The anxious lines around her mouth lessened. “Good. Now, you’ll be presenting right after I do. I’ll probably take twenty minutes to go through my material. Just sit tight until then.”
“Right. Okay.”
My cheeks flushed since everyone coddled me. Why can’t I be as tough as Davin?
Nothing seemed to faze him. I’d bet he’d walk into this room, his expression unflinching, while he told each and every one of the senators and congressmen exactly what he thought of the Compounds. Whereas I, the person with two PhD’s, years of experience in virology, and the founder of the vaccine, was ready to throw up again.
It was sadly, laughably ironic.
“I think I’ll wait in the hallway until I present.” I fingered the notecards in my pocket. Maybe practicing one more time will help.
Dr. Hutchinson nodded. “Good idea.” She gave my shoulder a quick, reassuring squeeze before she turned.
My cheeks blazed when I returned to the hall. Get a grip, Meghan. Seriously!
I pulled out my cell phone as I brushed shoulders with two men walking into the room. I recognized them. One was a senator from Minnesota. The other from Virginia. Behind them trailed Senator Douglas from Arkansas. His shrewd gaze met mine. He was one of the loudest opponents of freeing the Kazzies.
Somehow, I managed to hold my head high as he passed. Once he entered the room, I slumped against the wall.
I tapped in Davin’s number into my phone. My fingers were icy cold and shaking.
He picked up before the first ring even finished. “You’ll be fine. Just breathe.”
The sound of his voice calmed my racing heart. “How is it that you always know what to say?”
“I do? Well, that’s a relief.”
I laughed, feeling some of my tension ease. “I’m speaking after Dr. Hutchinson.”
“I know. I’ve been watching the clock all morning. Most of the others are in the pool right now. Dorothy found a water aerobics DVD in the library, so they brought in a portable TV and DVD player so she could try it in the swimming pool. For kicks, the twins, Sage, and Victor joined her.”
I smiled despite myself. Dorothy was convinced she could lose weight if she just tried hard enough. Her researchers had explained to her, numerous times, that wasn’t possible because of the Makanza strain she carried. Strain 8 had caused her to grow pounds of brown fat. That, along with changes in her kidneys, allowed her to go weeks without eating or drinking.
I leaned against the wall in the hallway. “So you’re just hanging out in your cell, waiting for my frantic phone calls? Instead of doing water aerobics?”
“Yeah, I think it was Jane Fonda or someone like that. Not really my thing.”
I laughed again.
A squeak sounded in the background, like Davin just laid down on his bed. “So it was either water aerobics or I joined Garrett for a painting session. He’s working on a portrait right now, but since I struggle to paint stick figures, that wasn’t a good option either.”
I could picture it. Davin sitting beside Garrett, the large-eyed Kazzie who worked as an artist before catching Makanza. Garrett was the quietest of the group. He was often drawing, painting, or sculpting. He had a gentle soul. Of all the men with Makanza in Compound 26, he had the least intimidating presence. Not like Sage’s large build or Victor’s hot temper.
Leaning against the wall more, I turned and quieted my voice when a woman in a business suit walked by. “I’m sorry that you’ve turned into my personal therapist.”
I felt his shrug. “At least I’m employed. Got to earn my keep somehow.”
“You don’t mind? Seriously?”
All joking left his tone. “Not at all. I’m glad I’m able to help.”
I felt a little better after he said that, but I still felt guilty. Sooner or later, I knew I’d have to learn how to deal with my anxiety completely on my own, but right now, it was too hard.
“What if I throw up on stage?”
“You won’t, because if you start panicking, I want you to picture me sitting in the audience listening. Just picture it and stare at me. Pretend I’m the only one there. Just you and me.”
I took a deep breath, counted to ten and let it out. “Okay.”
“Do you want to go through your presentation one more time?”
“Yes.”
BY THE TIME I returned to the conference room, I felt less shaky. I also didn’t feel the urge to throw up. Baby steps, right?
Dr. Hutchinson announced me when it was my turn. I walked with my head high and didn’t look at anyone. Just breathe Meghan. Just breathe.
When I reached the podium, I set my notecards down, my fingers shaking as I rearranged them. The room was eerily quiet, the rustling from my papers amplified in the speakers. I could almost feel Dr. Hutchinson’s nerves. She stood off to the side, shifting from foot to foot.
Am I that bad? Does she really think I could lose it any second?
I looked up and took another deep breath. You can do this, Meghan!
A sea of faces stared back at me. My stomach flipped, so I shifted my gaze higher until I was looking at the blank wall in the back. Just pretend they’re not here.
I pictured Davin, sitting by the back wall, his midnight hair curling around his ears. Those intense, bright blue eyes shining with encouragement. My heart rate slowed, and in that moment, I felt anchored to why I was here.
The Kazzies deserved to be free. My speech could help make that happen.
It was imperative I didn’t fail. This one’s for you, Davin.
“Good morning,” I began. “As Dr. Hutchinson stated, my name is Dr. Meghan Forester. I’m a researcher at Compound 26 in South Dakota. I helped develop the vaccine, and I work closely with the survivors infected with Makanza in our facility. I’m here today in hopes of convincing you that it’s safe to release them back into the public, and to help you see the science behind why that is so.”
I continued on, telling the congressmen, congresswomen, and all of the state senators, about the efficacy of the vaccine, breaking down the physiology behind it, and explaining how the immune response worked. In detail, I described how researchers worked with their survivors, unsuited, and how nobody had contracted the virus since the vaccine.
I went on to emphasize the mundane, imprisoned life the Kazzies led. How they deserved more than to be locked away simply because they survived the virus. My voice became impassioned, all nerves leaving me as I pictured Davin being free, of all the infected survivors being able to have a normal life.
“I hope you strongly consider everything we’ve told you today. The infected survivors have done their part. They’ve given us a vaccine so that Makanza can no longer ravage the earth. Please set them free. They’re people who’ve never committed any crime. They simply survived.”
When I finished, the room was quiet. Dr. Hutchinson was the first to applaud. A grin spread across her face. Everyone else followed suit. Clapping echoed in the room.
“I’d like to open the floor to questions,” I said, when the applause died down. I took a deep, uneasy breath.
This was the part I dreaded most.
A senator from Utah, Al Rosting, was the first to chime in. Similar to Senator Douglas, he’d been adamantly against releasing the Kazzies since day one. I tensed, waiting for his question.
“You say the vaccine is one hundred percent effective, yet we can’t guarantee that, can we? After all, we’d have to expose every single person in the U.S. to Makanza to know that for a fact. Right?”
“In every drug trial, it’s been one hundred percent effective. We have no reason to believe that will change.”
“But you can’t guarantee that, can you?” he persisted.
Dr. Hutchinson had helped prep me for these kinds of attacks. I knew what I needed to say. “All evidence supports its effectiveness, one hundred percent.”
“But what if that’s not true? What if someone in the public comes into contact with a Kazzie and di
es because of it?”
“There’s no evidence supporting that will ever happen. We can’t base a decision on what-if’s. We have to base decisions on science.” I kept my voice cool and even. I knew part of this was an attempt to rile me into saying something to support his claim.
“What if your mother died? What if your father died? What if your brother died?” he persisted. “From being exposed to a Kazzie?”
I flinched. “My brother did die, in the Second Wave. If we’d developed this vaccine before then, I’m one hundred percent certain he’d be alive today.”
He had the decency to look contrite after I said that. Senator Rosting obviously hadn’t done his homework on me.
“What about the immuno-suppressed people, or people who might not respond to the vaccine as well as others?” a congresswoman asked. I glanced her way. She represented Maine.
“As you know, very few immune suppressed people are still alive. Those that are, have all received the vaccine. We haven’t seen any negative symptoms from them. They have tolerated the vaccine acceptably.”
“But what about fear in the public?” another asked. “What if releasing the survivors causes riots or violence?”
“Since when are civil rights not upheld for fear of violence?” I challenged.
“But some of them are so different,” Mary Goldberg, a representative from New York said. “I want them to be free, but I’m afraid for them. You’ve explained how different the strains are in your previous talks, and how some strains have turned the survivors into people that don’t even look like humans anymore. Aren’t they afraid of the public’s reaction to them?”
I bristled as a fierce protectiveness rose in me. “Let me ask you a question, Senator Goldberg. Do you know anyone with Down’s Syndrome?” I knew she did. I’d thoroughly researched every state’s representatives.
She sat up a little straighter, her tone defensive. “Yes, my niece has Down’s.”
“In a way, your niece is no different than the Kazzies. She was born with an extra chromosome. Her genetic makeup is different than yours or mine. So does that mean we should lock her away? Keep her away from the public? For fear of how others may react to her?”
“Of course not,” she said hotly.
“Then why should it be any different for those that survived Makanza? They may look different, but they’re still humans. They’re still like you and me.”
She grew quiet after I said that, a penchant look on her face.
“And what about you, Dr. Forester? Have you been exposed to Makanza?”
I dreaded turning toward that voice. When I finally did, Senator Douglas’ dark beady eyes bore holes into me. He sat three rows from the front, his arms crossed over his paunch belly. He raised an eyebrow as he waited for my answer.
Swallowing sharply, sweat erupted across my brow. I avoided the urge to seek out Cate’s supportive presence. I was on my own. “No, I haven’t been exposed.”
His look turned smug. “I didn’t think so. It’s a bit hypocritical to be lecturing all of us on the safety of the vaccine, if you don’t have the guts to expose yourself, now is it?”
A murmur erupted around the room.
“That’s not it,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’m not afraid of being exposed. My boss…”
I stopped myself. I was about to say that Dr. Sadowsky wouldn’t allow his researchers to be exposed, but it was too late. I’d played right into Senator Douglas’ hands.
“Oh, I heard,” the senator continued. “Your own boss won’t allow his scientists to mingle with their Kazzies. Hardly something a renowned Director would do unless there’s cause for concern. If the vaccine truly is as safe as you claim it to be, why won’t he allow it?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but the voices in the room rose as the leaders of our nation began discussing the topic Senator Douglas presented.
“Please!” I called when my efforts to control the rising energy in the room failed. “Please, listen! Every researcher and scientist in other Compounds in the U.S. that have been exposed have all survived and remain healthy.”
“So why the concern from your Director?” a voice shouted from the back.
Avoiding the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose, I replied, “I cannot speak for someone else, but as Dr. Hutchinson can confirm, every scientist in her Compound has remained healthy and unharmed.”
My gaze swept the room as my heart plummeted. It didn’t matter that everyone exposed had been okay. Already, I could see fear and skepticism on faces that only minutes ago had seemed open and hopeful.
Senator Douglas smirked.
It took all of my self-control to not glower at him.
I was exhausted by the time the session came to a close. Cate waited for me when I stepped off the stage.
“What a bastard.” She seethed quietly.
My shoulders fell as she guided me out of the room. “I’m sorry. I should have been more prepared for that.”
“It’s not your fault.” She tapped her foot after crossing her arms. “He knew what your weakness was and exploited it. Never mind that you would be fine if exposed. He pounced on your boss’ irrational decision to keep you separated from Compound 26’s Kazzies.”
“And it was going so well.”
She nodded. “It’s a pity it had to end on that note.”
It wasn’t until I returned to my hotel suite that my nerves finally gave out. I threw up one last time before collapsing on the bathroom floor. With shaking fingers, I brought a glass of water to my mouth and rinsed it out. My stomach felt hollow and empty. I was surprised there’d been anything left to vomit.
Pale, clammy skin stared back at me when I finally stood and looked in the mirror. After retreating to the living room, I called Davin.
He picked up immediately. “Go okay?”
“For the most part.” I summed up how well it had gone until Senator Douglas piped in.
Davin’s tone turned grim. “So there’s no guarantee we’re getting out.”
“No.” I sank to the living room floor and drew my knees up. “No guarantee but let’s hope for the best.”
4 – BACK TO THE COMPOUND
We flew back the next day. Everyone was quiet during the flight. Tension hung in the cabin, like a thick oppressive fog. My thoughts kept returning to Senator Douglas and the fear he stoked. It was very possible he’d thwart any progress for the Kazzies.
When I disembarked in Sioux Falls, warm summer air swirled around me as I walked to my car. It was early evening by the time I arrived at my apartment, too late to drive into the Compound, even though I really wanted to see Davin.
I was toweling off from a shower, still biting my lips over thoughts of Senator Douglas, when my cell phone rang. One look at the screen, and I smiled. Amy.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey, yourself. Are you back in town?”
“Yeah, I got back an hour ago.”
“How’d it go? Mitch, Charlie, and I are currently in a bet on what’s gonna happen.”
Since Mitch, Charlie, Amy, and I were Davin’s researchers we all worked closely together. Over the past year, my anxiety around them had mostly disappeared.
I sighed and leaned against the bathroom counter. Water dripped down my back from my wet hair.
“As much as I’d like to say I’m certain of a positive outcome, I’m not.” I explained how my speech went well and the question and answer session seemed fine until Senator Douglas spouted in.
“What a douche,” Amy grumbled. “So I’m probably out twenty bucks then? I bet they’d all be free within a month. Charlie said it would be over a year.”
“And Mitch?”
“He said they’ll never be free.”
My stomach dropped. “I really hope he’s wrong.”
“Me too.” She paused. “They said on the news tonight the president will be addressing the nation on Monday.”
“That’s the plan. The state representatives are supposed to
come to a decision by tomorrow. If they don’t, they’ll be working through the weekend.”
“As long as they make a decision.”
“Exactly.”
I ARRIVED AT the Compound at my usual six o’clock the next morning. The huge, four-story building stretched a quarter mile. Its exterior walls were gray concrete and dotted with windows. A few lights were on, but most of the building was dark.
Most employees didn’t arrive until seven or eight, but I’d been working longer days than most for so long, I didn’t think twice about it.
Since I was impatient to see Davin, I took the rail system to the Inner Sanctum. Most of the Kazzies were asleep when I entered. Garrett, the Sisters, and Victor’s cells were all dark. However, Dorothy and Sage were awake.
Dorothy sat at her desk, eating breakfast. Gray streaked through her dark hair. Her ample bosom pushed into the desk. I could practically hear her adding up the calories. She’d recently asked the kitchen to reduce each meal to four hundred calories. I think she’d actually gained weight instead of lost, but she was still trying. She was stubborn. I’d give her that.
Sage waved when I entered his hallway and motioned me toward his watch room. I stepped inside as the Kazzie approached the window.
As usual, there was a swagger in his step. He was an attractive looking guy, and he knew it. The only overt difference to his appearance was the subtle change to his skin. If I stood close enough, I could see it. His skin looked almost reptilian. Small looking scales covered his entire body. They were constructed of myelin and metal. The combination was highly conductive and was how he generated electricity.
The rest of him looked like any other guy. He had dark hair, brown eyes, and angular features. He was big, too. He stood around six-three with broad shoulders and muscular legs. I felt fairly confident that he’d been a ladies man before the First Wave.
He made a motion to the guard. The guard reached for a switch on his control panel and pushed something.
“Meghan, can you hear me?” Sage asked.
I smiled. “Yes.”
“Sweet. You look good by the way. That color’s nice on you.”
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