“You can’t possibly mean that we—”
“I can, and I do,” he stated flatly. He stepped toward the door then turned and faced the two researchers. “I will say that I don’t condone his threatening the two of you. That was out of line. But I will also say that the intent of his threat was accurate.” He crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze at Andre. “Your task is simple. Find the cure for them.” He nodded toward the infected in the acrylic cells. “If you can’t do that, your usefulness here will be negligible.”
Broussard opened his mouth to say something and Carol stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “What are you saying, General?”
“Exactly what you infer, Doctor.” His face became stoic again. “You two are in charge of the lab now. You have all of the personnel here at your disposal. Including Dr. Higgins.”
“I can’t work with him,” Broussard stated.
Green nodded knowingly. “Then consider him expendable. Send him for coffee; hell, feel free to use him as a test subject. I really don’t care.” He smiled, and for the first time appeared to enjoy the thought of Higgins being a guinea pig. “The lab is yours. The people are yours. They, and their actions, are your responsibility. Whatever you need, we will do our best to provide. But do not misunderstand…your primary goal…nay, your only goal, is to find a cure for them.”
“We cannot condone testing on healthy humans,” Broussard said.
“I don’t give a tinker’s damn what you condone. I authorize you to use whatever resources we have to complete the task at hand.” He raised a brow as he faced Broussard. “Just do your goddam job and nobody gets hurt.” Broussard felt his chest tighten as the man stepped back and gave him a pleasant smile. “You have your orders.”
Both researchers stood in silent shock as General Green turned and exited the lab. Carol watched him walk back towards the steel doors then turned to Andre. “I think we’re in bigger trouble than we thought.”
Andre sat down heavily and shook his head. “I should have trusted my gut and run.” He turned red eyes to Carol. “I’m sorry I’ve gotten you into this.”
She sat down next to him and held his hand. “You didn’t do this.” She glanced back to the steel doors then leaned against his shoulder. “But we’re going to have to rethink our mission here.”
He gave her a confused look. “How do you mean?”
She sniffed back a nervous tear. “We have to find the cure now. It’s not just our lives at stake.” She looked up at him. “It’s all of the CDC personnel.”
Simon helped Lana pull the canvas awning out and lock the arms into place. “Starting to feel like home?”
She gave him a hard stare. “I can feel people’s eyes on us.”
He nodded as he reached for the door. “You aren’t wrong.” He paused as a tall brunette woman came walking down the path into the lower campground. “I think we’re about to have company.”
The woman slowed her approach as she rounded the front of the RV. “Hi.” She paused and held up a black leather bag. “Trent said we had newcomers. He thought you’d be coming to see me but I figured I’d make a house call.”
“You must be the doctor he mentioned.” Simon smiled politely.
“I am.” She held a hand out. “Veronica.”
He took her hand. “Simon. This is Lana.”
Veronica stared at Lana for a moment then smiled. “Remarkable. I didn’t think anybody came back from the rage virus.”
“Rage virus?” Lana asked.
Veronica nodded. “The last I heard, that was the layman’s title for it.” She turned back to Simon. “And you’re wounded.”
He scoffed. “Flesh wound.”
“Bullshit.” Lana stepped closer and pushed him towards the doctor. “Bullet wound. A bad one.”
“Let’s take a look at that.” Veronica glanced around for a place to do an exam.
Lana pulled the door open. “We have a couch and a table if you need to strap him down and cut him open,” she teased.
Veronica stepped inside the RV and gave a low whistle. “Brand new. Nice.”
“We just got it,” Simon said. He pointed to his wounded arm. “Cost us an arm and a leg. I’ll be paying out on the leg portion though.”
“Cute.” She sat down and motioned for him to join her. “Most of the folks around here just call me Vee. Or Doc.”
Lana fell into the chair opposite and watched as she untied the sling holding Simon’s arm. “Were you a general practitioner or…?”
Veronica slowly unwrapped the gauze as she spoke. “I was an ER physician by night.” She paused as she peeled the last layers off. “Training as a sports medicine specialist by day.” She paused and slowly extended his arm. “This was bad.”
“She’s got me eating bowls of antibiotics,” Simon replied, giving Lana the stink eye. “Gives me the screaming shits, too.”
Veronica nodded. “We need to get you some probiotics to get your natural flora back into balance. I’d say yogurt, too, but times aren’t what they used to be.” She looked up at Lana. “What antibiotics are you giving him?”
Lana shrugged. “All of them.”
Veronica raised a brow. “Do you still have the bottles?”
Lana nodded and slid off of the chair. “Be right back.”
Simon winced as she dabbed at the wound. “Let me guess, stitches?”
Veronica sighed. “It may be too late.”
She reached into her bag and withdrew a metal device that caused Simon’s butt to pucker. “What is that?”
She smiled, putting him slightly at ease. “Relax. I just need to check something.” Lana returned and set the box of pills next to the table as Veronica slowly probed the wound.
