She laughs, “That sounds great, thanks Dr. Owens.”
“You get some rest Dr. Ballenger you look exhausted.”
“Thanks something you should always tell a woman.”
Dr. Owens laughs, “I am a charmer that’s for sure. Let’s schedule another call in a few days, unless one of us has a breakthrough.”
“Sounds good,” Raven says and ends the Skype call. Trudging back to the on-call room, she lays down on one of the beds there and tries to close her eyes. Thoughts swirl through her mind one after the other. Are there more infected out there? Was he able to infect others before he was caught? Will her friends survive?
Raven sighs and gets up she isn’t going to sleep there is no reason to lay in this bed and stare at the ceiling. A cup of tea and more research is in her future.
“Hey, I thought you were going to go get some rest?” She looks up from her phone to see Blade sitting at the table with his laptop and a cup of coffee.
“Tried, couldn’t sleep.” She takes a cup down and fills it with water before popping it into the microwave.
“I think I might know why our last serum failed.” She says taking the hot water out of the microwave and dropping a tea bag into it.
“Does your brain ever turn off?” He asks, turning around to face her.
She leans against the counter, taking a sip of her tea. “Nope. I think it has to do with the way that the virus infects its host.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I think that the antibodies don’t have time to multiply enough to fight the virus. I think it was designed to multiply rapidly even though it kills the host quicker that way. They solved the problem of being able to infect a lot of people by giving it a long incubation period as well as having it be able to survive outside of the body for a longer period of time.”
“So, if we can overcome that, we might be able to have a way to fight it. Any good ways to do that?”
She sighs and sips her tea, “None that I can think of.”
“You really need to rest. Your brain is an amazing thing, but it won’t work properly without rest.”
She grins at him, “Not true, I once worked three days straight as a resident, my brain still worked fine.”
“No, your brain worked at the average intelligence of the rest of the human population. We need you at your most brilliant.”
She raises her eyebrows, “Was that a compliment Master Chief?”
He stands up, caging her in between his arms and the counter.
“It was a fact, Dr. Ballenger. I can think of a few ways that we can work out some adrenaline and anxiety.”
She really likes him and what would it hurt to give in? He was a handsome, intelligent, successful man. She could do a lot worse.
“Oh, really and what would that be?” She grins up at him.
He starts to lower his head when the door to the break room swings open.
“Seriously we have the worst timing,” Blade says, resting his forehead on hers.
“I am sorry to interrupt but something is wrong with Maggie.”
Blade moves back, and she shifts back to professional mode.
“On our way, thanks, Carrie.” Raven walks out and swiftly down the hall to the on-call room. She puts on her PPE, and runs to where the isolation rooms have been set up.
“Get me out of here.” She hears a scream, and then a crash as something is being thrown against a wall. She skids to a stop in front of the isolation room and what she sees has her mouth drop open.
Maggie, her friend who is normally so sweet and kind is standing in the middle of the room her face red with anger. Sores stand out on her arms weeping blood.
“Get me out of here! I can see you. I am going to tear this place apart.” She screams again, and there is another crash as she throws her dinner tray at the window.
“What is going on?”
“It’s the next stage of the virus. We think it has to do with the DNA from the virus that they used to try to weaponize the Ebola strain. It causes extreme violence. Dr. Owens said there had been reports of this in Africa.”
“He talked about aggression in the patients, but this is extraordinary.” She whispers as she watches Maggie’s chest heave with the exertion. They had to stop her before she was going to harm herself. Her body didn’t need any other wounds to deal with.
“We are going to have to sedate her,” Blade says, his mouth set in a grim line.
“I am not sending my people in there she will attack them the chance of someone getting infected is almost certain.”
“I know and you are not going to like this part, but it is the only way.”
“What is the only way?” Raven says watching her once sweet friend scream and throw her body against the door.
“We are going to have to use a tranquilizer gun.”
“Like with animals?”
“It is the only way to get her sedated without someone else getting infected. If we send someone in there, she will fight scratch possibly bite and they might not be able to get the sedative into her fast enough. We have one that will take effect in 10 seconds.”
“How is that possible? I have never heard of such a thing.”
“It is something Dr. Owens developed for another virus that caused aggression. It is the only choice we have.”
Raven just closes her eyes and nods. She knows that he is not asking her permission, he is in charge after all just preparing her for what is to come. She appreciates the gesture, he is a good man underneath all that commanding authority.
“Ok, do you think there is still a chance that we can save her?” She whispers.
“If we find a cure quickly, there is still a chance, he whispers.
“I will stay here you go and grab what you need.” She watches as her friend beats herself against the door again and again. She lets one tear trickle down her face. The woman with the bright smile and jokes is gone. All that is left is an aggression shell. She hoped that they find a cure and she could have her friend back.
Chapter 8 ~Blade
Blade walks back to the isolation room holding the tranquilizer gun over his shoulder. He hates that he has to do this to a friend of Raven’s, but she will harm herself if they don’t stop her. It is impossible to treat someone in this state.
He walks up to the room and he can see the terror and sadness in her eyes.
“I am sorry Raven if there was any other way.”
“I know just do it.” She says standing at the window, folding her arms in front of her.
“Ok, you know the drill guys when she goes back for another strike pop the door, I will shoot the tranq, and then we wait.”
He holds his breath as Maggie staggers back for another run at the door. There is a large hiss as the airlock is unsealed. He takes aim and fires the dart. He hits her in the neck, and she screams, reaching to pull the dart out.
The life goes out of her eyes as she slumps to the floor. He takes a deep breath and then enters the room picking her up and laying her back in the bed.
“We need a nurse in here to hook her back up to the IV’s and then run a drip of whatever heavy sedative you think is most appropriate.”
“Push 2mg Haldol once an hour,” Raven says and then walks back down the hallway.
She turns and looks at Blade.
“Give it to me straight I need to know the timeline of how the disease progresses.”
He sighs this is the one thing he didn’t want to tell her.
“Phase one is the low-grade fever, Phase two is the sores that we saw, Phase three confusion and agitation.” He pauses, and she glares at him.
“Then what Blade I am not a baby I can handle it what comes after phase three.”
He looks her straight in the eye his voice emotionless, “Phase four bleeding from orifices, and follicles basically any spot the body can bleed from, organs liquefy, and death.”
“How long do we have?”
“At most 3 days if we can
’t find something to slow the virus.”
“Then we need to get back into the lab and find a serum.”
She turns on her heel and walks swiftly down the hall to the lab. What he didn’t tell her is based on the legions and the severe aggression Maggie was too far gone to save.
****
“It has to do something with the proteins I just wish I could figure it out.” She paces in front of him as he turns from his own microscope.
“That is what Dr. Owens, and I speculated but there doesn’t seem to be a way to get past that part. Whoever created this knew what they were doing.”
“I feel like it is right there staring me in the face, if I try hard enough, I can reach out and grasp it but each time I try it floats away.”
“That’s because you are exhausted you need rest; we both need rest. Take a couple of hours down and then we will go at this again.”
“No, I can’t Maggie is dying, Elizabeth is dying I need to figure this out so I can save them.”
He takes her by the shoulders and gives her a little shake, “It is not going to matter if you are so tired you can’t think straight. Taking a little rest is the best thing you can do for them, Raven. Trying to fight through the tired isn’t helping anyone.”
She glares up at him, and he matches her stare. He is not going to let her work herself into the ground. It isn’t just that he cares about her, but they need her sharp to help figure this out. He has the sneaky feeling that the terrorist they caught wasn’t the only one. It doesn’t make sense. They would have used more than one person planted them in other large cities to make sure they had success.
“You are going to rest. I am going to rest. It is not only about these people here, Raven, but we also have no idea if this has spread or if there were other terrorists. We need to find a cure and soon.”
She sticks her chin out and gives him a mulish look. At any other time, he would think it was adorable. He is used to people obeying his orders without question, and she is not complying.
“That is all the more reason to keep working.”
“If you don’t take a few hours down I will remove you from the team.”
Hurt flashes across her eyes and he regrets it, but he needs to do what is right for the greater good and he needs her sharp.
“Fine.” She says through gritted teeth and storms out of the lab.
He follows her, he needs to find his own flat surface and turn his mind off for a while.
Chapter 9 ~Raven
Raven comes out of the on call room and goes to the lab. She owes Blade an apology he was right she needed sleep. The few hours that she allowed herself to rest has sharpened her mind, and she feels refreshed and ready to get back to trying to find a way to help her friends.
She walks in and sees Blade hunched over a microscope.
“Hey, didn’t you take your own advice?” She asks softly, standing behind him.
He turns around and smiles at her, “I did, I have only been here a few minutes. Do you feel better?”
“Yes, thank you I appreciate you making me take a rest, I needed it I just didn’t want to admit it.”
His smirk conveys the told you so that he isn’t saying.
The door to the lab pushes open and one of the nurses come in.
“You need to come now it’s Maggie.”
Raven looks into the other woman’s eyes and sees her worry.
“Raven, you might not want to see. This last stage can be a bit ugly.”
Raven shakes her head, “She would be there for me. Is she still going to be violent?”
He shakes his head “No, she should be at least somewhat back to herself, it is the worst part of the disease.”
Raven turns to the nurse, “Back off the Haldol and push as much morphine as is deemed safe, I don’t want her to feel any pain if that is possible.”
“I will get right on its Dr. Ballenger.” The nurse leaves.
“She is going to make it Blade, she is strong.” Raven hates that her voice quivers.
“Just let it out, it’s ok to feel.” He opens his arms and she walks into them. Her sobs wracking her body as his big strong arms come around her. She feels safe and protected, wishing she could hide in his embrace and not have to face this stage of the virus to see her friend in pain and afraid. She straightens and backs up. That is not who she is. Dr. Raven Ballenger doesn’t hide from the hard things she faces them head on. She would reassure Maggie and then she would find a cure. She wasn’t going to let Maggie’s daughter grow up without a mother.
“Let’s go get on our PPE and see her.”
****
“Raven is that you?” Maggie opens her swollen eyelids and looks up at Raven.
Her eyes are bloodshot, bloody tears running down her face.
“Yes, it’s me.” She says softly, gripping her friends’ hand. She had put on three sets of gloves and taped off the wrists of her suit. She would hold Maggie’s hand and she would reassure her friend. She wasn’t going to lose her. They were so close she knew it. There was just that final piece of the puzzle that they needed to crack.
“Thanks for the extra morphine.” She smiles, her lips bleeding and cracking. It is all that Raven can do to shove the feeling down to present that Ice Princess exterior of cool and calm. Maggie doesn’t need her grief along with everything else.
“I talked to Tom, and I saw Lilyann. She was dressed as a princess and so beautiful. Can you please look in on her every once in a while?”
“That won’t be necessary Maggie because you are going to get better, I am going to figure this out and you are going to live.”
The ice princess facade broke and a single tear slides down her face. Maggie had a husband a three-year-old daughter. She wished that they could trade places. Raven didn’t really have anyone to miss her, not a husband or a child.
“Of course, I will come by. The three of us can watch frozen and eat junior mints.”
Maggie laughs, the sound more of a gargle than a laugh. She coughs and blood runs down her face.
“Do you think there is a heaven? Somewhere I can go to look down on Tom and Lilyann?”
“Of course, but you are not going there you just need to hold on Maggie. The new serum isn’t a cure, but it should help you fight this better. I am sorry Maggie, you didn’t deserve this.”
“You do me one favor, Raven.”
“What is that?”
“You find happiness. Quit living for the job and find someone to love. Also find a cure for this. You are one of the smartest people I have ever met and if anyone can do it, you can.”
“I will, I promise, but you will be there to see it.”
“Tell Tom and Lillyan that I love them.” She closes her eye and takes one last rattling breath.
Raven listens and watches as the heart monitor continues to beep. She has slipped into a comatose state she is still hanging on but for how long?
Raven walks quickly out of the room stripping off her soiled PPE and putting it in the incinerator basket she stands in front of another nurse turning to make sure that wasn’t anybody fluids to be seen.
“You are good, Dr. Ballenger.” The woman whispers. Raven nods and walks to the showers. She needs to wash and make sure that nothing got through her suit.
Stripping off her scrubs she steps under the water grabbing the antibacterial soap and scrubbing every inch of her skin until it is red and raw. That task accomplished, she sits down on the shower floor and sobs. She cries for Maggie, Tom and Lilyann for all the people that love her that are out there hoping that she pulls through.
“Raven, you have been in here for a half-hour I am just checking to make sure that you are alive.”
She looks up at him through the film of water. She likes that he didn’t say if she was ok. He stands there in his scrubs.
“Are you clean?” She croaks out.
His eyes flash at her. “Yes, I just showered and put on fresh scrubs.
She pulls him under t
he water with her, pressing her naked body to his and fusing her mouth to his. She hungrily devours his mouth. His hands slide up her wet naked body and fist in her hair changing the angle of the kiss making her moan.
He tears his mouth from hers, looking at her through the curtain of water.
“Are you sure you want this?” He asks.
She knows what he is asking if this is her grief, a way to block everything. In a way yes, but she is tired of fighting her feelings for him she wants to feel alive.
“I am sure I want you Blade, I have wanted you since the first moment I saw you.”
He crushes his mouth back down on hers, his hands going to her breasts rubbing her nipples.
The sensation lights a spark in the core, and she is instantly wet. She moans against his mouth as he pushes her against the shower wall, discarding his wet clothes. Then he is standing there in front of her and she can hardly wait for him to be inside her.
She runs her hands down his powerful shoulders, muscular chest and down his six-pack abs and fists his cock making him moan.
“I want you inside of me now.” She growls at him.
“Soon enough, but I want to play with you a bit first.” She growls out her frustration as he runs his hand down her stomach and into her folds. He flicks her clit, and she feels herself gush into his hands.
“You are ready for me.” He murmurs against her ear as he inserts one finger inside of her, stretching her. She moans and hooks a leg around his hip, letting all of her grief and sadness fall away. It is just her and Blade in this moment.
A second finger joins the first, and he begins to glide them in and out of her.
“You are so tight and wet Raven I love the feel of you.” He whispers in her ear.
She grinds herself against his fingers, her orgasm just out of reach.
He moves his fingers and she whimpers, making him chuckle.
He braces her against the wall, bringing her legs up to wrap around his hips.
She feels him at her entrance, and he watches her as he slowly slides into her. The pleasure is intense and immediate as he pushes himself into her and then slowly out gliding back into her.
She pushes her hips against him and grinds her hips against his. She doesn’t want this slow glide, she wants fast and hot.
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