by Sara Brooke
Sighing, she stood up and wiped the tears that had stealthily emerged from the corners of her eyes and were now dripping down her cheeks.
Pull it together Rosa, she thought.
Chapter 4
The next few days were similar and unexpectedly difficult on the group. Each person gave blood in the morning for testing and then sat through the first infusion of the day. Then, it was free time to enjoy the pool, a massage, a facial, or a book in the shade. In the afternoon, the second infusion was given and then it was time for dinner, some TV, and bed. Everyone was tired by 9pm and despite some of them being night owls under normal circumstances, there wasn’t a soul awake after midnight.
Things were starting to happen, much to Dan’s delight. Jennifer’s bald head was now covered with bright orange-red stubble and the rest of the group was exhibiting similar growth.
There were some concerns. Tim had developed small cysts under his skin. The lumps had first appeared on his neck and were starting to spread down his back. Dan wasn’t sure if it was a reaction to the infusion or just a skin condition, so he was keeping a close eye on it. The surfer seemed ok and never complained, but Dan wasn’t taking any chances and advised the nursing staff to watch out for any strange behavior.
Teresa was also under observation. Her hair simply wasn’t growing in as fast the others and upon close examination, one of the nurses noticed that her scalp had scrape marks and red bumps indicating that she had been picking at her stubble. Dan was very aware of this nervous tendency also known as Trichotillomania.
He tried to speak to Teresa about her habit, but she wouldn’t listen and just mumbled about the stress of the study. It was important for him to get her to stop yanking her hair out or they wouldn’t be able to see if the infusion was working.
As for Bryan and Rick, both seemed stable. But it was hard to tell. The men kept to themselves and Rick had developed a strange cough that he blamed on asthma. Dan assigned a nurse to keep an eye on both of them and report back if anything weird started happening.
When he checked in on Rosa, she appeared to be the only one who was tolerating the infusion, so he left her alone.
But Dan was wrong.
Rosa felt awful. Her muscles ached and she’d noticed a strange lump on her back. It hadn’t been there the day before, but after a long, dreamless night, she awoke to find a strange, mushy mass on the right side of her upper back. It didn’t hurt, but everything else did. Her face, her head, her arms, hell…everything hurt.
Is this normal? she wondered, walking outside to sit by the pool. As she exited out of the cool air conditioned building, she noticed that Rick was sitting at the far end of the pool on a lounge chair. But he was not relaxing and enjoying the sun. He was fully clothed, holding his head between his hands and rocking back and forth.
Was he moaning?
She got closer and was horrified to see that a river of liquid was seeping through his hands and had created a small pool on the concrete underneath his head.
“Rick?” she asked softly, putting her hand on his shoulder.
He didn’t move, just kept rocking back and forth.
“Rick?” she asked again, “Honey, let’s get you inside and have one of the nurses take a look at you…”
At the mention of the nurses, Rick dropped his hands and swung his head to look at Rosa. She backed away when their eyes locked.
Rick’s face looked like it was coming unglued. A growing grayish fissure had appeared in the center of his forehead and was separating his face into two distinct pieces. Ooze dripped out and leaked down his nose and lips. His tongue hung from his mouth and his eyes appeared glossed over.
“Helllp mee…” he moaned and reached for Rosa. Horrified, she backed up even though she knew he needed help. She turned and fled out of the pool area, running into the building, desperately searching for a nurse. She finally found one in the dining area.
“Help me…Rick’s outside and he’s doing really bad. He’s really sick. Something’s wrong with him…” she babbled hysterically.
The nurse sat her down and asked gently, “Where is he Rosa?”
“He’s outside. I’ll show you!” and she leapt up out of the chair, heading for the door. Bryan and Jennifer, overhearing the commotion, joined them.
Rosa threw the doors open, but Rick was gone. The pool area was empty.
“He was here…” she said frustrated, “I saw him. He was sitting right there by the pool. Look, you can still see the puddle he made over there.”
Upon closer observation, they could indeed still see a pool of ooze. The liquid had begun to dry in the overwhelming heat of the afternoon, but it was enough for the nurse to believe what Rosa had witnessed.
“Ok, let’s all go inside. I need to find Dr. Johns.”
***
Dan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. One of his subjects was having a major reaction and had disappeared somewhere within the building.
And there was no way to find him, other than to search the entire perimeter.
One of the concessions Dan made before beginning the study was allowing the trial to be conducted without video recording. Due to the nature of the high profile subjects and the fear that closed-circuit videotaping could potentially be used against them if the tapes were ever stolen, he had agreed to shut down all of the security cameras.
So, there was no recording of Rick. And he could be dying…or worse.
Dan pulled the group together and could see that the trial subjects looked worried. Somehow, he had to try to keep their stress level manageable given their fragile conditions. But he had some very bad news to share and no matter how he put it, they would not take it well.
“Guys, please try to relax. I’ve got to talk to you. We’ve got someone missing…”
The subjects murmured amongst themselves and Dan had to quiet the group down to continue.
“Look, Rick is missing. Rosa saw him by the pool and he wasn’t doing too well. She went to get help, but by the time she got back, he was gone. Has anyone seen him?”
No one had seen Rick since earlier in the day. Taking a deep breath, Dan spoke again, this time very slowly, “Look everyone. I had to report Rick’s disappearance and there is a very specific protocol for this kind of situation. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here and in order to protect all of you and ensure he doesn’t harm himself and others, we’ve locked down the building. That means, we’re all stuck here until we can find him.”
Jennifer exploded, “What do you mean we’re in lockdown? That’s bullshit! What if something’s wrong with him? And we’re all stuck in this building with nowhere to go? You need to let us out, now!”
Dan stared at her with tired eyes, “You want to leave? Don’t forget, there’s a ton of media outside and you’re basically bald. Not to mention, you’re full of liquid treatment that if we simply stop now, could seriously endanger your health. You sure you want to leave Jennifer?”
She glared at him and sat down in a huff. Tim, who was sitting quietly, began rubbing his head. “Dude,” he said, “I’m not feeling good either. What’s wrong with us doc?”
Dan sat down and leveled with them. “Look, I know you don’t feel great, but you’re all making medical history and when this study is complete, you’re going to walk out of here with your genetics changed forever. Trust me, I want to get you through this trial safely and quickly, but the first thing we need to do is find Rick. Then, we can figure out how to finish your treatments in the safest way possible. Will you help me with this?”
The group looked at each other and reluctantly agreed.
“Ok,” said Dan, “Let’s break up into groups and search the perimeter. I think groups of three should be fine and then we’ll meet back up here in the common area in one hour. Sound good?”
Rosa, Bryan, and Jennifer agreed to stay on the first floor and search the rooms including the medical center. Tim, Teresa, and Dan took the elevator up to the second floor to check th
e rooms upstairs.
“This sucks,” Tim moaned as the elevator doors shut and they began to ascend. He leaned up against the wall and grabbed his head with both hands, continuing to moan. Dan moved closer to the surfer.
“What’s hurting you Tim?” he asked as the elevator reached the second floor and they all stepped out.
Tim didn’t say anything, just shuffled out and suddenly sank to his knees while gripping his head. “It huuurts…” he groaned. Then, he collapsed to the ground in one heavy movement, falling face forward. Dan ran over and tried to touch him, but suddenly, the surfer flung out his arm and knocked him back.
Rising from the ground, the bald man looked crazed. His face was bright red, eyes rolling crazily in their sockets, and a maniacal grin on his face. He stumbled and lurched towards Teresa, who jumped back and ran down the hallway.
Dan regained his balance and chased after them. Tim managed to corner Teresa against a locked door that she was desperately trying to open. He was leaning in and grasping for her repeatedly as she tried to shrink away. Ropes of drool were now hanging out of his mouth and he continued moaning in a nonsensical, psychotic manner.
Dan knew he didn’t have much choice, so he reached for the first thing he could find…a ceramic flower pot. He threw the pot at Tim, who was knocked momentarily off balance. When the madman turned around, he snarled and raced forward.
With his lips peeled back in a bestial grin and eyes glaring, Tim leapt on top of Dan and snapped his teeth together over and over, as if trying to tear skin right off the bone. The two men struggled and Dan knew it was key to keep his attacker from biting his face. He managed to flip Tim over on his back and with one hand held him by the throat, while his other hand found a shard of the pot lying nearby. Quickly grasping the sharp weapon, he did the only thing he could think of and stabbed Tim in the throat, tearing it open, revealing arteries and muscle.
Blood shot straight out of the wound and sprayed Dan’s face, almost as if a hose had been turned on at full stream. The struggling weakened and then ceased as the life flowed out of the dying surfer who whimpered, trying to draw in oxygen that was now immersed in blood. Finally, Tim gasped and stilled.
Dan fell back and sat on the ground in shock.
What just happened? he thought.
Tim’s erratic, maniacal behavior seemed to have come out of nowhere. One moment he was calm and coherent…the next minute…completely crazed.
Teresa was cowering against the door, sobbing as she leaned on the frame. Dan went over and gently pulled her into his arms. Her stubbly head prickled his chin as she leaned against him and shook in terror and despair.
***
Downstairs, the trio assigned to check the common and medical areas were preparing for their search. Bryan was already irritated because Jennifer’s babbling was driving him crazy.
“…this is totally ridiculous,” she was saying to Rosa, “We shouldn’t be stuck here with some sick guy running around. Obviously, there’s something wrong. They should just let us out and cancel the study.”
Bryan whipped his head around and glared at the socialite, “Did you not hear the man? He said that our bodies can’t simply stop taking the infusion. We’ve got to finish what’s been started or we could all get really sick. What’s wrong with you?”
Jennifer glared and shot back, “There’s nothing wrong with me asshole. I’m just tired and think we deserve answers. This ‘Nancy Drew’ detective bullshit is ridiculous in my opinion.”
Bryan didn’t care to argue with her any further, so he tried to be diplomatic, “Look, you don’t have to search with us. Why don’t you just stay in the lounge and we’ll meet you back here in a little bit?”
Jennifer agreed to stay behind and went in search for something to snack on. When she was out of earshot, Bryan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Damn, thought she’d never leave. What a monumental pain in the ass.”
Rosa smiled, “Yeah, she’s difficult alright, but we have bigger problems right now, so let’s go check out the medical center.”
The medical center was a large maze of rooms and cubicles where researchers set up their equipment to review test results, met to discuss next steps, and conducted all laboratory work. The duo felt that it was a good place to start their search as it was a relatively large area and contained many hidden corridors where a person could conceal his or her presence.
The center was closed off to the rest of the facility by large metal doors marked “Secure Location – Medical Personnel Only”. Bryan reached out to open the doors when suddenly, a plethora of jarring sounds filled the air from beyond the metal barrier.
The sounds of people running, screaming, and bumping into things were crystal clear...even from outside the center. Bryan and Rosa instinctively backed away from the doors and waited for people to come flying out in a mad rush.
But no one ran out. Instead, the screaming continued, followed by large thumps and the sound of furniture and glass crashing to the floor.
They both stood motionless and waited. Ten minutes ticked by and the commotion finally stopped, followed by an eerie stillness.
Bryan and Rosa looked at each other and an unspoken agreement passed between them. It was time to go in and face the storm that had just blown through.
They pushed the doors open.
Inside, the lights flickered. It looked like a hurricane had hit. Papers and folders littered the floor in all directions. A strange silence filled the space like a heavy fog, filling them both with an almost tangible nervousness.
It was too quiet.
Carefully, they crept along, keeping close to the wall to ensure they didn’t bump into anyone. As they neared the first office, they could see that a person was lying on the ground in the doorway. A pale hand was resting on the ground and the rest of the body was hidden by a white wall. Rosa backed up, not wanting to go any closer. Bryan, sensing her fear, whispered, “Stay here. I’ll go take a look. If you see anything weird…run back the way we came.”
She shook her head in agreement and stood terrified in place.
Bryan took a deep breath and slowly advanced, each step painfully loud in the silent hallway. As he neared the hand, he could see that the fingertips were stained with blood. In one quick motion, he swung around and looked inside. The hand was connected to the body of a nurse who had been attacked. She was lying face down, but blood seeped out from underneath and was spreading left and right. Her left leg appeared to have been pulled out of its socket and was lying at an impossible angle, the foot exposed and missing several toes. Taking another gulp of oxygen, Bryan turned the woman over and stared in disbelief.
She had been mauled. Her face was nearly unrecognizable, destroyed by its attacker. Both eyes were missing, the eye sockets torn and bleeding. Long scratches ran down her face in jagged lines and her neck had a large weeping gash that was dripping down and depositing crimson drops into a small puddle on the floor.
Bryan wasn’t an expert on assault, but could tell that the woman had been killed recently. Her office was a disaster. All of the hardware had been knocked off the table and bloody fingerprints stained the phone, desk, and wall. Amidst the mess, Bryan noticed that the fax machine had been torn free from the wall and thrown against the floor, but a piece of paper was still lodged inside.
Picking up the machine, Bryan was able to gently extract the paper without tearing it and looked at what had been its last communication.
FAX TRANSMISSION
TO: Nurse May Westin
FROM: Zyne Laboratories, Corp. Office
ü Urgent Response Requested
Attention Nurse Westin – More test mice are showing signs of severe agitation and muscular reformation. We need to consider a trial termination. Please have Dr. Johns contact me as soon as you can. In the meantime, we’ve scheduled a meeting with the Executive Committee to discuss our findings and assess the risk of termination.
It is important to ensure that the test subjects a
re isolated,
Error - Fax transmission terminated due to loss of data receipt
Bryan folded up the fax and put it in his pocket. His mind raced with countless questions and anger boiled inside his chest, but he knew that this was no time to succumb to rage. There were strange sounds coming from the hallway and with Rosa holding down the fort outside, he needed to finish looking around.
Emerging from the room, careful not to step on the dead nurse, he looked back. To his relief, Rosa was still standing there, but she was clearly terrified. She nodded her head quickly as he motioned towards the furthest end of the hallway. There were several other open doorways that needed to be explored, but this time, he grabbed a large pair of scissors off a nearby table.
Just in case I need a weapon, he thought.
The hallway was empty and foreboding. Lights continued to flicker on and off and in the distance, Bryan heard a soft shuffling sound. Looking back at Rosa, he realized that there was no choice. He couldn’t put her and the others in danger. If Rick threatened him, he would need to handle the man carefully, but wasn’t afraid to defend himself if necessary.
This wasn’t Bryan’s first time in a potentially violent situation. Growing up in Overtown, Florida, he had been exposed to tough neighborhoods and rough situations, and knew how to maneuver himself carefully.
He was the first member of his immediate family to successfully finish high school and graduate from college. The NBA had wanted him before he’d received his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University, but instead of going pro immediately, he’d held his ground and finished up.
His father’s reaction to those choices hadn’t been a surprise.
“You’re giving up the chance of a lifetime, boy. Don’t be stupid. Take it and run. I didn’t raise you to be an idiot and make bad ass decisions.”
Bryan hadn’t even responded. It was easier to hang up the phone, than get into an argument. And he’d still gotten into the NBA. But he often wondered if his family really loved him, or the money he sent them every month. Sometimes he felt like a cash cow and once the milk ran out, he’d never hear from them again.