wound.
“Damn it!” He turned to one of the techs hovering nearby. “Get me some antiseptic for this, soldier!” He shot me a venomous look as if his stupidity had been my fault.
“Sir...” The tech just stared at the gash on Heald’s forehead, then at the gore-spattered clasp on the end of the pole.
“Well?” Heald snapped. “Get the lead out!”
The techs exchanged terrified glances through their respective faceplates. The first one spoke up again.
“Sir,” he said slowly, “you’re infected.”
“What?” Heald shook his head. “Nonsense! It’s a scratch from this—” He indicated the shattered plexiglas. But as he did, his face went pale.
The first tech shook his head slowly, almost reluctantly.
“Sir, I saw the pole make contact with your face,” he said. “It has hot blood on it.”
“Bullshit!” Denial rang loud and clear in Heald’s voice. “None of the blood touched me. This—” He gestured furiously at the cut on his forehead. “—is from the faceplate . Now get me that antiseptic!”
Another tech surreptitiously drew his firearm while the first guy continued to speak.
“Sir, we need to take you into quarantine.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Heald blustered, but he seemed to be losing steam.
“No,” Simone said quietly, “it’s protocol.” She turned to the techs. “Get Dr. Albert down here immediately.”
The General whipped his head toward her, nostrils flaring like a panicked horse. This gave the techs the distraction they needed to move in, flanking him on either side as they grabbed his arms before he could reach for his own gun.
“I’m sorry, sir,” said tech number one, “but you need to come with us.”
The expression on Heald’s face, as reality overwhelmed denial, would have been comical if the situation hadn’t been so serious. I almost found it in myself to pity him.
Almost.
As they manhandled him towards the door at the back of the room, he locked eyes with me, upper lip curling back from his teeth like a mad dog.
“This is your fault, you bitch.” If he could have killed me at that moment, I’m certain he would have. “I’ll be back, and I’ll take care of you once and for all.”
All sympathy I might have had for him vanished.
“Yeah, you’ll be back, all right,” I said coldly as a third tech punched in a code to open the back door. “On one of these tables.” Even as I said—and meant it—I couldn’t quite believe that the words were coming out of my mouth. But damm me if the son-of-a-bitch hadn’t asked for everything he’d gotten.
Heald lunged for me, breaking the grip of tech number two. Gabriel immediately swung me around to place himself between us. I’m not sure how he managed it so quickly, but one arm wrapped around my waist while his free hand suddenly held a gun.
“That’s far enough, sir.”
The techs regained their grip and General Heald was dragged from the room, thrashing and fighting his escorts every step of the way, screaming curses at me even after the door shut behind them.
After a long silence, I finally spoke.
“I want a nap,” I said to no one in particular.
Simone gave a little shake of her head, as if clearing her mind.
“I need to check on the General,” she said, and I couldn’t tell what she was feeling. “Will you be all right, Ashley?”
I nodded. “I just want to sleep for awhile.”
“Gabriel, would you take her back to her room? And get Doctor Albert to examine her again. I want to make sure the fever doesn’t spike any further.”
I felt rather than saw Gabriel nod. More than ever, his arm around me was reassuring. I glanced toward Matt in the cage, and tried not to feel guilty.
Simone turned to leave, stopped, and then turned back to me.
“Ashley, you don’t need to make any decisions right now, no matter what the General—”
“I don’t need any more time,” I said, cutting her off.
“You should sleep on it.”
I shook my head.
“I’m in,” I said.
“Damn it!” He turned to one of the techs hovering nearby. “Get me some antiseptic for this, soldier!” He shot me a venomous look as if his stupidity had been my fault.
“Sir...” The tech just stared at the gash on Heald’s forehead, then at the gore-spattered clasp on the end of the pole.
“Well?” Heald snapped. “Get the lead out!”
The techs exchanged terrified glances through their respective faceplates. The first one spoke up again.
“Sir,” he said slowly, “you’re infected.”
“What?” Heald shook his head. “Nonsense! It’s a scratch from this—” He indicated the shattered plexiglas. But as he did, his face went pale.
The first tech shook his head slowly, almost reluctantly.
“Sir, I saw the pole make contact with your face,” he said. “It has hot blood on it.”
“Bullshit!” Denial rang loud and clear in Heald’s voice. “None of the blood touched me. This—” He gestured furiously at the cut on his forehead. “—is from the faceplate . Now get me that antiseptic!”
Another tech surreptitiously drew his firearm while the first guy continued to speak.
“Sir, we need to take you into quarantine.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Heald blustered, but he seemed to be losing steam.
“No,” Simone said quietly, “it’s protocol.” She turned to the techs. “Get Dr. Albert down here immediately.”
The General whipped his head toward her, nostrils flaring like a panicked horse. This gave the techs the distraction they needed to move in, flanking him on either side as they grabbed his arms before he could reach for his own gun.
“I’m sorry, sir,” said tech number one, “but you need to come with us.”
The expression on Heald’s face, as reality overwhelmed denial, would have been comical if the situation hadn’t been so serious. I almost found it in myself to pity him.
Almost.
As they manhandled him towards the door at the back of the room, he locked eyes with me, upper lip curling back from his teeth like a mad dog.
“This is your fault, you bitch.” If he could have killed me at that moment, I’m certain he would have. “I’ll be back, and I’ll take care of you once and for all.”
All sympathy I might have had for him vanished.
“Yeah, you’ll be back, all right,” I said coldly as a third tech punched in a code to open the back door. “On one of these tables.” Even as I said—and meant it—I couldn’t quite believe that the words were coming out of my mouth. But damm me if the son-of-a-bitch hadn’t asked for everything he’d gotten.
Heald lunged for me, breaking the grip of tech number two. Gabriel immediately swung me around to place himself between us. I’m not sure how he managed it so quickly, but one arm wrapped around my waist while his free hand suddenly held a gun.
“That’s far enough, sir.”
The techs regained their grip and General Heald was dragged from the room, thrashing and fighting his escorts every step of the way, screaming curses at me even after the door shut behind them.
After a long silence, I finally spoke.
“I want a nap,” I said to no one in particular.
Simone gave a little shake of her head, as if clearing her mind.
“I need to check on the General,” she said, and I couldn’t tell what she was feeling. “Will you be all right, Ashley?”
I nodded. “I just want to sleep for awhile.”
“Gabriel, would you take her back to her room? And get Doctor Albert to examine her again. I want to make sure the fever doesn’t spike any further.”
I felt rather than saw Gabriel nod. More than ever, his arm around me was reassuring. I glanced toward Matt in the cage, and tried not to feel guilty.
Simone turned to leave, stopped, and then turned back to me.
“Ashley, you don’t need to make any decisions right now, no matter what the General—”
“I don’t need any more time,” I said, cutting her off.
“You should sleep on it.”
I shook my head.
“I’m in,” I said.
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