12:45 PM:
"What we got Brian?" Announced Ron, bursting through the door into the medical lab.
"Oh thank goodness you're here," Brian took a sigh of relief, "the guys back at HQ are getting impatient."
Ron had gotten the call from Brian two hours ago. He instantly called Kat, telling her to come home immediately, lock the doors, and watch over Hatty. She was scared, and now that he thought about it, so was he.
"So what's the game plan?" Asked Ron, even though he knew there would be no positive answer.
"I honestly do not know," mumbled Brian, looking at the floor though his thick lensed glasses. Brain was a tall man, almost six foot four. And he was skinny, skinny as could be. But what he lacked in strength and good looks he made up for in brains. He had graduated college at age fifteen, and had worked in the chemestry lab up to age twenty-seven.
"We could start by attempting to understand it's DNA structure, anything useful that we can send back to the big guys."
Ron sprung into action, exchanging his flannel shirt for a lab coat and attaching protective glasses and a face mask.
"So bring me up to speed," Ron said as he went to work at the microscope. "What do we know, and how do we fix it."
Brain flopped into his rolling chair, wheeling himself down the side of the room, grabbing a paper here, a test tube there. He came to a perfect stop at his desk, hands forming to the keyboard as if he was born with it. Ron couldn't help but let a laugh escape.
"Okay," began Brian, "here's what I've got so far: Virus Q-6, surfaced one year ago in Mexico." He began reading from his list. "Small teams sent to observe and classify, virus reached peak after one month before dying off in the bloodstream. Uhhh, resurfaced nine days ago, so far over 11,000 dead from virus, another 2,000 dead from humans infected with Q-6?" He spun around, "What does that mean?"
Ron shook his head, "Keep reading."
Brian turned back to the screen. "So far Q-6 seems to be slowing, used to hot climates there is a small chance that it will not spread into other countries. Uhhh, he paused before continuing: DNA structure class nine. Holy cow! Class nine? How do they expect us to decompose that?"
"Keep, reading"
"At the moment virus is at danger level two, but priority is level eight." He paused, "That's all I got."
Ron stepped back, how bad was this thing? He ran his fingers through his hair, slowly greying. He sighed, he sure wasn't thirty anymore.
"Well then," He turned back to the virus sample in front of him, "Let's get to work."
Hatty was frustrated, Daddy had left right when mommy had gotten home. Mommy didn't ever get home before five, why was she here so early? And why was she acting so nervous?
"Mommy, Mommy come play with me."
Kat turned from the window. "I'm sorry Honey, but Mommie's busy, go play by yourself for a while would you?"
"Okaaayyyy," Hatty mumbled sadly. She walked back into her room. Sitting down she started to play with her dolls. But she was so confused. What was the loud noise this morning? Why was Daddy crying after the police left with that big bag? And where did the man go?
She reached behind her neck, lifting her hair. Those red dots were really starting to itch.
4:52 AM:
Ron woke up in a panic; how long had it been since he had drifted off? The lab equipment sat in the same position as he had left it. He looked over at Brian. He was passed out facedown on the keyboard. A prosistant low beeping emmited from the desktop as a long line of y's continued streaming onto the screen before him.
The room seemed darker, or was that just him? He stood up, looking around him at the room. It was darker, much darker than before. Outside he thought he heard a faint police sirien. Something was up, the lab boys should have been down here hours ago to check on them. Brian slept on: "beep, beep, beep, beep, beep..." The computer prosisted.
"Brian," Ron yelled, "you up?"
"Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep..."
"Brian!" Ron walked over to his desk, "It's time to go now."
"Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep..."
"Brain!" Ron shook his shoulder." Get up alread-"
He stopped short, looking at where Brian's shoulder used to be. Now a rotted mass of skin. He jumped back to the counter, he leaned ofer, emptying his stomach onto the waxed tiles.
"Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep..."
Ron turned, and ran, ran out of the room, into the hallway, and to the main hospital room. There were corpses everywhere. The halls were stuffed with bodies, some still showing signs of life. He reached the reception desk. He started to gag again. His vision was blurry, his eyes blurry. He felt as if he might pass out.
He ran for the door, throwing it open, and nothing could have prepared his for what he saw on the other side.