Bloodlines

Chapter Seven: Somebody Put Something in My Drink

When Joann came to, her mind was still slow. She tried opening her eyes only to realize they were already opened. Her sight was gone again!
"Jo? Its Vinc. Everything is ok. You're in a rec-room. Do you remember coming here?"
His voice seemed to be coming from a speaker with a busted cone. She wasn't sure what he meant. But she nodded all the same.
"She's not aware of her surroundings. I just did a visual check and she is blind."
"The cryoserum?"
"That's the only thing I can think of. Lets take her to one of the satellite medical bays. There's one close by."
Joann tried to follow this, but could not make out what any of it meant. Then she was being lifted into the air and she panicked, but again...she felt sluggish and heavy. Too weak to even struggle.
Even her panic was crawling. Her thoughts were a jumble. She had no idea what was happening.
Her eyes were blind, then suddenly everything exploded in a shower of bright white heat. Her head felt like it was cracking open. Her vision darkened once more, only to explode again moments later. Dark, light, repeating endlessly, the flashes drilling into her skull.
"Quick! Get her on the table, I think she's having some knd of siezure!"
"Cryoserum wouldn't cause that!"
"Right now, I don't give a damn! Strap her down!"
She struggled weakly, her hand hitting something, then her foot.
"I said strap her down, Goddamnit!"
"Where's the intubator?"
"Should be in that drawer right there!"
Joann gagged as something forced its way into her throat. She struggled as hard as she could, but her limbs would not respond.
The blindness and exploding lights in her eyes alternating had become so fast that she felt as though she were staring into a strobe light. It tore her mind and fed into her panic.
"Can we give her a sedative?"
"We are not even sure what is going on! We don't dare!"
"Look at her! Look at her readings! She could very well stroke at any moment!"
"That's it! Step away from her! She's my patient! Give her ten milligrams triazladone!"
Joann suddenly felt very warm and floaty, but instead of calming her, it terrified her even more. Still, she sank into unconsciousness again. But it was not restful, the bursts of light followed her down into her internal darkness.

*****

"Jo." a voice called to her softly.
"Mmmm?" She responded.
"Jo, wake up. Its ok. We got it." That voice again. Vincents?
She sat up, memory giving her a momentary panic. Vincent touched her arm comfortingly.
"We had to put you under again, how are you feeling?" He asked her.
"Groggy. And I can see."
"Good. Good. The grogginess will go away. That's from being unconscious for..." a brief pause, breath catching, "three days."
She looked at him wearily, "What caused it?"
"The residual cryoserum in your system...it somehow became gaseus and interacted with your genes in a way I can't explain."
"Gaseus? How does that happen?"
"To be perfectly honest, I would have said it doesn't." He looked as confused and concerned as she felt. "Its definitely not natural."
"So...someone did this to me?"
"I'm not saying that," He hedged, "but it is a real possibility."
"I feel..."
She lunged forward in an attempt to not vomit on herself, but was too weak to move fast enough. She sat there in her mess looking bedraggled and dejected.
T

he doctor called in a nurse to help him get Joann to the portable washtub. He turned to leave so the nurse could undress and clean Joann up in privacy, but Joann grabbed his pant leg. He looked down at her and saw her plea in her eyes even as her voice failed her.
Stay with me.
He had never seen the Major so lost. She was a tough individual that had survived some horrible things in her military career, but something about this situation was tormenting her in a way she was seemingly unable to fight.
He pulled a stool over and held her hand as the nurse washed her. Jo was obviously embarassed, but grateful as well. She squeezed his hand. It felt strong. Her strength was returning.
"Vinc," She said softly, "Am I alright?"
He nodded, "There was no lasting damage." He paused and his eyes unfocused for a moment, "however, some of the cryoserum -once in a gas form- bonded with your fat cells." He looked back at her, an apologetic look on his face, "Sadly, that means this will happen again, just not as bad. Especially after rigorous working out or any strenuous physical exertion."
"That...really sucks big ones, Doc." She said, ruefully.
"The biggest. Probably pretty hairy too." He responded with a smile.
Joann heard a voice from the outer room and Vince got up, patted her shoulder.
"I think its the Captain. Just give me a moment."
Joann closed her eyes and listened to the rustling of curtains as the doctor passed through them, then a muffled conversation. They must be in the doctor's office.
Then the sound of multiple feet crossing the floor came to her and she tensed. The nurse, who never once stopped washing her, whispered: "Don't worry, they are going to the back room."
Joann sighed, her muscles loosening, but as they loosened they began to tremble uncontrollably and any regained strength drained out of her.
Despite her days of unconsciousness, she just wanted to go to sleep. But she knew that was not going to happen when the footfalls came back and stopped outside the curtains.
"Jo..." The Captain began from the other side of the curtain, obviously uncomfortable, "...we believe this was intentional."
Another voice, one she knew but could not place, spoke up, "A lab tech found an unusual compound in your urine. We believe it might be responsible for the cryoserum becoming a gas."
"Jo...?" Jerome again.
She sighed, "I'm here. Why? I mean, why me?"
"Alright...let the lady finish here before we get into this." That was Vince, his voice not just firm, but sounding protective. Joann smiled despite also feeling a bit irritated.
Jerome's voice came after this "We'll come back in..." there was a short, hushed, exchange, "...thirty minutes."
"Fine." She said, her irritation coming through in her terse response.
She immediately felt bad, but really couldn't bring herself to care very much. She was overloaded. She had been targeted, and had no idea why. Because she had seen the creature? Surely not, she'd already reported it. So...why?
Twenty minutes later she was clean, fairly dry and dressed in her own clothing. She felt better, though still tired.
"So, Doc..." She started, then trailed off. She wasn't really sure what she wanted to ask.
Vincent looked at her, "Save your questions for the Captain and Dr. Sorenson. I only know a bit of it myself."
"Dr. Sorenson?" She was drawing a blank on the name.
He nodded, "A colonist. Strange fellow. Can't say I like him, but he knows his stuff."
They sat in silence, questions hanging between them, but both seeming to be waiting for more information before voicing them. It was not an uncomfortable silence, but its nature created an air of expectancy.
The doctor sighed, rubbed the back of his neck and began typing something on his terminal. It looked like some kind of routine report.
She started to say something, but hesitated, losing the moment as the Captain came in followed by the colonist doctor named Curtis. He still gave her chills, his eyes bored into her. No empathy, nothing but cold medical interest. She didn't want him near her.
"Jo," The Captain said, "This is Dr. Sorenson." He motioned towards the other man.
"Yes...we met." She said rather tonelessly.
Dr. Sorenson's eyebrows raised in surprise, then scrunched up as he looked at her.
"We have?" He asked, his voice baffled.
Joann watched him, but saw no sign he was lying. He honestly did not remember her.
"We met the other day, when you and your colleagues were coming to check on George." She told him.
His eyes widened, and he reddened. "My dear, I do not recall this. I am sorry."
"Anyway, " Jerome cut in, "We need to talk about what was done to you."
Dr. Sorenson was nodding, but let the Captain break it to her.
"This compound was made explicitly for this purpose. There is no other reason, that we can find, for it. It was designed to interact with cryoserum, causing it to somehow become gas in your bloodstream and organs."
"Do we know for what purpose?" She asked.
Dr. Sorenson stepped forward, "This is my hypothesis, and my colleagues disagree, but I think it was meant as a catalyst for the cryoserum to interact with your physiology in a new, more profound way."
"What? In what way? Why?" Joann demanded.
"Those, my dear," He replied calmly, maddeningly, "are the most pertinent questions."