Flesh-Eater (Book 1): Fear the Fever (18 page)

C
aleb went back over his data, double checking his workings.  He needed to be sure, he didn’t want to give them false hope.

“What’s up, Doc?” Zuckerman asked, walking through the door and taking a seat on the edge of the desk.  “See what I did there?” he joked.

The others all filed in behind him, including Tammy, who had been reluctant to leave Caitlyn’s side.  “Have you got some good news for us?”

“Well, I can’t be certain without further testing, but I have a theory about what’s happening and why,” he paused, glancing down to his notes.  “When our bodies are infected by a virus, we produce antibodies that bind and neutralise the infection, and then there are T cells, which are sent to destroy the virus.  This particular virus is attacking those antibodies and mutating the T cells.”  He looked up, checking that everyone was still following.  “The blood from both Zeke and the mutant mouse, have elevated levels of metabolites, which I would expect with the supplement trial.  However, they also have extremely high levels of nitrogen and potassium.  I believe this is what is causing the mutation.  Levels this high can bring on fevers, nausea, confusion – and that’s just a few of the side effects.”  He looked directly at Zeke.  “The levels in your blood are higher than I’ve ever seen before.  You shouldn’t be alive right now.”

Zeke raised his brow, folding his arms across his chest and inhaling sharply.  He knew he was lucky to be alive, but hearing Caleb confirm it, somehow made it more real.

“Do you know why I’m still here then?” Zeke asked.

“I ran several tests, and the only similarity between all of your bloods, is that you’re all O negative.”

“Caitlyn too?” Chad asked.

Caleb shook his head.  “No.  I’m sorry, I don’t think she’s immune.”

“Oh, okay.”  They sat in silence, letting this newest piece of information sink in.

“I’m really sorry.”

“Where did the nitrogen and potassium come from?” Zeke asked out of the blue.  “You said there were high levels of nitrogen and potassium as well.  Where did it come from?”

“That, I’m not sure of.  There has to be an outside factor here.  Subject L, or mama mouse, as you like to call her, escaped from here over a week ago.  She must’ve been exposed to something else.  Something made up of those components.  Perhaps a fertiliser.  They are quite often found in those.”

Zeke leaned forward from his perch.  “We did a crop dust the night before my father got sick.  He thought he’d poisoned himself,” he said, beginning to pace the floor.  “We
do
use a nitrogen based fertiliser, but it was pesticide that we had dropped.”

“Is it possible that there was some cross-contamination?” Caleb asked.  “Maybe some residue left over from fertilising before the crop dusting?”

“I guess it’s possible.  My father is…
was
usually so careful.”

“So, mama mouse got covered in pesticide or whatever, and that went into her bloodstream and created mutant zombie babies?” Zuckerman grilled.

“Basically, yeah.  That’s my theory anyway.”

“What we really want to know is, is there a cure?” Tammy asked hopefully, her fingers twisting a strand of her hair like she did whenever she was nervous.  Chad came to stand behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders in support.

“Well, have you ever heard of Encephalitis?”  Blank stares met his, so he went on to explain.  “It’s an infection in the brain.  I think this may be a never-seen-before strand.  I think it attacks a part of the brain called the hypothalamus.  It controls functions such as thirst, and hunger.  The pituitary gland…”

“Okay I think I can speak for all of us, when I say, we have no idea what you are talking about.  Just tell us, can you fix it?” Zuckerman interrupted.

Caleb pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.  “I think I may be able to make an antiviral drug using Zeke’s blood sample, to stop it from developing past the fever stage.  Luckily you are all universal donors.  The only thing is that it would have to be administered
before
they die.  After that, it’ll be too late to take effect.”

“Caitlyn?” Chad asked the question on everyone’s minds.  “You can make her better?”

Caleb coughed uncomfortably.  “That’s the thing.  We don’t have enough time to run any tests… I can’t be sure that it will work…”

“She’s going to die if we do nothing.  If there is even a small chance that she may come through this, then we have to take it, right?” Chad asked the group.  “It’s a risk, I know, but what’s the alternative?”

“We don’t know what it will do to her.”

“Anything’s better than becoming a zombie,” Tammy agreed.  “I think you should do it.  She doesn’t have much time left.”

“I agree.  Think what it will mean if it works,” Zeke said.  “We’ll be able to cure so many people.”

“Is everyone on board with this?” Caleb asked, looking around the room.  Everyone bobbed their heads up and down in agreement.

“What can we do to help?” Zeke asked.

V
oices kept fading in and out.  She couldn’t distinguish who was who, or what they were saying, but she knew she wasn’t alone.  She only wished she could talk to them.  She would give anything to have Tammy or Harper wrap their arms around her.  To take away the pain in her stomach.  She felt as though someone had punched her in the gut and she didn’t like it.

She tried to sit up, but her body wouldn’t do as it was told.

She tried to wiggle her fingers when she felt someone pick her hand up in theirs.

Nothing would work.

She wondered if the tears she could feel, were actually running down her face, or if she was imagining it.  She wondered if maybe she had died, and this was her punishment for losing her Mommy and Daddy.

Her arm was being lifted and something was wrapped around the top, near her shirt sleeve.  It was pulled tight which made her arm feel tingly.

Ow!

Something sharp had stabbed her.  It really hurt and she wanted to pull away, but she couldn’t.

Mommy, Daddy…

“N
ow what?” he asked, gently stroking Caitlyn’s forehead.

“Now, we wait.”

“And, that’s it?  How long will it take?”

“I wouldn’t like to speculate.  This is the first time I’ve administered one of my experiments on an actual human being.  We just have to keep an eye on her,” Caleb said, disposing of the syringe.  He unclipped the tourniquet around Caitlyn’s arm and removed his gloves, throwing them away.  “We have to be prepared for the fact that it may not work.  Or we may have been too late.”

“It’s okay, Doc.  We know the risks.  We’re not going to blame you if anything happens to her.”

“Still.”  He waved his hand toward them.  “I feel responsible for all of this.  L was under my supervision and I let her get away.  Not to mention, turning you away at the gates.  If it wasn’t for me, Caitlyn wouldn’t even be in this situation.”

“But she is, and if it wasn’t for you, she wouldn’t even have a chance of survival.  No-one blames you,” Tammy soothed, patting his knee.

“Thanks.”  He rubbed his hand across his face, it had been a long day.

“Caleb?  I was wondering.  You said that this will stop the virus from progressing?” Zeke asked.

“Yeah.”

“So people have to actually be infected before we can help them?”

“With the antibody, yes.  If I could get the data to Atlanta, where the CDC is, they may be able to come up with a vaccine.  I don’t have the resources to do it here.”

“Sounds like another road trip is in order,” Zuckerman grinned.

“You’d willingly go back out there?” Caleb asked.

“We’re immune, remember?” Zuckerman winked.  “You didn’t think we’d abandon you just when it’s getting good, did ya, Doc?”

Caleb laughed.  “I guess not.  This really means a lot guys.  Thanks.”

“Don’t thank us yet,” Zuckerman added.  “We’re taking all the credit!” he hooted, slapping his hand across his knee.

Chad and Tammy had offered to watch over Caitlyn while everyone else went to rest for the night.  Caleb had made them promise to wake him if there were any changes.

They sat by her bedside, talking softly to her, trying to coax her to come back to them.  They told her of their plans to go to Atlanta as soon as she was strong enough to travel, and how Zuckerman planned on taking all the glory.  Chad spoke fondly of the times he had babysat her, and the fun they had had.  He told her that he had always thought of her as his baby sister.

After a while, Chad could see that Tammy was getting tired, though she wouldn’t admit to it.  He convinced her to get some sleep while he kept watch.

She curled up on the other couch, closing her eyes.  She mumbled, “Just for a few minutes.”  Her quiet snores soon filled the room, making Chad smile.  He made himself a coffee and settled in to the chair beside Caitlyn’s makeshift bed.

“Come on, Caity,” he said, using her nickname.  “It’s time to wake up now.”  He studied her face.  He couldn’t be sure that his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, but he thought she looked as though some colour had returned to her cheeks.  He realised that her breathing was no longer in short sharp gasps, but had evened out.  Either the antibody was taking effect, or she was about to turn.  He couldn’t even think about what that would mean.  What he would do.

He reached out, placing his hand on her forehead.  She felt cool to the touch, no longer burning with the fever.  Her skin was clammy to touch and she was still yet to move.

He set his coffee down on the table, needing his full concentration.  He gripped her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.  “Come on, Caitlyn.  You’re strong, you can beat this.  Come back to us.”

He watched as one of her fingers flexed in his hand.  “Caitlyn?” he said.  This time there was a definite squeeze of his hand, and her eyes fluttered.  “Caitlyn?  It’s me, Chad.  I’m here with you,” he said a little louder.

“What’s going on?” Tammy asked, sitting up.

Chad looked at her and said only three words.

“She’s waking up.”

T
ammy scanned the CD collection at her new home, searching for something to listen to while she prepared dinner for her little family.

Once they had arrived at Atlanta, they had stayed a few days to allow Caitlyn time to fully recover before heading back to their hometown of Worthington.  They still hadn’t had word from her parents, but each day, Chad would head over to Caitlyn’s, hoping that they would return.  In the meantime, they had taken up residence in his home.  His parents were still in Florida, and it seemed like the safest place for them to be, with its high fences and multitude of windows to keep watch.

Town had been pretty well overrun when they had arrived back.  The few people who had survived, either kept to themselves, or had ventured further in hopes of finding refuge.

Tapping her feet to the music, Tammy busied herself in the kitchen, whipping up a batch of omelettes.  She chopped onions and tomatoes that she had found in the bottom of the pantry, and grated some cheese to sprinkle on top.  Luckily for them, Chad’s parents had kept a fully stocked pantry and fridge.  They had enough food to last the four of them for quite some time before they would have to resort to scavenging.

“We’ve got company!” Zuckerman hollered down the stairs.

“How many?” Tammy asked, drying her hands on a tea towel, she glanced out the window to check on Caitlyn, before heading around the corner to join Zuckerman in the foyer.  He had an uneasy look on his face.  “What’s going on?”

“I think it’s Zeke,” he said.

Both Harper and Zeke had decided to stay in Atlanta to help Caleb with his research.  The members of the CDC had been more than happy for the extra hands, not to mention, the chance to study two of the immune.

“Do you think… maybe it’s over?” she asked hopefully.

“Either that, or there’s no more they can do and they’ve sent them packing.”

Tammy pursed her lips, she didn’t like the sound of that.  “No.  I think you’re wrong,” she said.  “There has to be an end to this.  This can’t be the way of the world now.”  She turned and walked back through to the kitchen, opening the window.  “Chad?”

The back door swung open just as she was about to call out again.  Chad sauntered in, Caitlyn hoisted in his arms, giggling.  Smiling, Tammy made her way over to plant a kiss on each of their cheeks.  “We have visitors,” she said, meeting his eyes and leading the way out to the foyer before he could ask any questions.

Zuckerman was standing with the door wide open, arms out in greeting.  “To what do we owe the pleasure?” he bellowed, hopping down the steps.

“Z! Good to see ya, man,” Zeke said, shaking his hand and pulling him in for a hug.

“You too.”  He nodded towards the car.  “Harper,” he said, as she climbed out with Colton close behind.

Tammy rushed down the stairs and threw herself into Harper’s arms.  “I’m so glad to see you!” she squealed.  “I know it’s only been a few weeks, but it feels like a lifetime,” she breathed.  “I see you’ve brought a friend,” she grinned, eyeing Colton.

“Yeah, I couldn’t just leave him there.  I mean, look at him.”  She waved her arm in his direction, smiling warmly.  “He would never survive without us.”  She winked, reaching back and grabbing his hand.

Chad came up behind Tammy, draping his arm around her waist as he set Caitlyn down on the ground.  With tears in her eyes, Harper quickly drew her in for a cuddle.  She inhaled deeply.  “I’ve missed you,” she said, pulling her out to arm’s length, looking her over.  “I think you’ve grown.”

Caitlyn giggled.  “No I haven’t!”  Her big hazel eyes shining with amusement.  You would never guess looking at her, how close she had come to dying.

“Come on, let’s go inside.  I bet you guys are tired from the drive,” Tammy said.  “I was just about to make omelettes for dinner, I can whip up some more if you’d like.”

“That’d be great, I’m starving!” Zeke said, rubbing his stomach.  They followed her up the front steps and through to the kitchen.  Harper perched on one of the barstools at the counter while Zeke raided the fridge for something to munch on.  Colton stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure what to do.

“Take a seat, make yourself at home,” Chad said, slapping him on the back.  “You’re one of us now.”  He grinned, picking up a knife to help Tammy.  “So, I take it you have news?” he asked no-one in particular.

“We do,” Harper smiled.  She seemed more relaxed than ever, since that first day they met on Zeke’s farm.  She looked at Zeke, who nodded the go ahead.  “We did it,” she said proudly.

“The vaccine?” Tammy asked incredulously.  Harper bobbed her head up and down, her smile widening.  “Seriously?  Oh my God!  That’s amazing!”  She jumped, clapping her hands in childlike glee.

“Yeah, it is!” Chad whooped, picking her up and swinging her in his arms.

“I know, it’s incredible, isn’t it?” Harper said, watching them with amusement.  “Colton was one of the first to be vaccinated.  He offered to be our test subject.”  She beamed at him.  “When he was exposed to the virus, he didn’t even get sick.  We’ve found a way to stop the fever altogether.”

“Wow!  That’s just… I can’t even think of the right words!” Tammy said.

“We never would have been able to do this, if it wasn’t for you guys coming out to my farm,” Zeke said.  “The world owes you.”

Chad waved his hand in the air dismissively.

“When are they going to start inoculating?” Zuckerman asked, causing Chad to raise his brow.  “What?  I listen.”  Chad chuckled, shaking his head.

“They’ve already started,” Colton said.  “They dispersed army trucks loaded with the vaccine and antibodies.  They’ve shared the information with other facilities around the country so it can be spread quickly.”

“What about the ones already infected?” Chad asked.

“The soldiers also have weapons with them.  They’ve been ordered to terminate any flesh-eaters on sight.”

“What about Caleb?” Tammy asked.  “He didn’t want to come with you?”

“He’s been offered a job with the CDC,” Colton said, a smile spreading across his face.  “They’re awarding him with a medal for humanitarian service.”

“Oh wow!  That’s great!” she cried.  “He really deserves it.”

“He certainly does.”

“So, what about you guys?  Will you stay here with us?  We have plenty of room,” Tammy offered, slipping her hand around Chad’s waist.

“Yeah, I reckon we might,” Harper said, leaning back in her seat.  “Someone has to rebuild this town and repopulate.”  She winked at Colton.

“I like the sound of that,” he said, grinning at her.

“Me too,” Chad said, looking down at Tammy.

“What about me?” Caitlyn asked, tugging on his shirt.  He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in between them.

“Are you kidding?  You’re our little miracle girl.”  She beamed up at him.  “You’ll always have a place here with us.”

A
month later, the flesh-eaters had all been disposed of, and the remaining survivors had received their vaccine. They had held a memorial in the gardens, for those who didn’t make it.  A plaque with each and every name was placed under a large oak tree.  The bodies had been cremated, as instructed by the CDC, and their ashes were scattered around the tree.

Caleb had been awarded his medal for humanitarian services from the President himself.  He had asked Zeke to accompany him.  He didn’t feel that it was fair for him to get all the credit, when it was Zeke’s DNA that had been the turning point for their research.  He had been awarded a Presidential commendation for his contributions.

Caitlyn’s parents had been among those declared dead.  She had been devastated, and had nightmares for weeks after.  Tammy and Chad were going through the process of adopting her, so that they could be a family.

Zuckerman was still living with them.  He and Chad, along with a group they had organised, spent their days cleaning up the centre of town.

Harper and Colton had become inseparable.  Needing their privacy, they had decided it was for the best if they moved back out to her family farm.  It had been hard at first, to be back in the home she had shared with Millie and her parents, but Colton kept her busy showing him how to work the gardens to benefit their community.

Each morning, without fail, he would wake before her, sneaking out to the kitchen to prepare her breakfast in bed.  This morning was no different.  He made them both a cup of coffee, buttered her two pieces of toast with jam, and carried it back to the bedroom on a tray.

“Rise and shine,” he said, smiling as she rolled over to look up at him with such love in her eyes.

“Good morning,” she said, plumping her pillow up behind her.  “A girl could get used to this,” she said, smoothing the blankets out in preparation for the tray.  He placed it carefully on her lap, taking his own cup and joining her on the other side of the bed.

He took a sip of his coffee, making a face.  “Ooh, that doesn’t taste right,” he said, sniffing the cup.  “Maybe I burned the coffee.”

Harper laughed.  “Is that even a thing?”  She brought her cup to her nose, inhaling.  “Mine smells okay,” she said, taking a sip.  “Tastes okay too.”

“Huh.”  He set his cup down on the bedside table.  “Maybe I’m coming down with something.”

“I hope not,” Harper said, a worried look on her face.

“Don’t worry.  I’m sure I’ll be fine,” he said, grabbing her hand and gently kissing her fingers, then her palm.  “Mmm, you smell particularly good this morning,” he said, kissing all over her hand and towards her wrist.

“Colton!” she giggled.  “That tickles!”

“Does it?” he whispered against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.  His lips made their way up her arm, to the crook of her neck.  She leaned her head to the side, allowing him better access.

“Mmm,” she murmured, her breath catching in her throat as he continued to nuzzle her neck.  “Colton!” she gasped when she felt his teeth graze her skin.  He froze, his teeth poised over her pulse.  Her heart began racing.  Something didn’t feel right.  “Colton, stop,” she said, attempting to move away from him, but he still had hold of her wrist.

“Just relax,” he whispered, not moving from his position, except to stare into her eyes with a smirk.

She gasped.  “Your eyes,” she said.  “They’re… red…”