The Virus Within: The Road Ahead (Book 1 - SERIES COMPLETED!)

Chapter 67

Completely bored, I sat in a chair and watched as Nina put slide after slide under a large microscope. I felt my instincts retreat as the sun rose, heralding a new day. Almost like clockwork, another tremor rolled through my muscles.

Having seen it in her peripheral vision, Nina glanced at me before checking her watch and noting the time. "Once Louise comes, I'll send her to the bigger machines and see what they can tell us. Enough light should be hitting the solar panels to power them by then. I'm not seeing anything unusual on this microscope, although I didn't really expect to."

As she had been doing every hour, Nina picked up the blood pressure cuff and other tools to check my vitals. Her frown told me that they hadn't improved. She wrote everything down and put the equipment back on the counter.

An hour later, Nina commented, "It's after nine o'clock. I'm surprised Louise hasn't shown up yet. Daniel, could you possibly track her down and bring her here? She must have heard Trinity and I are here and decided to work elsewhere."

Daniel nodded and left the room, although it wasn't the first time Nina had sent him on an errand. A couple of hours ago, he had gone upstairs to let Nicky know where I was so she wouldn't worry.

My vision hazed over, and I sighed once I could see. "My vision just went again, and it took about five seconds to clear."

Nina nodded and jotted down the details. I wasn't sneezing or coughing, which was a relief since that would have opened up a huge can of worms. A plate of fruit sat untouched on the counter, courtesy of Nicky sending it back with Daniel.

The enforced idleness irritated me, but there was no way to avoid it. I couldn't do much when my vision was taking frequent vacations, and if the muscle tremors started affecting my strength, I probably wanted to be sitting or lying down. In resignation, I picked up my book and tried to lose myself in the mystery story again.

When a familiar sound caught my attention, my focus left the book, and I said, "I wasn't aware Nicky knew where the lab was, but those are definitely her footsteps clomping down the stairs."

Nina's head shot up in surprise. "Neither did I. If she touches anything in here, I'll break her fingers."

Nicky's head poked around the door frame before she sighed in relief and entered the room. "I was beginning to wonder if they had tied you up down here and were just claiming you were helping out. How exactly are you helping by sitting in a chair?"

My absence would have been immediately noticed at breakfast, which was why Daniel had also spread the word about me helping in the lab today.

"They lied. In truth, they're trying to help me figure out what the hell is going on."

Nicky glanced at Nina in suspicion before dropping into a nearby chair. "Huh?"

"I've always been told zombies don't get sick, but we're pretty sure I'm breaking that rule."

She blinked in shock and looked me over from her seat. "Well, you don't look sick to me..."

I sighed. "That's a good thing, because I'm not feeling a hundred percent."

"So, what's wrong?" Nicky asked, still trying to make sense of our conversation so far.

I shrugged and glanced at Nina.

Nina also shrugged before saying, "It isn't something I've heard of or seen before, but I always thought zombies couldn't get sick either, so it wasn't something I ever looked into. Zombies usually don't make good patients."

I grinned somewhat ferally in agreement. I had never been a good patient, even before I turned into a zombie. I was just too bloody stubborn and independent.