7. 7 #3
Dr. Novikov led us wordlessly from our room and into the locked area of the outpost, careful not to allow us to see the password to the door.
It appeared to be a newer addition, the walls and floors significantly cleaner, and the security modern.
Petrova was kept in a small room similar to a jail cell, but with glass walls rather than metal bars.
Dr. Petrova’s blue eyes cut through mine, sharply focused and animalistic.
“How long has she been down here?” I asked, unable to pull away from her stare. She watched me through the glass, unblinking.
Dr. Novikov sighed. “The morning you arrived. While you were sleeping, she was infected.”
Her stare blank, it was clear to me that her mental faculties had deteriorated to the point that she was no longer with us, and I had to wonder why they kept her here.
It had already been two days, but from my understanding of the files I’d read, she should have had some noticeable physical transformation. Her skin was free from abnormalities.
“Shouldn’t she look different at this point?” I asked. Elias brushed his hand against mine, and I looked up at him, my gaze freed from Dr. Petrova.
“I have been giving her low doses of a corrosive to help keep the virus at bay,” he confessed. “If I visit every few hours, she will not become aggressive, so I must maintain a schedule.”
“What would have happened if she attacked you? Would you lock yourself up?” I asked.
He walked up to the glass, pressing a hand to it. “She will not. She is still in there.”
“And you expect me to cure her, is that it? I feel like she’s gone, Dr. Novikov.”
He shook his head. “No. We have worked together for twenty years.” He turned to face me, his eyes glossy. “We cannot give up on her.”
Dr. Petrova did not raise her hand to meet his, but the longer I observed her, the less infected she appeared to be.
She was too inquisitive, too aware, compared to the others I had seen.
The infected hordes at Baker and Pryor acted on instinct alone, violence being their primary function.
Dr. Petrova was listening to us closely and following our conversation.
“How did she get infected?” Elias had stayed quiet until now.
“I do not know,” Novikov confessed.
My mouth fell open. “You don’t know?”
“She quarantined herself. When I found her, she could no longer speak. Every six hours I come back.”
“I can’t say that I’m going to be successful, but I’ll try.” I meant it, but I wasn't sure what I could do for them. I'd taken months to work on the last vaccine, so I should've told Dr. Novikov that there wasn't a chance in hell that I'd be able to save Petrova. “I’m going to need help.”
“I will send for Misha, but it’s time for you to leave.”
“You’re dismissing us?” I asked.
“Please.”
“Let’s go,” Elias urged, walking away.
Taking a few big steps, I caught up to him. Our arms brushed against each other as we left the corridor, walking into each other as we rushed toward the exit. I glanced back, and Dr. Novikov was out of sight around a corner.
“I want to go back to the lab,” I whispered.
“Why didn’t I shoot her?” Elias stopped by the door and turned to face me. “I should have taken care of the problem. That’s my job. That’s why I’m here.”
“No, your job is to protect me,” I corrected. “And she’s not an imminent threat.”
Elias grabbed my right hand, fidgeting with my fingers, my jewelry. “I don’t know, Cassie. She seems like a pretty big threat. That doctor misses one shot of whatever he gives her and it’s over.” He thought for a moment. “Am I getting soft?”
I shook my head. “No. You think I can save her.”
“Can you?”
“I don’t think I have enough time to. I mean, I don’t even know if she can be at this point.
” I needed time to read the rest of the files on Elias’s computer to get a better understanding of NT02 before I could make any assumptions.
At the same time, I needed to get back to the lab and stay there until I accomplished something. Anything.
“If her condition changes, at all, I won’t hesitate again. Even if Novikov is staring at me while I do it.” Elias played with the ring on my finger, inspecting it, like he wasn’t the one who gave it to me. “I’m surprised you’re wearing this.”
I cocked my head. “Why wouldn’t I wear it? You gave it to me.”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “People might connect the dots.”
“No one here knows what a claddagh is. Most people don’t, so I severely doubt these Russians do.”
“I disagree. A lot of people know what it is. I know what it is and you know what it is. That’s every person in this room. That’s a hundred percent.” The corner of Elias’s mouth turned up.
“Come on,” I said, jerking my head toward the door.
Stepping away, I felt Elias’s hand let go of my own.
He followed behind me, not quite keeping up.
His brow was furrowed, his gaze on his feet as he walked.
He wasn’t far, but he was making a point to stay separate, so I slowed down until he was next to me, forcing him back into step.
We could talk about my ring or what guns we had with us, but there wasn’t much to say. For an undetermined amount of time, I’d be in the lab, and Elias would be twiddling his thumbs behind me. As we reached the door to the laboratory, Elias ushered me in and closed the door softly behind us.
I had work to do.