Virus ☤ [h.s. au]

III. Cooperative Studies

Trial, after trial, after trial, we were still at this massive standstill. A point in my career at which I had hoped I'd never reach.

We had spent hours now trying to pick apart this virus, but always coming up short. And although it only seems repetitive at this point, we had to push through. We had to find something.

Grace must have had the same concept running through her mind, and ultimately realizing that all her mocking would mostly come to a halt. With her witnessing firsthand just how straining this case was.

Fear was an underlying theme in my mind. The fear of us not being able to solve this, of us not being able to cure this before it spread.

It ultimately reminds me of my mother, and justifiably the very reason I began working this profession. I would never want anyone to go through the loss of one from any fatal disease, knowing the pain is all too sufferable.

There isn't a day I don't think of her. Wondering had I been able to cure her if I had been able to take with me then what I know now.

Sadly, death was still inevitable regardless of what I knew.

Grace's stray hairs fall in front of her round face, the natural blush rising to her cheeks in an irritated glow. It was clear that people took stress and anger in different ways. Mine being calmer and collected while Grace's seemed to be pouring out of her freely.

"Save the anger Grace, it won't fix anything. I can promise you that." I started walking over to her side of the workstation. The white pristine countertop being hastily harassed by her black fingernails.

"I just don't get it. How are we coming up with not a single flaw in it? It's not making any sense to me." She stressed out with furrowed eyebrows and sporadic hand movements.

"Your guess is as good as mine." I let out a stressed sigh while running my hand through my unruly curls. "Why don't we take a breather? Who knows, maybe what we're looking for is right under our noses." I speak, my side digging into the counter as I crossed my arms over my chest. Watching as Grace hung her head while her arms pushed her body from the workspace.

"Okay fine. But Harry, if we can't find anything on this you know we have to-" She started off apprehensive as she didn't want to bring up the exact thing that was on my mind as well.

"I know Grace, I know. Let's not let it get that far alright? We've made it this far without an epidemic and I plan on keeping it that way." I clarified, trying to instill hope not even I really had at this point into her. I couldn't let myself think that we were at a dead end.

She solemnly nodded her head, fixing her posture while cracking a few joints in her fingers. "I'm going to head out and grab some lunch, want anything?"

"I'll just stick to some fruit. Thank you though." I politely rejected. I follow Grace out of the workroom and into the office filled environment.  As she goes to grab her purse as well as her keys I find it necessary to remind her. "Don't let it beat you up, Grace. I know you, and you won't let it go until it's finished. Just put the flame out for lunch at least."

She nodded once more before heading out to her car. My hands are brought up to my face, rubbing the tense feelings from my skin. I had only a matter of time until the head of disease control would ask how the sample was, and what cure we have for it. If we were to come up with nothing it would be an immediate panic. Having a disease that wasn't curable within the past decades was unheard of, and God knows what this would mean for mankind.