Epidemic || BFB au

Experimentation

Basket Ball's POV:

I felt like a prisoner, always trapped within the same four walls. Ever since Golf Ball sent me in here... I wasn't able to leave at all. I had enough food to last about a week, but... that was it. I tried rationing it, only eating when absolutely necessary. Even so, I was going to run out. I knew death was very near, and I had to do something fast... but what could I do? Golf Ball's laboratory was like a maximum-security prison, as far as I could tell (and believe me, I tried) there was no way in or out of this room. The door was made of a thick layer of steel, unlocked only by a key which I assumed GB threw away. Even if I managed to escape the door, there was probably a wall of lasers waiting for me on the other side. I felt hopeless, like there was nothing more for me to do than wait for death.

I didn't understand it. I didn't understand how she could be so apathetic. All of this was completely unnecessary- and as a woman of science, I knew she knew that. All the data shows that if you don't show signs of sickness for at least a week, you aren't contagious. There's no possible way she couldn't have known that, so why was she doing this? Why lock up three of your remaining teammates, knowing they're going to die a slow, painful death? I'd given up trying to rationalize it, trying to understand and accept her ways. She was a sick woman, one that I thought I could call my friend.

I sat on the cold bed, staring at my last ration of food. I'd been in this room for a little over two weeks now, and it felt like I was rotting. Slowly, shakily, I reached down and picked it up, finishing what was left of the only food I had. As I swallowed, I felt my emotions take over, and I began to cry. I rolled over to my side, holding my knees to my chest, sobbing to nobody. I felt the overwhelming emptiness of the room as I cried, simply waiting to die. This was it for me. The only ounce of hope that lingered on was for grassy, I prayed that he was given more mercy than I. I just wanted him to be okay.

Golf Ball's POV:

After weeks of surveillance, one of the infected was the first to drop. Subject #2 had passed from a clear lack of nutrition, puzzling because he hadn't even finished his rations. Children do tend to be picky eaters, I suppose. I scribbled something down in my notebook before calling out to Blocky to retrieve the body, who reluctantly came to me.

"What?" He asked, visibly annoyed.

"I need you to bring me another one of the deceased." I said matter-of-factly, zipping up my Hazmat suit.

He blinked, his expression unchanging. With a heavy sigh, he responded.

"Basket Ball."

"No, subject #3 is in stable condition. I need you to--"

"Are you serious?" He interrupted, now showing clear signs of anger. "Subject? This is our friend we're talking about. And she is not in stable condition." He gestured to the monitor in front of me, his voice breaking at the sight of Subject #3, who was under clear emotional distress. The least of my concerns at the moment.

"That is what is necessary, Blocky. You cannot befriend the infected, it is necessary to keep them as--"

"Say their names."

I stopped, furrowing my brow with slight irritation. I turned away from him, my tone now condescending.

"Blocky, now is not the time for this. I need to run the tests now, so go get Grassy before he gets cold."

I felt Blocky's presence behind me as I continued my work, preparing the tests for the body's arrival. He stared at me with disbelief, seemingly waiting for me to finish, or say something else.

His emotions were holding him back, his foolish concern for the infected was going to get the team killed if it wasn't kept in check. If I wasn't here to lead.

"The full-body protection suits are hung up in the corner. Sterilize yourself before coming back." I continued, my voice now neutral and calm.

Within eight or so minutes, much longer than I anticipated, he had left and returned, holding the small bundle of grass in his arms in a protective manner. The second I heard his footsteps, I turned around, taking the body from him without a second thought.

"Thank you. That is all, you may leave now."

"Wait, what? Hold on, let me just--"

"No. Any further contact with the dead will compromise the safety and integrity of the team."

His eyes remained unmoving, fixed on the corpse which I now layed on the metal table.

"You can't be serious, he's just a..."

"He's no longer 'just' anything. He is a subject to research that is going to allow me to create a cure for this epidemic. I am not asking, Blocky. Leave."

He seemed to be fighting the urge to break down, swallowing his emotion and storming off.

I sighed, rubbing my temples with annoyance, turning to face the subject at hand. I placed my gloved hand on the body's forehead, feeling his tempurature. Lacking heat, but not yet completely cold. This was a good sign.

There were no visible signs of illness, no scarring, rash, mucus, or trace of infection on the skin. Must be internal.

I placed a metal helmet on his head, allowing the machine to prepare before beginning a brain scan. With the time it spent loading, I caught a glimpse of his dead eyes. He didn't look dead; in fact, under other circumstances I might mistake him for a very still, living child. But this was not other circumstances, and he was not living. Subconsciously, without being aware of it myself, my lips curled into a slight smile. This "challenge" had given me more opprotunity for hands-on research than I thought possible. Object anatomy had always been an enigma to me, and it isn't every day that those around you start dropping like flies, one by one, from a sudden unknown disease. Straight into my laboratory.

Yes, I was concerned about curing the disease. Not for the sake of the others, no, just to know that I could. That I, with science alone, could defeat a worldwide pandemic created by an Algebralien's magic? To do the unthinkable, go to a place where scientist and theorist alike have never even dreamed of. And I would do it, conveniently after all my research had been completed. Once I completed my experimentation on all cadavers, I would cure them all, bringing everything back to the way it was. They wouldn't even know all that their bodies contributed to science as we know it.

What a sweet memorial.

A/N:
I found my old notes for this story, so I'll be able to be more organized and quick with it now :)
I can't help myself from sneaking references to my interests in here...
Anyways hope you enjoy this very very late chapter!!