping; reluctantly allowing the procession through; snapping back whole with an ugly sucking, slapping sound. (You totally dig thos semicolon's don't you?)

The arms that had held her in loss and triumph would never again consol or congratulate. (Awesome frickin' line!) Margo stood by the empty bed, a tear and a sniffle was all she would allow to show of the iceberg of her emotions. She had never felt so empty, so lost, and so frustrated.

“I’m sorry Margo.” Grant Now, Chief of staff, put a hand on her shoulder as she finished the required twenty minutes in the decontamination chamber. “Take the rest of the day off. I don’t want to see you around here till afternoon tomorrow.”

Got kind of a large space in here. I don't know if you are indicating a jump forward in the story (I think you are) or if it was an accident, of if indeed it was purposeful. Just wanted to point it out.

It took an hour to drive to the refugee camp at the edge of the Free Alliance Zone. 30,000 refugees displaced by the plague had come to the Free Alliance in hope to escape the United Coalition of Planets’ Quarantine Camps.

[quote]Margo parked her all terrain vehicle (in) the staff lot and picked up her “go-round,” a little cart powered by a combustion engine, with fat tires, that staff used to zip around the 30 square miles of the temporary habitat.
As she was driving, her hospital communicator chimed, Margo touched the ear bud to open the channel. “Dr. Ford,” she said briskly, wondering what sort of emergency could have voided Grant’s mandate of her leave. (not sure if you wanted to put a space between these paragraphs or not.)[/QUOTE]

Here are a few of the nits I found, Achele. And that's just what they are. Nits. This was a well written story. I'm not usually into the whole science-fiction genre, but this held my attention pretty well. You have a fine ability to show the reader the world you create. Nicely done here.