"Dr. Cannerts! Dr. Cannerts!" Jake screamed as he ran down the hall and banged on the doctors office door. "Katie! It's Katie! She needs help!"
Dr. Cannerts flung open the door and started running down the hallway. He grabbed his hazmat suit and quickly put in on practically as he was still moving down the hallway. He burst through the door to Katie's room. He placed his hand on the side of her neck to feel for a pulse.
It felt like an eternity before Jake heard Dr. Cannerts say the words "I found a pulse." If he hadn't been holding onto the wall for support his legs would have given out beneath him. "She's alive." The most beautiful words in the world besides the ones Katie had just spoken to him.
Dr. Cannerts picked Katie up and placed her down on her bed. "Jake please bring me my medical kit. I need to find out what has caused her to faint."
Jake ran and grabbed the bag out of the lab. He sat it down in front of the door. Dr. Cannerts opened up the door and brought it inside the room.
Jake watched as Dr. Cannerts performed all sorts of tests on Katie, from collecting her blood to testing her pupils. He had never prayed so hard in his life for anything. She had to wake up. She had to wake up. She had to wake up.
Jake's legs had finally given out on him but he hadn't moved from out in front of the window to Katie's room. Nothing on earth could have made him leave that spot. He sat staring at Katie lying motionless in her bed. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful. If he didn't know any better he would've thought she was sleeping. It took all the strength he had not to open the door and wrap his arms around her. He couldn't bare to think he may never get the chance to do so.
"Jake. You should get some sleep." He heard Dr. Cannerts say from behind him. "I'll keep an eye on her and let you know if anything changes."
"I'm not going anywhere. Have you even been able to figure out what has happened to her?" Jake demanded.
"I have done every test that I am physically capable of doing. Her body seems to be responding to the treatment but I cannot tell if it's the virus or the treatment causing her unconsciousness."
"So you have no idea when or even if she is going to wake up?" Jake asked staring blankly into Katie's room.
"I'm afraid not." Dr. Cannerts told him. "More than anything I wish I had the answer."
Jake finally made himself get up off the floor. He had to be strong for Katie. He needed to check on Quentin. Katie would never forgive him if he didn't make sure Quentin was taken care of.
He walked into the room where he saw Quentin laying down on the fold-out cot staring at the window.
"Hey buddy. You feeling ok?" Jake asked as he placed his hand on Quentin's shoulder. "Have you eaten anything today?"
"Yeah. Nurse Helen gave me a protein bar earlier. How's my mom?" Quentin asked without even turning over.
Jake swallowed hard. He wish he could tell him that she was awake. That she was fine. That she would be there with them any minute. He couldn't say any of that though. "The same."
"She's not going to wake up is she?" Quentin started crying.
"Hey, hey don't think like that. Dr. Cannerts is working hard to make her better. We have to be positive. Your mom wouldn't want us to give up so quick." Jake wasn't sure if he was trying to assure Quentin or himself as well.
"You're right. I just want her to be ok, Jake." Quentin said with tears in his eyes.
"So do I buddy. So do I." Jake told him. "I'm going to go check on her now. I'll be back in a little bit ok?"
"Ok." Quentin mumbles.
Jake walks back down the hallway to Katie's room. She is still laying there motionless. Only the slow rise and fall of her chest gives any indication that she's alive.
Dr. Cannerts comes out of his office holding his clipboard. "Jake, I've been working since dawn and it may be a small comfort but what we've learned so far from Katie may actually lead to a vaccine. We just have to..."
"Well if it isn't Dr. Death himself."
Jake and Dr. Cannerts turn to see 4 men holding guns coming down the hallway.
"Excuse me gentlemen?" Dr. Cannerts says.
"Hey what's going on Trey?" Jake steps towards them.
"Oh. Same old, same old. After blaming the brown kid from Syria turns out he had nothing to do with this mess. News from the outside says Dr. Cannerts created the virus. The way I see it somebody's got to put a bullet in the man's head." Trey says as he steps towards Dr. Cannerts.
Jake holds his hand up. "You raise that thing and I will throw your ass in the isolation ward without a mask. Cannerts didn't create the virus. He's trying to save everyone in the cordon. And like it or not he's the only one that can."
"Yeah well word the is out. If I don't do it somebody else will." Trey takes another step towards Dr. Cannerts.
Jake steps in front of Trey. "Yeah. Yeah. But if you help me protect him, you and your guys can be first in line for a vaccine."
"There's a vaccine?" Trey glares at Dr. Cannerts.
"He just told me he's getting close." Jake quickly answered.
"Fine. We'll protect him. First in line right doc?" Trey says.
Dr. Cannerts just nods his head. Clearly afraid to move at the moment.
"Welcome to the cordon P.D." Jake tells Trey.
"Cinco. You hear that?" Trey grins at one of the men.
"Let's do it." Cinco laughed as the men walked back down the hall.
Jake and Dr. Cannerts look at each other. Jake had no idea if Cannerts really was close to a cure or not but at least he was able to dodge that bullet for the moment. Thanks to Lommers there was now a price tag on Dr. Cannerts head. Jake had to protect him. If there was any hope of Katie waking up or them getting out of there, he had to keep the doctor safe.
It had been a few hours since Trey and his gang had shown up. Dr. Cannerts had gone back into his office. Now more than ever he needed to find a vaccine. He didn't know who else might be coming for him. He was glad Jake had been able to convince Trey and his gang to protect him but now the pressure was on since they believed he was closer to a vaccine than what he really was Dr. Cannerts opens the door to his office and heads down the hallway to the lab. Trey and his gang are standing out in the hall.
"Dr. Cannerts." He hears behind him. As he turns around he sees a man in a full hazmat suit start to take off his mask. He is clearly infected.
Jake rounds the corner as he sees the infected man get closer to the doctor. "Hey back off!" He yells.
"He's the reason I'm sick!" The man shouts coughing.
"No. No. You don't want to do this." Jake tells him.
"Cinco. Cinco" Trey yells as his friend is about to grab Dr. Cannerts out of the way.
"Trey, wait!" Cinco yells.
"Stay away from my brother!" Trey shouts as he fires two shots at the sick man.
"Wait!" Jake tries to stop Trey but it's too late. The sick man drops to the floor. Blood has splattered all over Cinco's face and into his mouth.
They all stand there speechless. Cinco is now infected.