CHAPTER 10
"This is not good!" Amy nearly shouted from the back of the van. "Sinister scratched him! It's not a very big scratch, but he did draw blood!"
Blaze quickly grabbed some gauze and tightly bound Shadow's arm. "He's got the G-virus, then." She whispered. "I don't know what to do, and neither does Lilly."
"But I know someone who may." Lilly said. "I've been exploring this town during the past few weeks, but before that I've met someone that may be able to help."
"Does this mystery guy have a cure, or at least something to stall the virus?" Blaze said.
"Together, all of us might come up with something." Lilly said. "I'll direct you, Knuckles."
They came to a small abandoned building within about five minuets. "This is it?" Knuckles asked. "Kind of…unsafe."
"There's a trapdoor." Lilly said. "We'll be safe. Trust me."
Shadow had only completed one crutch before they were attacked, but Silver managed to balance with it, leaving Blaze and Sonic to tend to Shadow.
"Follow me." Lilly said, entering the house. Tails closely followed her with a small pistol.
There was a old couch in the middle of the room, but Lilly pushed it out of the way, reveling a trapdoor. She opened it and climbed down a ladder. "Come on."
Tails followed her and Knuckles helped Silver down.
"Wait, I can't touch the bottom yet! Wait! KNUCKLES, WAAAIT!" Silver screamed, but Knuckles let him go. There was a slight thunk.
"Oops." Knuckles muttered as Silver started screaming about his leg again.
Eventually everyone was in the trapdoor, more or less hurt. Lilly climbed back up the ladder and shut it behind them, leaving them in darkness. "Follow the hall. There'll be a door. Go in."
Everyone felt their way through the small tunnel until they reached the door. Knuckles opened it, and they entered into a small space that was filled with computer screens and desks piled high with paper. Sitting at one of the desks and scribbling furiously on a piece of paper was…
"Eggman?" Sonic shouted. "What the hell?"
Eggman jumped and nearly toppled a huge stack of papers. "Sonic? What the hell?"
"Oh, you know each other?" Lilly asked. "I didn't know that."
"Now you do. Lilly, what are they doing here?" Eggman asked, looking suspiciously at everyone. "This base isn't big enough for them all!"
"I know, but one's got a broken leg and the other's been infected with the G-virus." Lilly said. "We need to find a cure…now."
"Wait, the G-virus? What happened to the T-virus? I thought we were working on the cure to that one!" Eggman protested, motioning to all the pieces of paper.
"Turns out the G-virus kills out the T-virus and we need to find a cure to the G-virus now." Lilly said. She motioned to Shadow, who was slumped against the wall and moaning slightly. "He's got the virus."
"How long ago?" Eggman asked.
"Not long. About fifteen minuets ago, at the most."
"Ok. You with the broken leg…you can sit here." Eggman pushed a chair towards Silver. "And you can put the infected one right here." He moved multiple stacks of paper off one of the desks.
Sonic more or less threw Shadow on the table. Blaze slapped him. "Stop it." She hissed.
"Is it me, or is Shadow getting paler?" Amy asked worriedly. "How long does it take this virus to take over?"
"Well, he didn't get that big of a scratch." Blaze said. "Maybe the bigger the wound the faster it takes effect."
"if that's possible, then…" Lilly opened one of the drawers on the table thing and drew out a syringe with a long needle. She stuck it into Shadow's leg and drew out a few drops of his blood. "…we can compare his blood to the blood of a truly infected victim."
Lilly went over to another table and put Shadow's blood in a small vial next to another vial filled with someone else's. She then set up a microscope and looked at both samples. After scribbling some notes down, she ran some more tests, all involving a small machine thing next to the microscope. After scribbling down more observations she turned to the others. "I think you're right." She said. "He's got about three hours before he's fully infected."
"What else? I think you figured something else out too, the way you were scribbling like that." Knuckles said.
"I don't exacally know." Lilly sighed. "If I did, I don't know it yet."
"What's your hypothesis?" Tails asked.
"Judging by the nature of the mutated cells in the infected victim's red blood cells and by Shadow's a-bit-less-than-normal ones, I think I have something to work with. But if I'm wrong, I don't want to get your hopes up for nothing. So until I'm completely sure, then I can't tell you anything." Lilly said. "Eggman, can I use the other room? This may take a few minuets."
"Sure, just don't break anything."
Lilly scurried off with the blood samples, microscope and machine thing, leaving everyone else to wonder and wait.
"What do you think she discovered?" Silver asked from a chair that was too big for him. "Do you think she has a lead on the cure?"
"Who knows…" Sonic muttered. "I can never understand scientists."
MUCH, MUCH, MUCH LATER….
"Shadow?" Amy asked. "Can you hear me?"
Shadow twitched, but other than that, he didn't react to Amy's voice. "Shadow, please wake up."
Blaze looked at her broken sword for the umpteenth time. It had broken almost cleanly in half, and most of it had remained on the hilt, so it was still usable. "Amy, until we get a cure there's nothing we can do."
In the past hour and a half Shadow had nearly completely stopped reacting to any type of noise and he had developed a high fever. He had also been muttering things and occasionally twitching.
"I'm telling you, he's got the zombie fever." Silver said nervously. "When he wakes up he'll attack us!"
Lilly came tearing into the room. "I…I think I got it!"
"What?" Everyone yelled. "What did you come up with?"
"Well, I first found the rate of how fast the virus would spread through him completely. Then I compared the blood samples again, and noticed that the normal blood cells would pose a virus for the virus." Lilly explained as fast as she could. "So in example, when you get a virus, like a cold, the virus 'll take over a few cells, destroy those cells, and make more cell-killing cells that take over your body. The normal blood will act like a virus to the virus he already has!"
Everyone looked extremely confused except for Tails.
"Wow, I should have thought of that!" He looked really happy. "So can you save him?"
"The only probablem is the blood I took from him was already slightly infected." Lilly said. "I need to get a blood type that matches him so I can test my theory."
"Do any of us match?" Knuckles asked.
"I don't know. You guys wouldn't mind, would you?" Lilly asked.
5 MINUETS LATER…
"Congratulations, Sonic. Against all odds, you're a match." Lilly said. "You just saved someone. Happy birthday."
"Really? See guys? I can do something useful every now and then!" Sonic said proudly.
Everyone watched intensely as Lilly injected the syringe into Shadow's arm. "How long will this take?" Blaze asked.
"I don't know. Possibly as long as the virus began to take effect." Lilly replied. "Until then, we have some news for people. Eggman! Can you make some sort of satellite thing to broadcast this find?"
"Yeah, should take less than an hour!" Eggman said. "Be right back!" He raced into the other room and the sounds of sawing, welding, and building were heard.
"So if the T-virus is overruled by the G-virus, and then the G-virus is taken out by healthy blood, then this probablem pretty much takes care of itself." Amy said hopefully.
"But then there's the probablem of getting the right blood type to inject into every victim of the G-virus." Silver muttered. "Wow, this could be a probablem."
"No, really." Sonic said sarcastically.
"No, actually…" Lilly seemed deep in thought. "I think I have another idea."
Within the hour Eggman had invented a satellite thing that would broadcast to every TV, phone, or anything with a screen. It was sure to get the attention of any survivor. Tails had found a video camera with good sound quality and used that to transmit the amazing find.
"Ok, listen up!" Eggman barked into the camera. "I'm pretty sure we've found the cure to the T-virus. The cure comes from the G-virus; a failed attempt to stop the T-virus in the first place. But the bad news is once you're rid of the T-virus you've got the G-virus, which is infinitely worse, if you've seen anyone with it. The cure to the G-virus is unaffected blood. The blood will react with the virus, fooling it to think that it's a virus, and then destroy the G-virus."
"Ok, that's good." Tails said. "Let's send it out."
"Now aren't there records of pretty much everyone in the entire world somewhere?" Lilly asked. "If we can find them, we can see who has what blood type so we can get to work."
"I still don't understand this deranged plan." Sonic muttered. "We're all gonna end up dead, aren't we?"
"Nope. Just maimed or seriously injured." Tails said, not really even listening to him. He was too busy thinking of a plan with his mother.
"But still, how the heck are we going to cure everyone with the G-virus? That's got to be at least half the planet!"
"What's the type of blood that can donate to everyone?" Tails asked suddenly. "We can just use that and then all our probablems will be solved."
"I think it's type O." Lilly said. "Oh, Tails, you're a genius!"
"Does anyone here have type O?" Sonic asked.
"Um, no. We need to rob a blood bank." Lilly decided. 'Who's with me?"
"Why…why is it so bright?" Shadow murmured. "Where are we?"
"Shadow! You're all right!" Amy cried. "Oh, I thought you were dead!"
"I wouldn't die that easily…" Shadow groaned. "But I feel like I was run over."
"Sinister scratched you, and you almost got the G-virus, but Lilly saved your life. We've found the cure!" Silver said happily.
15 MINUETS LATER…
Lilly, Tails, Sonic and Blaze were in the red car hurtling towards the nearest hospital. "We need all the type O we can get, ok?" Lilly reminded them.
"Ok, yeah." Tails said.
They pulled up at the curb and they all hopped out with some guns, or in Blaze's case, a sword. They then ran to the hospital's doors, which were open and broken. They rushed in and found a map. "Where's the place where they keep the blood?" Sonic asked.
"Try the OR. Or the ER, or whatever." Blaze suggested. "Just watch out for zombies."
"I'll go to the OR." Tails volunteered.
"I'll go with you, so that leaves you two to the ER." Lilly said. "Good luck."
She and Tails headed down a hall going to the left, which left Sonic and Blaze to go down the right.
"Come on." Blaze said, leading the way. "We have weapons. We'll survive."
After going down two flights of stairs they reached the lower levels of the hospital. After consulting another map they found the ER.
"Oh my gah." Sonic muttered when they entered.
Two dead bodies were covered with many operating tools and other odds and ends from a table nearby that was on its side. The walls were covered in blood and the floor wasn't much better. The operating table was cleaved in half, both halves covered in blood. Another body was lying facedown on the ground nearby, many surgical knives and scissors sticking out of its spine. The entire room had been trashed and its inhabitants killed.
"I wonder what happened here…" Blaze's voice was barely a whisper. "Look, they all had the T-virus."
"I don't want to look." Sonic said. "Come on…There's a closet over here."
He opened the door and faced a lot of filing cabinets, drawers full of medical supplies, and further back into the closet that was more of a very small room was what looked like a freezer. Opening the door, Sonic discovered that it was full of blood taken from donors. "Blaze, I found it."
"Get the type O and let's get out of here, then!" Blaze hissed.
Sonic grabbed a cold packet of blood from the freezer thing. "Hey, I thought this would freeze…"
"No time for that now. Just come on." Blaze said. "We need to get back to the others as soon as possible."
They ran back up the stairs and down the hallways until they were at the entrance of the hospital. Tails and his mother weren't back yet.
"What now?" Sonic asked.
"We should wait." Blaze claimed a chair and sat down heavily.
WITH TAILS AND LILLY…
They had found the OR, but no one was in there. It was as empty as can be, not counting the equipment the doctors used.
"Weird. I would think that a zombie would be in here…" Tails muttered. "Come on, mom. You find the blood and I'll get some syringes. I think we'll need them."
His mom went to look in a supply closet and Tails looked in every drawer he could find.
"I found the blood, and we've got a good lot of it." His mom called about ten minuets later. "How's your search going?"
"Pretty good." Tails said as he stashed a huge lot of syringes into a plastic bag. "You got what we need? Then let's go. This place gives me the creeps…"
They darted back down the halls and staircases until they reached the front entrance where Sonic and Blaze were sitting.
"There you are. Did you get what you needed?" Blaze asked.
"We got an added bonus too." Tails held up the plastic bag full of syringes. "I figured we shouldn't reuse them."
That was when a low moan drifted through the room. Everyone stood as still as they could and glanced around hurriedly. Sonic and Tails lifted their guns and Blaze raised her sword. "Who's there?" Lilly called bravely.
Two zombies stumbled out from down another hallway. They were both dressed in hospital gowns and one of them was missing an arm and eye.
"I'll get them. You guys get out!" Sonic said, taking aim. "Start the car and I'll join you in about ten seconds!"
Lilly, Tails and Blaze darted out of the hospital as Sonic began shooting at the undead. Lilly grabbed the keys and jammed them in the ignition and turned them sharply. The car roared to life. "Hurry, Sonic!" Tails called out the window.
In a flash, Sonic raced to the car and was in it. "Step on it!" He yelled.