Against the Clock

Chapter 14 | Asthenia

[M's POV]

The last few days have been... hectic, to say the least.

Even with Time's aid in the form of that countdown (which the Professor and I have obviously not shown the other Leaders), we're still struggling on figuring out how to combat the virus. No potions work, no kinds of natural medicines like herbs work either, and the other Leaders and I have even resorted to letting the Professor take a risk and use slightly more advanced chemical treatments... no luck.

And during it all, Sabre's health has still been declining.

Known symptoms worsen, and new ones appear. I'm on my way to the Professor for an update about them now, actually. Apparently he's been able to identify a few conditions that appeared as a result of the virus' infection. With some familiar afflictions, we might be able to help Sabre with one issue at a time instead of trying to find something that'll cure it all at once.

Entering the Professor's main research lab, I see him running from one piece of equipment to the other while messing with them and writing things down, the Assistant trying to keep up with him.

"Professor?" I call out, which makes him stop and turn around. He, uh... I have to admit, he looks psychotic.

"Oh, hello M! Perfect timing!" He says, quickly flipping through the notebook he's holding. His hair is tangled every which way and the circles under his eyes are so dark they almost look fake, but at the same time he looks wide awake and is as jittery as always. "I was just running some other tests while waiting for you to arrive and-"

"Professor, are you... alright?" I interrupt.

"Of course I am, do I not look alright?"

"No." The Assistant says.

"I wasn't asking you, Assistant."

"Professor Red, what have you been doing?" I sigh. He better not be doing this again.

"I've been working on fabricating at least a base form of something that could fight the virus, and am hoping to combine prototypes of that with the chemical treatments because those had a very slight effect on it but it was more like when something pokes something with a stick repeatedly to annoy it instead of actually fighting it but that's still some progress and better than nothing and I've found more leads on things that the virus could trace back to and-"

The Professor pauses for a moment.

"...I may have had twenty cups of coffee in the last twelve hours but that's not important-"

"Professor, it's 9 in the morning. Did you even sleep?"

Both the Professor and the Assistant answer.

"yES."

"No."

"Traitorous snitch!"

"I was programmed this way."

"Not by me."

"Because you're awful at determining what is harmful to your own health and safety."

"Am not!"

"My records say otherwise."

I hold up a hand in a 'stop' motion, making them both stop talking.

"Professor..." I start. "You can't keep ignoring your own health in these kinds of situations. One, you're not able to handle it as well as you used to, and two, you may be the only person that could possibly find a solution to the problem with the virus. You're so worried about helping cure Sabre of his condition for some reason and have been giving everything you've got to do so, but what use would it be if you ended up destroying yourself in the process?"