Disclaimer: Author owns nothing. Mai-Hime belong to Sunrise.
CHAPTER 24
RAJASTHAN, INDIA
United Nations Medical Headquarter
Doc Helen led everyone to the sterile room. As expected, it was a room with nothing but white all over. Everything seemed to be made of stainless steel including furniture and fixtures. Then, there was the scent of antiseptic that all hospitals reeked of.
"Everyone, please settle down. We need to run some tests on you to ensure that you are cleared from infection." Doc Helen nodded at the three doctors who were all wearing their regular white laboratory gowns and masks on. "It will just be a simple blood extraction and some body scanning. Once you are cleared, you will be free to go." She paused, looking at the documentary team members who flinched at the mentioned of blood extraction.
Soon, medical personnel began the blood extraction before starting the body scan which required Midori, Natsuki, and their other three team mates to pass through a black box with a somewhat infrared lights. Everyone obediently followed the instructions given to them despite the fear that was starting to creep into their hearts.
"What the hell is really going on, Doc?" Natsuki asked as she impatiently tapped on her knees.
The three doctors piled their way out after gathering the desired samples.
"I am afraid I can't sufficiently answer your question, Natsuki." Doc Helen answered as she crossed her arms with a pensive look in her face. "Before I discussed anything, I would like to remind everyone that whatever will be mentioned in this room will stay strictly confidential. You are not allowed to divulge them to anyone." She paused, looking at Midori's team which included Natsuki.
"You can't count on us." Midori answered on her team's behalf while everyone just nodded their head in agreement.
"This project is supposed to be a simple medical mission to help those natives who have little access to proper medication. But two weeks ago, three cases of sudden death caused by brain dead among residents were reported to us. Victims were member of the same family but the corpses were cremated even before we can get our hands to them for testing. Symptoms were all the same. Sudden rise in temperature leading to convulsion but will abruptly stop. We call them "attacks" for now just like in cases of people with heart problems. They were reported to experience at least four attacks before their body eventually stilled and expired. All these incidents happened in a span of three days. Cause is yet to be verified." Doc Helen explained when suddenly the door opened and revealed a woman dressed in the same manner as them.
"Doc Greer, glad you came just in time." Doc Helen greeted the newcomer who just nodded her head.
"I wasn't informed of the presence of civilians, Helen." Doc Greer glanced at the documentary team. Her face was stoic but for those who worked with her knew better.
"They are part of the documentary team and are sworn to secrecy." Doc Helen explained shortly.
"As long as they know their limit." Doc Greer said before placing her laptop on the steel table. "We don't want to alarm the public with something that is yet to be verified. No live broadcasting." She scanned each team member's face like she was examining their level of trustworthiness.
"We know our job, Doc." Midori almost hissed. She was tired of all the stereotyping that people do to the media men. "For fucking Jesus Christ's sake! Not everyone loves overdramatizing things and spewing fake news." Midori thought asshe glared at Doc Greer who just regarded her with a stoic expression. Seeing no threat at all.
"Perhaps we should proceed to more important matters, Doc Greer." Doc Helen cleared her throat after seeing Midori's clenched fists. She knew the woman didn't take insults to her profession lightly.
Doc Greer just nodded before starting her explanation without adieu. "We are looking at a case of an evolved virus that was first discovered in 1956 in Africa. This virus primarily attacks the nervous system of the human body leading to either death or brain dead. But that was the case before. Based on what we have so far, this virus kills its victim after paralyzing its brain. Scientists believed that this virus originated from an infected ape that was eaten by the African natives. But this is not an ordinary virus because it needs catalyst to be deathly. Studies have shown a few cases of women who were tested positive of the virus' existence in their body to live without any harm. These women were considered carrier but none of them survived. The government ordered their eradication to ensure public safety. Suffice it to say that not a single citizen survived the infection hence, the area was left barren and the government prohibited any form of access to the perimeter."
"Infected ape, my ass. That ape was the product of a failed government experiment that was intentionally freed from the laboratory because some arrogant assholes who called themselves smart thought that human brain processes can be finally dissected and understood." Midori huffed, crossing her arms.
Everyone except Director Greer showed evident surprise on their feature. "That's a classified information." Doc Greer said, eyes squinting at Midori.
"We don't have the cure." Natsuki announced in a clenched jaw, causing everyone to snapped their attentions to her.
"Yes, we don't have the definite cure at the moment. What we have is a potential cure. Thankfully, Doc Alyssa was smart enough to test some blood samples from the patient. The virus' genetic composition is almost identical to the one previously discovered. Just like what I said previously, it's an evolved virus hence we are facing a more deathly one. My predecessors spent their years looking for this cure. Let's hope it was not for naught." Doctor Greer said with conviction in her voice.
She herself spent almost her entire life looking for cure to different viral infections which usually sprung out of nowhere only to be traced back to ancient years.
Suddenly, a sound from the intercom interrupted them. Doc Helen immediately grabbed it and put it on speaker. Doc Greer on the other hand did some fumbling on her laptop before the screens found on the left wall of the room came to life.
"Doc, subject's temperature is rising to forty-six degrees Celsius." A man's voice can be heard over.
"Fill a tub with ice and put her in. Make sure she doesn't reach forty-eight." Doc Greer ordered as she looked at the screen.
Three men suited in all white were surrounding Alyssa who were only dressed in a hospital gown. Everyone can be seen moving swiftly. An improvised tub was immediately placed in the room and buckets of ice were poured in. Another man was seen carrying her and slowly submerging her in the tub.
Everyone in the sterile room was still as the event unfold. Natsuki clenched her fists when Alyssa's body was visibly convulsing.
More than one minute has passed but no changes were happening.
"Temperature is rising. Forty-six point seven." The man announced, looking at the apparatus in his hand.
"Give it a moment." Doc Greer said, eyes locked on the screen.
"Subject is unconscious." The man once again announced.
"Wake her up! Do what's necessary." Doc Helen yelled, slamming her hands on the table causing everyone to jump. "She can't be unconscious. That will increase her chance of paralysis."
"Copy that, Doc." The man nodded at his companions before slapping Alyssa's face. Hard.
"What the fuck?!" Natsuki yelled, about to hit on something but Midori was quick to hold her in place.
"Let them do their job, kid. They know what they are doing." Midori said, holding Natsuki's arms firmly.
A few more hard slaps can be heard before Alyssa stirred.
"Subject has gain consciousness." The man announced which made Natsuki relaxed a bit.
A few more minutes of waiting needed to be endured before the medical person spoke again.
"Temperature is going down. Forty-five point eight. Forty-three point four. Forty. Thirty-nine point seven. Thirty-eight point two. Thirty-seven point three. Subject has been stabilized." The man announced patiently as Alyssa's temperature gradually decreased in intervals of at least a minute, making everyone feel slight relief.
"Rad, how long before we get the data?" Doc Greer asked through the intercom.
"Approximately two hours from now, Greer. I will send the results directly to you. Same with that of the civilians." A raspy voice came through after a few shuffling was heard.
All screens went black as Doc Greer removed the connections from her laptop.
"No one leaves the room until cleared." Doc Greer announced before exiting the room, leaving no room for arguments.
One hour and fifty-two minutes later.
"Doc Helen, it's Rad." A voice suddenly came through the intercom, causing everyone to jump from their seats.
They have been waiting for what felt like hours. Not having any visuals on what was going on with Alyssa was not really helping their nerves.
"How's the results, Rad?" Doc Helen immediately asked, wanting to get over it.
"The civilians are cleared. Greer wants you to be in the isolation room as soon as you can. We will meet you there." The voice urgently informed before the intercom was cut.
"Midori, I would appreciate if your team will stay in your assigned sleeping quarter as we handle the situation." Doc Helen instructed Midori before hurriedly getting to the door.
"I want to know Alyssa's status. I'm coming with you." Natsuki said sternly as she adjusted her pace to match the Doctor's brisk walking.
"I can't allow you inside the room, Natsuki. Go get some rest. I will update you as soon as I can." Director Helen said, turning to a corner.
"Come on, kid. Let them handle this. We'll just get in the way." Midori said, urging Natsuki to follow her to the opposite direction.
"Midori, you can't just make me sit there not knowing if Alyssa will be able to make it or not." Natsuki pleaded as she felt her eyes started to water. "I can't lose her, Midori. I don't want to lose her." She said in her cracked voice.
"We will do our best, Natsuki. We are not going to lose her." Doc Helen said out loud but more to herself than to Natsuki. "You can stay outside the isolation room if it will comfort you." She added before resuming her brisk walking.
"I'll stay with her." Midori volunteered before everyone eventually proceeded to the direction of the isolation room.
Doc Helen was immediately suited up by the waiting medical person before allowing entry to the room where Alyssa was. She halted in her steps when she saw Alyssa was once again inside the tub filled with ice.
Doc Greer and Rad were the only people inside the room. Both were covered from head to toe.
"She just had her third attack. Seems like it's progressing faster than we anticipated." Doc Greer announced while looking at the patient with a frown.
"Stay awake, Alyssa." Doc Helen lowered down herself as she held her apprentice's face in her hands and looked her in the eyes. The woman seemed to be too weak to even move.
"Nat-suki." Alyssa said weakly.
"She's outside waiting for you. You need to stay strong and try not to sleep." Doc Helen slowly said to the fragile woman.
"I want-t t-to s-see he-her." Alyssa said, her lips was trembling from the cold. "I-it's co-cold." She said as she weakly tried to hug herself.
"We can't risk exposing her, Alyssa." Doc Helen said, shaking her head.
"Nat-suki. P-please." Alyssa once again insisted in her weak voice. Her blue eyes were looking at the elder woman pleadingly.
Her rational mind was long gone. If it will be her last hour, she at least wanted to see the person who meant the world to her.
"Bring the kid here, Rad." Doc Greer turned her head to the man who was setting the apparatuses near the bed.
"We can't do that, Doc Greer. That will be too risky." Doc Helen looked at Doc Greer like she had just lost her mind.
"I need to discuss a few things with you and Rad first while the kid get her dressed. We can use another hand here." Doc Greer announced as she pointed to the other side of the room.
"I'll go get her." Rad announced as he took long strides towards the door.
"Make sure she is properly covered, Rad." Doc Greer instructed.
"She'll be here in a minute. Try to relax, okay?" Doc Helen informed her apprentice who gave her a weak smile.
"T-thank y-you." Alyssa said still trembling.
A few minutes passed by before Rad returned with a fully covered Natsuki trailing behind him.
"We will be back in five minutes. Her change of clothes is on the bed. Make sure she stays conscious." Doc Greer instructed, looking at Natsuki who seemed to be rooted on her spot.
"Got it." Natsuki replied before kneeling beside Alyssa.
"Helen and Rad, follow me please." Doc Greer said before going to the room she gestured a while ago.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Natsuki whispered as she held Alyssa's cheek in her hand. Her thumb started caressing it.
"C-cold b-but I-I'm f-fine now." Alyssa replied weakly as she started closing her eyes. She really missed the woman's touches.
"Hey, hey. Don't fall asleep." Natsuki said in a low tone as she inched her face closer to Alyssa. "Stay awake. No sleeping. Open your eyes."
"I-I'm t-tired." Alyssa said with her eyes slid shut.
"Keep them open for me, honey." Natsuki cooed as she placed a soft kiss on Alyssa's forehead. The mask she was wearing was hindering direct contact. "Please."
"Hmn." Alyssa nodded as she slowly opened her eyes, revealing tired blue orbs.
"Let's get you out of this." Natsuki announced before letting go of the woman's cheek. "I will remove your clothes. You okay with that?" She said looking into blue orbs for permission.
Alyssa just nodded at her as she started removing the garments. She then proceeded on lifting the woman from the ice cold tub and carrying her to the bed where a set of towels and a new hospital gown were waiting.
"I-I m-miss y-you. P-please d-don't leave." Alyssa whispered weakly, burying her face on Natsuki's neck while the woman held her closer.
"I'm not going anywhere, honey." Natsuki said as she lowered the naked woman on the bed. "Stay awake please." She said as she started drying the woman with towel.
"Hey, hey. I said no snoozing on me." Natsuki tapped Alyssa's cheeks softly when she noticed the woman was slowly closing her eyes after she had put on her hospital gown.
"Sleepy." Alyssa said shortly as she tried to keep her eyelids from closing.
"I know, honey. But try to stay awake, okay?" Natsuki asked but no answer came. "Honey, promise me you will stay awake." She urged the woman to look at her by holding her face with both of her hands.
"Promise." Alyssa said with a weak smile.
"Sorry to interrupt you ladies but we need to start." Doc Greer announced, clearing her throat.
"I'll be here. Be strong, okay?" Natsuki said after giving Alyssa's forehead a kiss which again did not come in contact with her skin due to the mask.
Rad immediately spring into action and started attaching the medical apparatuses to Alyssa's body. "All vital signs are stable, Greer."
"Good." Doc Greer said before producing a syringe with a blue colored substance. "The virus found in your blood is ninety-six percent matched. Our theory was right, Doc. This antidote has the same percentage of success but you need to be conscious for the next twenty minutes." She said, grabbing Alyssa's left arm before emptying the content of the syringe to her veins.
"Rakesh." Alyssa uttered, remembering the little boy she was trying to save.
"He is treated as we speak. Same with his family." Doc Helen intervened when Doc Greer glanced at her for clarification.
"I'm glad." Alyssa said, relief washing over her.
"Unbelievable. Here she is in her deathbed but all she can think of is other people." Natsuki thought fondly as a small smile crept on her face. Though it was not visible to anyone.
"You will experience hallucinations as the antidote tries to fight the virus but that will occur after approximately one hour. You are allowed to sleep by then. It will be like experiencing vivid dreams. You will be weak for a couple of days. Three to four. Give or take. After that you should be back to normal. I am saying all of these hypothetically. We have a good percentage of success, in theory that is." Doc Greer explained before she started to get up. "We might have just finally found the cure, Doc. Thanks to your hard work."
"You might need to repeat that to her when she wakes up with full lucidity, Greer. There's a good percent of chance that she will not remember any of these." Rad said after doing a final fix on the apparatuses attached to the patient.
"We will put her under close monitoring for the next twenty-four hours for any adverse effect. If she will not experience any attack for the next thirty six hours, we can all call it a success." Doc Greer said as she started walking towards the other bed and leaned her body on it.
All the beds transparent curtains were pulled up since no other patient was inside.
"It's your job to keep her awake, kid." Rad turned his attention to Natsuki as he walked towards the room where they came from a while ago. "You're one hell of a lucky woman." He patted Natsuki's head which just earned her a nod. "I can say the same to her, though." He smirked before winking.
"Go on, Natsuki. You can stay beside her. Just call us if anything comes up." Doc Helen encouraged before pushing a button that was attached to the left wall. The transparent curtain veiled the patient from being seen clearly, giving them a little privacy.
Natsuki just nodded before approaching the bed and perching herself on it.
"Hi." Alyssa smiled weakly as she reached her hand out which the woman immediately took in between hers.
"Hey." Natsuki replied, tucking in a few loose strands of the woman's hair behind her ear. "Still sleepy?"
"Very." Alyssa replied, fatigued evident on her voice and feature.
"How did you meet Rakesh?" Natsuki asked, trying to make a conversation to keep the woman from dozing off.
Alyssa's face lighten up as she started to speak with fondness evident in her voice. "I met him during our second day here. We had a vaccination program. He was very shy and did not speak to anyone." She said before reaching for Natsuki's face which the woman gladly leaned to. Not wanting her to restrain herself. "He reminded me of you. When we were in high school. You were also too shy back then."
"But you forced me to speak to you by stealing my camera and threatening me to destroy the film if I did not make at least one friend in two weeks." Natsuki replied, shaking her head as she went down memory lane.
"It was worth it because you met other people and I was confident to leave you then. I know that you will not be alone for the rest of your high school." Alyssa said, looking deeply into Natsuki's emerald orbs.
"I'm also glad that I met them because I didn't have to go through the entire boring regular high school thing. They're geniuses, Alyssa. Who would have thought that we can skip high school and go to cinematography classes instead?" Natsuki said, shaking her head in amusement.
"You're also a genius, baby. I knew you had the potential the moment I saw you filming some butterflies in the garden during school hours. It was too risky, though. Skipping classes." Alyssa said with a hint of reprimand.
"If I didn't do that, I won't be able to meet the hot cheer squad captain and school's cool council president. I won't be able to meet you." Natsuki said, winking at Alyssa who almost roll her eyes if she only had the extra energy to do so.
"And who would have thought that the cold lone wolf Kruger is actually a charmer? I didn't know you were having a huge crush on me back then, baby." Alyssa teased, knowing that Natsuki was already red behind those mask.
"You were the campus crush! You literally turned confused girls into gays. You were like a trophy girlfriend back then and can have literally anyone you wanted." Natsuki said defensively.
"But I only wanted green eyes to look at me back then. And even today." Alyssa confessed lovingly.
"I am still glad it was you who caught me instead of the principal." Natsuki said as she leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Alyssa's forehead with her mask still on.
"I don't want you falling in love with the principal. He was too old for you." Alyssa teased.
"Silly." Natsuki said, knocking Alyssa's forehead lightly.
Their conversation dragged on until Alyssa finally succumbed to exhaustion and sleep. Natsuki was able to keep her awake for more than thirty-minutes though.
Alyssa or Shizuru? I'm finding it hard to write Shizuru's character without turning her into a complete bitch. But I don't want a bitchy Shizuru. Also, I personally don't like the professional Nao. I want the one who keeps spewing profanities in her sentence.
See you in the next chapter, readers! Always remember to savor each day. Don't count the days but make each day count instead. Carpi Diem. 😇 :)