Surviving Patorum

Chapter 8

Paige ensured her father was gone the next day before I left for school. The day went on longer than I wanted, and I thought about last night. How did the moment go so sour? If Paige is mad at me, is there anything I can do to improve things?

I have my next meeting with Dr. Shepard after school. And I couldn't wait fast enough for it to come. When my teacher finally dismissed us from class, I trekked to his office as quickly as possible.

"Hello, Ethan," Dr. Shepard said as I entered his office. He's sitting at his desk, papers in hand. His eyes don't leave the mess across the floor. "I know you put these away earlier, but I think I discovered something." He says, rolling his chair to the pile of papers closest to him. "The data— it seems inclusive."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"You know how the radiation killed the Staphylococcus aureus?" He says, pushing his glasses up onto his nose.

"Yes," I say.

"Well," He starts. "It seems to kill other bacteria and turn it into another strain."

"What does that mean?"

"The strain could kill us all if this sample gets loose in the compound."

My gut jumps into my throat. "How?"

"We're not vaccinated or have the antibodies to kill off a mutated virus strain. If this gets out, it could start a pandemic."

"What do we do?" I ask, my palms sweaty with anxiousness.

"Get rid of the infected dirt and hope the radiation doesn't seep through our walls."

I spent the rest of my time with Dr. Shepard going through the scenarios of what could happen if the mutated strain got out. And they all ended in tragedy. I helped him get rid of the dirt sample, which made my anxiety subside for the time being. When it was time to leave, I was scared and exhausted. I had nothing good to tell Dally or Paige, and I felt like if the information got out, it would cause mass panic.

I exited the lab doors and walked toward that bathroom. I needed to piss and elevate all this tension in my body. I enter the men's restroom and walk up to a urinal. I unzip my pants and relieve myself.

My mind races. I can't choose whether to think about Paige and the awkward night we had together or the mutant virus that could cause the extinction of the entire human race. My brain hurts. I can't concentrate, and I find myself missing the urinal. "Fuck" I say out loud as I zip up my pants. I walk up to the sink to wash my hands, examining my reflection.

Wow, I look horrible.

My cheekbones are more prominent than ever. The contours of my face are sharp and harsh. I lift my arm and can see the sag of the skin where my muscles used to be. I can see my collarbones through my t-shirt. It makes me sick looking at my body. I lift my shirt. My ribs poke out, my skin clinging to them like they have the last bit of nutrients in my whole body. My stomach is thinner than my ribcage, and I bet my thighs are as slim as a child's. My brown and shaggy hair is thinning. My dark eyes have seemed to dull. Six years. Six years of not eating have turned my body to dust.

I pull my shirt down and cover my body shamefully. As I look up at the mirror, I notice something behind me on the floor. Its color is crimson, and it shines in harsh lighting. I turn around and see a trail leading to one of the stalls. I'm standing in it.

"What the—" I start to say, but my voice goes quiet when I realize it's blood.

I make my way through the sticky liquid and slowly open the stall door.