After the Cure

by Deirdre Gould

Nella sat on the cold cement steps in her best suit. The gauze on her hand had been replaced by a single bandaid. She tried not to scratch it. She had spent the night rereading her notes on Robert Pazzo and Ann Connelly while trying not to worry about what would happen after court.

  She had a nervous headache and the raucous calls of returning birds made it worse. After the human population of the City had plummeted, the bird population exploded. They filled the silent world almost the same way that television and radio had filled it before. Nella tried to block it out, but it occasionally poked through, drowning her thoughts in competing songs. She was too restless to wait for Frank inside and too nervous to contemplate being late.

  She jumped up as his car rounded the corner and pulled up in front of the building. He got out, not realizing she was already waiting for him. His suit fit perfectly and Nella wondered for a moment how he managed to find it, as gaunt and tall as he was. But then he was next to her, his face cheerful and relaxed. How did she ever think he was ugly? Perhaps it wasn't his face, but the covering of guilt he threw over himself every time he was self conscious that did it. The thought flitted through her brain so quickly she only understood a part of it.

  "Are you ready?" he asked.

  "Yes, let's go," she picked up the heavy hiking pack next to her, trying not to wrinkle her jacket. She was surprised that he didn't say anything about it, but just opened the large trunk for her. Then she saw a similar pack already lying on one side.

  "Frank," she said turning toward him, "You can't-"

  He pulled the pack gently from her shoulder and laid it in the trunk and looked at her. "It'll be alright," was all that he said and then closed the trunk and walked back toward the driver's seat.

  "Are you nervous?" he asked in a bright tone.

  "Aren't you?" She slid into the passenger side and smoothed her suit so that her fingers wouldn't tap and dance along her knee.

  "Yes, but I'm ready for this whole thing to move forward."

  They rode the few minutes to the courthouse in comfortable silence. Nella was relieved to see her car already in the lot next to Sevita's camera van. It meant both Christine and Sevita were already there. She brushed her skirt down as she stood next to Frank's car and straightened her cuffs.

  "You look fine," Frank said without her asking. He curled one hand around hers and she looked up at him. "It's going to be alright Nella, just trust me." Then he let her go and they walked separately toward the courthouse steps as if they didn't know one another.

  Nella drew a quick whistling breath through her teeth when she saw the number of people in the auditorium. They had expected many spectators, converting an old concert hall into a courtroom, but Nella wondered who was left outside, making what was left of the world run. Not only was every seat filled, but people were packed into the aisles as well. If someone really wanted to, she thought, they could take out the rest of humanity right now. With, say, another bacteria. She felt her heart thud as if it were being dropped down a flight of stairs. She scanned the hall as well as she could, not even knowing what she was looking for. Eventually the bailiff, a cranky looking older woman, came to find her.

  "Are you Dr. Rider?" the bailiff asked.

  "Yes, I'm sorry, were you looking for me?"

  "I've got a seat set aside for you away from the mob up here. It will make it easier when you need to testify. Follow me."

  Nella followed the willowy woman who knifed her way through the crowd. Nella struggled to squeeze through gently. She was pleased to see that she was close to Sevita and only a little way in front of Christine and the large black cameras. It made her less nervous to know that her friends were nearby. If something is going to happen, the bitter part of her brain added, at least we'll all go together. Nella tried to shut the thought out, looking for Frank at the defense table below her. She could see Mr. Grant looking sleek and wearing a self-satisfied smile. She wished Frank didn't have to sit next to him. Ann was already sitting next to Grant, obviously unsedated, but Wells and Johnson were both behind her and they kept her from harming herself and seemed to be consoling her. Dr. Pazzo was crouching in his seat, a grim gargoyle surveying everything around him. Nella felt the skin on her neck prickle again and she looked quickly away from him. Frank's seat was empty. He wasn't near the Judges' bench either. Nella looked over toward the prosecution. A few aides were sitting there, already taking notes on nothing. But Ms. Jacobsen, the lead prosecutor, was nowhere to be seen. Nella leaned over toward Sevita.

  "Has the prosecutor arrived yet?" she whispered.

  "Yes, everyone is here."

  "Where are they?"

  Sevita shrugged, "It looked like Frank and Ms. Jacobsen were taken to the judges' chambers before you sat down."

  "Why not Mr. Grant?"

  Sevita shook her head. "I've no idea. No one has made any announcements."

  Frustrated and anxious Nella sat back in her seat. She started to scan the court again fretfully, but then she zeroed in on Pazzo. For some reason her gut told her he knew more about what had happened, what might happen, than anyone else in the court did. She paid attention to who he looked at, his expressions, even his reactions to Ann and Mr. Grant beside him. The crowd was a wave of warmth behind her. It was so foreign to hear so many voices at once that Nella had a hard time concentrating. She followed threads of talk until they disappeared into the tangle of noise again and then she'd refocus on Pazzo and the empty chair beside him.

  At last there was a snowy pop as the microphones were switched on and the crowd sat down immediately. They leaned forward, craning and silent, a flock of starving birds hovering over the killing floor. Nella felt mildly sick. Judge Hawkins, the head justice, walked up to the central microphone. "I would like to request that Dr. Rider and Ms. Das come to the judges' chambers please," he said without sitting down. He held up his hands as the crowd rustled and sighed in a great wave. "Folks, we'll be starting as soon as possible." Judge Hawkins turned around and left the court room, his robe trailing rumour and panic behind him. Nella got up and shot Sevita a nervous glance. Sevita just shrugged. They followed the slim, cranky bailiff back into the hallway and down the stairs to the auditorium basement. She rapped briskly on a wooden door and then opened it for Nella and Sevita. Ms. Jacobsen was arguing loudly with one of the other justices as the door opened.

  "-don't even know if it's true. This is just another ploy by Mr. Courtlen or his client to delay this trial-"

  "Ms. Jacobsen," interrupted Judge Hawkins, "that's hardly fair. Mr. Courtlen has not asked for any postponements before now, unlike yourself and Mr. Grant," he held up his hand to stop Ms. Jacobsen's interruption, "Not that I'm ready to grant it. Ah, Dr. Rider, Ms. Das, I understand you may be able to help us verify Mr. Courtlen's story."

  Sevita tried to catch Nella's eye, but Nella was too shocked to pay attention. "Your Honor," she stuttered, "I'm not sure what you mean."

  "Dr. Rider," Judge Hawkins replied, "I understand you and Mr. Courtlen very recently uncovered the possible existence of a more powerful strain of the Plague, but are still trying to discover its whereabouts."

  Nella stared at Frank, who didn't look toward her. She didn't dare deny it. "We agreed that in the interest of keeping all of us safe, that we would keep it secret. We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands if it hasn't already."

  The other justices and Ms. Jacobsen gasped as Nella spoke. Judge Hawkins alone, did not seem shocked. "I know, Dr. Rider, and I agree with you. Which is why the people in this room are the only ones who will hear of it until the threat is contained. Is that understood?" He looked at each of the others.

  "But surely the military should be notified," said Ms. Jacobsen.

  "Believe me," Sevita said, "We've discussed that at length. I'd give my left arm to take that route rather than what Nel- Dr. Rider has planned. But if we notify the military it will have to go through several people before an
y action at all is taken, and every person it goes through is a potential leak to the outside world. Someone out there knows where this thing is. The only hope we have of stopping it is making sure whoever has it doesn't realize that we know about it."

  Ms. Jacobsen crossed her arms. "So far, I've heard no evidence that this bacteria is anything more than a stalling attempt by Dr. Pazzo."

  "Ah," said Frank, "I think Ms. Das and I can help with that." He pulled a video disc from his briefcase and Sevita rummaged around in her camera back and brought out another.

  Frank tapped his disc on his open palm. "Your Honors," he said, "the disc in my hand contains evidence pertinent to the trial. In the interest of safety I am turning it over now, but I trust you will view it without prejudice and allow me to properly introduce and screen it in court when the time comes. The disc Sevita has contains an interview with Dr. Carton- one that you may find shocking that also pertains to Dr. Schneider's trial when and if she is ever found."

  The justices turned to one another and talked in hushed voices. While they waited, Ms Jacobsen walked over to Nella and Sevita. "Look," she said in a low voice, "I like Frank, but if I were him I would do everything I could to delay the trial too. But you have no vested interest in either defendant, correct?"

  Nella shook her head. "No, we were both appointed because we were meant to be neutral parties."

  "Then if you tell me this super bacteria is out there, I'll withdraw my objection to postponement," she looked distraught, "look, I'm begging you to tell me this is just a ploy. I've got kids- everything is just getting put back together."

  Nella placed a warm hand on the prosecutor's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said, "I wish I could say it wasn't true, but everything seems to verify that this bacteria is not only real, but is also missing from where it's supposed to be. We have to find it. Or find Dr. Schneider. Or both."

  Ms. Jacobsen nodded, visibly paling. She stepped back and cleared her throat. "Your honors," she said, interrupting their discussion, "I withdraw my objection. You don't need to rule on watching the videos, they can be shown in their proper place."

  Judge Hawkins looked surprised. "Very well," he said, "all that's left is to decide what should be done and how long to keep the world in the dark about it."

  "We have a plan for that," Frank said quickly, before Nella could speak up. "The best place to start is by looking for Dr. Schneider."

  "We've been looking for her for years," Ms. Jacobsen said.

  "I know, but Dr. Carton gave us new information. We think she is headed back to his old laboratory to destroy the sample. But someone else got there first and the sample is gone. Dr. Schneider is the only one who knows if someone else could have discovered what it was or wanted to use it. We have to find her to find the sample."

  Nella watched one of the justices sink down into a chair as if he were suddenly twenty years older. The others looked just as grim.

  "Since myself, Dr. Rider and Ms. Das were the only people to know about it, we had planned on going after her ourselves. But we can't be here and there at the same time."

  "What about Dr. Carton?" Judge Hawkins asked, "You said he was the one who told you about Dr. Schneider. What if he warns her? Someone has to watch him while you are gone." He turned to Sevita. "Mr. Courtlen said it was your surveillance of his house that got you an interview. Could you do it again without being seen?"

  "Sure," said Sevita, "but not by myself. While we were there we found an underground entrance that Dr. Schneider has been using to pass in and out of the house unnoticed."

  "I've suddenly found myself with some free time," Ms. Jacobsen said dryly, "I can help you watch the other entrance."

  "The only other people to know are the defendants, correct?" asked Judge Hawkins.

  "As far as we know," Frank replied.

  "Then the other judges and I are probably the best people to keep an eye on them. We'll make an extensive inspection of the prison in order to make sure they are being treated as they ought and we'll keep our ears open," Judge Hawkins sighed and shook his head, "If this were a decade ago I'd have to arrest all three of you for withholding evidence and then call in the CDC. But I guess things change. I don't like it. Especially sending two people alone into a heavily Infected zone. But I don't see any real alternative without causing a panic, does anyone else?"

  The other justices shook their heads.

  "Then I guess we are agreed. I'm going to allow a postponement. I want you to leave those videos with the bailiff to keep. If either of you is not back in ten days, I'm going to use them to find out where you've gone and I'll be sending in the military. Please get back here by then whether or not you've found anything. I'm going to tell the court that this recess is due to illness." He turned toward one of the older judges, "Richard, will you stay here and be our flu victim?" The older judge nodded and remained in his chair looking drained.

  Judge Hawkins looked sternly around at each of them. "I hardly need to tell you all that this is secret. If anyone breathes a word of it before Mr. Courtlen and Dr. Rider get back- well, the panic you create will be worse than anything that I can do to you, but I will throw the book at you as hard as I can." He straightened his collar, "Okay then, let's go."

  Nella and Sevita walked back to their seats, pressing themselves through the roar of the impatient mob. Frank and Ms. Jacobsen walked back to their seats. Ms. Jacobsen looked a little pale, but nothing else was visibly different. Frank didn't look at Dr. Pazzo and his face was impassive and quiet. Nella watched Dr. Pazzo almost exclusively. The crowd went silent and stood as two of the three judges walked to the bench. There was a traveling rustle as everyone sat again. Judge Hawkins tilted the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "This court is in recess for one week as Judge Crag has taken seriously ill. We will reconvene after he is well. Thank you." The judges got up and walked out of the courtroom as the crowd exhaled in a deep, expanding rumble. Nella saw the slow grin she had been waiting for unfold on Dr. Pazzo's face. Her throat clenched with sudden fear. Frank didn't look at his client or Mr. Grant. He just packed his case files and turned to glance up at her. Nella rose from her seat as his gaze hit her, and they both left the courtroom through opposite doors.

  Nella found Christine on the edge of the sluggish clot of people in the auditorium lobby. She pulled her friend past Sevita, who was pretending to interrogate Frank for her camera and the crowd. Nella walked with her hand in the crook of Christine's elbow until they got to the relative quiet of her car.

  "I know Sevita has told you," said Nella, and she pressed a key into Christine's hand, "You already have the car key and the apartment key. I want you to use them if you need them. If we don't come back, or if something else gets back before us, this is the key to the gun chest in the bedroom closet. Chris, if it starts again, don't hesitate. It's not going to get cured next time. They're not going to come back anymore."

  Christine's hand closed around the key. "What about you?" she asked, "Won't you need them?"

  Nella shook her head. "I've got Cure darts for getting there. I don't want to hurt someone who can be helped. I'll take a pistol, just in case, but if this thing is loose- well, I'd rather not see what happens if it's too late. If you hear anything, if Sevita starts talking about hearing rumors or the scavenging teams come back with weird stories- anything like that Chris, find somewhere airtight and hole up as best you can for as long as you can."

  Christine hugged her tightly. "Good luck, Nella."

  Nella gently patted Christine's stomach. "See you soon baby. Be safe Chris, and make Sevita be safe too," she said and walked over to Frank's car. He was already waiting for her. She wished she could say goodbye to Sevita, but the crowd was still thick around her and her camera crew.

  "Ready?" asked Frank.

  "Let's go," she said grimly and slid into the car.

  The Road to the Infected Zone