Desolation ✔️

Chapter 28: Inhumane or...In-Human?

Several days pass and I resort to counting in my head to pass the time. I've been locked in the same room, restrained and only given a few crackers and little water at a time. My body is weak and exhausted and Dr. S has been in and out of my room stealing blood and ignoring my questions. Lucy was taken back to wherever they keep her and Hazmats rarely make eye contact with me.

My only real concern is Ash's state. They won't let me see him. Have they bandaged his wounds? Are they feeding him? Is he being taken care of?

While my heart argues otherwise, the answer is all too obvious: No.

"Why can't I go back to my room?" My patience frays further as Dr. S enters my room for more tests. No more. I can't take anymore. My wrists are cut and blue and purple from me tugging on them so many times. Fatigue tugs at my eyelids but I fight to stay awake and glare at him. "You've taken enough samples!"

"Yes. I'm not here to take anymore. Only to deliver news." He plops in his chair and peers at me through goggles. He still wears that grimy lab coat and latex gloves, but deep lines etch into his face as he frowns at me.

My stomach drops. "What kind of news?"

He pulls a clipboard from the counter and jots down notes. "Bad news. The cure doesn't work on the more decayed creatures."

Silence. My heart hammers. The cure doesn't work?

"However, we tested it on some of the more recently bitten, and it manages to tame their hunger, but does nothing for their current state. Here's a bit of good news: it works, but only if administered within the hour the patient was bitten."

Within the hour? That won't help anyone...although, it would've helped Ellis. Don't think about him now... I shift my focus. "Wait, how do you know it works within the hour?"

"We injected patients with the virus and waited a certain amount of time to see how soon we had to administer it before it worked."

My mouth falls open. "You're injecting innocent people with the virus? You're no better than the PSCC!"

"With good reason, Miss-"

"No! There will never be a good enough reason for infecting innocent people! I understand you want to cure your daughter, but this isn't the way to do it! There are better ways."

"Don't interrupt me. We now know we have to inject it within the hour, so those injected by that time are on their way to recovery as we speak."

"And what about the others? Huh?"

Silence.

And then it hits me: Ash.

My eyes widen at the sudden realization. "You're experimenting on Ash, aren't you?"

Dr. S meets my eyes then, pausing with his pen hovering over the clipboard. He blinks and raises his eyebrows, clearly irritated. "No need to jump to conclusions. We have better use for that boy."

Better use...like what? But at least he's confirmed Ash's well-being. These past few days, every time I ask about Ash's current state, he switches the topic or ignores me completely. So Ash is still alive...but for how much longer? Is he still coughing up blood? Monty was coughing blood, and that was from internal bleeding. And Ash claimed they broke his ribs. What if a rib punctured his lung? Oh God...I have to see him.

But he's still alive. Deep breaths.

"When can I see him?" My eyes jump to my sealed metal door with the squared window at the top. More orangish-yellow suits pass by; I catch a few zombies on leashes.