Shattered (Complete!)

Chapter 15

"Are you crazy?" I snapped, trying to figure out what he just said. "That isn't true, is that?"

"Of course, that is." He nodded, placing a square shaped device in front of me.

The device had a tiny screen and a small button-like structure to put the blood in it.

"What's this?" I frowned.

"Take a look." He pointed towards the screen which was blinking green light.

"I don't get it." I shrugged.

"The green here, means positive."

"But I think there's a problem with your device. I can't be positive." I cried.

"Actually, we all are." He sighed.

"What do you mean?" My eyes narrowed.

"You have so many questions, which is obviously natural, seeing the condition of our population today. But first, let's get you all to the quarters." He stood up.

"No. I need to know all the answers... Everything that you are aware of." I protested.

"Okay, and what about your friends? They need to eat. And I still have to test those two girls. I would like you to wait outside. Once I'm done with the testing, I'll call you inside." He gestured me to move out.

Sam and Alicia were tested one by one and both of them had the same pale expression like Yorik.

Gustavo came back from wherever he had gone to and stood near the door.

"I will escort you all to the quarters. Orders from the high authority." He declared, taking the lead.

"Gustavo, I want you to leave Miss. Rachel behind, with me." Dr. Parker came out of his makeshift lab.

"Rech, I can't let you stay alone with him." Yorik muttered under his breath.

"It's okay, Yo. I need to know a few answers which only the doctor can give me." I gave a soft peck on his lips.

Sam stared at me hesitantly, before moving out of the cabin.

"Sit." Dr. Parker spoke when they all left the cabin.

We sat in his lab as he began to clear his throat.

"Rachel, what do you wanna know? Please ask one by one so that I can answer all your queries." He folded his arms and sat on a chair.

"Doctor? May I come in?" Called a voice from outside the curtain.

"Sure." He said.

"Here is your coffee." A thin guy came in, holding a cup full of steaming black coffee and placed it on the table.

"Do you want anything, Rachel?" Dr. Parker asked, staring at me.

"No, thank you." I smiled at the guy and he left.

"So, back to our question and answer session." He took a sip of his coffee.

"Well, about your early statement that we all are positive, what did you mean by that?" I waited for him to answer.

"Look, this unknown virus, we've named it the Red Fever or in short, the RF. When it hits you, you literally fall into extreme fever and then, slowly and painfully, you turn...into one of those." He started. "The RF virus was first detected by one of the scientists at Fordcliff Research Institute, Johannesburg by one of my team mates."

"Your team mate?" I was stunned.

"Yes." He said. "I was one of the ten scientists who were selected for an experiment on the cure for cancer. We had been studying about a special vaccine which would diminish cancer once and for all and would help mankind to live a long life."

"So you never succeeded?" I asked.

"Of course not." He sighed. "I was at Estonia, where I own my clinic. When my selection letter arrived, I had to travel all the way to Johannesburg to stay for a year. It was a complete package. All expenses were paid by the research facility."

"And then?"

"After four months of extensive research, we did find a few cures. But unfortunately, they helped man temporarily and were not a permanent cure. My team mate, Davis McMahon, from Philadelphia, who was the most learned man among us, came to my research chamber one morning, before anyone had started their work, and he seemed to be happy. He said he has found a permanent cure finally and that we should try it on rats first. I told him to wait until everyone comes, but he never listened. He was very impatient to try it out and surprise everyone in our faculty."

"We went to the experimental zone and he injected the vaccine in one of the healty rats who were caged in glass cubes." He explained. "As soon as the vaccine was injected, the rat started dozing off slowly, it's heart was beating in a fast pace. We thought it might suffer an attack or something, but then it opened it's eyes and they were blood red. I've never seen eyes of that color except in Vampire movies. I knew something was wrong, and tired to warn him. But Davis was not giving up so soon. He took the rat out of it's case and it did something terrifying. By his touch, it straightway, chewed on Davis's finger and wouldn't pull off. It's teeth started to rot and the white fur that he had, had started turning little blackish in color. I tried to pull it out of his finger, but it went on biting him and moaning ferociously, which was bizarre. Davis had been crying in intense pain and finally, the rat left Davis and jumped out of his hands and scurried away outside the experimental zone through an open duct. By that time Davis had lost a whole finger and was showing signs of the fever."

"Then what about the New Hampshire University research?" I asked. "They said that they were experimenting about it."

"After the rat bit him, slowly, Davis started falling ill and in the last stages, he couldn't even walk or talk. He was in sort of a coma. We tried but couldn't find a cure to it and the facility had issued orders to stop our research. One fine afternoon, we heard screams from Davis's room and found him there, eating one of the janitors. That was the first time we knew what would that virus do to the population. And we left the facility after it was permanently closed. Being underground, they hid this whole story from media."

"Coming to New Hampshire University research, after I went back to Estonia, there was no news about any new zombified humans. But, then came in a report of a farmer's son being severely ill with high fever and cough which no doctor could treat. I knew at once what was wrong, but then I heard that the professors at New Hampshire University have found that new unidentified virus after a medical test of the boy and that the cure is still missing. Since that very day, the virus started spreading everywhere like a tornado, and a special government research facility called me here in their makeshift camps and quarters, to continue my work as soon as I can. They paid me well. I had no other choice but to come here in one of their private jets."

"Okay. But I still don't have my answer to: how can you say that we all are infected?" I frowned.

"Ah!" He finished the last bit of his coffee. "This virus, somehow went in vegetables and fruits cultivated at the countryside of New York recently, and due to it's intake, half of the population are infected. But as RF went in your body indirectly, through eatables, it didn't turn you into a zombie. If it was a direct exposure, then you would've turned. But when you die, you won't be the same anymore. You'll rise up anew."

"What?" I gasped. "So are we all zombies now?"

"After your deaths, yes." He nodded. "I hope you've received all the answers you wanted. Now, I'll let one of my assistant take you back to the quarter where you'll be safe with your friends."

"When are we leaving for New York?" I asked eagerly. "We'll be staying here just for tonight, right?"

"Do you think I'm letting you go?" He winked.

Don't go forward without Voting and Commenting! Sorry for the delay in update, as I was sick tired after a hectic day at Justin Bieber's Purpose Tour India which was on 10th May in Mumbai. I totally enjoyed it to the fullest.