by RR Haywood
‘He looks alright,’ Lani whispers the words as she stares at the ruddy cheeks of the patient.
‘He does. And you know what else?’ Lisa steps silently next to Lani and gently lifts the wrist of the man. She goes quiet, focussed then looks at Lani, ‘feel this.’
‘The pulse?’
‘Feel it…put your finger tip here…can you feel it?’
‘Yes.’
‘Dum dum dum dum dum,’ Lisa nods with each beat of the pulse, ‘that tells us his heart is beating normally…’
‘Normally?’
‘Yes,’ Lisa holds the eye contact, ‘normally for a person with a healthy heart…not for an old man dying of a heart condition.’
‘My blood did this?’ Lani asks quietly.
‘In truth we don’t know,’ Lisa says with sad shake of her head.
‘But in our combined medical experience,’ the deep male voice makes Lani turn quickly as Heathcliff walks further into the room, ‘old men with heart conditions do not suddenly get better.’
Lani blinks quickly as she looks off to the side, ‘can I go now?’
‘We want you to stay,’ Lisa says in a tone too gentle.
‘I’m going,’ Lani says.
‘Lani, we really want you to stay so we can find out what’s happening…happened to you…’
She looks at the older bearded doctor as the hairs on the back of her neck prickle, ‘I want to go.’
‘Lani.’
She spins again to see Maddox walking into the room from the main entrance.
‘Maddox! How’s everyone? They okay? Did anyone else get hurt?’
‘No, just you,’ he replies, ‘they told you then?’
‘About him?’ Lani asks nodding at the old man, ‘yes but…where’s Howie and the…’
‘Asleep in their rooms. We need to run tests on you all and find out how…’
‘I’m going to the rooms,’ Lani interrupts him, ‘I’ll wait with the others.’
‘They’re asleep, Lani,’ Maddox watches her closely, his own voice gentle and unchallenging.
Lani takes him in, the easy stance he holds with his arms resting at his sides. The atmosphere in the room charged and heavy, ‘what’s going on?’ She finally gives voice to the creeping sensation plucking at her insides. ‘I’m going now…right now…’
‘Easy,’ Maddox smiles as he takes a step forward, ‘nothing bad happening here, Lani,’ his tone is soft and relaxed, ‘you cured an old man about to die…they put your blood in him and…’
‘Awesome,’ Lani drops her head an inch to widen her peripheral vision, ‘come tell me about it in the rooms with the others…’
‘Lani, whatever got inside you has changed you,’ Maddox says quickly, ‘look at how you healed. Look at you!’
‘What about me?’
‘You look radiant,’ Lisa says from behind.
‘I’m freaking out right now,’ Lani says, ‘I’m getting the feeling you don’t want me to go.’
‘Lani, what if the thing inside you can heal others,’ Maddox says, ‘what if you can stop other people dying too?’
‘That’s great,’ Lani swallows, ‘but please, I’d really rather talk about this with the others.’
‘We’ll let them come over when they’ve woken up,’ Heathcliff says with what he hoped would be a paternal tone but instead his words cause an inward wince from Maddox.
‘Let them?’ Lani picks up on the choice of words instantly, ‘let them? This is our fort…I’m going…’
‘Lani, you’ve only got bra and knickers on,’ Lisa says quickly, ‘we’ll get you some clothes.’
‘Fuck the clothes,’ she heads down the aisle towards Maddox. Her threat perception picking up that he is the only viable threat in the room and knowing full well he carries a pistol on the back of his belt. The whole thing is creeping her out and the claxon in her head screams to get out, go now, run…danger close.
‘Lani,’ Maddox spreads palms towards her, ‘you got to stay here okay?’
‘Not okay, Maddox.’
‘Sorry, Lani…’
‘Maddox!’ She snaps, ‘do not pull a gun on me,’ she watches as his right hand reaches behind his back.
‘You’re staying…’ he says firmly, ‘listen…please just listen…’
‘You pull that gun and you know what will happen,’ she stands her ground and points at him.
‘You’ve changed. You’re physiology has changed. Lani, you saved that man from dying. What you have…whatever is inside you can help people, can help us…’
‘I get it,’ she says without blinking, ‘and I said we could talk in the rooms with the others…do not stop me, Maddox.’
‘Lani, I’m sorry…but…’
‘You force me to stay and all hell will break lose you fool,’ she says quickly, ‘you’ve got ten heavily armed and very experienced people across the way that will not…’
‘You’re staying.’
‘Dave,’ Lani says with a shake of her head, ‘you have no idea what that man can do.’
‘Then don’t let that happen.’
Lani stares at Maddox then turns to look back at Lisa and Heathcliff further back. Movement at the back of the room as Darius steps into view holding an assault rifle gripped and ready.
‘You idiots,’ Lani sighs, ‘we would have stayed…we would have done anything to sort this out…’
‘Cool,’ Maddox shrugs with his right hand still behind his back, ‘do that then. Stay and let us sort this out.’
‘Like this?’
‘What? Shit, Lani,’ Maddox grins, ‘you can’t blame us for wanting to protect you.’
‘Protect me?’
‘Protect what you are.’
‘What we’ll do,’ Lani says slowly, ‘is let me go and talk to the others and we’ll discuss it round the table like we normally do.’
‘You’ll go and find Marcy.’
‘What?’
‘You’ll go find Marcy,’ Maddox repeats, ‘and we can’t let that happen. We can’t let you go back out there knowing what you are and what you can do. There’s no way you’ll split your team and you stay here while the others go…’
‘I’m going,’ Lani rolls her eyes disdainfully as she steps towards Maddox.
‘Wait!’
‘Or what? You’ll shoot me? Shoot the girl with the cure for old men with bad hearts?’
‘No,’ Maddox holds her gaze levelly, ‘but we will sedate you if we have to.’
‘Good luck with that,’ Lani smiles slowly and drops her hands to her sides as she slides her left foot back a fraction.
Maddox notices the stance and brings his right hand round to the front, showing Lani the open palm, ‘no need for this.’
‘Let me go then.’
‘You have to stay here.’
‘Maddox, when Howie and the rest wake up they’ll…’
‘That has been planned for,’ Maddox cuts across her words as a sinking sensation hits Lani in the stomach.
‘What?’ She asks softly.
‘You are the same as Howie…and Cookey and now Blowers so…’
‘Blowers?’
‘Blowers was bitten on the arm during the fight. He’s immune too.’
Lani reels from the news, her heart ramping up with the sudden turn of events and the situation rapidly getting out of control.
‘There’s no need for this,’ she says quickly, ‘if…my god, if I knew my blood could do that,’ she waves a hand towards the old man, ‘or…I mean if any of us thought for a second we could do that we’d do exactly what you wanted.’
‘You wouldn’t,’ Maddox says with a shake of his head, ‘Howie is an amazing leader but…’
‘But what?’
‘But he’s on a mission and,’ Maddox pauses to think, ‘if we…’ he stops again.
‘If we what?’ Lani prompts, ‘what?’
‘You wouldn’t stay in here, you know you wouldn’t,’ Maddox replies heavily, ‘Howie’s driven
to…to do whatever he thinks he needs to do…’
‘Saving everyone!’ Lani says, ‘doing exactly what he’s being doing the whole time…if he suspected his blood, or my blood or any of us could help people he’d do exactly the right thing.’
‘There’s another consideration to this, Lani.’ Lisa says quietly from behind. Lani doesn't turn but drops her head an inch to acknowledge the comment.
‘I get it,’ she says, ‘but it won’t happen.’
‘Something in you made you heal. That something is making this man heal from a condition that was killing him…’
‘I said I get it.’
‘But what if you turn? What if you have a delayed reaction? What if this man has a delayed reaction? What if the virus is mutating?’
‘Like I said. It won’t.’
‘Viruses mutate all the time. The common cold. Ebola. HIV…they…’
‘I heard you and I said it won’t happen.’
‘How do you know, Lani?’
‘Stop saying my bloody name,’ she spins to stare angrily at the doctor, ‘it’s a form of manipulation that I do not find acceptable.’
‘I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to manipulate you.’
‘If we were going to have turned we would have done it days ago. We’ve killed thousands of them…don’t you think we would have been stopped by now? It sends more and more against us and we still kill them.’
‘Mutation,’ Lisa says simply, ‘you’re suggesting the current virus has a hive mind or a conscious awareness of self. If that is the case then the strain you have may be different…the hive mind in the others is not the same as in you.’
‘Conjecture.’
‘We have to work with what we have,’ Heathcliff says.
‘What? Wild guesses?’
‘Lani, they’re…’
‘Stop…saying…my…’
‘Sorry! Look, Lani. We’re doing the best we can with what limited information we have. You might be infected…you might be a carrier…you might have saved that man,’ Lisa says imploringly.
‘See sense,’ Heathcliff says, ‘this is the best for everyone.’
‘We brought you here,’ Lani says, ‘we risked our lives again and again to find you and bring you back.’
‘And everyone is grateful,’ Maddox says carefully, ‘but situations change and things happen and we’ve got to adapt as we go. You are staying here, Lani. Howie and the others will be confined to their rooms but they’ll be safe. If I honestly thought you would all stay here and stay safe I’d have done it that way…but I know Howie won’t relinquish his weapons and Dave is too dangerous even without weapons…I’ve thought this through and this is my decision for it to happen like this.’
‘Against our will?’
‘There’s no need for…’
‘Say it,’ Lani demands, ‘admit you are doing this against our will. Say it out loud.’
‘Shoe fits,’ Maddox shrugs, ‘yeah, against your will but know this,’ he takes a step forward as his voice drops in tone, ‘I will do whatever it takes to protect the people of this fort and everyone who turns up here and…’
‘Like we did.’
‘Yes, but the situation has changed and your team is now at the crux of the issue. Either you are infected and therefore a danger to everyone here, or you are not…but with what happened when we put your blood into that man we must…must take whatever steps are necessary and if that means…’
‘Fuck off,’ Lani spits, ‘I’m leaving right now.’
‘Don’t do it,’ Maddox warns as his right arm once more goes behind his back.
‘Better shoot me then,’ she walks at him, confident in the knowledge after everything said that Maddox won’t risk her life. That he would have calculated that a gunshot will carry in the fort which will wake the others and bring them running.
‘On you,’ Maddox brings the hand round to the front and grips the handle of the weapon held pointed at Lani.
She looks down and feels her heart sink as he fires, ‘you prick,’ she utters the words as the barbs of the tazer shoot from the bright yellow device and sink into the flesh of her exposed stomach.
Seven
‘What happen?’
‘They sedated her.’
‘You said this,’ Lenski remains poker faced but watches Maddox closely, ‘you say this happen.’
‘I tried talking to her but…’
‘Oh she never to listen,’ Lenski cuts him off, ‘I not listen if you do this to me. What now? You wake Howie?’
‘We’re ready,’ Maddox stares down the fort at the crews positioned directly outside the old armoury rooms. All of them now equipped with assault rifles and fresh ammunition. The fort occupants have been pushed back to create a sterile area immediately beyond the crews and told it’s for their own safety as one of the group inside could be infected.
The mere mention of the infection being in the fort swept like wild fire and within minutes the survivors were gathering as far away as possible with hunted and frightened looks etched on their weathered faces.
‘Committed now,’ Maddox says before breathing out noisily through his nose.
‘You doubt this?’
‘No but…’
‘The man he living now, Lani and the others they must understand this. We have many here…many more they come here. We do this for the many.’
‘Lilly,’ Maddox nods at the young woman striding across the fort towards them, ‘does she know?’
‘I tell her,’ Lenski admits, ‘she had to know.’
‘Sure.’
‘What the hell?!’
‘Lilly, just wait…’
‘You cannot do this, Maddox.’
‘It’s done.’
‘What’s done?’ She demands and comes to a stop directly in front of him, hands on hips and a look of defiance clear on her face.
‘Lani, she’s been told.’
‘Told what? What’s going on?’
‘I tell you,’ Lenski says, ‘I tell you this.’
‘You are holding Lani in the hospital and the others in their rooms. Is that right? And you’re doing it because they…’
‘Lani’s blood was given to a man dying from a heart condition,’ Maddox keeps his tone soft but firm, ‘we thought he’d turn. He didn’t turn. He didn’t die of the heart problem either. He got better. He’s still getting better.’
Lilly listens and forces the initial fury from her tone and manner. The crews facing the armoury armed to the teeth and every single one of them looking serious. The wheels are in motion and the situation is evolving rapidly. She knows they didn’t tell her straight away because they knew what her reaction would be.
‘That is amazing,’ Lilly makes herself nod and appear impressed, ‘I mean…and the doctors have verified this?’
‘He’s unconscious,’ Maddox admits, ‘but his heart rate, blood pressure and other visible signs all indicate he’s recovering. They expect him to wake up any time now.’
‘Gosh,’ Lilly lifts her eyebrows then nods, ‘and it was Lani’s blood that was given to him.’
‘That’s right,’ Maddox tilts his head a fraction of an inch as he picks up the minute details of her posture and tone and in those few seconds his respect for the girl rises significantly.
‘I understand,’ Lilly says, ‘and I assume you are considering that the disease that got into Lani has somehow changed her? Lenski told me she has healed far quicker than she should. So again I assume you, or the doctors, think Lani’s immunity has somehow coupled with the disease to give her a greater ability to heal herself and that it was passed to the heart patient.’
Maddox nods as she talks, ‘correct. That is the assumption we are working from. We don’t know anything for fact but if Lani is infected or a carrier then we cannot take the risk of her exposing others. On the flip side, if she has the ability to recover in ways far beyond the normal human body then again we cannot risk her doing anything that could jeopardise her ow
n safety.’
‘I agree,’ Lilly takes her turn to nod while Maddox speaks, ‘but forgive me speaking out of turn, Maddox. It does not feel right that you have forced to remain in the hospital against her will.’
‘Okay, I understand your concern but…’
‘And I spent time with Nick,’ she continues with a diplomatic look, ‘and know first-hand the honourable intentions of his team, especially Mr Howie. Surely if he was told what had happened he would stay here and allow the tests to be done without the need for force.’
‘And I factored that in my considerations. Howie is driven to find out where this infection came from and how it can be stopped…but not in the same way we are.’
‘How so?’
‘He knows he is immune. That gives him an element of recklessness. Same with Lani and now of course with Cookey and Blowers. They are more likely to place themselves in harms way because they are immune.’
‘I see, but again I would respectfully point out that if you simply spoke to them they would most likely concede to your request to remain within the fort for a period of time.’
‘Which would last about a day. They’ve been fighting non-stop. They couldn’t stop now for anything…’
‘Oh I don’t think so,’ Lilly allows a tactical smile to form on her face, ‘I think given the chance to lounge about the fort getting in everyone’s way and eating us out of house and home would be the blessing they are craving. Plus of course, Nick would get to spend some time with me…’
‘They want Marcy,’ Maddox interrupts her with his own strategically deployed smile, ‘they will go for Marcy.’
‘Do they even know where she is?’
‘She’ll be close.’
‘Yes. I see your point but no, I do not agree. I think a simple conversation outlining what you had established and they would stay here and do as bid.’
‘What if they didn’t? Lilly, if they step outside those rooms with weapons we would never stop them. Not with Dave and Clarence on their side…they’re all highly skilled fighters now and would wipe this place out in seconds…’
‘Why would they ever do that?’
‘They are infected, Lilly,’ Maddox says seriously, ‘the experiment with Lani proves that. Yes it’s helping the old man now but the doctors have all said it could be a delayed reaction. He could still turn. Mr Howie and his group could still turn and with their skills and knowledge they’d kill everyone…not just in here but everyone they came into contact with. They would be unstoppable. They alone could wipe out what few survivors are left. Have you heard them joke about being thankful Dave is on their side?’