by R. A. Neely
"You don't want me?" she asked. "I thought...why have you been flirting with me if you don't like me? And that kiss earlier? What was that about?"
"Yes, I want you," Jackson replied, "but not like this. Let me ask you a question. Are you in here because you want to be, or because you think this is what you need to do to keep yourself safe?"
Shirley thought for a moment. She was attracted to Jackson. She had been for a while if she was going to be completely honest with herself. She wasn't sure if she'd have ever acted on it if this whole crisis hadn't happened. She probably would have married Jeremy and been miserable for the rest of her life.
"I take it from your silence, it's the second one," Jackson said.
"Why can't it be both?" Shirley asked.
"Because it doesn't need to be. An arrangement like that, I'd feel like I'm forcing myself on you."
"I'm standing here because I choose too, Jackson."
"I don't want an arrangement with you, Shirley. I don't want you to think you need to be in my bed in order for me to keep you safe. If I did that, I might as well hold a gun to your head. It's the same thing to me."
"Okay. Thanks, I think...can I still stay with you? I won't try anything. I don't think I want to sleep alone."
"That's fine. But I need you to put some clothes on first. I'm not gonna get any sleep if you're next to me like that."
Shirley chuckled. "I'll be right back."
A few minutes later she was dressed and laid down next to Jackson. "Thanks," she said quietly.
"For what?" Jackson asked.
"Just being you I guess. For saying no."
"You're welcome. Night, Shirley."
"Goodnight, Jackson."
The next morning Shirley awoke to an empty bed. She felt around with her arm and finally opened her eyes. She was in bed alone. She got out of bed as she wondered where Jackson was. She took a moment to stretch then noticed the smell of something cooking. Was that bacon? Shirley made her way downstairs and saw Jackson in the kitchen.
"Hey there," she said.
"Hey," Jackson replied as he looked up from the stove.
"You left me all alone."
Jackson smiled. "I like the idea of spending all day in bed with you but we've got stuff to do today."
Shirley smiled at the thoughts Jackson's words invoked. "You sure? A day of relaxing sounds pretty good right now."
Jackson laughed. "That does sound good but I don't feel all that safe while we're still in the city." He left the stove and laid a kiss on her forehead.
"Tell you what, though. When we get somewhere safe, I promise you I'll keep you in bed all day."
Shirley flushed at the thought. "Promise?"
"Yeah. But today, we've got things to do today." He headed back towards the stove. "Breakfast will be ready in a few."
"Did I smell bacon?" Shirley asked.
"Yeah, found some in the bottom drawer of the fridge. I'm making some eggs too."
"That sounds fantastic." Shirley smiled as the thought of a great breakfast brought her the rest of the way into the land of the living.
Jackson finished with breakfast and they sat in the dining room to eat. They ate at a slower pace this time, no longer starving due to the good meal they'd had the night before. After breakfast, Jackson outlined their plans for the day.
"I want to hit a few houses like I said last night. If we get lucky, we won't have to risk a trip to Rick's."
"Why the change? You seemed okay with going their last night?"
"I was thinking that the more time that passes, the more dangerous the city gets. The infected have no doubt attacked a lot of people. Also, enough time has passed that we'll have to worry about other survivors."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember the shelter? People could easily be fighting over whatever is left. We'll hit Rick's if we have too, but we're safer if we can avoid some confrontations."
Shirley nodded. "Alright." She pushed her empty plate aside. "Might as well start here then. I'll check upstairs for some clothes that fit." She gestured towards her business suit. "Don't think this is gonna cut it in the apocalypse."
Jackson chuckled. "Fair enough. I'll pack us a lunch so we don't have to come back this way until we're done."
Shirley nodded as she headed upstairs. She started with the master bedroom and searched through the clothes strewn around the room. She managed to turn up a pair of jeans and some gym shoes that might fit. A search of the other room turned up a t-shirt that would work. She changed into her new clothes and found that the jeans fit well enough although the cut wasn't to her liking. The shirt ended at her midriff but otherwise fit well enough, plus it was clean. She was glad to get out of the blouse and skirt she'd been wearing the last few days. The shoes were a little tight but would serve. They'd definitely be better than the heels she's been running around in.
Shirley scrounged around a bit more and found a scrunchie that she used to put her in a ponytail. She checked herself out in the mirror and was more or less satisfied. She couldn't be terribly picky about her clothes given the circumstances. Everything fit more or less so that would have to be good enough. She headed downstairs and blushed when she heard a whistle.
"Nice," Jackson said with a smile. "You ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."
Jackson led her to the glass doors and moved the blanket aside to check the yard. Satisfied, he opened the door and stepped outside. He waited for Shirley to close the door and headed for the gate in the wall.
"Did you find anything in the house?" Shirley asked.
"No," Jackson replied, "I checked the garage hoping they had a second car or something but no luck. Did find some tools though."
"At least they left some food."
"True." Jackson led the way down the alley to the next town home. This gate proved to be locked as well and Jackson retrieved a hammer and screwdriver from his belt. He set to work and had the gate open in short order. A search of the house turned up some clothes that Jackson could actually fit and a few more cans of food. Shirley found a bag they could store their items in.
The third townhouse revealed a working vehicle. After finding the keys, they loaded everything into the backseat. They were on their way back to their original town home when Jackson suddenly pulled the car to a stop.
"What's wrong?" Shirley asked.
"I think I see smoke," Jackson replied as he pointed in the direction of the disturbance.
Shirley craned her neck to see. "I think you're right."
Jackson nodded. "Change of plans then. We're leaving now. No telling how fast that'll spread without anyone to fight it."
Shirley nodded. "Alright, where to?"
Jackson looked at the smoke again. "That looks like the south if I'm not mistaken. We'll head north."
Shirley nodded as Jackson put the car in gear and headed north out of the city. She looked back as he drove and wondered if she would ever see this place again. Thinking of the fire she wondered if there would be anything left if she did manage to get back here someday. She was glad to be alive but leaving your home was tough, no matter the circumstances. She figured she might have to get used to that feeling. How far would they have to go before they reached somewhere safe?
7 Henry: Hidden Government Facility
Henry opened his eyes and wondered what had woken him. Ah, they were descending. The change in motion must have done it. Looking out the window he saw they were arriving at some sort of fenced in facility. He could see four buildings from his vantage point and he wondered what their purpose was. He sighed as the helicopter touched down. Time to get back to work. He stretched as much as the confines allowed. He'd gotten a few hours of sleep so he should be able to start work as soon as the Captain's men got his specimens to the lab.
He was directed to one of the large buildings and found himself in a large open space separated into sections with large white dividers. Looking closely, he saw that they appeared to be some sort of plastic
in a wheeled metal frame. He pushed one slightly and nodded when it moved. If needed, he could rearrange the room. He didn't know if that would be necessary, but it was nice to have that option. He explored the various sections until he found what was meant to be his lab. He smiled as he stepped into the area.
It looked like the military had come through. It appeared as if all the needed equipment was in place. If a treatment could be found, he could do it here. Leaving the lab, he continued to explore. He found a section that contained several cots and nodded. It was best if he and his techs could stay on site. No time would be lost traveling to and from their quarters. Exploring further he found a kitchen and even an area with some exercise equipment. It looked as if the military had spared no expense. The final area he found contained what looked to be like several display cases. They were approximately eight feet in height and five feet in the width.
"I see you found our containment area," a voice said behind him.
Henry turned and saw a man in a smart business suit. Henry wondered who he was. He obviously wasn't military. The man smiled at Henry's frown.
"Agent Terrence Matte," he said extending his hand.
"Doctor Henry Pendleton," Henry said as he gripped the man's hand.
"I know who you are doctor. Everyone knows who you are at this point. You're our only hope of stopping this mess."
"Surely there are others working on a treatment as well."
"No one else has your qualifications," Terrence replied. "There were some who were working on something. They either failed or their location was compromised before we could extract them."
At Henry's frown Terrence waved a hand as if to dismiss his concern. "We're safe here for the time being."
"The time being?"
"Yes," Terrence said with a nod, “I’m a realist, doctor. I deal in what is, not what I hope to be and I make sure everyone around me knows that. I could stand here and tell you that we're perfectly safe but that would be a lie. When I say for the time being, I mean just that. This facility is surrounded by a high voltage electric fence. In theory, that should hold back any infected."
"Should?"
Terrence nodded again. "I like to prepare for various scenarios. In the event that the fence does not hold, we'll evacuate to another facility that's currently being prepared."
"How long can we keep that up? It's a lot to set up a lab like this."
"That's true," Terrence replied. "Let's just say it's in everyone's best interest if you solve this quickly."
Henry nodded. "I'd better get to work then."
Terrence nodded. "Your techs are here. I believe they were in the kitchen area when I came this way."
"Thank you. I'll get to work right away."
"Excellent. Do you need anything? I followed the specifications I was sent."
"No, everything looks to be here," Henry replied.
Terrence nodded. "Alright then, I'll leave you to your work." He nodded towards the cages behind Henry. "The specimens should be delivered shortly. There will be a detail of soldiers here at all times to prevent any accidents."
Henry nodded. He thought of the first tech he'd lost and wondered if he'd still be alive if they'd taken this precaution at the CDC. There had been a few soldiers around for the first incident but maybe that had worked out for the best. They'd gained valuable information and maybe having more solider around would have meant that they wouldn't have held out for as long as they did.
"Thank you," Henry replied, "that gives me some peace of mind."
Terrence nodded and left the room. Henry stopped by the kitchen for a quick bite to eat and then gathered up his techs. The first hour or so was spent configuring the equipment to their specifications. By then, the specimens had been delivered. Henry arranged for one of the specimens to be strapped to a table so he could perform some tests.
Henry headed for the containment area where his guards had strapped one of the specimens to a table. Henry looked down at it as it growled at him. Under normal circumstances, he'd never get away with what he was about to do. He wanted to perform an autopsy. Perhaps there was a clue in the infected's brain that would give him a clue as to how he should proceed. There was only so much information you could gain from a live specimen.
He nodded towards one of the guards. "Terminate it, if you would."
The guard frowned. "Kill it? You sure? We've only got three of these."
"Yes, I'm sure," Henry replied. "I need to perform an autopsy on its brain and I can't very well do that while it’s still breathing. Now, if you would. And not in the head, I need that."
The guard nodded and stepped forward, drawing his sidearm as he moved. He glanced back toward the other guard. "Go let them know what's happening so they don't panic."
The guard nodded and left the room. Henry frowned, he probably should have thought of that. Oh well, he was brilliant but he couldn't think of everything. Henry jumped as a single shot rang out. The guard had delivered a perfect shot to the infected's chest.
"Thank you," Henry said.
The guard nodded and returned to his post near the cages. Henry directed one of his techs to grab a bone saw and set to work. The tech stepped back when he was finished, bits of bone fell to the ground from his apron. Henry directed another tech to remove the brain.
"Bring it to the lab when you're done," he said. He left the room and returned to the lab. He didn't know what the autopsy would reveal but he had to try something. He'd ruled out the possibility of a cure earlier so what was left? He hoped for some way to stop the infection from spreading. I wouldn't stop the infected from killing people but at least that would stop this from spreading further.
A few hours later he stepped away from the table in frustration. The autopsy had been a waste of time. The brain revealed that the infected had some form of rabies but he already knew that. What he really needed was to see the infection first hand, from start to finish. Maybe something in that process would reveal how he could fight it. He sighed at the thought of the missed opportunity he'd already missed. If only they have put that tech in observation instead of throwing it in the room with the other infected.
He was stuck. There was no way to proceed without seeing the infection first hand and there was no way that could happen. There was no way they could purposely infect someone. Was there? A lot was on the line here. The fate of the entire country rested in his hands. If he stop the infection from spreading it would only be a matter of time before the military regained control. These were desperate circumstances. Maybe that justified what he thought. He called one of his techs over and ordered them to go get a guard.
Henry paced back and forth arguing with himself. The thought of this went against everything he stood for. He was supposed to help people, not hurt them. He certainly wasn't supposed to purposely infect someone with a disease that would kill them. But if he didn't? He was at an impasse. Without his treatment the infection would spread unchecked.
"Doctor?"
Henry turned and saw one of the soldiers standing in the room. "I need to speak with Terrence Matt."
The guard nodded and spoke into his walkie. A few moments later a response assured them that Terrence was on the way. Henry thanked the guard and resumed his pacing. He couldn't believe what he was about to do but he didn't see any other way. Better that one die so that everyone else might live. Footsteps alerted him to Terrence's arrival.
"Hello, doctor. What do you need?"
Henry stopped pacing and looked at Terrence. "I have to ask something terrible. I can't believe I'm even asking this but I don't see another way."
"What's the problem?" Terrence asked.
"I can't go any further. The autopsy was useless. All I've been able to do is confirm that the infection is a modified form of the rabies virus. There are foreign elements in play that I've never seen before."
"Where do we go from here, doctor? We're all counting on you."
"I hate to ask it, but I need to see the infection firs
t hand."
"What do you mean? We've provided several samples for your use."
Henry sighed. "I mean that I need to hook someone up to monitoring equipment and see what happens when they get infected."
Terrence nodded. "That makes sense I suppose. I'll make it happen. What do you need to run your tests?"
"An MRI, an ultrasound, and recording equipment." Henry spent the next few minutes detailing all the equipment he felt would be needed.
"Alright. I'll set men on it immediately. Thank you, doctor. I know this is a hard decision for you but it's for the greater good." Terrence nodded and left the room.
Henry sank onto a stool. He couldn't believe what he'd just asked. He'd just signed someone's death warrant. But he simply didn't see another way to stop this infection. He felt as if a weight settled onto his soul. He'd have to deal with this for the rest of his life. He only hoped it would be worth it. He didn't know how he'd live with himself if this turned out to be another dead end. Henry thought of the bottle of whiskey sitting in his bag. All he had to do was go to the sleeping area and get it. A little bit of forgetfulness would be great right now.
He shook his head. No, not right now. He had to be at his best when Terrence returned with the...with the specimen. That helped. Not thinking of whoever came as human quieted the guild, if only a little bit. He knew he was fooling himself but he'd do it if it got him through it. Henry sighed as he stood up. It probably made sense to get a bite to eat now, before Terrence returned. Henry headed over to the kitchen area and made himself a sandwich. He was hungrier than he thought as he quickly ate that sandwich and was halfway through a third before he felt full.
Leaving the kitchen, he directed his techs to rearrange the space. They'd need an area to conduct the experiment. Yes, the experiment. It helped to think of it that way. Once the space was prepared he decided to take a nap so he could be fresh when Terrence returned. He left instructions with his tech to wake him as soon as Terrence arrived.
He awoke hours later to one of his techs shaking him insistently. "I'm up," he said.
