The After

Chapter 9

Spencer's head bobbed groggily on his neck as the darkness began to melt away from his vision. His memories were fragmented, almost non-existent. His muscles ached as though he had run a marathon or completed a physical training session with Morgan. He wasn't sure how long he had been out for but he felt exceptionally tired. He tried hard to pry his eyes open but it was as if his eyelids were being held down with weights. Spencer's eyes fluttered once more. The room had a strong stench of stale urine which left him feeling nauseated. A small bulb dangled from a dank ceiling, casting a dull light in a circle on the floor in front of Spencer. He could feel the restraints on his wrists and ankles and the cloth that silenced him but he had no strength or energy to struggle. Spencer finally managed to crack his eyes open a sliver to find a partially dried wet patch over the crotch of his jeans and down the leg. He pressed his eyes shut again, his cheeks burning with shame. His throat felt clogged and tears stung his eyes. Don't cry, Spencer... It's perfectly natural... You went into status epilepticus... You remember the risks of incontinence are high during a seizure... The exhaustion quickly took over, sending Spencer back into a restless slumber.

A dry, barking cough awoke Spencer sometime later. He peered around through half closed eyes. The room was still dark, aside from the dim pool of light in front of him. There were no windows to ascertain time of day and he was unable to see his watch with his hands bound behind his back. Another fit of coughs rattled throughout Spencer's chest, making his already aching body ache some more. The gag in his mouth made the coughs all the more difficult to expel. He wheezed as he lifted his head and leaned back against the chair. His sinuses burned and his nose was so congested that he could barely breathe which was alarming to Spencer, given that his nose was his primary breathing tool at that point. Every joint in his body burned and ached. Great... Here are the symptoms... Spencer knew immediately what he was experiencing- he was showing symptoms of COVID 19. As a germaphobe, contracting the virus was a nightmare for him to begin with. Coupling that with a strain aimed to wipe out half of the population was purely horrifying. Spencer could only hope that he was physically fit enough to fight it off, although his weakened lungs from the anthrax infection could hinder that. The patch on his jeans had dried, though left an offensive smelling stain behind. Spencer could only watch as Mr Renholdt entered the room and slid a chair up in front of him. He spun the chair around so that the back faced Spencer and perched on it, folding his arms on the top of the back. Mr Renholdt locked eyes with him and smirked. Spencer simply responded with a glare. Mr Renholdt reached forward and tugged the gag out of Spencer's mouth.

"Sleep well, Dr Reid?" Spencer snorted derisively.

"What do you think? How long have I been out?"

"Almost two days." Spencer's eyes widened, "You had a long seizure. I had to give you some of that medicine you carry in your bag." Another bout of coughing echoed around the room, "I see you have started to develop some symptoms. How are you feeling, doctor?"

"Fuck you," panted Spencer between coughs.

"Now, now. That's very rude of you." Spencer gave a half-hearted laugh.

"Sure. You're the authority on behaviour and manners." Mr Renholdt slapped Spencer, turning the dull ache in his bruised jaw into a wave of agony. Spencer gritted his teeth. Mr Renholdt came to his feet as the door creaked open.

"It stinks in here," stated the man who had entered the room. He was young looking, with short, curly dark hair and an unshaven jaw. Spencer narrowed his eyes at him.

"Ah. Dr Reid, I'd like you to meet Elias Voit. He is one of my best programmers." Spencer raised an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh. I know a better one." Mr Renholdt backhanded him once again, "Let me ask you this, Mr Renholdt. How is Gold Star going?" Mr Renholdt and Elias stiffened. Spencer tilted his head, "Interesting."