Wither With Me

CHAPTER 45 - ANSWERS

Nora was lost in thought. Sitting on that uncomfortable chair, she had lost track of time. In front of her was a sliding door leading to the laboratories, with an armed soldier on watch by its side. That door would open anytime, and with a bit of luck, it wouldn't bring bad news. The wait felt like an eternity.

She had already memorized all of the room's features. A row of chairs lining the wall, some abstract paintings, a still working coffee machine, a water dispenser... Everything was clean, immaculate. The flooring tiles reflected the ceiling lights as if they were mirrors. The Army had obviously protected and taken good care of that place.

She heard it was an old research center. Active during most of the pandemic, it was heavily guarded by the military, who took time and effort to build numerous defenses and fortifications in the area. It had an independent power supply based on solar energy, its own rainwater purification system, and the soldiers were in charge of providing food and safety to the research teams. Everything to find a solution to the disease.

A solution for which Lilian was key, something they didn't take long to make clear.

As soon as they entered the underground parking lot, Nora and Lilian were the first ones to be led into the facilities. They weren't granted a single moment of rest.

They started with a physical examination and a blood test. Then, it quickly diverged from anything that could be considered an ordinary medical checkup. They placed a strange device on Lilian's head, and they began questioning her. She was exposed to both light and sound stimuli, she was pinched, she was selectively deprived of her senses... All of it while their machines beeped and gathered data without rest.

During the process, Nora could sense Lilian's anxiety growing. However, she wasn't allowed to comfort her.

An entire day had passed. Nora was permitted exit, and assigned a place to stay the night. Lilian remained at the laboratory.

She could hear her whispers. Restless, nervous whispers. She didn't seem scared, but she wasn't comfortable either. ¿Was she okay? They wouldn't hurt her, ¿right? Nora's initial hesitation in placing Lilian in the Army's hands revolved around that one fear: harming her.

'Come on, Nora, calm down... Breathe. Trust. It'll be okay. She'll be okay.'

Eager to drive her mind away from those bad omens, she looked to her left.

William's eyes were also lost, even more than her own. Nora had arrived at the waiting room an hour ago, but he had been there for longer. She greeted him upon seeing him, but received no answer. He didn't seem to be in good spirits.

...

The lab's sliding door vibrated and opened with a soft humming, revealing a blonde woman with glasses and a white coat. With inquiring eyes, she studied everyone present before walking through the door. On her left hand, she carried a folder full of documents.

The woman stared at William for several seconds. She looked puzzled, as if she didn't expect his presence.

"Can I do something for you, sir?" she asked.

William reciprocated her stare. "You have the girl now. ¿Can you cure this thing or not?"

"Oh, my... That's a peculiar question. Not exactly something you hear every day."

William didn't say anything. He didn't seem interested in chit-chat.

"Is that what Dr. Marcus told you? He lied to you. The Sting is incurable. During the infection process, the organism is irreversibly transformed. This process is especially destructive for the brain, since some of its regions are left in an unusable state. I don't know why you seek this information, but a stinger can't be reversed back to a human being."