No Time
Players:
Panacea
When you're staring down the long line from the trigger to that distant target you don't have much time for thoughts of anything but how to make the shot that will saves lives. The best will tell you it starts becoming responsive, that when you raise your gun you just shut down your brain and squeeze. 'It makes dealing with the situation easier' they'll say. But Panacea knew better. She knew it never got easier, no matter how much you want to shoot, no matter how bad that virus, no matter how many innocent cells were in danger from letting this one go, you never want to shoot. But she knew that a hint of weakness, a single sign of remorse or mercy, and the force would be a memory for her. She already skated on this ice, her face reminding everyone of what they fought to kill. So she remained professional, worked hard to pick up a debt that she never created.
But then she caught one, running like hell was chasing it down to drag it back to the fire. Three dead, all in a line leading to the heart. On the main pulmonary artery, only moments before the disease got his death-bringing fingers into everything that kept them all alive. She had the shot, fingers steady and wrapped around the trigger. He was running, the tunnel to the heart opening wide before him. She had no time to think, no time to call out and stop him any other way. Her hand shook for a moment, and she shut off her brain and squeezed. Later she would reassure herself, sitting alone in her flat and barren apartment. Her gun on the table and her hands between her knees she would tell herself that there was no time. The virus would be dead, she would be a hero, and Thomas would be safe one more day. And all she had to do was convincer herself that there was no time for anthing else but to shoot him. All Panacea had to do was convincer herself.
But all she could see was the face of a man that had branded her for life. And all that could come with each repetition of her mantra was the question that had been shadowing her thoughts since she joined Immunity. What if it had been him? Would there be time for him?