What We Become | Book Two

20. Priority

"It'll be more beneficial to the research to see the true effect it has on your body... Whether there's even any reaction at all."

I glanced to the tray of equipment, to the syringes and vial of liquid beside it. "What is it?"

"Do you have to ask?" he questioned.

"What is it?"

"The combination," he explained. "Naxor and JCR-23. Taken from an Infected."

"You did read the research, right?" I pressed like he hadn't even spoken. "You're absolutely sure about this?"

He gave a small, reassuring smile. "I'm almost certain you'll be fine."

"Almost certain?" my eyes widened. "What if I die? What are your procedures then?"

"Well," he hesitated, "there's no evidence that will happen."

"You really haven't thought this through, have you?"

His greying brows pressed together. "I've thought about it. You've got nothing to worry about."

I raised a brow, still not convinced by his words.

"You've been assigned top priority. We wouldn't let anything happen to you unless we were sure about the result."

"I'm just not sure this is the way to go about it."

His tone changed. "Why did you come here, Ben?" he asked. "Just to give us that hard drive? Because I can't believe that for a second."

I scowled, caught off guard by the change. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that you came here for one reason, you chose to stay for another. Now, I don't know what that reason is, but how bad are you willing to fight for it? What are you willing to give up?"

I sighed. His stare bore down and he knew he'd hit something in me. "Fine," I said.

A needle was going into my arm regardless and I didn't want to waste my energy trying to argue with someone who wouldn't listen.

There was an instant sensation as the needle pierced my skin. Except the pain wasn't sharp like I was expecting, like catching myself on a knife. It burned around my body better than boiling water, searing each nerve.

"Jesus fuck," I gasped, gripping the arms of the chair and squeezing my eyes closed.

Julia took a step back and dropped the used needle onto the tray beside her.

"What's happening?" Mike asked with wide eyes.

I pressed my body back further into the chair, trying to control the pain.

"How many years did you study for just to ask that? Please tell me you did not just ask me that question, Mike." I squeezed my eyes shut again, hoping to regain some sense of control. "What the fuck do you think is happening?"

The pain was overwhelming and I felt my mouth becoming numb with each second that passed. Consciousness was slipping from my grasp and it was like I was losing myself, fading away slowly.

"Pulse is 140 and rising," Julia said. My ears were fogged but I knew it was her. "Ben, how are you doing?"

"He's fine," Mike answered for me.

I groaned as my blood continued to burn and my muscles grew weak.

"He's burning up, Mike. Temperature's rising... Pulse is 160."

"Just wait," he said. "He'll pull through."

Julia lifted my shirt and began to attach leads to my chest. "You better be right because we don't get another chance at this."

I closed my eyes for a moment to bring some relief from the pain and Julia's voice came muffled in my ears.

"Ben, stay with me. Don't give up."

"I feel cold," I said.

"Leave him."

"Mike."

Her touch disappeared from my skin and they both stood blurred in front of me.

"This isn't turning out like you planned, Mike. You need to call it."

"His body can fight it. I know it can."

"Maybe, but you don't know the effects this is going to have on him."

The machines in the room began to beep erratic noises and both heads turned to me. I could feel myself slipping, almost drifting away.

"Pulse 150. Temperature 40 degrees," Julia stated.

After a while, my body became numb. There was a heat beneath my skin but I could no longer feel its burning strength.