Deadland Rising (part 3 of the Deadland Saga)

Fortitude (Chapter 17)

It took only twelve hours for Dr. Gidar to develop a fever. He said it was normal, but as his fever worsened, he couldn't hide the doubt in his eyes.

Justin and Clutch had both agreed Dr. Gidar needed to be quarantined until we could prove he was safe. Zach and I were assigned to watch him twenty-four/seven. We rotated shifts, and our days became alternating six-hour shifts. Hugh and Bonnie were allowed to return to the silo, but both had chosen to stay in the lab with Gidar and the kids.

The only people allowed to enter or leave the lab were Justin and Clutch. Even then, Justin had stopped in only once, on the first day. Griz had taken on much of Clutch's duties, so Clutch could be at the lab for much of each day. I could tell he hated that I was caught up in this mess, but he never voiced it. Instead, he hung out and kept a close eye on both Dr. Gidar and the kids.

Jase and Hali stopped by our porch at the beginning and end of their shifts, staying to chat through the window as long as they could. The others stayed in the silo, and I couldn't blame them. It wasn't exactly fun hanging out in an 800-square-foot house in the middle of a town graveyard and listening to the howls every night.

"Water," Dr. Gidar said weakly, and Bonnie rushed over with a glass.

Dr. Gidar worked until the third day, when he was too sick to continue. He still directed Bonnie and Hugh to run tests, this time on his blood, but neither had any kind of background or expertise.

The doctor now lay on the couch, while the kids watched the same cartoon they had one hundred times before. When Bonnie took the glass away, he struggled to sit up, and I rushed over to help. Clutch came to his feet and stepped closer.

"You must promise me something," he said.

"I know, I know. I need to bring Henry here," I replied.

He shook his head. "It's too late for that now. You need to bring my research to someone who can continue it."

I frowned. "Um. I would if I could, Doctor, but I don't know any hematologists around here."

"I know, but the government would have teams working on a vaccine."

I nodded, but we hadn't heard from the capital since the fires. "I'll try."

"No." He shook his head harder and pulled out a slip of paper. He held it out, and I grabbed it. He continued. "You must promise me that you'll deliver these items to the capital. You must do it soon, before the samples start to break down. Bonnie can direct you on the temperatures they need to be maintained at."

I read the list. His journals, blood samples from the kids, him, and Henry, and the antigen samples. I handed the note to Clutch and watched him as he read it.

"I'm dying," Dr. Gidar said. "But my research will save countless lives. That's why I need you to bring it to the capital. I know you'll have to leave the safety of New Eden. It's dangerous out there, but I remember your father telling me you had become a pilot." He smiled. "He was so proud of you. He spoke of how you succeeded at anything you set your mind to. You'll make it through."

He coughed and winced. Blood speckled his lips. "Your father was a man of his word, so I'm counting on the same from you. I need your word that you'll deliver these items to the capital as soon as you can."

I looked at Clutch, pleading for I don't know what in my gaze. He watched me, his jaw hard but his gaze soft. "If you do this, I'm going with you."

I gave a tight nod and inhaled deeply. "You have my word, Dr. Gidar. I'll deliver your research and samples to the capital."

"Good," he said, and he sank down into the couch.

He died several minutes later. Clutch and I stood there, Clutch with his sword, and I with my machete, ready for Dr. Gidar to awaken.

Thank God he never did.

We waited an hour before we let Bonnie check his pulse and take several blood samples. We carried him out the back and placed him in the wood coffin Hugh had built. The two of us stood outside, and I went to close the coffin, when Clutch put a hand on my arm. He pulled out his knife. "We need to play it safe."

I nodded and took a step back as Clutch stood by Gidar's head. I watched Clutch lift the blade and bring it down. No blood splattered, but I knew Clutch hadn't missed. He shut the coffin and we headed back inside.

Bonnie came running out. "Wait! Bring him back inside."

"But he's dead," I said.

"His heart rate had slowed too much for me to get a pulse. But, his cells were still alive when I checked them. He'll be like the kids, but he'll live."

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. Bonnie must've seen something in our gazes because she shoved past us and to the coffin. She raised the cover and gasped. "What have you done?"

"We thought he was dead," I said weakly.

"I take full responsibility," Clutch added.

"You killed him." Her words dripped with venom.

"We couldn't risk him turning," Clutch said.

She watched us, her jaw lax, for a long moment. Finally, her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. "Don't let his death be in vain. Make sure you do what you promised him."

I lifted my chin. "We will."

I spun around and cut through the house and out the front door. Clutch caught up and kept pace alongside me. I reached out my hand, and he took it. He didn't let go, not even after we reached the silo.

Inside, we went straight to Justin's room. "Dr. Gidar is dead," I said. Not waiting for a response, we left and headed to the dorm where the remaining Fox survivors were eating. Clutch and I took turns in telling the events that had transpired and our mission.

"I'm in," Griz said.

"You're not going anywhere without me," Jase added.

"Without us," Hali said, giving Jase a look. "We're a team."

"You know I'll go," Vicki said.

"I would go, too," Deb started. "But..."

"I know," I said. "And, I understand."

"Are we going to fly?" Benji asked, his eyes wide. "I've never flown before."

I smiled. "You'll go on the next trip. We don't have much room this time. Actually," I said sheepishly. "I've never flown anything bigger than a four-seater."

"We can't all go," Clutch said. "We'll scout airports tomorrow. There are two within twenty miles of here."

Jase raised his hand. "Uh, we know the capital is in Saskatchewan, but that's a pretty big area. Any idea exactly where we're going?"

"A place called Moose Jaw."