“Follow me,” the man in the biohazard suit said as he led me out of my plastic bubble. Two more people went in after I left and began stripping the sheets, disinfecting the area for the next patient.
“How did all this get set up so quickly?” I asked, looking around the giant white tent.
“We were already here,” he said as he led me into a narrow, dim hallway. “This is, or rather, was, a top secret medical training facility for biological attacks and epidemic emergencies.”
“Is the Eversio Virus so contagious that all this is necessary?” I asked.
“As far as we’ve seen, the virus is only spread through bodily fluids, mainly blood. But it’s important we take all precautions to prevent any further cases.”
He stopped at a set of stairs leading up to a large metal door and gestured for me to go up.
“This is the decontamination pod. Once you enter the first room, strip off all your clothes and any other garments or accessories and place them in the trash can provided. Then enter the shower room and clean yourself thoroughly for as long as you need to. Lastly, enter the third room, this is the clean room. There will be a towel and new clothes waiting in there for you. Once you exit the decontamination pod, you’ll join others in the recovery ward where a bed has been made available to you.”
“Okay, thanks,” I said, feeling overwhelmed by the entire process.
“See you on the other side,” he said as I walked up the stairs and pulled on the heavy door.
I entered the small square room, closed the door behind me and began undressing. As I looked down at my naked body, I realised just how battered I was. In addition to the bullet wound and injuries I received at Elliot’s so-called “sanctuary,” I was covered in cuts and bruises from my tumble in the river. I looked at my right arm, inspecting three long, straight scratches that ran from near my elbow all the way down to my hand. The scratches looked deeper at my wrist, as though something had been digging into my skin. I traced a finger over the deepest cut, wincing when it stung. The familiar pain triggered my memory, and I saw Jo holding onto me tight, her fingernails clutching my wrist as she tried to pull me out of the water. I remembered seeing the heartache in her face when I let go. I remembered her, Wyatt and Ben watching helplessly as I went under.
I stepped into the shower, letting my tears disappear under the stream of hot water. The only people I had left in this world thought I was dead. I hoped they were okay. I hoped they made it over that flooding bridge. I hoped they made it to Sydney.
“Sydney!” I gasped, suddenly remembering everything. “The rescue ship!”
I scrubbed myself clean, trying to be thorough even though I knew I needed to get out of the hospital and on my way to Sydney as soon as humanly possible. Once I was finished, I opened the door into the clean room and wrapped myself in a towel, feeling a surge of hope at the thought that I could be reunited with my friends again. All I had to do was find a car.
I quickly put on the crisp, white cotton t-shirt and pants that had been provided for me and flew out the door. I was greeted by another tent full of people, all staring at me. This ward was much less intimidating – there were no plastic walls dividing the patients and not one biohazard suit in sight.
“Hello,” a sweet-looking old lady said as she approached me. “You must be Eva. I’m Edna. Welcome to Recovery.”
“Thank you,” I said, distracted as I scanned the room for Priya. “Is Dr. Desai here? I need to speak to her immediately.”
“Oh,” Edna said. “She and the other doctors are in a meeting in the courtyard.”
Without saying a word, I headed for the nearby exit into the yard. I didn’t want to be rude, but I didn’t have time for polite chit-chat. I walked outside and was struck by the size of the prison-like facility. The two large tents had been built on dry, cracked earth out in the middle of nowhere. Yet, in the centre of the yard stood a decent sized greenhouse, full of lush green plants, vegetables and herbs. Two large water tanks had been built next to it, and it was clear that the hospital was designed to withstand long periods of isolation. Separated from the wards were three long rows of camouflage and navy colored tents that I assumed were the medical staff quarters. It looked like a small village. Two tall barbed-wire fences surrounded the entire area, and I wondered if they were there to keep zombies out or patients in. A few fellow recovery patients were wandering about, and near the camouflaged tents I spotted a huddled group of people sitting around a picnic table, looking at papers. I saw Priya with them, pointing at something in a plastic folder as she spoke to the group.
“Dr. Desai,” I said as I got closer. “Sorry to interrupt, but I remembered something. Something that affects all of us.”
“Go on, Eva,” she said. They all turned their attention to me, waiting intently.
“There’s a rescue ship coming,” I said. “It’ll be arriving in Sydney in a matter of days. If we leave now we can make it with time to spare.”
The table of weary, overworked doctors and nurses stared at me for a moment before glancing at each other, some even raising their eyebrows in suspicion.
“I think you’re mistaken,” a middle-aged man with greying hair said, holding back a smirk. “No-one would risk coming here, no matter how many people need saving.”
“They’re coming. Soon,” I said, crossing my arms defensively.
“Bruce is right,” a woman said. “No government or military in the world has the resources or manpower to operate such a wide-scale rescue.”
“Eva,” Priya said, looking sheepish. “You’ve been through an ordeal. You have a concussion. You’re not thinking straight.”
“I heard it on the radio myself,” I said, surprised that no-one would believe me. “There was a message from Commander Eric Renner telling any survivors to meet at all capital city ports for rescue. They’ll arrive in Sydney on the 24th.”
“Didn’t she also have a high fever when we brought her in?” one of Priya’s colleagues asked, ignoring me completely. “It could have been a hallucination.”
“Look,” another doctor chimed in as he pushed a pencil behind his ear. “Even if she didn’t imagine all this, we’d never make it to Sydney. Who knows what’s out there.”
“Exactly,” said another. “Sydney is Ground Zero. It was hit the hardest and fastest by the Eversio Virus, there’s no doubt it’ll be completely overrun by now. It’s a wasteland of death and disease.”
“So you’d all rather stay here?” I asked, infuriated. “Trapped within these fences until you die?”
“We have better chances of survival here than outside of those fences,” Bruce said.
“I’m sorry, Eva,” Priya said. “There’s no way we can leave. We could never transport all these people there safely. It’s too much of a risk.”
I didn’t know what to say. A part of me wanted to slam my fist on the table and tell them they were dooming themselves if they stayed, but another part of me completely understood why they didn’t want to leave. I had my own fears about leaving and – unlike them – I knew what was out there, how dangerous it was. But I also knew that I would risk everything for just one chance at freedom.
“Okay,” I said, defeated. “I’ll go alone.”
“You’ll do no such thing!” Bruce scoffed. “Lives were put in danger to bring you here. Precious resources and medicine was used to save your life. We didn’t do all that just to have you run off on a suicide mission.”
“I’m not staying here,” I said firmly. “I truly appreciate what you’ve done for me. I do. But this is our only chance at escape, my only chance to find my friends, I won’t pass it up just because the road ahead is uncertain.”
“Look, I understand that you’ve been through a lot,” he said, his face turning crimson in anger. “And you’re obviously not thinking clearly. You are our responsibility. You’re not going anywhere.”
“You can’t keep me here,” I argued.
“We have armed guards posted at the only civilian exit. They’re under strict orders to not let anyone out without one of us.”
“Perhaps we should let her go,” Priya suggested. “We’re here to save lives, not control them. Besides, we could give her our research. If Eva made it to the rescue ship with everything we’ve discovered, it could help the outside world prevent anything like this ever happening again.”
“I can’t believe you’re buying this ridiculous story!” Bruce said. “The girl is delirious.”
“Eva, do you mind giving us a moment to discuss this matter,” Priya said.
“Fine,” I said before storming off in frustration. I waited by the door of the recovery ward, watching them argue. Bruce was getting more heated by the minute, as were a number of others, but Priya kept her cool. As calm as she was being, it was obvious she was losing the argument, so I began planning my escape. Walking out the front door wasn’t an option, so I scanned the fence, looking for a way over without getting pinned by the wire.
“Eva,” Priya called, and I turned to see her walking towards me.
“I don’t care what they say,” I said once she was close enough. “I’m leaving.”
“Shh,” she said, looking behind her. Her peers were still sitting around the table, watching warily. “Listen to me carefully, and act upset.”
“Huh?”
“They won’t listen to me,” she continued. “But I believe you, and I’m going to help you get out of here.”
“Oh, Dr. Desai, thank you.”
“Remember, they’re watching. Look disappointed so they think I’m turning you down.”
“Okay,” I said, doing my best to appear upset.
“I’ll help you, but you have to do something for me,” she said. “I’ll make you a copy of all our research. I want you to take it to that rescue ship and give it to the highest authority you can find.”
“Wait,” I said. “You’re not coming with me?”
“No,” she said. “I have to stay here. These people need vital medical treatment and we’re short-staffed as it is. I’m needed here. But if you get the research to the right people, then all the work we’ve done will help even more people.”
“But what if they don’t listen to me?” I asked.
“Make them listen,” Priya urged. “Talk to them the way you just spoke to my colleagues. Be bold, Eva. This research will save the world.”
Priya’s trust in me gave me the confidence I needed to take on such a huge responsibility. “Okay,” I said, standing tall. “I’ll do it.”
“Thank you so much, Eva,” Priya said with a slight smile. “Go inside and get some rest. You’ll leave tonight. Wait until everyone in your ward is asleep and meet me here.”
Priya turned and walked back to her colleagues, who had turned their attention back to the pile of papers on the table.
I walked into the recovery ward and found my bed, feeling nervous about heading out on the road alone. I lay down and closed my eyes, knowing I would need my rest before my great escape.
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