The Only

Chapter Eighteen - Karl

Karl looked up from his notebook and rubbed his temples. There was a dull ache throbbing behind his eyes brought on by Miranda's constant screaming. Her presence in the lab did nothing but elevate his stress level. If it weren't for Yasmin getting Erol involved, Miranda would still be hovering over his shoulder, demanding he stop what he was doing to find a cure. Silly woman...Nocturne...mutant?

With one last wink, Yasmin had Erol escort the crazy redhead out of the lab, and finally there was peace.

Yasmin. What a woman. Female was probably a more accurate description. Karl blinked and shook his head to force the thought of the strange girl out of his head. It didn't work. The image of her all...natural reappeared, causing him to pause in resuming his writing. His skin began to prickle as he remembered how she felt against him. Her warm, caramel skin was so smooth, as if she had been sanded down. He had never felt anything so soft, so supple. It somehow made it okay when she ran her hand through his hair and down his back. He didn't mind it in the least.

The pounding in his head increased. The dull ache was now a jackhammer behind his eyes. And what was that smell? A stench resembling that of a full dumpster of old fish and skunk road kill, with a dash of the chemical putrescine, had engulfed the room. No wonder his head was killing him. The smell had started off as a whiff of funk that, over the days, had turned into a putrid tang that could not be ignored.

Where was it coming from?

Bolting from his chair, he searched the fridge. Did Cesar store some sardines or some other kind of weird food? The man had very odd taste in snacks. He must have gone through a dozen bags of marshmallows since his arrival.

"May I help you with something, Dr. Jensen?" Cesar said, looking up from his microscope.

It didn't seem to matter how many times Karl asked, Cesar refused to call him anything but Dr. Jensen.

Blinking away tears and ignoring his burning nose, Karl found the refrigerator completely devoid of any rotting flesh. Only neatly labeled vials of blood samples were on the shelves. The origin of the horrid smell could not be located.

"No," Karl said, not meaning to sound as grumpy as he did.

Cesar didn't seem the least bit bothered by it. In fact, the man seemed totally unflappable. Even with the chaos of Miranda constantly interfering in their work, he never lost his temper. He was completely even-keeled. His patience was endless.

A light chime sounded from his computer.

Karl sighed and rubbed his head. He would have to continue his investigation into the eye-burning funk later. It was time for rounds. It was only recently that the two Nocturnes became so ill that Karl could get near them. Both Lucas and Sebastian lay unconscious, needing fluid drained from their lungs. Reza suffered from a very high fever and required cooling alcohol packs. Normally, Karl would never use that particular method, but the old folk remedy worked in keeping the fever at bay.

"Cesar, I'm going on rounds," Karl said, grabbing his lab coat.

"That's fine, my good man," the odd man said, ripping open a fresh bag of marshmallows. "I would very much like to stay here and study these slides in more detail. Could you perhaps procure me some additional blood samples?"

Karl nodded and dragged himself up the stairs, eager to breathe some fresher air.

The hallway was devoid of activity. Since the outbreak of sickness, Mutare and Nocturne had stayed to themselves, hidden in their rooms not wanting to mix. The quiet was inviting, and Karl sighed in relief and felt the muscles across his shoulders relax.