𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧

Chapter 22: Alan

I couldn't remember how long I'd been in this room. A few days? A week? A month? The days melded together when you were isolated.

The last time I'd seen anyone was when I pressed the buzzer beside my bed and Nurse Lara came in. She'd refused to let me see Violet. 

Then... what? I struggled to recall what happened next. Had Nurse Lara given me medication for my sickness? Yes, a pill. And after that, I felt so much better. My mind wasn't racing; it was quiet and peaceful. Just what I needed. 

Unfortunately, they removed the buzzer after that so I couldn't call them anymore. Meals came through a small opening in the glass door, way too small for me to climb through. There were no other doors or windows at all. It didn't give me a single clue about where I was, other than the fact that the Government was holding me. Perhaps in a super secret underground centre? Who knows?

With no one to see and talk to, I resorted to lying in my bed and staring at the ceiling. 

So when the door opened, without so much as a knock, I sat up immediately. My hips cracked in protest after the lack of movement. 

Nurse Lara clapped her hands. "Good morning, Alan. Please come with me." 

My eyes must have popped out of my head because her eyes became softer. I couldn't see the rest of her, because she wore a face mask that covered the better part of her face. "I apologise for the sudden request. However, there's a good reason that you've been in your room alone. We wanted to give you some good rest before you help us. There's something that we'd like you to do."

"Okay," I managed. 

The Nurse passed me a face mask, which I wore obediently. "You're still sick," she explained. "You seem to have the Virus, but you're not experiencing the full range of symptoms. We need to do some tests."

As she took me down the corridor, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

Such a simple question, but a million different things I could say. I decided to go for the honest answer. "I'm feeling much better after my rest. And the medication you gave me cleared my mind a lot."

Nurse Lara smiled. "That's great!" She replied, a little too enthusiastically. "You're doing well, Alan." 

We went into a lift and to my uttermost surprise, the walls were covered with buttons. "How many levels are there?" I tried to keep my breathing under control. How high or deep underground could a building go?

"312 levels."

"Wow."

"Yes, it's quite amusing that every one of our visitors has always commented on it. It's only what you'd expect of a state-of-the-art Government building." 

The name popped into my mind. "The Institute of Virology Centre? I think someone mentioned it."

"That's right," Nurse Lara replied. "This centre was initially built to advance research on virology, but it has changed since the leak of the Virus. It has been repurposed to specifically work towards finding the cure. And that's what you're going to help me with, Alan."

We arrived at a science level. "For today, I'll just take some tests. The Scientists want to know why you have weaker symptoms than other Virus patients. By now, it should be much more serious. You could be the key to finding the cure."

I nodded. As long as I was helping find a cure, I would cooperate. No problem. 

"How's my sister?" I dared to ask. The last time I'd asked about Violet, Nurse Lara had been angry. I braced myself.

As I expected, she didn't want to talk about it. "She's fine. Violet still doesn't have symptoms, and I've been told that she's helping with the cure. You can't see her yet though, because it will mess up your tests."

I sighed. "Okay."

*************************************************

After the tests were completed, I was sent back to my room for lunch. As boring as it had been, I'd enjoyed leaving my room for a bit. 

I looked at my new security card. I was officially a part of the Institute of Virology Centre now. Alan Maxwell was the name that appeared above a picture of my face. I really hadn't seen or heard my surname since my School days. It brought back a wave of memories, but I pushed them away hurriedly. 

At the bottom of the card were the words Security Clearance: Level 1. According to the Nurse, this meant that I could unlock my room without her being there. Other than that, there was nowhere else I could go without her supervision. 

Nurse Lara also explained to me that I was part of a program - the Virus Testing Program. 

It was the Country's only hope for finding the cure. The Government were rich and had many resources, so the Citizens trusted that they'd find it. 

Scientists discovered that people born in the years between 2116-2126 had a different gene - a mutated gene that other generations didn't have. This, apparently, was something that made us react to the Virus differently. 

It made me think that the reason Violet and I were captured was not that we were trespassing (although that was a crime). Perhaps the squad that captured us was also looking for people who might fit the ten-year timeframe. Violet and I certainly did - maybe that was why she had no symptoms and I had few. 

When I'd asked the Nurse how the Virus came around in the first place, I saw a flash of fear in her eyes. But it vanished in an instant and I knew that there was no point in chasing theories. "I don't know," was all she said. 

"Has it spread to other Countries?" I asked.

"No, it hasn't yet. It has already spread to the Cities nearby, but we are trying to keep the Virus contained within our borders." There was a glint in her eye as she said this, and I wondered how sincere she was. After all, there was still the War between the Countries. It had been a while since the fight had come into our Country, but we knew better than to have hope. 

We were only safe once we won the War.