AMY AND I spent the next sixteen hours going over every detail of research that had been told to us after we’d arrived at Compound 3. It took hours upon hours for me to go through every conversation, every slideshow, every computer screen that I’d ever looked upon.
I was exhausted by the time we went to bed that night, but it didn’t stop us. First thing the next morning, Amy and I woke up and did it all over again.
And the next day, we did it again.
I recounted the research to her as she recorded it. By the end of the weekend, we had hundreds of computer files that held the chemical secrets to the cure that Compound 3 had discovered.
“Do you know what this means?” Amy leaned back in the chair. Fatigue lined her eyes. We’d easily been working sixteen-hour days. “The cure isn’t lost, Meghan. We can put this into production at another Compound. Those that don’t want to be Kazzies anymore can still take this drug. And we can still produce it and give it to the world. Because of your memory, we truly can wipe Makanza off the face of the earth.”
A smile grew on my face at all that she implied. My heart hurt at the devastation that had occurred, but I knew she was right.
All was not lost.
We still had the research, which meant we still had the cure.
I met Davin’s gaze from where he stood against the wall by the kitchen. He’d been silent most of the weekend while keeping my parents, his mom, and the twins occupied so Amy and I could work. But now, our gazes met as the enormity of what we’d done set in.
A smile spread across his face. Happiness radiated from him like rays from the sun. It was like we both knew the future we dreamed of, the future we’d been clawing our way toward for months on end, was finally coming true.
25 – END OF AN ERA
To say Dr. Dornhoff was surprised when Amy and I showed up at Compound 3 with our files, would be an understatement. But his incredulous expression was worth our surprise arrival.
When Amy and I unloaded the numerous computer files to him that contained all of the research he and his colleagues had spent countless months working on, a look of wonder, guilt, and confusion crossed his face.
“I’m so sorry I ever doubted you, Dr. Forester.”
Before I could reply, Amy said tartly, “You should be sorry. If this doesn’t convince you that Meghan had nothing to do with the explosions, I don’t know what will.” Amy crossed her arms.
My eyes widened at her bold words.
However, Dr. Dornhoff seemed more interested in our files. Already, he was busy scanning the information we’d given him.
A few minutes later, he looked up with disbelief.
“But . . . how . . .” His gaze traveled between us as he sat behind his desk in his office. Similar to other Compounds, his office was huge and situated on the top floor. It overlooked the warm winter desert below. “How did you get all of this? The backup data was wiped. All of our research was lost.”
“Surely by now, you’ve heard of Meghan’s memory.” Amy leaned back in her chair. “She’s a bit known for it. It’s why she’s the youngest one working for the MRI.” Amy winked at me after she said that.
Dr. Dornhoff cleared his throat and removed his glasses. “It seems that I owe you endless apologies.” He met my gaze. “Things were rather tense after the incident in the Production Room and Inner Sanctum. We may have been a little rash in our judgment.”
Amy snorted. “I’ll say.”
I gave her a smile and folded my hands in my lap before addressing the Director. “I understand why you reached that conclusion, but anybody who knows me knows I would never have done anything like that.”
The door opened behind us. Footsteps shuffled in. Before I could turn, a voice spoke that had me tensing in my seat. “So, she’s finally returned.”
Monica Brown stood by the door. She had her usual look of contempt for me, but her next words had me gawking. “I told him it wasn’t you.”
Amy’s eyebrows rose as high as mine.
Monica sauntered to the empty chair beside me and sat down. She barely looked my way when she said, “You weren’t the only one in the Production Room looking for someone, Meghan. I’d had suspicions for weeks that Giselle was up to something, but I had no proof so I started following her to see if I was right. And when I saw her sneak into the Production Room, when she was supposed to be working in Lab Four, I knew something was up.”
So that’s why Monica was there when I left! I angled my body toward her. “Was that you I saw unsuited before I entered the room?”
Monica scrunched up her nose. “Yeah. I know, I know. I messed up. But in my haste to catch up with Giselle, I didn’t put on the suit, all I managed was the booties. And since I knew I’d be punished for that, I kept my mouth shut initially about seeing Giselle in there, but then when you got arrested, I finally told the police what I saw. Of course, nobody believed me.”
Dr. Dornhoff leaned forward in his seat. “We’ve already spoken about the incident. Monica knows she broke protocol by her actions but, given the gravity of the situation, we’ve looked past that.”
Monica leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. “I would probably be fired right now if I hadn’t been right about Giselle.”
I listened startled as Monica described the subtle actions and hints she’d seen in Giselle over the previous months. Monica stated she’d tried going to upper management about her concerns initially but had been brushed off. Following that snub, Monica knew nobody would listen to her unless she had proof.
“So I started collecting information about her.”
Dr. Dornhoff sighed heavily. “Everything Monica found has been turned over to the police.”
“So where’s Giselle now?” Amy asked.
“If all goes to plan, she’s being arrested at this very moment along with Senator Douglas,” the Director replied.
“There’s something else I’ve uncovered.” A gleam grew in Monica’s gaze as she swung a smile my way. “Meghan’s romantically involved with a Kazzie. They’re living together.”
My stomach dropped.
Amy leaned forward in her seat. “What the hell, Monica? Do you spend your free time stalking people?”
However, Dr. Dornhoff didn’t seem to hear her. He continued scanning what Amy and I had given him.
Monica fidgeted in her seat. “Dr. Dornhoff? Did you hear me? Meghan’s romantically involved with a Kazzie.”
He barely glanced up. “I heard you. This isn’t new information to me.”
“It’s not?” I sat up straighter.
He met my gaze just long enough to say, “When you refused to use the MRI’s provided accommodation, Dr. Sadowsky and I decided to look into why that was. It wasn’t hard to discover your involvement with Davin Kinder.”
Amy and I shared a surprised look.
“So . . . you’ve known the entire time?” I swallowed tightly.
“We have.”
“And . . . it’s obviously fine if you know?”
Dr. Dornhoff returned his attention to the computer files. “Since there’s no official policy against MRI employees dating Kazzies—yes, you’re in the clear.”
I leaned back, breathing a sigh of relief. It was silly. I knew I’d always had that lack of policy on my side. Still, the MRI wasn’t known for being reasonable.
Monica, however, fumed. In one swift move, she stood from her chair and stormed out of the room.
Amy arched an eyebrow and leaned closer to me. Under her breath, she said, “Just ignore her. That chick has issues.”
My hammering heart slowed down as the rush of adrenaline subsided. I gazed out the window behind Dr. Dornhoff. Obviously, Monica still hated me despite her willingness to admit that it wasn’t me who’d caused the explosions. Amy had probably been right about her from the beginning. Monica didn’t like me—whether that stemmed from jealousy or another reason—I’d probably never know, but as far as I was concerned, that was her problem—not mine.
&n
bsp; The desert sun shone brightly in the sky as puffy cotton ball clouds drifted by. My mind reeled with all that had transpired.
It still boggled me that ultimately, the person we had to thank for the information that implicated Senator Douglas and Giselle was Dr. Roberts . . .
It was unfathomable.
“So where do we go from here?” I eyed the Director and nodded at the data. “We have enough information there to start over. And there are 71 Compounds in the U.S. If we finish the drug trials and every Compound begins production, we’d have enough doses for every Kazzie in the world within months.”
Dr. Dornhoff smiled as an excited gleam entered his eyes. “You’re right, Dr. Forester, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
DAVIN AND I flew back to South Dakota a few days later. Both of us were eager to return home and put everything that happened in California behind us. The trials would resume next month, so for the time being, I had a few weeks off.
Winter still blew in full force as piles of snow covered the ground. It was a harsh welcome back to our home state following the warm and dry winter in Southern California.
That night, we lay in bed together facing one another. We hadn’t bothered to keep the light on. Instead, soft light from the moon poured through my window.
It had been such a whirlwind of a month. Now that we were home, it felt like decades worth of tension oozed out of me, like water being squeezed from a sponge.
“So what are you going to do?” I broached the subject we’d tiptoed around for weeks. “Do you want to be cured or do you want to stay as you are?”
The unreadable expression on his face didn’t change. He traced a finger along my cheek and tenderly pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. Just that simple touch sent shivers to my toes.
“Do you want me to take it? Do you want me to be like everybody else?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. I love you as you are. But I also know there’s a stigma against you, and probably always will be, but that doesn’t matter to me. I just want you to be happy, Davin. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. If staying as you are is what makes you happy, that’s what I want. But if you want to return to the person you were before your infection, then I’ll support that too.”
He turned onto his back. The covers fell to his waist, revealing his hard chest and bronze skin.
With a brooding expression, he gazed at the dark ceiling. “To be honest, I don’t know what to do. A part of me wants to take the cure so I can forget about the last ten years and try to move on with a normal life. Even though I’ve been living like this for so long, I’m still conscious every single moment of everything I do. Every time I touch you, I have to be careful to not exert too much pressure. At times, I’m terrified I’m going to hurt you without meaning to. I’ve had a few nightmares where I’ve accidentally killed you when I hugged you too tight. I’d never forgive myself if something like that happened.”
I inched closer to him and cupped his cheek. “You’re afraid that one day you’ll lose control and hurt me. I get that. I’d be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind, especially when we first met.”
He chuckled at my teasing tone and turned to face me once again. His broad shoulders pushed into the mattress as his hand rested on my hip.
His brow furrowed when he asked quietly, “If it didn’t matter to me how I was, if it honestly didn’t mean anything to me one way or another, how would you want me to be? Like this? Or as the person I used to be?”
My mouth parted. Davin was asking me to choose. But it’s not my choice.
I shook my head. “I can’t. I’m sorry, Davin, but I can’t. This is your choice. It’s truly your choice. If I took that choice away from you, it would go against everything I’ve fought for. From the first day I met you, I wanted you free. I wanted you to have the same rights as every other person in this country. But if you ask me to choose for you, I’ll have taken away everything I fought for.”
He sighed heavily. “You’re really not going to give me any indication one way or another, are you?”
I smiled tenderly. “No, I’m not. I want this decision to be completely yours. Just know that I’ll love you no matter what. If you stay like this, or if you turn into the man you once were, it won’t matter. I meant it when I said I’ll stay with you till I die. That will never change.”
He inched closer and wrapped his arms around me. I turned my head so my cheek pressed against his hard warm chest. His strong, steady heartbeat sounded within.
“I’ll have to think about it.” His voice rumbled in his chest. “Because it’s not just you and me I need to consider. If we ever begin a family, who’s to say I wouldn’t pass this virus onto our kids. Who’s to say they’d survive it? And since nobody knows how this virus would affect a child conceived from a Kazzie, that would be a huge risk.”
My breath stopped.
Considering I was the scientist, it was crazy that I’d never considered what he was saying. I pulled my head back to look him in the eye. “I never thought of that.”
He ran a finger along my chin before pressing his lips softly to mine. When he pulled back, emotion as deep as the Pacific swam in his irises. “I could potentially be putting our unborn child at risk if I stay this way.”
“Or our child could be just fine.”
He crushed me to him and kissed me again. An urgency rushed up inside me at all that we had to consider. But right now, I didn’t want to think about having children or the implications of a sick child because of the virus. Right now, I just wanted him.
Our lovemaking that night was fast and urgent the first time, but slow and tender the second. Each time we joined as one, love burst inside of me for how much this man affected me. He’d become so ingrained within my heart and soul, that at times I didn’t know where I ended and he began.
But I did know one thing. No matter what happened to us in this life, we would figure it out together.
26 – A NEW DAWN
Compound 3’s Director held good to his promise. After the drug trials resumed and concluded, we had proof the cure was effective. Following that, every Compound in the U.S. opened their Production Rooms and began producing the cure.
When word reached ANN on what we’d achieved, a shift once again began in our country.
The violence and protests that had ruled the streets for so many months began to die down. When summer came, we had the cure available. As Kazzies lined up outside Compound doors to be administered the cure, the fear truly subsided.
However, due to the Post Wave Rehabilitation Act, each and every Kazzie still had their own rights. None of them were forced to take the cure.
It was their personal choice.
AT THE END of August, I sat in Sharon’s living room in Rapid City. The twins were with me while Sharon busied herself with gathering refreshments in the kitchen. Scents of fresh-baked cookies hung in the air as the tea kettle whistled. Since the twins were busy on their smartphones, I used the moment to process all that had happened in the previous months.
The borders had opened to Canada and Mexico on June 1. That was all thanks to the Compounds’ Production Rooms running nonstop for months on end.
Over eighty percent of Kazzies in North America had chosen to take the cure. Considering each of the forty-one strains was affected differently meant different reactions by all. Some Kazzies had incredibly painful transformations back to normal human form, others found the transformation more bearable. But the most important aspect was that the cure worked and nobody was harmed from it.
Of the Kazzies who’d resided at Compound 26, Sage and Victor opted to take the cure. Davin and the twins did not.
It was still painful for me to think of Garrett, Dorothy, and Bethany. Their bodies had been laid to rest, but my memories had not. Forever, I would remember Garrett’s screams as he endured the cure. And it had all been in vain.
I would never forget that.
The only solace I too
k was watching Senator Douglas and Giselle Warren punished for their crimes. The day ANN showed them being hauled away to prison, after being given a life sentence for their involvement in the death of Compound 3’s Kazzies, was bittersweet. It would never bring my friends back. It would never repair the hole in Makayla’s heart at the loss of her sister.
But at least it was justice.
Taking a deep breath, I smoothed my denim shorts and forced myself to focus on the present. Turning to Sara, I asked, “Have you heard from Sage?”
The twin finished tapping something on her phone before dropping it at her side. She lounged on the end of the sofa, her lithe blue legs dangling over the side. Whereas Sophie sat on the armchair in the corner, her legs crossed demurely.
Sara sat up straighter to face me. “He receives his last injection tomorrow. After that, his plan is to head straight back to Canada.”
Rustling sounded from the foyer just as Victor entered the room. Sophie dropped her phone and jumped to a stand.
The former Kazzie had arrived in Rapid City the week after his final treatment. He was officially Makanza-free. And now that he and Sophie were a couple, after the quieter twin had finally taken her sister’s advice to visit him, he was a constant fixture in Sharon’s home.
Victor’s skin, that had once been fire-engine red and able to withstand intense heat, was now olive toned with a smattering of freckles. If he touched a hot stove, or ran his finger through a lit match, he would burn like the rest of us.
Sophie’s blue cheeks turned pink when Victor pulled her into a hug before smacking a kiss on her mouth. The twin giggled.
Turning to Sara and me, Victor asked, “Are you sure you two don’t want to join us for the movie?”
“Nah.” Sara shook her head. “You two have some time alone. We can see it later.”
“No time, as I’m sure you know.” I glanced at the clock. Davin was due to pick me up any minute.
“Enjoy the movie!” Sara called as they strolled out of the room.
The Complete Makanza Series: Books 0-4 Page 113