Epidemic Outbreak

IV. Degeneration

As Bones wasted time trying to figure it out, Officer Valentine had resumed studying the sick crew members, watching them closely, her lips tight and her eyes green (Bones noticed the color only at that moment) lit with interest .

- Mmmh ... Bones, do you see what I see? -

He looked at her for a second, then turned to the patients: as announced by Lassiter, two of them were apparently asleep, though shivering with fever and covered with cold sweat; another had been, instead, firmly tied to the bed through solid straps, and a sort of metal collar had been hooked to his neck (Bones took us a while to understand that it was an electroshock safety device). He was the most agitated, and even through the thick wall and the glass he could hear a confused muttering that was his shouts, tugging at the bands of leather and wriggling, but it was impossible to comprehend a single word of what he was saying. Strange that they had closed one agitated like him with everyone else, but it probably depended on the lack of space: that was the only room of medical isolation of the whole ship.

Then the drugs that sat it probably did effect, because he began to whimper, while his movements gradually weakened, leaving him finally soft and silent.

Right in front of him, a woman was lying on her back on the bed, staring at the ceiling insistently. He did not move, but spoke uninterruptedly to himself, uttering words that they could not hear.

Finally, the last patient was the one who slept with a plant, as explained by the doctor. She continued to caress her slowly, murmuring something, and her spirited eyes moved swiftly from one point to another, as if she feared someone might get too close.

"Well, here they are," Bones said. "So far no one has approached, apart from Lassiter and those from the Medical Bridge. What did you hope to see? -

"I do not know," Officer Valentine replied, continuing to study the group carefully over the glass. "Something. Anything that could give us some clues. "

- So, are we here to cross your fingers? - Bones grumbled disappointed: he had expected more from that woman, had to admit - Excuse me, but how do you intend to proceed, I can ask him? -

"In the only possible way, by trial," she said, without taking her eyes from the patients. "Can you tell me who were the first to contract the disease?"

- Yes ... the one with the plant is Kenneth Brown, one of our electronic engineers. He was the one who had to repair the failure of the transmissions in the outpost.- he moved his finger a little, pointing to the two feverish - While the sleeping beauty, there, are Nolan Brody and Pablo Gomez, respectively the Chief Worker and a simple miner.-

"Why did you arrest them?"

- Mourning drunkenness. Back on the Ascendant they gave in to the tension and raised their elbow a little too much, beginning to blabber about the disappearance of the people in the outpost. Malkovich did not like it, and I had to hit them inside. A break, also because Pablo is a strong one, I always want him in the team with me at Poker, and Kenny fixed me the system the other week, but ... -

He let the words fade, sighing.

"Do you see anything useful?" He asked after a few moments.

- And she?-

- Madam, I'm not the expert here.-

- But he's a policeman.-

- Security Officer.-

- In any case, he is used to noticing the oddities in his work. And that's exactly what we need. "

- So what kind of quirks should I look for? -