“But why stay?”
She shrugged. “It was hairy for a little while. But for the most part, the outpost is pretty isolated. I watched as the wildlife population dwindled. And I thought I saw people a time or two, but they didn’t look normal, so I avoided them.”
Hatcher gave her the once over. “You look pretty spit polished.” He raised a brow at her. “Do you have power at the outpost?”
She nodded. “I run the generator twice a week. Once for laundry and again to charge batteries.” She pulled her shirt out slightly. “You need to remember, I had just come on duty; I had nothing but brand new uniforms.”
Hatcher sighed and dropped Shelly’s top. He turned to her and held his hand out. “Daniel Hatcher. You are?”
She rolled her eyes. “An idiot for not introducing myself sooner.” She took his hand. “Missy. Missy Butler.”
“Are you sure?” Randy asked as he unbuckled the woman’s ankles.
“Of course I’m not sure,” Andre replied. “But she’s been coherent for over ten hours. I am no expert, but I don’t think psychedelics stay active in your system for that long.” He glanced at Carol. “Do they?”
She gave him a slow shrug. “I’ve never even smoked pot.”
“Miss Winegard,” Andre stated softly. “Once the guards are available, we’ll allow you to shower and clean up. However, the moment you are finished, we need you back here, in the lab. Do you understand?”
She nodded weakly, stretching her shoulder as she sat up. “I am so sorry.”
“For what?”
She glanced down to her soiled clothing. “I can’t believe that I…” her voice trailed off.
“Do not think of this,” Andre replied. He saw the two female soldiers enter the room outside the lab and he nodded to them. “These two ladies will escort you to the showers and get you a change of clothing.” He stepped in front of her and met her gaze. “Remember, the very moment you’re done, come back here.”
She nodded and slid off the table, her legs shaky as she stepped toward the two female soldiers.
Carol stepped next to him and asked, “Do you think she’ll maintain clarity?”
He slowly shook his head. “I have no idea.” He waved to Randy and David. “Sanitize the table, please.”
Broussard stepped toward the doors and pulled Carol with him. “Part of me hopes that the drugs act like a reset switch for whatever the mutated virus did to her brain.”
“I sense a huge ‘but’ coming.”
He nodded. “I just don’t see it. I half expect her to fly into a rage and begin attacking anybody close to her.”
“Hence the guards.”
“Female guards.” He raised a brow at her. “Nobody wants to try to shower and scrub off weeks of dried bodily waste while the opposite sex observes.”
Carol shuddered. “I wouldn’t want to have to do it regardless of who was watching.” She watched as Ms. Winegard was escorted through the blast doors. “Is it feasible to dose these people on a regular basis with something as unpredictable as LSD?”
“It was, for all intents and purposes, a very minute dose.” He sighed as he turned back to the lab. “But no. It is not.”
“Then if this doesn’t work, we need a more permanent answer.”
He nodded as he collected his notes. “Agreed.” He looked through the acrylic walls of the lab, into the cells where the others meandered. “Considering the state of the world, I don’t know how we could reach the others to get them treated…IF a single dose actually does the trick.”
“First things first,” Carol replied. “We find the answer for these people then we worry about the others.”
“Your arm is doing much better,” Vee stated as she put her supplies back into the medical bag. “Have you been doing the exercises I told you to do?”
Simon nodded. “The stretching ones really hurt, but I’m starting to get a little strength back.”
“Go easy on them.” She snapped the bag shut then turned to him. “The muscles in that arm were basically shredded. They need to be exercised, but gently. They’re still knitting back together.”
Simon gave her a confused look. “And you couldn’t sew them back together because…”
She stifled a smile. “Muscle tissue won’t hold stitches. It would be like trying to sew together jello; the stitch would simply rip right through.”
He gave her a confused look. “I’ve cooked steak before, doc. I don’t remember it being like jello.”
She nodded. “That’s dead flesh. Living flesh moves. Trust me, if you stitch together a couple of steaks on the hoof, it wouldn’t take much effort to rip the catgut right through the meat.” She patted his shoulder as she came to her feet. “You’re doing great. Just keep it up.”
Simon crossed his legs and watched as she turned for the door. “Why’d you stop us?”
Vee paused and turned, her confusion evident. “Excuse me?”
“I noticed a lot of people looked to you when we passed judgement on Trent and his boys.” He raised a brow at her. “Why’d you balk?”
She sighed as she turned away from the door. “Trent and I were…close.”
“And?”
She set her bag on the counter and crossed her arms. “We were just friends, but there was definitely an attraction between us.” She looked away. “I couldn’t believe he did what he did.”
Simon shrugged. “It makes sense.”
She looked at him, her brows knit in confusion. “How so?”
“He liked you. I mean, he really liked you.” He sat forward and stared at her. “He wouldn’t force himself on you because he cared about you.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “That blonde camp bimbo? He didn’t give two shits about her. If he hurt her, oh well.”
Vee shook her head. “That…no. No, Trent would never—”
“But he did.” Simon pushed off the couch and stared at her. “He liked you, so he wanted to save you from what they were doing.”
“If he liked me then
