Immune-ish

Chapter Eighteen

XANDER:

"What is your name?" The small scientist asks from behind what I believe to be one-way glass.

"Jason Rodgers," the once-corpse says. His voice is scratchy like nails on a chalkboard and sort of moan-like. It makes me cringe on the inside.

"Age?" The scientist is looking off of a page of notes.

"Thirty-four."

He looks a lot older, though, with his worn face and tired eyes. But the scientist checks his notes, nods, then moves on with the interview.

It goes on like this for some time, the scientist asking and the man answering. Nothing interesting comes about, though, and I'm left wondering how this could show me any proof of the effectiveness of their "cure". By the end of their conversation, I'm even more doubtful of this drug.

That is, until he asks the final question.

The scientist says, "Do you have any memories of death?"

The man's eyes widen and I can see the pain there: deep and true. "Not many," he says in a barely audible voice. "Little snippets here and there. And the hunger, like something was eating me from the inside out." His voice begins to shake. "I have one vivid memory, though. A boy, his arm . . . in my mouth. His blood . . ." He begins to cry. Corpses don't cry.

And that is the moment that I realize the cure is real. No actor is good enough to portray that much pain and agony. No, his memories are real. The pain is real. The cure is real.

The scientist says with a nod, "Thank you, Mr. Rodgers. My team and I are going to run a few more tests and then you will be free to go home."

I've grown a talent for reading lips over the years and I can tell when the corpse-man whispers, "Mary." He was finished with his tears, but they start falling again at the statement of the word, this time, of happiness.

The scientist escorts the crying man out of the small room and closes the door behind them.

"Well," Zane starts, interrupting the silence. "Is that enough proof for you, Mr. Wolfe? Are you ready to get Chloe back?"

His question hits me hard as I have been asking myself the same thing the entire time. Is it enough? Is the cure real? My doubts are many, yet the proof is stunning. The pain in the corpse's eyes was immense and not possibly fake. But how could you change a creature like a corpse back to an actual human? Although, it seems impossible to turn a person into a corpse in the first place, it makes even less sense that they could be turned back.

The Jason guy could be a very good actor.

I don't respond for even I am not sure of my answer.

Zane has known me long enough to see the doubt in my eyes no matter how hard I try to keep it hidden. "Mr. Wolfe, you still don't believe in this, do you?"

I shake my head without looking at him. Although his voice doesn't sound menacing, I can tell he's becoming angry with me. I know well enough that I anything I say at this point may send him over the edge.

"Fine." The blonder strands of his hair shine in the light when he shakes his head. "I'll call you tomorrow, Mr. Wolfe. I'll give you the proof you need. And then, you will bring Chloe in." Why does he want her so bad?

"Yes, sir," I say with a quick nod. I rush out of the small room and back through the halls of corpses and out of the town hall, limping as little as possible. I only slow when my house is finally within sight.

I haven't thought about Eva this entire time, I realize. I wonder how she's doing? And should I tell her about what I saw? I already know what she'll have to say about it.