The mystery fumes are still extracting their toll. The unidentified poison that sickened the emergency room staff at Riverside General Hospital nearly eight weeks ago still will not loosen its grasp on Dr. Julie Gorchynski and nurse Sally Balderas.

Gorchynski and Balderas were the two most seriously injured by the mystery fumes the night that cancer patient Gloria Ramirez, a 31-year-old mother of two, was wheeled into Riverside General, complaining of nausea and breathing difficulties. She was in cardiac arrest and died 36 minutes later.

Two doctors, two nurses and two respiratory therapists fell sick. Some just got dizzy. Others collapsed outright, including Gorchynski, who was hospitalized for two weeks, and Balderas, who was hospitalized for 10 days.