Blizzard

chapter 23

"For almost six months." Dave answered before Shelby could, not that she minded. She was glad he was taking the lead in this. The situation was already unsettling enough.

Shelby was sitting with her back as straight as possible, presenting herself as immaculate as she could. She needed the woman-though, not just the woman-to know that just because she got infected with this disease didn't mean she was suddenly a savage, that she was still the same person.

They went over her symptoms and Doctor Klein told them she'd had suspicions about what Shelby had and now could confirm that she was indeed suffering from a disease called Lycanthropy. It was a so far incurable disease that heightened the patient's senses and made them subject to the phases of the moon. It enhanced their cells, allowing them to transform both at will and against their will, depending on the phase of the moon.

"Do you know what a retrovirus is?" Gretchen asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "It's a virus that uses RNA as its genomic material. Upon infection, when it enters a cell, the cell will convert the retroviral RNA into DNA, which is then inserted into the DNA of the host cell, which then produces more retroviruses, which in turn infect other cells. It's a fascinating process and so far completely irreversible.

"Another example of a retrovirus is HIV. Though, unlike HIV, the virus that causes Lycanthropy, LYCV-1, spreads through the body rapidly, leaving little to no time to intercept and slow down or stop the infection from overtaking and changing every cell in the host's body on a fundamental level, first targeting stem cells.

"We believe it originates from a virus that infected wolves, a virus that made them deadly vulnerable to silver, but also somehow made them stronger and more aggressive, and gave them an unusual obsession with the moon.

"We've yet to find an old strain of LYCV-1 to prove our hypothesis but there's several stories from separate accounts from a few centuries ago of humans encountering wolves with shining eyes who were entranced by the full moon. But we, of course, can't be certain whether these stories are credible or if they're just that, stories. However, we believe that through mutations and unequal crossing over during DNA replication the virus became zoonotic and, through the domestication of wolves, traveled to human hosts."

"I'm not going to lie to you, so far we've been unsuccessful with reversing the virus's changes to the DNA of our patients. But we've made so much progress the past few years, I truly believe we're incredibly close to a breakthrough to finding an effective treatment. We're still very much in the experimental stages but I can personally guarantee you it would be beneficial for you to join the program. I can't tell you with absolute certainty how long your stay here will be, but I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to cure you."

Their first consultation with Gretchen didn't take longer than 15 minutes and after agreeing on a date for their next appointment, Shelby and Dave were making their way out of the facility.

When they were exiting the elevator in the lobby, a door to Shelby's right, next to the long reception desk, opened. A man in a white lab coat was walking out of there, only just catching the elevator they'd just walked out of.

The door, leading into a long white hallway, was slowly closing while Shelby and Dave walked towards the exit of the building. Before it clicked shut, Shelby vaguely heard what could be considered a scream, though the sound was too quiet, even for her, to be sure. Shelby pushed the thought away. If there really was something happening in the building she'd have been able to hear it much clearer. Ever since the incident that caused her to come to this facility, her hearing had significantly improved, allowing her to hear things clearly that a normal person wouldn't be able to hear at all. Though, the second she'd walked into the building, the sounds around her had subdued to a minimum, a peacefulness she hadn't experienced in months. Though, however peaceful it was, it was also a little jarring, a little like losing control. A kind of control she wasn't supposed to have in the first place, Shelby had to remind herself. However, she couldn't help but wonder what went on behind these walls that they didn't want her or anyone else to hear.