~Until Your Heart Stops Beating~
-Edward's POV-
Today was the meeting with Charles Bromley and the committee about the blood substitute.
I was running late.
I briskly walk through the first doors of the Bromley Marks building, my briefcase in hand, hat upon my head, and trench coat flapping wildly with each step. I walk through each of the scanners and up to the retinal and facial scanner to be approved entrance into the facility. Once approved, I walk into the main hall and up to the elevators. I hit the button for the floor I wanted and stand as still as stone until the elevator comes to a stop and the doors open.
I step out of the elevator to be greeted by the same grim sight that met me each and every time I came to work. I step closer to the glass window and stare out at all the incapacitated humans. Each one was attached nakedly to a machine that pumped out their blood for our selfish needs. Each of them looked half dead, struggling to hang on to their lives while we struggled for our own through them.
I stare for another moment and then turn left, walking towards the red doors ahead that would lead to my lab. I set my briefcase down at my desk along with my hat and trench coat, leaving me with my suit and tie. I head back out and head for the meeting room where everyone was surely waiting for me.
"Ah! There he is. Edward, sit down." Charles Bromley points to a seat and I look to see Caruso and Rosaline. I feel my eyebrows pull together in question as I look from Rosaline to Caruso. He shakes a hand at me, telling me not to ask right now. I take my seat on the opposite side of Rosaline and pull out a smoke from my pocket, lighting up.
"You shouldn't smoke."
I give a small huff of a laugh and take a long drag from my cigarette. I look over at Rosaline and blow smoke out away from her.
"It's bad for your health." A small smile tugs at the corner of her lips.
"And you should hold that tongue of yours. It'll get you killed one day." Caruso whispers back to her. I look over Rosaline's head at him, wishing he hadn't said that. I understood now why she didn't like him. He was like all the others; humans are inferior beings.
"You really have nothing better than that, Dr. Prick?" Rosaline whispers back and shakes her head of golden waves at him.
"Rosie," Bromley draws out his nickname for Rosaline sternly, staring at her with his hands folded on top of the table. She doesn't bother to look at him, but I see her jaw clench as she stares hard at the table top. She obviously didn't like the nickname too much. "Be a good girl and sit quietly."
Rosaline doesn't make another peep and only stares at the screen at the back of the room. I look around the room at who was there, mostly high status officials like people from the military or from political offices. Caruso was the only other doctor and Rosaline was obviously the only human.
I was still confused as to why she was here. Bromley would probably answer that question soon enough though.
"Gentlemen, this is Rosaline Carter." Bromley starts and motions a hand towards her. "She's the one that I've been discussing with you as of late. Her blood is a rare commodity and for the last several months I have had my lead hematologists, Doctor Edward Dalton and Doctor Christopher Caruso, studying it."
"Now that we've got the introductions out of the way," I mumble under my breath and take another drag from my cigarette.
"Gentlemen," A rather round man holding a cigar speaks up from across the table. He stops and looks at Rosaline, "human... All the information in this meeting is classified and should be kept as such. Commissioner?"
The round man drops ashes onto the table from his cigar and then takes a drag. The picture that had floated onto the screen behind the Commissioner, who was standing at the opposite end of the table, was of a normal person, a normal vampire with long hair and golden eyes.
"Death row inmate 4-7-0-5-B was a vampire selected for a month long study on the effects of blood deprivation." The Commissioner speaks and looks out at everyone around the table.
"What?" I suddenly question, not believing what I had heard. Why wasn't I informed of this? Why were they doing it in the first place?
"A complete lack of human blood over this period of time resulted in a massive deterioration of the frontal lobe." Slowly the picture behind the Commissioner changes and the effects can be seen on the inmate. "First signs of physical deformities began with elongated ears. Then mental functions such as logic, emotion, most parts of speech. Then turned much faster than you and your team originally speculated doctors."
Caruso and I both look to the Commissioner. I take a long drag from my cigarette and play with it between my fingers. I shake my head slightly and look back at the screen that had changed.
"Oh my God... that's terrible..." I look over at Rosaline, who had gasped in a whisper, and see her staring at the screen with sad eyes. She held a hand over her mouth as if she might be sick. I watch her a moment longer, curious as to why she sympathized with the inmate, and then look back at the Commissioner.
"Out on the streets these creatures are becoming a real problem." The Commissioner's voice becomes lower and harder. "Gentlemen, we are starving and our latest statistics show that less than five percent of the human race remains."
"What we're talking about is the extinction of the human race." I speak up and look to Bromley.
"What we're talking about is only having enough blood to sustain our population till the end of the month." The Commissioner speaks up again, staring me down. I greet his gaze with a fierce one of my own.
"If we do not find a blood substitute immediately this," the round man points to the screen, "will happen to all of us."
The room falls silent. I stare at the tabletop as my cigarette burns itself out in the ashtray. I feel several pairs of eyes on me; Rosaline's and Bromley's. I continue to stare at the table, trying to ignore both looks, but mostly Rosaline's. Anymore acknowledgement of her existence then what I had already given her today would raise Bromley's suspicions. Even if there was nothing going on he would cease everything and keep me in my lab away from her, which would be punishing her. She so rarely saw anyone besides me and for such a small window.
"Edward?" Bromley speaks up finally, drawing my attention away from my thoughts. I look over at him slowly, knowing what he was going to ask me. "Have we been able to isolate what keeps our Rosie human and create a suitable substitute?"
"Miss Carter, has a very rare blood type called Bombay blood. It was only seen in about every four people per million in the entire world before the breakout. Now I believe the ratio is one per every ten billion." I start and lean back in my chair.
"There aren't even ten billion people in the world." The man sitting beside the round man speaks up, fixing his glasses.
"Exactly. I believe that Miss Carter is, if not thee last, then one of the last surviving humans with this blood type." I look down at the table again, knowing that what I had said wouldn't be enough for Bromley or any of the other men in the room, but didn't want to say anymore.
"But how can she be the last if this blood type can't be turned?" The round man asks and then takes a drag of his cigar.
"They're still human. They can die any way a human can, most likely blood loss seeing the ratio of vampires to humans these days." I assume and stick my cigarette back into my mouth.
"So, what is Bombay blood?" The round man sitting across from me encourages. I look around the room, daring to glance at Rosaline, and then back at Bromley.
"Individuals with this rare h-h phenotype like her do not produce the H antigen. As a result, they cannot make A or B antigens in their red blood cells because A and B antigens are made from H antigens." I lean on the table again and stare off as I ramble on. "Now, when these individuals receive blood that contains an antigen that has never been in the patient's own blood, such as A, B, or H, this can cause an immune response. An immune response is when your body recognizes and defends itself against bacteria, viruses, and any other substances that appear foreign and harmful."
The room falls quiet for a moment. I didn't want to go further. I didn't even want to say that much, but what I had found intrigued me so much. Rosaline intrigued me so much. I just couldn't help but divulge.
"My, you've thrown a lot of medical terminology at us, Edward," Bromley laughs and leans back in his seat. "But I'm afraid we're not all doctors here. What does this all mean in Rosie's case?"
"I believe that Miss Carter suffers from immune responses every time she is bitten." I conclude and look from person to person, avoiding Rosaline. "Her body is protecting itself every time her cells come into contact with the infected cells of a vampire. She has the perfect shield."
"My, my, my..." Bromley looks over at Rosaline, whom I could tell was still staring at me out of my peripheral vision. Bromley takes a drag of his cigar and lets out a laugh, putting the cigar out in the ashtray before him. "I'm amazed by you more and more each day, my dear."
Rosaline takes her gaze from me and looks at Bromley, expression blank. It was hard to tell what was going on in her head. It could be a million things, but quite unluckily I was able to catch a glimpse of her eyes and see the fear swimming amongst the striking shades of blue. She had every reason to be afraid. Not just because she was a human amongst a group of bloodthirsty vampires, but because Bromley was grinning at her. That frightened me. No one could possibly know what was going on in his head.
"And the substitute?" The Commissioner asks, staring me down. I didn't have an answer for this question. The way Rosaline's blood worked, I don't think a substitute could actually be made. However, if I said that, then she would be thrown immediately into one of those machines in the farm. I couldn't let that happen. Especially, since I believed so strongly that her blood held the answer to something greater; a cure.
"I believe that we are... closer to a usable substitute using her blood rather than others." I answer the question finally and look back at Bromley. He nods his head, liking my answer well enough.
"Well then gentlemen. I say we can call this meeting to a close. I'll see you all in two weeks." Bromley stands from his seat along with the other officials. I take a chance and look down at Rosaline. Her head was bowed, eyes cast downward, and face still wiped clean of emotion.
"Are you alright?" I ask as quietly as I can, looking at the officials from the corner of my eyes. Each of them were talking amongst themselves, shaking each other's hands, and finishing their glasses of blood.
"For now." Rosaline looks to me and I could not only hear the double meaning, but sense it. For now meant exactly what it sounded like and also meant that she knew it was very likely she wouldn't be alright for long. Especially, if I knew what Bromley was planning to do with her.
"Edward." I look away from Rosaline and at Bromley. He waves a hand at me, telling me to come over to him. I reluctantly stand from the table and walk passed Rosaline and Caruso. "Chris, would you take Rosie back to her room?"
"Yes sir." Caruso stands from the table and Rosaline stands with him, following him to the door of the room. I watch them leave together and then look back at Bromley, who had done the same thing.
"Come with me. I have some things I want to discuss with you in private." Bromley places a hand on my shoulder and leads me to the door, heading for his office. Once inside his office I take a seat in a chair before his desk while Bromley stands at his window, peering out at the dark city below.
"Enjoy your coffee, sir." Bromley's assistant snaps me from my thoughts and walks away, shutting the office door behind her. I look to the cup of coffee sitting before me. I pick up the spoon and stir the light-colored liquid, forcing the blood to rise to the top and mix with the drink. It made my stomach churn as I feel the familiar desire to lap it up.
"Did I ever tell you about my daughter, Alison?" Bromley speaks up after another moment. I set my spoon back on the saucer beneath my cup and fold my hands in my lap. "In early 2008, I was diagnosed with sarcoma. The shock of finding out I had cancer was one thing, but having to tell my daughter... she was devastated. I prayed for a miracle, but I was realistic."
Bromley pauses and moment and then moves away from the window. He faces me and gives a small smile. He walks closer to his desk and leans on it, his palms pressed firmly to the top.
"And then the world changed. My prayers were answered. Immortality gave me my cure and my daughter and I now had all the time in the world. But… she saw this evolution as a disease; worse than any cancer. She refused to turn." Bromley pauses again and shakes his head, sighing heavily. He stands up straight and takes a cigar from his desk. "I was a monster to her. Then she ran like so many did. Oh, we are blessed, Edward; blessed. And you have to stare death in the face to truly know that."
"We're not ready yet, Mr. Bromley." I speak up, knowing where he was going with his personal story. I take out my cigarettes and pull one from the box.
"Not a coffee drinker?" Bromley asks, motioning to my untouched cup of coffee.
"Not really." I reply and stick my cigarette between my lips, lighting it up. Bromley watches me for a long moment as though analyzing each movement.
"You pity the humans don't you?" Bromley asks and then nods his head at my silence. He moves closer to his chair and sits down. "Well me too. Me too... These are desperate times, Edward. We must commence testing the blood substitute. It is the only way to help the human race."
Bromley falls silent, staring off as he fell into his thoughts. I watch him carefully, taking notice to him drumming one of his hands on his desk while the other played with his unlit cigar.
"Otherwise... keeping Rosaline out of the farm to study her blood has been a waste of time, effort, money and most importantly," Bromley looks over at me and gives me a smile that filled me with panic, "blood."
Bromley lifts his cup of coffee to his lips and take a long drink, "You can go now, Edward."
I put my cigarette out and stand up from my seat, walking to the door of the room. I walk out and head down the hallway to the lab, walking inside. I pull on my lab coat and sit down beside Caruso, staring down at the floor quietly as I tried to think.
If the substitute we had created from Rosaline's blood doesn't work, then Bromley would have no use for her. He doesn't care about a cure. He's made that clear. So, Rosaline would then be put into the farm to extract her blood for food. It was clear to me that she couldn't stay here any longer, but how could I-
"He wants us to move ahead again doesn't he?" Caruso's voice pulls me from my thoughts. I look over at him for a brief moment and then nod.
"Yeah." I reply simply.
"Okay... okay." Caruso nods his head a couple of times. I look over at him again and then at the report papers in front of him.
"Is there any change?" I ask carefully.
"Hemacilin, CBC and the biochemical panel; all stable." Caruso hands me the papers he had before him and I look them over. I saw exactly what he saw, all good signs, but it just didn't seem to be enough. Just because it looked well on paper didn't mean that it would work. "The substitute is working. It's time to move beyond animal testing."
I keep silent, not wanting to really agree or disagree with him.
"You know... the Verbena Cemetery Park was raided by a bunch of kids last night." He starts up again softly. "They dug up a dozen graves, thinking they'd find some human blood. It's nuts out there."
I lower the papers from my view and stare at the vials of Rosaline's blood in the glass case. Each one was labeled with her name on the side with heavy ink. If the substitute worked on a vampire, then she would be safe for a little longer and so would her blood for more testing, but if it didn't...
"Okay. We'll test it in a couple of days on one of the privates. Till then, run a few more tests on the animals to be absolutely sure." I conclude and hand him the papers back. He nods his head and stands from his seat, walking around the tall counter. I pull out one of Rosaline's vials from the case and set it down beside my microscope. I pull out a lens and then pick up the vial again. I hold it in front of a light and stare at it a moment.
If I could produce a substitute from this girl's rare blood, then humans would be saved. But if I could produce a cure... then we all would be saved.