Private Saint Claire Shores stood in the basement's kitchen facing an impossible task.
Choosing between regular sea salt or Mrs. Dash to season her 'homemade' potatoes with.
She drank a little wine as she thought about it then chose the Mrs. Dash seasoning. Usually she'd ration the good food, leave it as a treat for her and Dr. Jenner once in a while when she cooked, but the clock was running out of time and their supplies wouldn't last. Better splurge while one can because you only live once.
Edwin shuffled into the kitchen to find Claire finishing up the meal. She took out a plate from under the island that she was working on and dished up his food with patience. This gave him at least three minutes of having to be in her presence making small talk with her before he could take his plate and go back to his office. In that three minutes he hardly talked of anything but his work.
This wouldn't bother Claire at all usually. It was better then him talking to her about how her eyes had a soft touch like his wife's used to or how beautiful she looked as she perfected the meal. It was creepy at first, then it got old and she was just used to it. Dr. Jenner learned after she kicked him in his sternum once after he tried to make a move, that she was not to be trifled with.
Jenner wandered away to his office as Claire went her own separate way to the computer lounge. It was once used for doctors and scientists in the basement to do their work when a storm like this one was on the horizon. It provided a secure place to work, now it was Saint Claire's favorite place to watch Ghost Busters and Saturday Night Live.
Because of the condition they were living in it was impossible to keep a consistent sleep schedule. St. Claire once read about this young scientist who was once put underground for some strange study. She was just in a room that had a consistent temperature with a computer that didn't have internet, enough books to keep her busy and two lab rats to keep her company. No clock, no TV, no connection with the outside world. It was found that she only slept about four hours a day and when they brought her to the surface again she thought only half the time went by then what really did.
They doctor and patient were sort of in this same situation as the young scientist girl with the exception of a clock that counted down, it didn't move forward. St. Claire probably slept more then Jenner just because of pure laziness but he also had more awareness of the outside world then she did.
That was the big controversial thing between these two.
St. Claire Shores was a trained military private who was serving in the National Guard months before the strange disease broke out completely. Though she doesn't know much about herself, she knows that she's a skilled fighter and can surely handle herself if she ever had to out in the infected world. That is, if Jenner ever let her come up to the surface.
One may ask why this girl was here in the CDC, uninfected and alone with a man who was slowly losing his mind. In pajamas rather then in camouflage. In a protected facility instead of helping in a safe camp!
It's because of her keeper, that's why. Edwin Jenner was surely losing his mind and wanted to take St. Claire with him. Though he seemed to keep his cool she could see it on him every day that passed.
How she got here was easy. Like mentioned before, she was part of the National Guard here in the US, she thinks. She was in uniform, with no personal identification on her, when a drunk driver turned a corner in St. Claire Shores, Michigan too fast, to close to the street where Claire was standing. She was too close to death when they got her to the hospital.
Still following? Because weeks later, by some miracle, she was healed and ready to bust out of the hospital. Rumors had spread that there was a sickness going around the world, like the swine flu, so the employees of the hospital were to take more precaution when treating each patient. She wasn't going to be around when people stated coming in bring their germs in with them that's for sure, but she couldn't leave without something to take with her besides her uniform. She needed at least part of her lost memory back, or at least someone to claim her.
No one claimed her though. She was a living unknown soldier that eventually adopted the name of the city she was found in. Instead of living in a group home or the hospital for the rest of her life, she checked herself out and hitchhiked down to Georgia where they was work for her at the Center of Disease Control.
It wasn't ideal. The thought of discussing sick people grossed her out let alone contagious ones. It was good money though, and they had a facility where she could live until she figured out what to do next.
A two week visit turned into a two month stay. Her phobia of sick people caused her to hide from the infected ones that were roaming the halls of the CDC. Her training helped her survive the breakout by getting to better, in this case lower, ground. That's where she met Dr. Jenner who had already decided to make the basement of the facility his new residence.
That was St. Claire Shores in a nutshell: An alcoholic young soldier with a memory like an elephant with amnesia and a shut in with a funny bone. Sort of like the female version of Jason Bourne with less action and more dialogue.
After supper Dr. Jenner went to do his video diary-thing. He seemed livid and sad at the same time. From what Claire collected he had lost some of his lab work but she wasn't too worried about it. She's offered him samples of her blood or anything she can give to help him figuring out this disease but he's told her time and time again she's 'invalid' and not able to help him in any way for some reason.
Claire doesn't argue anymore. She really hates needles.