Against the Clock

Chapter 7 | Research

I woke up that morning feeling a little better than yesterday.

I don't feel like I'm about to pass out, and the pain in my heart is pretty much gone. I guess that... symptom was an episode and not a permanent thing. However, it being an episode means it'll come back later... ugh. That's gonna suck.

Checking the clock, I see I woke up at a normal hour this time, 9 AM. I get up and go to walk over to the window to check on the flower again, not like I have much else to do. When I pass the night stand to the bed though, I see some food has been left for me. That's nice, and I guess it has been a while since I last ate. I pick up the plate of smoked fish and sat back down on the bed, reflecting on what's happening to me as I eat.

Yeah, I've thought about how the virus might actually kill me, but I never really got a moment to let it sink in completely. If me coughing up blood is just a symptom, what will the virus actually do to me once it gets bad enough? Would it paralyze me? Restrict my breathing? I wish we knew what this thing is capable of, both so we can cure it and so I can prepare myself for what's to come. I can't help but worry about what's going to happen to me...

I then hear a knock at my door.

"Hey." I answer.

The door opens, and the Professor walks in. He's holding a notebook again, probably about to take notes on my health again.

"Hello, Sabre." He says. "Any changes today?"

"Hey Professor." I reply. "I guess I feel a little better than yesterday? I don't really feel any pain anymore."

"That's good." The Professor says, writing something down in the notebook. "Since we got... interrupted last time, we have to run that observation test again today."

"Oh, great..." I groan.

"Yeah, this again. Come on, let's go."

The Professor leads me back to the room with the monitors, and M is already there waiting for us. I wave to him as the Assistant enters and takes me over to the table, while the Professor goes into the computer room with M. The Assistant sticks all the IVs back into my arms, and then follows the Professor into the other room. M looks worriedly at me every few minutes, which is understandable considering yesterday. I turn my attention to the Professor as he begins speaking, as he looks at the readings from the machines.

"So, the virus has still been spreading since yesterday... that's no good. Looks like it's only been a little bit though." He says. "I've been researching past ailments in hope of finding something similar to this one so we can figure out a cure, and so far there's been quite a few matches, but the again we only have a list of very few symptoms. In order to pinpoint a good idea of what exactly this is, we're going to have to wait for more symptoms to show up."

"You've gotta be kidding me." I say.

"Wait, we have to wait for more symptoms to show up?!" M says, shocked. "But- yesterday was bad enough!"

The Professor sighs, and types something on a computer in front of him.

"I know, I know." The Professor says. "Believe me, I don't want this to happen either. But it's too early to know what this could be based off the resources we have right now, and we can't just test random cures anymore. If we do, they either won't work or possibly might make it worse."

"Well... this sucks." I say, as I lean back a little, annoyed.

"Sorry pal, but it's gotta happen." The Professor shrugs.

The Professor then begins discussing my condition with M, basically ignoring me. I don't know why he wants to lower his voice in telling them about it, I'm the one being talked about here. I've noticed that since Professor Red figured out something was wrong with me, everyone's been acting different around me. I don't know what's up with them, but they've been being... nicer than usual. I'm pretty sure it's because I might be killed because of the virus, but in that kindness is almost a kind of regret. I can't tell from what, though, and it's just strange that everyone's been doing this. Even the Professor, he hasn't brought up experimenting on me since the first few hours of my stay in the lab, and usually he's thinking of all sorts of new theories and stuff. My thoughts are interrupted by the other three leaving the computer room, M looking worried about something.