Salby Damned

by Ian D. Moore

  “Sounds good. I was just on my way to the cookhouse as it happens. Any luck with the testing yet, Charles?” said Richard.

  “Hit a brick wall, I’m afraid. We’re missing a piece to the puzzle. I’ll have to consult Evelyn when she gets back. Speaking of puzzles, any closer to solving the mystery of Mr. Snape?”

  “Now that is a puzzle indeed. I reckon it’ll be a good while before that answer comes; the trail goes stone cold and pretty much stops at the feet of Mr. Snape.”

  On discovery of the effect of the children’s saliva upon their mother’s wound, Kate had made sure that a radioed message had been sent to the base to request the immediate return of Dr. Fitzgerald. The radio operator at the base took the decoded message to the C.O., finding him in the cookhouse with Charles.

  “Dr. Fitzgerald, Sir,” the young lad said.

  “Oh, it’s just Doctor, no need for Sir. What can I do for you?”

  “I’ve a message, Sir, errrm, Doctor, from Kate Simmons, I mean, Dr. Simmons?”

  “Ah yes, thank you, son” he said, taking the folded paper and reading silently, his mouth shaping the words.

  “Will there be a reply, Doctor?” asked the signalman.

  “Errr, yes. Please send back this. I will be there on the next available flight, hopefully within the hour. Regards, Charles,” he said, speaking slowly, to allow the signalman to write the text down.

  “Thank you, Signalman.”

  “Thank you, Doctor” the signalman said. He turned quickly, scurrying back to the communications truck to transmit the message.

  Charles reserved his seat on the next helicopter supply mission flight, due to leave an hour later. Charles made his way to the medical centre to continue the testing on the DNA samples of the infected woman held at the facility. I might get lucky, he thought.

  ***

  For Lieutenant Colonel Richard Connell and second in command, Major Paul Sower, it had been a busy day already. They had been deskbound for the better part of it, assembling information about the recent escape attempt and discovery of some very compelling evidence, suggesting foul play by deceased parties Brin Garrett and Colin Snape.

  The entire event and subsequent military investigation had to be documented and detailed, with witness statements of anyone who had contact with either man. The evidence, including the laptop and the separate drive, would then need to be sealed and locked away in the base safe, to be preserved for any criminal investigation that may take place in the weeks and months to come. On top of that, detailed reports needed to be sent to Whitehall and MI5 as there were concerns about outside involvement. Both officers had needed the help of Corporal Simms to collate, document, and file the reports, including her own account.

  Now, with an official-looking folder of information on his desk, Richard felt they had done all they could do. The rest would be for the investigators and prosecutors to decide, along with the intelligence agency. Placing the file of evidence and reports on top of the sealed plastic bags containing the laptop and hard drive, he closed the door to the solid steel safe, spinning the combination wheel after the deadbolts had found home.

  He stood from his desk, looking out over the base upon which he had served as commanding officer for almost fifteen years. In that time, there had been many changes and many advances in technology. There had been some changes, which resulted in many cuts to his budget, diminishing the Army in his view. Perhaps this incident would serve to remind those in power of the need for an efficient fighting force, in times of peace, conflict, or national emergency, like this one.

  The helicopter touched down at the base, returning from the supply sortie. The crew and volunteers off-loaded the huge amounts of food, clothing, medical essentials, and requested items. They then had to be sorted and stacked, ready to replenish the constantly used stores area.

  ***

  Charles heard the noise from the aircraft as it started its descent to the airfield and grabbed the small briefcase containing his notes and results. He wanted to share his findings with Evelyn on arrival at the facility. The teams had finished unloading and the fuel tanker rumbled slowly back towards the huge storage tanks at the far end of the base; these were slowly depleting in the absence of re-supply from the refinery at Killingholme, seventy or so miles away to the southeast.

  Charles waited patiently for the helicopter crew to signal that they were ready to go and then for the return supply team to board. They would drop him at the facility first and then go on to the warehouse. Chatter and banter, military humour between serving soldiers could be heard; it could be quite crass at times, but that was how people dealt with the stresses of daily life in combat situations.

  Charles didn’t wait once the chopper had landed, sliding the door open and jumping down before the co-pilot had a chance to help him. Charles bent low, closing the door and banging it with his palm, to indicate that it had shut correctly. He made straight for Evelyn’s home. They were expecting Charles and he was escorted underground.

  He thanked the guard and headed for the bio-lab that currently held Nathan, thinking that would be the best place to find Evie, but he was wrong. Instead, he found his own team, Doctors Kate Simmons, Hans Goedricht, and Mo Sighal, all working on something. Kate looked up to see him enter the airlock.

  “Dr. Fitzgerald, I think we have a breakthrough. Come take a look at this,” Kate said.

  She was gesturing towards the high-powered microscope encased inside an air-locked thick glass box.

  “You have a sample of the virus in there?”

  “Yes, Dr. Fitzgerald, but just look what happens when we add this to it,” she said.

  Kate took the encased pipette and drew a drop of fluid from a small beaker inside the box. She dropped the clear liquid onto the slide, allowing the excess to run free. She gestured again for him to look through the eyepiece.

  The viral cells on the slide began to shrink to the point where they no longer existed. It happened in seconds, and within a minute, the entire slide was free of the virus. Kate showed Charles that when the substance was added to blood cells, the virus was eradicated, leaving healthy red and white cells behind. Charles stared in disbelief at the images.

  “But how did this happen? What did you put in there?” he asked.

  “It’s the children, Doctor. The woman that we captured who displayed cognitive signs, able to feel and understand; she has type AB rhesus negative blood. But, here’s the crux, she’s the mother of Tom and Holly, the children in Dr. Shepherd's charge, and not only that, their father is AB rhesus positive. The chances of those two coming together to have children are in the millions to one. The genetic defences of both parents have been passed on to Tom and Holly; they are antiviral, living, breathing miracles.”

  “Well, I’ll be …” Charles said, amazed.

  “We took samples of their DNA and have isolated the warrior gene. What you just saw is the first attempt at infusion of the virus with infected human blood. We found this by chance when Tom and Holly kissed a clean dressing that was put on their mum’s wound. Incredibly, within hours, the wound had all but healed; the infected blood had gone and the natural healing process had begun.”

  “You’re sure of this … completely sure?” he asked.

  “Go and look at Charlotte now, Charles. Check her eyes, stats and general demeanour; she’s so much better. We have given her another shot of the primary antiviral serum; the DNA it contains is already part hers so we're pretty sure it'll do no harm. We need to be sure that it will work on other people. We’re going to have to find a way to engineer it so that the body accepts it, or generated anti-bodies that we all have the ability to create will attack it.”

  “That’s what you’re all working on so diligently. So, what do you need me to do?”

  “Bio-Lab Four is ready to go. All of the samples you need are there, ready. We have to use Nathan as our first test subject; he’s running out of time to fight it on his own.”

  “We’ll meet back h
ere in a few hours to catch up on progress. Please send Evie to see me when she’s free and let’s do this; we’ve finally got this thing on the run.”

  Five of the top scientists in the country and every available lab were now working on a way to make the body, anybody's body, accept the warrior gene; they hoped it was only a matter of time before they had a viable cure for the engineered virus that had ravaged the nation for the last week.

  Dr. Evelyn Shepherd was already well into her research by the time Charles arrived. She'd isolated the common gene to both of the children and their mother; all she had to do was find something else that they all had in common with every other person on the planet.

  The answer came to her in a sneeze. She covered her mouth, keeping her hand in place as the sneeze took her by surprise, not because of the action but because of the proverbial smack around the head that it gave her. A light came on inside her mind; everyone on the planet is susceptible to another natural virus, the common cold.

  If she could engineer the warrior gene into the cold virus, it could be used to treat everyone. They would suffer cold-like symptoms for a few days, sure, but it would eradicate the Salby strain at the same time. A small price to pay for life, she thought.

  It took several hours to produce the first batch of the test antiviral serum. It was a small dose of the combined DNA, integrated into one of the many common cold viruses in the world. As the warrior virus killed the viral infection, it would allow red and white blood cells to reproduce again and they would bolster the immune system.

  Evie stood over Nathan as his eyes darted left and right under the surgical tape. She pulled the cover from the syringe, inserting the needle into the glass vial to draw a measured amount of the new serum into the plastic tube. Surrounded by the team, and with Kate gripping her left hand, she placed the end of the needle into the cannula valve of Nathan’s left arm. She pushed the plunger down as far as it would go in a slow, measured motion and held her breath. She watched as her latest creation filtered through the needle, disappearing into the motionless arm of Nathan, the man she loved. All they could do now was wait, watch, and pray.

  They watched the machines monitoring Nathan. His heart rate was higher as the serum was pumped around his body. Within a few minutes, there was some kind of an effect, although it wasn’t dramatic. Encouragingly, there had been no convulsions, no arching of the body on the bed, or shaking.

  After waiting for an hour to be sure the serum was in Nathan's system, they reduced the sedatives that kept him asleep. Samples of his blood were taken for analysis; the viral infection had been eradicated, cell structure was returning to normal, and there appeared to be no untoward effects. Through the drips in his arm, they added immunisation boosters to help his body recover and fight the cold virus. He would also receive infusions of blood from stocks they had at the facility, as a precaution. Evie stayed with him, not leaving the side of his bed for the rest of the day and night.

  She held his hand and talked to him softly, confident that this would work.

  “You’re going to be fine, I can feel it. So, you can’t give up now, soldier, because you’re my soldier and I love you. You just keep right on in there fighting. I need you to fight.” Her voice cracked as she whispered, her emotions overcoming her resolve for professionalism.

  “Say, say that bit again,” was the whisper from the bed.

  “Nathan! Can you hear me? Did you just say something?”

  Evie looked at him but his eyes were still closed. He squeezed her hand tightly. The team of doctors looked on, astonished. Charles began to clap his hands together, soon to be joined by the other members of the team.

  “Suh, say that bit again,” he whispered.

  “Whuh, what bit?” she said, curiously watching him.

  “Thuh, the, I love you bit.”

  “Oh, Nathan, I do love you, you must have known. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

  “I, I can’t see you, can’t open my eyes.”

  “Hold on, we taped them closed. Hold still while I take the tapes off. It might sting at first. How do you feel?”

  “I feel weak, but I'm here. I can smell your perfume and my hands can feel. Have I been out for long?”

  “Jeez, I thought we’d lose you at one point. You were nearly three days infected and your body was beginning to fail.”

  “The, the kids, are they okay?” Nathan asked, as the tapes were peeled away.

  He shielded his eyes against the glare of the bright white room and fluorescent lights in the ceiling. Nathan looked around trying to see if he could make out any colours rather than black and white; he remembered his vision changing but couldn’t recall why. He looked through the glass at the woman sitting up in the bed inside the bio-lab next to his; she smiled and waved and then placed her hands in a prayer pose at her chest.

  “That is Charlotte, Nathan. Charlotte Lloyd, mother to Tom and Holly. You saved her.”

  “Really? Jesus, it’s a small world. What about the kids; are they okay?”

  “They are both fine; very pleased to see their mum and they have been to see you too. They asked about you a lot, and they also saved your life. This is pretty much unbelievable, but they are the antivirus. Giggling, mischievous, walking, talking miracles of nature.”

  “They are the cure?” he said, very groggy from the drugs and not understanding everything.

  “Yes. We took samples of their DNA and have produced a serum. You'll have a cold in a day or so but it'll clear soon. Here, sip this slowly, wet your mouth,” Evie said, raising a cup of cool water to his dry lips.

  “Can I see them?” he asked softly, tiring now.

  “Yes, of course, they’ll be so happy. They love you too, you know?”

  “I know,” he said, resting back on the pillows and holding his hand to the leg wound.

  “Hi, Nathan, can you feel that?” Charles asked, pointing to his leg.

  “Hi, Charles. Yes, it’s burning, what happened?”

  “Oh, nothing serious. You just got shot by one of our own!”

  “Sounds about right!” he said.

  “It is 0300 hours, Nate so I’ll bring them to you in the morning. They'll be coming to see their mum too. Are you hungry?” Evie asked.

  “Mouth dry, very dry. Can I have more water, please?”

  “Of course, here let me help you.”

  “I missed your voice, your smile, and your touch, Evie,” Nathan said, raising his hand to touch her face as she held the cup to his lips.

  A tear trickled down her cheek, and he caught it on his finger and watched as it curled around the underside, before staining the sheet of his bed. He smiled at her and tried to lean forwards but the strength failed him. She knew what he wanted so she brought her face close to his. He closed his eyes as their lips met for the briefest moment before she pulled away; he had drifted away to sleep. She stayed with him through the night, checking his signs every hour. There was a marked improvement.

  *******

  Recovery

  By 0800 hours, there had been a change of shifts and Charles and Evelyn took the lift to the surface; they both needed a chance to freshen up before taking the children down to see their mother and Nathan. Evie introduced Charles to Steve, Janey, and their children. Tom and Holly were up and about, making pictures for the rooms of Nathan and their mum. Holly came to Evie with something hidden behind her back, and Tom stood smiling alongside her as they approached, looking very pleased with their little selves.

  “Dr. Eebie. You remember when you and Naffam got cross?”

  “Did we, munchkin? Oh, you mean that! Well, we were not cross, just unsure of each other, but yes, I remember. Why do you ask?”

  “Naffam asked us to make these for you, but can we give some to Mommy too,” she said. From behind her back, she pulled out a beautiful bunch of tissue paper flowers with pipe cleaner stalks and coloured paper leaves.

  Evie knelt down, stemming the welling tears.

  “Nathan
asked you to make these for me? They really are beautiful and you have even made green leaves. I think Mommy would love some of these too; shall we split the bunch in half so that Mommy can have some too?” she said. Carefully, she separated the bunch, handing half of the flowers back to Holly, who jumped up and down on the spot.

  “Come here, you two. I really need to give you a love. You know your mommy should be very proud of you because I know I would be if you were my children. I have a surprise for you too. Would you like to come and see?”

  “Can we see Mum, Dr. Evie?” asked Tom, still smiling broadly.

  “Yes, of course. She is awake and feeling so much better. She’ll be able to walk now so will be able to go to the recreation room at the facility. Would you like that?”

  “Yay! Can we really?” asked Tom.

  “Yes, love, you can. I’m sure Mummy will be very happy to see you as well.”

  “Charles, will you return to the base now?”

  “Yes, Evie. I need to update the C.O. and send the results to the other labs, along with some samples of the serum, so that they can recreate it. Maybe we can start to repair the damage this virus has caused across the country? I’ll need a couple of hours shut-eye too; it’s catching up with me now. It’s been a hell of a night, if I do say so myself.”

  “That it has. Thank you for your help, especially for bending the rules and allowing these two the access to the facility. You know, without that we wouldn't have found the cure.”

  “It’s your facility, Evie; you are the lieutenant chief medical officer. My job was to support you and assist where possible and you’ve excelled as usual.”

  “I’ll thank the team myself. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

  “Oh, they already know, but I’m sure there will be time in the future to celebrate; right now, we still have much to do.”

  “Sleberate what?” asked Holly, curiously.

  “I’ll see you at the base, Charles,” she said, hugging him. “Come on, you two; today is a really good day!” said Evie to the children.