Mina nodded. “That can happen to anyone. I don’t think you should be alarmed.”
“Yes, but it didn’t happen over time. You have to realize from my perspective I was working in the lab furiously one day and woke up the next not sure how I feel about medicine.”
They all nodded again. Shelby spoke. “That makes sense. I’m sure it’s weird.”
All the sudden something exploded behind the three women standing in front of Emily. They all spun around to face the other side of the lab.
Emily’s heart raced, nearly jumping out of her chest. Flashes of the past made her knees week while the other three raced forward to assess the situation.
“Shit,” Michelle muttered.
Mina grabbed a broom from the small closet next to the door. “Stand still so I can get the glass swept up before one of us cuts ourselves.”
The door to the room flew open next. Ryan stood in the frame, gripping it. “What happened? It sounded like an explosion.” His gaze scanned the room before landing on Emily. His eyes widened farther. “Emily. You okay?”
No one seemed to notice he singled her out…except Emily. She noticed. Oh yeah. She definitely noticed. She nodded at him and yanked her attention back to the confusion as Mina swept and Michelle put on gloves and cleaned off the counter.
Shelby was leaning over the burner where the beaker had been sitting. Her brow was furrowed.
Emily thought she might faint. She’d been in this exact situation before. The day AP12 had escaped the sterile confines of a beaker, shattering in the same way and infecting everyone in the lab.
Her legs shook. She lowered herself onto the stool to avoid fainting.
Ryan was in her space in less than a second. “You okay?” he repeated.
She nodded, staring at the floor, fighting for oxygen. “What was in the beaker?” she whispered. This can’t be happening again. What if the substance was fatal? Again.
Ryan kneeled in front of her to line up their faces. His hands were on her thighs. Concern made him scrunch his eyes close together.
“Don’t worry,” Michelle stated from across the room. “I hadn’t added the solution to the beaker yet.”
Emily tried to breathe but couldn’t seem to get her lungs to work properly.
“Why did it explode like that?” Shelby asked. “There’s no reason for it. Everything is set properly. The calibrations are right. Do you suppose something was wrong with the glass?”
It was like the world had gone back a decade in an instant—ten years ago which was only months ago for Emily. She was sitting in this very lab again in the past but with a different team of scientists. Their words were eerily the same, though. She could hear the voices of her team even though all of them were currently preserved one story below her.
What caused the beaker to explode?
The burner was set properly.
This shouldn’t have happened.
Maybe there was something wrong with the glass.
At those last words, Emily slumped forward. She was aware of Ryan catching her, but she couldn’t stop herself from fainting.
Chapter 6
Ryan paced next to Emily while she slept fitfully in her bed. He’d carried her to an exam room the moment she passed out, but she’d come to as fast as she’d fainted. He was worried about her anyway. The entire time he’d been checking her vitals, she’d been batting him away, insisting she was fine.
Reluctantly, he’d escorted her back to her suite, and when she’d continued to argue she was perfectly fine, he’d finally convinced her to lie down for a while.
Then the pacing started in her tiny living room. He was also biting a thumbnail. His mind wandered to every possibility. Sure, people fainted, but he didn’t like Emily passing out. He wasn’t even completely sure where his stress originated. He kept telling himself her health was a direct indicator of what he could expect from his parents, but it was more than that, and he knew it.
He liked her. He cared about her. And he needed to admit to himself that his interest was starting to develop beyond a friendship.
A low moan coming from her open bedroom door made him spin around and stride in her direction. When he reached her side, she blinked her eyes open.
A moment later she rolled those green eyes. “Seems like I often find you hovering over me when I wake up,” she joked. “You didn’t have to stay here. I’m fine. I just needed a nap.”
He sat on the edge of her bed and grabbed her hand. “You scared me.”
She pushed to a sitting position against the headboard, squeezing his hand. “I’m fine,” she repeated again.
“What happened in there?” He wasn’t buying her story.
She sighed, glancing at her lap. She was tucked under the covers, still wearing her purple scrubs from earlier. Ryan had slid off her shoes when he tucked her in. “I had some sort of flashback.”
“What do you mean?”
“From when the beaker broke with AP12 in it. The entire scenario was eerily similar. Like a déjà vu with different players in the picture.”
“Right. I wasn’t there. I knew it had something to do with a broken beaker, but you’re telling me it happened just like that? It exploded? No one was even touching it?”
She nodded.
A shudder ran up his spine. “That’s absurd. How often do beakers break in the lab?” His question was rhetorical. They never broke. Not without human error, and his team rarely ever made mistakes. Too much was at stake. They were always careful, following every imaginable protocol.
“Never,” she agreed. “Not like that. As if the glass was too thin or the burner got too hot too fast or something.”
“Shelby said the settings were all correct on the burner.”
She shrugged. “I’m sure it’s no big deal. I just panicked. Too many similarities, and I saw my life flash before my eyes remembering when that virus escaped into the air and infected all of us. I kept picturing the same thing happening. I’m sure I overreacted out of fear.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about catching any viruses this time. Michelle confirmed no one had added anything besides water to the beaker yet.” He hoped his words would keep her from worrying, even though he himself was not going to let this go.
She shivered and released his hand. “I should get back to the lab. I don’t want to be a wuss.”
“You’re not going back today. You need to rest. You’ve been pushing yourself. It’s only been three weeks. No one expects you to move mountains.”
She took a deep breath. “It keeps me from thinking about other things. At least when I’m working, my mind doesn’t wander.”
“What’s bothering you?” he asked, setting his palm on her thigh.
“Nothing you wouldn’t expect. The usual. Even though I’ve been helping Michelle out, and Shelby and Mina are incredibly patient and kind to me, there are a lot of holes in my knowledge. Too much has changed in ten years. I’m way behind.”
“You were a dedicated medical professional before the preservation, and you can be again now if it’s what you want. It will just take some time to catch up.”
She chewed on her lower lip for a moment and then dropped it. “I’m not sure I want to catch up.”
He met her gaze. “That’s okay too. No one expects you to do what you did ten years ago if it’s not what you’re interested in now.”
“That’s the thing, Ryan. It wasn’t ten years ago. It was a few weeks ago from my perspective. Who goes to sleep and wakes up not interested in their profession the next day?”
He wasn’t sure what the right thing to say was. Obviously, she was really struggling with her future plans even though there was no need. She was getting ahead of herself.
“If I want to practice medicine again—I mean, really get back into the lab and work like I did before my preservation—I need to take some classes or even go to med school again. I’m totally out of my element.”
“You can do either of those things
, or neither. But you don’t have to decide today.”
She didn’t look convinced. “My mind wanders in a dozen different directions all the time. I used to be so focused. Now, I’m…well, not.” He could tell her smile was forced.
“When was the last time you ate?” he asked, thinking that also could have contributed to her fainting.
“I had breakfast.”
“Well, it’s late in the afternoon now, so how about we move to the other room, I’ll fix you a sandwich, and you can tell me about the things wandering around in your head.” He pushed to standing and held out a hand.
She looked a little pale, and then she flushed a slight pink as she took his hand. “I don’t think I can nail down specific things. I’m not that focused. Or I’m not sure I care about the same things.”
He pulled her to standing and grabbed her shoulders when she swayed.
“I’m good,” she insisted, stepping out of his grip and leading the way to the kitchenette.
In silence, he made her a sandwich and set it in front of her. When he took a seat across from her at her small table, he spoke again. “Talk to me.”
* * *
Emily took a bite instead and then a drink of water, trying to figure out what she might say to him. The truth was he was half the reason for her distraction, and she needed to stop kidding herself about it. She sure as shit wasn’t going to tell him, though.
Instead, she decided to make it short and sweet and change the subject. “I think it’s like I had a near-death experience, and it made me feel like I should lean back, take a breath, and reevaluate my life. No big deal.”
His gaze was narrowed as if he was trying to decide whether she was lying to him. “You did have a near-death experience, and you should take a breath.”
“See?” She sounded too cheery even to herself. “Hey, you drew blood from me in the lab this afternoon, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t even try to convince me you didn’t have someone check it for AP12.”
He grinned. “I did.”
“And?” Her heart rate picked up. His look was promising.
Ryan stood, rounded the table, and turned her chair to face him. He squatted to eye level as he cupped her face. “You’re all clear. No sign of AP12.”
The relief that flooded her system was instantaneous. She had forced herself not to worry about the possibility of the drug not working, but it had niggled in the back of her mind nevertheless from the moment she regained consciousness three weeks ago. All the air left her lungs as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace.
He cupped the back of her head and whispered in her ear, “It’s going to be okay. You can look forward now and stop worrying.”
If he thought the success of that cure was the only thing worrying her, he was out of his mind. It was just one item to check off the list. In fact, removing that concern instantly caused all the others to shove toward the top as if volleying for first place.
She closed her eyes and soaked in his comfort, leaning her cheek against his shoulder. They had held hands on several occasions. He had stroked her face or leg or arm many times. But this was their first full hug. It felt good. It calmed her, while at the same time it became one of the many items on her worry list rallying to be number one.
What the hell was the status of her relationship with Ryan?
Chapter 7
One week later…
“You’re pacing,” Ryan pointed out unnecessarily. He was sitting on her couch, feet on the coffee table, watching her wander around the small room.
She sighed as she turned to face him. “I can’t believe we’re going to call my parents. It’s surreal.”
“It’s time. If we wait any longer, it will get weird. There is no trace of AP12 in your system. You’ve been cleared to leave the bunker. You’re getting stronger every day.”
“Yeah. Temple has been encouraging me to go visit my parents, move on, find myself. I know she’s right, but it’s hard.”
He cringed inwardly. Temple was encouraging her to leave?
“My parents are going to have a heart attack. How do we keep from sending them into shock?”
He knew she was worried about the initial contact with them. They thought she was dead. “Come here.”
She took a deep breath and blew it out as she approached and plopped down next to him.
He took her hand and stared for a moment at their connection—dark against light, small against large. “That’s why I’m going to place the call. I’ll get them on the phone, give them the news, and make sure they’re sitting.” He smiled.
She nodded. “I think I’m going to faint.”
“Please don’t. I can’t take it again,” he teased, though he wasn’t kidding, and he realized his words gave away a few of his cards. Surely she realized how he felt about her by now. He had definitely left the friend zone, and he intended to talk to her about it soon.
She had too much on her plate right now to burden her with his feelings for her, though. It wasn’t fair. She had a thousand decisions to make, a family to reunite with, and a world to discover. She didn’t need the added pressure of a man who wanted to pursue her.
He released her hand and reached into his back pocket to pull out a cell phone. As he handed it to her, he spoke. “Got you something.”
Her eyebrows rose as she took it. “You got me a phone?”
“Yep. You need your own number. Now’s the perfect time to put it to use. We’ll call your parents on it.”
She palmed it, flipping it around in her hands as if he’d gotten her a diamond necklace. “You didn’t have to do that. I could have figured something out one of these days.”
He shrugged. “I wanted to do it. It’s no big deal. Now you don’t have to ‘figure something out.’ It’s done. Turn it on. You need to add your thumb print and then you’ll be in business.”
Five minutes later, she had two numbers programed in it—his and her parents’ home phone. She handed it to him. “Do it.” Her hands were shaking, and she wiped them on her pink scrubs as he placed the call.
It rang three times before a female voice spoke. “Hello?”
“Hello. I’m looking for Roger and Joy Zorich. Have I reached the right number?”
“Yes. May I help you?”
Ryan put the phone on speaker and lowered it between them so Emily could listen. “My name is Ryan Anand. I work for the government at the same facility your daughter worked at ten years ago in Falling Rock, Colorado.”
“Oh. Okay. I haven’t heard from anyone about Emily in years.” She sucked in a breath. “Do you have more information about what killed my daughter?”
“Is your husband there, ma’am?”
“Yes.”
“Can you have him pick up another line? I’ll tell you both at the same time.”
“Uh, okay. Hang on.” There was a muffled sound as she probably covered the phone with her hand.
Ryan met Emily’s gaze, her face pale, her teeth biting into her bottom lip. Her hands were fisted together in her lap. He wrapped both of his around hers and held her.
A moment later, another voice came on the phone. “Hello? This is Roger Zorich. What’s this about?”
“Ma’am. Sir. I have some news that will shock you.”
“Go ahead,” Joy stated.
“Your daughter, Emily, is alive and well. She’s sitting next to me right now.”
There was a gasp from both people.
“Is this some kind of prank?” Roger asked.
Emily cleared her throat. Her voice was weak when she spoke. “No, Dad. It’s me. Emily. I’m right here.”
Silence.
Emily’s gaze shot to Ryan’s, her eyes wide.
Finally, her mother spoke again. “Emily?”
“Yes, Mom. It’s me. I know it’s a shock, but I’m right here.”
“I don’t get it,” Roger stated. “You’ve been alive this entire time? The gove
rnment lied to us?”
“No.” She shook her head even though Ryan was the only person to see her. “You remember I was preserved, right?”
“Yes, of course.” Joy sounded skeptical. Not surprising.
“They brought you back?” Roger asked.
“Yes.”
Her mother started crying. “Oh God. I never believed that was really possible. I thought they were preserving you to study your body for science. Emily, is it really you?”
“It’s really me, Mom. I swear.”
“Holy shit,” Roger proclaimed. “I can’t believe it. Are you…okay?”
“Yes. I’m perfectly fine. The new team working on this project developed a cure for the virus I contracted and revived me. I’m totally healthy. The only thing weird is that I didn’t age. I won’t look a bit different to you.”
“God. Wow. Oh my God,” her mother said again. “When can we see you?”
“I was hoping you could come here. Is that possible?”
“Already packing my bag, sweetie. We’ll get in the car in less than an hour and be there by morning,” her dad said.
Ryan smiled as he wiped a tear from Emily’s cheek.
“I don’t want you to get in an accident, Dad. Slow down. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Sweetie, we wouldn’t even be able to sleep a minute knowing you’re alive. We’ll be there as fast as we can.”
Emily flipped her hands over and grabbed Ryan’s fingers, holding him tight. “Drive careful. I’m serious. If you get tired, stop for the night.”
“We’ll take turns driving,” Joy said, her voice excited. “I can’t believe it. Can we call you at this number? I’m going to go pack a few things, but as soon as we get in the car, I’m going to want to make sure it’s really true. Is it really you?”
Emily giggled. “It’s me. I promise. And yes. This is my number. I just got it today. Call me as many times as you want.”
Ryan cleared his throat and spoke again. “Mr. and Mrs. Zorich, if you wouldn’t mind, please keep this to yourselves for the time being. Your lives and the lives of everyone else in this facility will get chaotic when the media catches wind of Emily’s revival.”
Reviving Emily Page 5