A/N: So I am hoping to have another shorter chapter, like this one, up before the next two three weeks zoom by. I'm sorry, friends. :( I've got a busy life, I guess! Just some more plot in this one, it's about to get craaaazy~
The White House library was dimly lit and smelled like the McKinley High chemistry lab. Quinn held the door open for Santana and Brittany, and slipped her hand into Rachel's as the little brunette stepped onto the wine-colored carpet.
Sheva and Josh were sitting at a large mahogany desk, with a blonde young man Quinn could only assume was Jeffrey. As they tentatively approached the desk, she could see posterboards attached to the wall with chemical formulas and drawings and diagrams.
Sheva smiled at them, but Josh only nodded in their direction, a scowl creasing his forehead. The young man stood.
"I'm Jeffrey," he said, with a wide smile that didn't quite reach his bright blue eyes. His hand was cold, and Quinn shivered involuntarily as she shook it.
"We're just waiting for Chris and Jill," Josh said flatly as Jeffrey sat back down. "Feel free to take a seat. Einstein here has something he wants to tell the whole team."
"Are you sure we should be in on this?" Santana asked.
"Why not?" Josh countered. "You're a part of this too. Part of the team. Besides, Chris wanted you to be here. He thinks you are valuable parts of this operation."
Quinn raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Chris hadn't had much contact with them since he picked them up several days ago. He seemed reserved, not very good company in conversation. But if he thought it was important that they were kept in the loop…well… They had only been there a few days, but definitely wanted to help. Still, helping the Secret Service patrol the rooftop was one thing – she wasn't sure what to expect with scientific news.
The door swung open behind them, and Chris strode in, with Jill at his heels.
"Company," Chris greeted them before taking a seat next to Josh. "All right, what the hell is going on?"
Josh snorted. "Bruce Banner here thinks he's got a solution to our little problem."
"A solution?"
"Yeah, a bat-shit crazy solution!" Josh snarled. "Someone's going to get killed."
"Josh. Let us hear him out before you start with your opinions." The dark-skinned man shrugged and threw his hands in the air. Chris nodded to Jeffrey.
"Thank you," Jeffrey said in a quiet tenor. "I believe I have found a solution, a medicine delivered orally that can stop the virus's spread in people. If they are already infected, it will cause the virus to attack itself and the person will die peacefully. But if they have just recently been bitten, it should work to counter the virus's spread before it reaches the brain and turns them into mutations. They may lose some feeling in their arms and legs, or wherever they've been bitten, but if the bite is recent enough they will be okay."
"Define 'recently,'" Jill said. "How can you be sure of the time it will take?"
"I estimate it reaches the brain in around five minutes, given what I've seen on the video footage from outside." He scowled. "No one would let me bring one in, so it's just a guess."
Chris held up a hand to stop another outburst from Josh. Quinn looked, concerned, over to him. Josh looked more and more upset at every word from the young scientist, but he also looked worried about something…
"Jeffrey," she said, and eight pairs of eyes snapped to her. She swallowed, suddenly nervous, and Rachel squeezed her hand lightly to encourage her. "How are you planning to use this? How are you going to get it into the atmosphere so it reaches the biggest amount of walkers?"
"I was hoping to get support from the government," he said with a sigh. "But there is no way they can loan me a chopper or the supplies I need to mass-produce this. So I'm turning now to the BSAA…"
"It's crazy!" Josh shouted. "There's no way we're going to lend you anything. What if it doesn't work? What if we risk supplies, risk peoples' lives, and it's all for nothing? There isn't a chopper anywhere near here."
"We don't even know it works," Santana put in. "I'm sorry, but I need some proof before I support this."
"What other option do you have?" the young man scoffed. "You're just going to pick them off one by one with your guns while people die?"
Brittany spoke up. "Aren't there more agents out there? Can't they come help?"
"Exactly," Josh said. "We've got people on their way. We need to wait here, control the zombie population at home."
"Until what?" Jeffrey countered. "How many more people are going to be infected before they get here? How far will the zombies infiltrate into the rest of the country before you start trying to blow everything up and stop it?"
"I would rather use a method I know will work than use some crazy vaccine that may not even work…or could even be harmful!"
"Fine," Jeffrey said roughly. "If you want proof, we'll go out there and try it. We can go on the streets and I can experiment on some of the test subjects. Deal?"
"What?" Josh barked.
"Yeah, I'm not okay with that, Four-Eyes," Santana said, arms crossed. "How do we know we can trust that you've been here in your secret lab all by yourself and produced something that is actually good for us?"
"Look, I'm the only one here who knows enough to even begin to be solving this!" the blonde young man snarled. "You should show a little more respect to someone who just may be able to save your damn life. None of you brass could even come close to what I've accomplished, none of you college kids or theatre geeks or whatever the hell you are can even begin to comprehend the level of knowledge that I possess and the hard work I've put in! You trusted me to work on this, and I am telling you it's going to be a success!"
Rachel squeezed Quinn's hand tighter as Santana and Josh both stood up and started shouting at the seated Jeffrey, who began holding up sheets of his research and yelling back. Sheva and Jill stepped in the middle to calm everything down, while Chris simply sat and thought.
"I think," he said slowly once everyone had settled down, "That there seems to be no other option."
Josh and Santana looked incredulous. Jeffrey grinned smugly. Quinn frowned, but couldn't see any other option herself…
"We can't wait for the BSAA," Chris continued. "If this infection gets to New York, there will be no way we can stop all of those infected bodies. This country will be done for. We need hope."
"What's the President say?" Josh spat.
"It doesn't matter! We're not taking orders from him. This is a national emergency, and the BSAA has been authorized to do whatever it takes."
"I think you're being foolish with that power, then." Josh stood. "You go through with this, I'm out. I'll find another way." He turned and walked to the door, staring them all down as he turned. "Anyone coming with me?"
And to Quinn's surprise, Santana stood, took Brittany's hand, and joined him at the door. Rachel dropped her own girlfriend's hand and stood.
"No! Come on, we need to think this over…you can't just leave us…"
Santana wrapped an arm around Brittany's waist and pulled the blonde closer to her. "I think Josh is right. I trust the BSAA right now more than anyone."
"But we need to stick together as a team! Brittany…you agree with her?"
Brittany nodded. "San knows what she's talking about…I don't like shots, anyway."
Frustrated, Rachel glared down at Quinn. "Baby, say something!"
But Quinn could only try to fight the tears pricking at her eyes, and held a hand to her forehead in a tough-guy salute.
"Be careful, okay?"
Brittany smiled. "Don't worry Quinn. We'll be just fine. We'll see you soon, okay?"
And with that, they were gone.
