by Taja Kartio
"I'll give you a quick moment to adjust yourself. You've been laying down for quite a while," Professor Brinston opened the lab door, looking back at me quickly, "I'll be back in a moment."
I was still lying, kind of, the table had been lifted and my back was propped up. I was sure this was the longest I'd been awake in... however long, I vaguely remembered something about two weeks from that Kate lady. I didn't know if that was earlier this day or a few days ago. At least this time I didn't wake up to a taser. A fucking taser. I still couldn't believe that. The most senseless, illogical, irrational thing I’d ever heard of. What idiot would ever think that that could be a good idea? Were these people really scientists or were they all just a bunch of lunatics looking for something to do to keep the time going by?
I flexed my fingers and wiggled my toes. I hated this feeling, strapped to a table like a frog ready to be dissected. I wanted to think this was just a really bad dream but the tightness in my limbs and the throbbing of my muscles all reminded me of my own self-being, this was more than real. On the bright side of all things, there wasn't a light shining into my corneas and without the strap keep my head in one place, I could see the entire room for once.
Lots of white. Lots of silver. I'd never been in one but I knew exactly what it was. An operating room, an ER, whichever name, that's where I was. I suddenly felt really nauseous. What did that mean? What kind of research are these people doing to me?
The door rattled softly and Brinston was back in the room, "Ah! You look a little more awake and alert, " He stood at the end of the table, at my feet, "Now, I assume you want to know a few things."
I didn't make any conscious effort to respond. I just wanted him to continue.
"Your temperature has hardly faltered. It fell point two degrees, then rose one, leaving your current core temperature now at a hundred and six point seven degrees Fahrenheit. We still cannot establish why your body is completely normal to this," He opened the folder in his hands, "There is no change in your BPM or BP. Your throat is now clear and your submandibular gland is as normal as the next average human. Eye dilation is normal. All extremities are normal. On the outside, you're a bright shiny star."
I eyed him, "But..."
He caught my look and bobbed his head, "But there is a couple things we have discovered. I don't know if you'll remember this, you didn't a few hours after. Before that table you're on, you were able to roam free in a separate room but there was a particular day, I believe that under all this incredible stress you're forced to be enduring, you showed an incredible use of strength."
My mind was blank on any such situation. That didn't sound like me, "I don't know what you're talking about... is that what Mason was talking about?"
Brinston's head tilted slightly, brows tightened together, "Mason?"
"Kate and him were arguing and he said I threw a James across the room."
"Oh," There was a slight eye roll, "Mason tends to over exaggerate. James was coming to your room to take your daily medical examination. You didn't throw him, but you used a strength that I don't think you're aware of.
Ya, clearly.
"It took a few men to hold you down, and it was the same amount of men that had to keep a 300 pound, very upset gentleman in the main lobby from beating down one of our doctors. I'm unsure if this strength was a result of an extreme adrenaline rush or if it is in connection with our other finding," He took a very short moment, like he was trying to find the right words to say, "Your blood for example. It's... tainted... in a way. Your blood cells are speckled in a dark, almost black substance. I have no picture or any way to show you what I mean because the mottling is so tiny."
"Then how did you find it at all?" I asked, my voice still just as raspy and rough as I remembered it being when I first came here.
"A very very big microscope," Brinston shuffled through a couple papers, "Now this part may be a bit... overwhelming but please, just bear with me. We took several samples of your blood, testing and then retesting. Not every individual blood cell is dabbed with this substance, but I have only seen it in one other case," He blows a long sigh, "And it's what the world is dealing with right now. The zombies, uh... the Infected. Your blood matches every sample we've taken from one of them. Granted, your blood cells are not merely as riddled as theirs, but none the less, you share the same blood disease. The odd strength you showed against James may be another contributing factor, just as Infected have an uncanny strength."
It was overwhelming. So much in fact, that I felt my eyes well up. I didn't understand, and by the look on Brinston's face, neither did he.
"So does that mean that..." I gulped, "I'm turning into one of them?"
There was a long drawn out silence. I wasn't even sure if the professor was going to answer my question. He stared at the papers in his hands but he wasn't reading any of the words, I was sure he was just trying to avoid eye contact with me.
"I don't know," He whispered it and it was like I was watching an old man with a broken heart give up on the love of his life. His voice was lifeless. I hardly knew Brinston, but it was on his orders that I'd been lying on this table, strapped down like an animal for an excessive amount of time. I've been studied, tested on, who knows what else. Hell, I was in an OR. They could have done anything. I should hate Brinston, but here I was, feeling a little sorry for him. I didn't see giving up being a regular thing for him, "I truly have no idea where to go from here. We don't have the technology. We, I, don't have enough knowledge to figure this out. That's why I am sending you to Atlanta."
"Atlanta?"
"To the Center of Disease Control and Prevention. I have communicated our findings here and they want to work with you as soon as they possibly can."
"But, what about my brothers?"
Brinston shut the folder, once again avoiding eye contact with me. I didn't like it, "They will not be permitted to join you."
I had no strength but I balled my fists together as tightly as I possibly could, "Why not?"
"Tom Frieden, the director, he will not have room for anybody he doesn't need there."
That was such bullshit, "I'm not leaving my family behind!"
There was a sudden rage. Maybe it was something he had bottled up, but for a second he completely lost his cool. His nostrils flared and I swore the dark blue veins in his neck swelled up, "You have no choice!"
I was taken back and so was he. He blinked several times and his head shook softly, like he couldn't believe what he'd just done, "I-I-I... I'm sorry. That's not..." He shook his head again, but in a way that shook off the earlier temper, "It doesn't matter. Even if they were allowed to accompany you, we wouldn't be able to get them."
That made no sense in the slightest, "What do you mean?"
"I mean," He took a step toward the door and turned the handle. He held one final look on me, "They're in hiding. They killed four soldiers three weeks ago and have been missing ever since."
Ten
"Hey, Dani. You with me?" A light was continually flashed across my eyes. It was so bright, "There we go. She's awake. Rey, you can start unstrapping her. I'll take care of the rest."
My eyes were blurry. The two figures relieving my body were only moving blotches of mass. I blinked several times in hopes I could get some clarity.
"Jesus. I had no idea they were doing anything like this." A deeper voice, Rey's, mumbled in what sounded a lot like revulsion, "Why would there be a strap over her chest if they performed a-"
There was a loud snap and Rey's words discontinued.
"Right now, let's just worry about getting her out of here in one piece."
The figure standing by my arm was a bit more crystal, a woman. She had beachy like waves pulled back in a dark brown knot. She looked familiar and it took me a long while to recognize her without a mask covering her nose and mouth.
"Kate?"
She glanced at me and smiled softly, "Hello, dear."
I didn't return her smile. I've never officia
lly met her, I just remembered her the one day I was awoken to the sun itself a foot above my face and two assholes with a taser. I would give her some credit, she did throw those two under the bus for shocking me but I knew she was still a part of my treatment here. In my book, she was still kind of one of the bad guys.
"What are you doing..." My question sounded so weak.
"Getting you the hell out of this place," She replied firmly.
Alright, so maybe she wasn't one of the bad bad guys.
"We good?" I heard Rey ask after removing the final strap over my left wrist.
Kate looked up and down my body like she was making sure she wasn't forgetting anything, "I think so. You got her?"
"Of course," Rey then made eye contact with me, "I'm going to pick you up, okay?"
I nodded. Carry me the hell out of this place.
Bones jolted and muscles seized as his arms slid under my legs and back. My ribs felt so brittle and any sudden movement would shatter them like fine glass. And, of course, the moment I was relieved of the table, obscurity began to creep it's way back into my vision.
"You're sure we can get her out of here without passing by a patrol?"
Rey readjusted me in his arms, "There's more than one way out of this place."
"That doesn't mean we won't run into anyone."
I heard rummaging somewhere from the other side of the room, glass clinking with glass.
"I can't make any certain promises. This area is crawling with doctors and other military. I just know a way where we're least likely to run into anyone."
A sigh, "Well that's reassuring."
"Why... are you doing this?" I asked suddenly. A choke backfired in my throat.
"You don't deserve to be treated like a monster," I opened my mouth with a reply already stuck in my mouth but Rey beat me to it, "And yes, I know what these people have found in you. Part Z? You're using your mouth to talk, not bite. I'll see you as a human until you do."
I liked that answer. I wished more people saw it that way, "What about... saving the world?"
"Ya well," Rey cracked a half grin, "Call me an awful guy but maybe I think our little world needs a little break from civilization."
Personally, I half agreed with that. It was only at the expense of the planets casualties that had me backpedaling the statement a bit.
"Okay," Kate huffed. It sounded like she was lifting something really heavy, "I got everything they should need. Let's get out of here."
"Yes ma'am."
Out the door and into an empty hallway. There was a short pause and both adults looked both ways before Rey nodded off to the left. I didn't want to say I was a big deal or anything around here but I would have figured that Brinston would have wanted guards or something outside my door considering my situation. I mean, I wasn't complaining or anything but I just found it kind of odd... and super convenient to my escape out of here.
Rey led, somehow making the heavy military boots he wore completely silent against the tile floors. The fluorescent lighting on the ceiling was clearly dimmed, but they still almost seemed too bright. My eyes watered and I had to squeeze them shut, only abling myself to peep periodically.
I could feel every movement. Every pause Rey took to peek down another hallway or through a small window on a door. I could feel the tense air surrounding the three of us. We get caught and we're toast.
"You sure they're going to be there?" Kate whispered as we stopped at another door. I couldn't tell where it led by looking through the window like Rey.
"Well I don't see them backing out on rescuing their sister."
"I know. It's just," Kate flapped her hands, "I just have a bad feeling."
"That wouldn't happen to be because we're busting out the CDC's top candidate for a possible cure, going against our peers and humanity in doing so, and breaking just about every rule in the book to get it done?"
Kate gave him a look, almost horrified, "I want to think of myself as the person who started the apocalypse in the first place when you put it like that."
It did kind of contradict his earlier statement of thinking the planet needed some kind of cleanse from mankind. I started to wonder again why he was doing what he was doing.
Before Rey could really give an answer, loud footsteps echoed down from somewhere behind us. They were distant but grew louder with every passing second.
"Shit," Rey blurted. He immediately barged his shoulder through the door and pushed through. I knew running was for the sake of the not getting caught, but the bouncing in Rey's arms did a damage to my senses, and my head felt like it was beginning to shut down, "Stay with me, kid. We're nearly there."
Tell that to my conscience.
We filed down through a large room, down another bending hallway after another. Finally, Rey bursted through another door where we were met with two individuals standing in the open.
"Dani!"
Rey's arms were replaced with familiar muscles, the likes of a wide relieved grin that was remarkably just as relieving for me to see as it was for him, "Beck..."
I caught Kale glimpse at me before his attention was taken away by Kate, "Somebody is coming. I don't know who but they're not far behind."
"Hide behind the desk," I heard Rey mutter quickly, "I'll do what I can to distract them, hopefully get them to go elsewhere. If anything, you may have to weave around to the trauma bay and slip out through there. That being the case, take a right. The complex will be down a block from there."
"Okay," Kale nodded, "And.. thanks."
I didn't see any acknowledgement from Rey as Beckett pulled back. In a few moments time, we were ducked behind a long desk. We must had been in some kind of check-in, waiting area.
A second later there was a loud bang. Doors slammed.
"Rey! Is that you man?"
"Ya, Duran. It's me."
A few quick footsteps, "That girl. The one we brought in a month ago with the really high body temp? She's missing."
"I know. I was supposed to check in on her ten minutes ago. The straps were unbuckled. Someone's busting her out of here."
Another voice. Lower, huskier, "Brinston is in a flurry. He thinks one of the doctors here might be behind it."
"Who?" Rey asked.
"Said her name was Kate? Dark hair, pretty young. She's been unaccounted for for maybe an hour or so."
"I know her. Haven't seen her yet tonight," Rey exhaled, "I haven't seen anyone yet."
"What you doing all the way down here any way?" A third voice asked.
"Was asked to go check on her. Found her gone. Figured the next patrol walking by that area in the next ten minutes would notice too so I just decided not to waste time calling out that she was missing and start a mass panic for all the doctors."
It was a weak explanation but he seemed to be playing it off pretty well.
"That's kind of risky, Rey."
"And... a bit out of protocol."
"I know," Rey hummed. I could hear him getting a bit impatient, "but I didn't want to give her and whoever's got her more time to escape."
"I see what you're saying, though I don't see Jaime being as agreeable with it."
"Doesn't matter right now. She's gone and we have no idea where she is."
Horrible timing. I felt a heavy cough beginning to gurgle at the bottom of my throat. I tried to keep it down, hold it in, but my lungs were failing miserably. My chest convulsed slightly and it was really the only warning sign I could give that I was about to accidentally reveal myself and my brothers. Luckily, Beckett noticed fast enough and pulled my head closer to his chest. I used his sweater to muffle short bursts.
"Okay," Kate whispered lowly, "Looks like Rey sent majority away. We can slip past those two wandering around here. Rey is standing by the hallway that will lead us to the trauma bay. Follow me."
It was all stop and go. We used desks, chairs, and tables as cover. Being that it was night and there were little to no lights in this part of the building, it was
a lot easier to stealthily slip past the guards. Though, I could feel Beckett's arm beginning to quiver and he readjusted several times. My arm was wrapped around his neck but without any strength, I was just dead-weight.
My mind fluttered and my head began to throb again. I became so focused on the beating my skull was taking that the sudden stand and burst of speed from my brother caught me off guard. A whirlwind was what I saw, not Beckett running. Two shapes blurred ahead of us and a hint of light around the corners. Honestly, I wasn't really sure what I saw. Nothing was really making sense anymore. The headache followed by all the aches and pains from every little portion of my body from any little sudden movement made it hard to concentrate on one thing.
"Hey!"
Beckett stopped and turned. I couldn't see too much and I couldn't pinpoint who's voice it was. It certainly wasn't friendly, I could tell that much. Didn't really matter to me that much anyway. There was a loud crack in the air and a sudden pain in my shoulder, an unbearable, terrible pain. It was hot and felt like skin was being melted to the bone.
It was off-putting how everything suddenly became incredibly clear. My eyes were wide and I could see every little detail. I could hear every sound, including another loud voice that shouted, "Hold your fire! We need her alive!".
Unfortunately, the clarity didn't last long. Beckett was running again, murmuring something to my ear that I didn't really understand. All noise was dimming, like someone was turning down the volume in my ears.
I was greeted by the familiar darkness. This time I embraced it as an old friend.
Eleven
The pain woke me immediately. A cry tore from my lips and a hand squeezed mine.
"Well, she's awake."
"Thanks for the fucking update, Alex."
"Keep it down, will ya? Another patrol is rolling by."
"Again? That's like the fourth one in the last ten minutes!"
"Just shut up and turn the light off!"
Silence. My surrounding area was complete darkness with the exception of a slight light slitted through a few small windows above my head and down the wall. I had no idea where I was or what was going on. I just knew there was a lot of pain happening in my shoulder.