by RR Haywood
‘You can see Lani’s rate of healing with your own eyes,’ Lisa says. She knew this would be a hard sell and rightly so but she also knows it makes sense.
‘I agree,’ Andrew says with a nod, ‘the old chap is sedated and won’t feel a thing and to be honest, I thought he’d already be dead by now.’
‘Andrew!’ Anne stares at him with shock, ‘think about what you’re saying. All of you think about this,’ she glares round at the group.
‘Anne,’ Lisa says softly, ‘we’re all four us pissing in the wind on this.’
‘Lisa…’
‘No, Anne. We’re blind. We’re worse than medical students trying to understand our first biology lesson. Lani could be infected with this virus…it’s certainly doing something to her physiology.’
‘But sacrificing a human life?’
‘Anne, he’s dead anyway,’ Lisa says, ‘the second those meds wear off and the pain hits him he dies…at least this way he’s giving something back before he dies.’
‘Okay,’ Anne lifts her eyebrows and pauses, ‘so to be clear. You are suggesting we use a human test subject without the patients consent or knowledge?’
‘And we have hundreds of people living here,’ Maddox interrupts her, ‘if Lani is a carrier then it means Howie and the rest are carriers. We need to know that information. Do the test.’
‘Listen, Maddox,’ Anne holds a hand as though to gain his attention, ‘you are not a doctor and…’
‘But I am responsible for the welfare of every person within this fort.’
‘If we er…’ Andrew turns to look at the old man sleeping so peacefully, ‘I mean…do we need to restrain him? In case he turns or…’
‘Not here,’ Maddox states, ‘we’ll take him outside to the beach.’
‘Oh no…not happening,’ Anne says firmly, ‘this patient is under my care and there is no way you are dragging him outside to sacrifice him for some butchered bloody test that won’t tell us anything anyway.’
‘It’ll tell us if Lani is a carrier,’ Maddox replies.
‘Will it?’ Anne asks archly, ‘is that right? We take blood from Lani without knowing anything about her medical history and put it into that man without knowing anything about his medical history. Have you any concept of the variables at play here? He could die from a heart attack simply by moving him…he could have other pre-existing conditions that we have no knowledge of which could affect the result of this so called test. We have no idea what effects this virus has on people and…’
‘Not true,’ Heathcliff Stone speaks for the first time having watched the conversation in silence, ‘we do know what effects it has.’
‘Heathcliff, we know nothing about this virus or the physiological results on the human body.’
‘We do,’ Heathcliff offers a wry smile, ‘we know that an infected person craves the flesh of people. That is a crude symptom but one we are familiar with. We know it makes the eyes go red and fill with blood. We know the patient will lose cognitive function. We know there will be an inability to communicate or feel pain. Modern medicine is all about what tests we can run or undertake but sometimes good old fashioned doctoring has to suffice. We know what a zombie bloody looks like because we have seen them. If the old chap turns into one we know Lani is infected with the virus.’
‘They don’t bleed like normal,’ Maddox says quietly, ‘they heal faster too,’ he motions towards Lani, ‘there are signs.’
‘And if the male patient doesn't become infected?’ Anne asks, ‘what then? We take it as fact that Lani is not infected?’
‘My dear,’ Heathcliff rocks on his heels, ‘we work with what we have. Young man,’ he fixes Maddox with a glare, ‘I am the senior physician here and I give you consent to run the test…that man,’ he points to the old patient, ‘would not be here receiving this care if it was not for Howie and his team. He would not be receiving pain medication nor lying peacefully in a clean hospital bed. It is because of the actions of those few that we are able to have this discussion at all. Therefore, we owe it to those few to determine what we can and I would stake my professional reputation on the fact that if this old chap were to wake up and be told the facts, that he is going to die within the next few hours but we will sedate him and let him go peacefully and by doing so he may further our understanding of this event which may assist the saving of many more lives…well, I dare say he would agree himself.’
Heathcliff trails off as he casts a pained look at the old man before glancing over to Lani, ‘we must do what we can,’ he says so quietly as though almost to himself. ‘But,’ he looks at the faces watching him, ‘it will be done with what dignity we can muster. A stretcher will be used and we will increase his dose of Morphine just in case. He will not be restrained or tied down. Can your chaps handle that?’ He looks to Maddox, ‘in the event he does turn?’
‘I can handle it,’ Maddox says quietly.
‘Anne,’ Heathcliff turns to the younger woman, ‘I note your objections. I want you present so you can see what happens.’
‘I will,’ Anne says with a small nod. An overwhelming instinct that what they propose is wrong but then everything Heathcliff just said makes it seem okay. An older man with a deep voice that gives gravitas to his words. Bearded and refined and somehow he makes it sound like they are doing the right thing.
Lisa checks the charts at the end of the old man’s bed, nodding to herself as she works out the last administration of Morphine given and quickly calculating what can be given safely.
While a stretcher is brought in and the muttered orders given the old man is lifted gently from his bed and placed on the board. He doesn't murmur or flinch, not a reaction is given from his heavily drug induced comatose state.
Wearing gloves, a face mask and taking the greatest of care, Lisa draws a few cc’s of blood from Lani’s arm. The thick red liquid filling the bottom half of the syringe. She caps the needle and points it down, then re-thinks and wraps it in tissue before placing it inside a cardboard box.
A procession of four doctors is led by Maddox and Lenski as the cortege heads out of the rooms and into the fort. Survivors glance over with interest but say nothing. Death is common now and the man on the stretcher is clearly old and frail.
Through the inner gate, across the gap and out onto the beach. Just the guard crew present and they form a loose half circle round the stretcher that is gently laid out on the ground.
Anne watches with a heavy heart but does lift her gaze enough to see the glittering surface of the sea and the deep blue sky above their heads. Gentle waves lap at the shore and in the sky a gull gives voice as it soars on the thermals.
She exhales a slow breath and realises with a jolt that billions of lives have probably been lost in the last few days and to go like this, sedated and watched by genuinely caring people on a pretty little beach under the gorgeous sun, is better than many could have wished for.
She drops down and takes the old man’s hand gently in her own. She knows the level of morphine in his system means he couldn’t possibly feel it so the action is done for her own conscience.
Lisa looks at Maddox who draws his pistol and nods while stepping closer to the old man’s head. She opens the box, unwraps the syringe and for a second stares at the red liquid held within.
Silence as she lifts his right arm and runs the tip of her thumb over a thick vein protruding through the thin skin.
‘Ready?’ She doesn't look up but holds the needle close.
Maddox checks round and motions with his head for everyone else to move back.
‘Anne,’ Heathcliff says gently, ‘come back now.’
‘I will,’ she says then looks at Lisa, ‘go on.’
‘Okay…the vein is clear, the needle is inserting now going straight into the vein. Drawing back, the syringe draws blood and I am now administering the blood taken from Lani into this patient….syringe empty….withdrawing and applying pressure to the…’
‘Move back now
,’ Maddox says quickly.
Anne and Lisa lower the limbs they hold and both swiftly move back as Maddox stands over the old man with the pistol held ready and looks down at the small dribble of blood coming from the pinprick in the crook of the old man’s arm.
One race that is unbound by the restraints of the human desire for the individual to be worthy.
An infection that deepens an understanding of the human brain with every passing day. An infection that takes mere seconds to infiltrate every cell within the human body to stop the heart and re-start it in the true way of being.
An infection that entered Lani but found itself pushed back as her own immunity rallied and took back what was taken.
Lani’s body defeated, but did not eradicate the infection. It pushed it back far enough so the infection was hidden and harmless, contained by healthy DNA that refused the spread it was designed to undertake.
Lani is torn. Damage was wrought to her body. Blood was lost. Too much blood and it weakened her already exhausted body. Hours of running and fighting and she had nothing left to fight with. That tiniest remnant of the virus was suddenly unbidden to release once again but in the time it was held, it changed.
It was not the thing it was when it entered her system. It got into the blood and went through the heart. It made changes to her blood and made it clot faster. It changed her DNA and bolstered the immunity made weaker by the damage to the system.
As it detected death and a loss of ability to live, so it rushed hither and thither throughout the body, driving oxygen into the brain and working hard to keep the heart pumping.
As Roy worked Lani’s chest. So the infection worked inside to keep the host alive. As Lani strengthened, so her own immunity and natural anti-bodies came back into production.
The Lani on the bed in the hospital bed is not the Lani the infection entered and nor is it the Lani that was torn.
As Lani got stronger. So the infection withdrew.
As Lisa pulled Lani’s blood into the syringe, so the infection was once again contained.
The old man lies under the sun as two minutes go by. Sweat beads down Maddox’s face and runs down his cheeks. His hand remains still. His eyes watchful. Someone shifts position. Someone else exhales audibly.
Tension high. Eyes staring. Everyone focused.
‘Three minutes,’ Andrew looks up from his watch, ‘we should look at the eyes.’
Maddox drops in a fluid movement that has the barrel of the gun resting but an inch from the side of the old man’s head. He reached down and uses the tip of his thumb to gently lift the right eyelid.
‘White,’ he says clearly.
‘Let me see,’ Lisa moves forward cautiously. Leaning over Maddox as though using him as a shield. ‘Check the other one.’
Maddox lifts the left eyelid and shows the perfectly normal eye to the doctor who swallows and steps back, blowing air out through puffed cheeks, ‘looks normal,’ he twists round to first stare up at Lisa then beyond her to the waiting crowd.
‘Lani isn’t a carrier then?’ Maddox asks.
‘At this stage,’ Heathcliff steps in closer to peer down at the form of the patient, ‘it appears not.’
Six
19:00 hours. Lani snaps awake with a start. Comatose one second and bolt upright the next. Breathing hard with wide eyes she looks down at her own body then slowly at her surroundings. Machines bleep softly and the air smells clean. In the bed opposite an old man lies deeply asleep while one of the doctors holds his wrist with a look of worried concentration.
Lani goes to speak but her throat is dry and she makes sound with no discernible sense. The doctor turns quickly as she clears her throat and tries again.
‘Fort?’
‘Yes!’ Lisa Franklin crosses the short distance hardly able to contain the surprise at seeing Lani wake so quickly, ‘lie back, you need to rest.’
‘Thirsty,’ Lani coughs again.
‘Here,’ Lisa heads to a side table and takes a bottle of water, ‘sip it first.’
‘Sod that,’ Lani gulps greedily as the cool liquid soaks into her dry mouth and tumbles soothingly down her throat. She downs the bottle and burps without shame before offering a wry smile, ‘sorry.’
‘What for?’
‘Been around the lads too long, no manners…er…why am I in here?’
‘You were injured,’ Lisa rests on the edge of the makeshift hospital bed, ‘deep wound to your thigh, more to your stomach, arms, shoulders…pretty much everywhere.’
‘Oh,’ Lani blanches, ‘yeah I remember getting overwhelmed…wow, the painkillers are good.’
‘Painkillers?’
‘Can’t feel a thing,’ Lani grins, ‘what have you given me?’
‘Funny that,’ Lisa says softly, ‘we haven’t given you anything.’
‘Pardon?’
‘Nothing. You’re not on any pain relief. No Morphine, no Codeine, no anything…not even Paracetamol.’
‘Seriously?’
‘Seriously.’
‘How long have I been out of it? Where’s everyone else? Did they go for Marcy?’
‘They’re sleeping too.’
‘Sleeping? Why?’ Lani casts round as though trying to work out how long she’s been unconscious.
‘You’ve been here about seven hours.’
‘Seven hours?’
Lisa nods once and watches the Thai girl closely, taking in the rosy golden complexion of her skin and the lustre of her silky black hair which is the opposite of what someone waking up from a coma should look like.
‘Excuse me,’ Lani pulls her knees to her chest with a motion that would have a normal person with those injuries screaming in agony. With Lisa off the bed she pushes the covers back and stares at the injury on her thigh and the puckered skin of an old wound fused and healing.
‘It’s itchy…can I scratch it?’
‘Guess so. Just do it gently.’
‘Ah that’s so nice,’ Lani gently scrapes the tips of her finger nails over the wound.
‘Nice nails,’ Lisa leans in to stare at the finger tips and the perfect white tips edging the healthy pink plate.
‘Yeah they’re a bitch to keep clean.’
‘Don’t they break with all the fighting?’
‘Lucky I guess,’ Lani shrugs, ‘has someone washed me?’
‘Of course we did, you weren’t stepping foot in here in the state you were in.’
‘Thanks, I guess,’ Lani thinks for a second, ‘oh god.’
‘What?’ Lisa snaps to attention.
‘I actually crave coffee…actual coffee…I hate coffee…bloody Howie and the others always drinking it.’
‘Coffee?’
‘Oh they go on about how they don’t get enough coffee but really, the amount of time we spend messing about making coffee, getting coffee or breaking into places just to find coffee is ridiculous.’
‘Lani.’
Lani looks up sharply at the tone in the doctor’s voice and waits for the inevitable questions.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Don’t know what?’ Lisa asks with a gentle tone.
‘Why I healed so fast. Why my nails don’t break. Why my hair is in such good condition or any of it. I don’t know. I was infected. I turned. I got better. End of,’ she shrugs defensively, ‘can I go please?’
‘Of course you can go but…’
‘Thanks,’ She stands up expecting a wave of dizziness to sweep over her but finds her legs feel stronger than ever, ‘where are my clothes?’
‘Incinerated. Listen, why don’t you stay a while and rest…’
‘Got work to do.’
‘What work?’
‘Howie will be off to find Marcy and if you think for one second I’ll let him do that alone you can think again.’
‘We need to examine you.’
‘You have examined me…er…what can I wear? I’m in my underwear right now.’
‘Just lie back and let us find some
clothes for you. Tell me, how do you feel?’
‘I feel great,’ Lani says with no intention of lying back down.
‘No pain?’
‘No.’
‘Anything unusual?’
‘No.’
‘Lani, was your hair and nails always in such good condition?’
‘Yes. No. I…no they weren’t.’
‘Did you ever get hurt before this? Like say cut your hand or something?’
‘Of course I did and no, I did not heal like I do now. I healed like a normal person and put plasters on and everything.’
‘So you are changing, or rather you have changed.’
‘Listen,’ Lani fixes the doctor with the eyes of a killer, dark and brooding and the intensity has Lisa’s stomach flipping, ‘I appreciate your help but I’m going.’
Lisa swallows and rallies as she forces her gaze away from Lani eyes, ‘we need to know what’s going on.’
‘Help him,’ Lani points across the room to the bed opposite, ‘he looks like he needs it more than me.’
‘Him?’ Lisa follows her gaze, ‘he was dying a few hours ago.’
‘Was?’
‘Well, I should say he was expected to die a few hours ago.’
‘That’s good then isn’t it?’
‘Heart,’ Lisa sighs, ‘he was in a bad way. We had him dosed up to high heaven on Morphine.’
‘And?’
‘Then we took him outside and injected him with your blood.’
‘You did what?’ Lani’s voice drops to a low tone.
Ignoring the warning the doctor continues, ‘we took blood from your arm and put it into him. We wanted to know if you were carrying the infection. He didn’t turn. He didn’t die. He didn’t die then and he hasn’t died since.’
‘Doctor, you cannot…’
‘And we haven’t given him any Morphine since the injection was administered either.’
Lani freezes mid-sentence as she takes in the sleeping form of the old man. Flicking her gaze back to the Lisa she steps slowly across the aisle and closer to the man.
‘His colour is returning,’ Lisa says flatly from behind her, ‘by now…by rights…he should be suffering the pain of his heart condition that by rights should have killed him…’