Author's note: To someone that can write excellent plot twists...and prose, of course.
_____________________________
"What is disclosed in this room cannot leave these walls, understood?"
General Cameron looked sternly at all the cadre before her in the conference room, and overall, she observed shock on most of the faces there.
Typical reaction.
However, if she was to find out who exactly had tampered with the cameras in the hallway of the east wing, sensitive information would have to be shared out loud to all the top faculty at the academy, including the respective department heads.
No one was above suspicion at this point, not even those who were former classmates of hers.
Major Role broke the silence, saying, "What exactly are you insinuating? How does the cancellation of this morning's dormitory inspection have anything to do with a delinquent student?"
Major Gideon barked, "Just because a student makes a comment regarding your name and rank does not a delinquent make. With all due respect, Major Role."
Major Role glared at the more experienced major in charge of the SET team, but his menace was interrupted by Vice Superintendent Calloway's slight cough in his direction. Remembering that he was still on the wait list for his promotion for lieutenant colonel, he simmered down and closed his mouth before he got in trouble with the higher-ups over a simple cadet.
"Let's get back on track. Dr. Zhao, what do you have to say regarding Cadet Smith's mystery illness?"
All eyes snapped to the introverted head clinician, leaving him in quite a bit of a situation.
Dr. Zhao Li Jie had never seen anything like it and that scared him beyond belief.
"I am afraid that all treatments have been exhausted at this point. He exhibits symptoms of changing bowel habits and nausea, however, he has no prior family medical history of any known gastrointestinal diseases, plus with the difficulty in balancing his body and the observed loss of function of his hand as well as the abnormal low body temperature combined with the extremely dilated pupils, it seems as if he is having the symptoms of...perhaps multiple diseases at once? If that is even possible. Add to that the pale skin and..."
Lieuntenat Colonel Calloway then questioned, "But how is that you have do not know, Dr. Zhao? Are you not a rare disease specialist who has made it his life's work to treat and cure illnesses whose treatments remained elusive until you and your team researched them? Have you even tried antibiotics yet on the cadet?"
To Dr. Zhao's relief, Dr. Fabio Esposito, the assistant head clinician, intervened.
Looking directly at General Cameron, he reassured her, saying, "If Dr. Zhao says that all treatments have been exhausted, all treatments have been exhausted. I've been there at his side the whole time, and I can say for certain that we have both read countless medical textbooks and come up empty."
Speaking now to the Vice Superintendent, he retorted, "As for antibiotics, numerous tests have shown that this...disease is caused by a virus, not a bacterial infection. Antibiotics would be pointless and or deadly in the patient's case."
"Is he contagious?", the Department Head of Engineering, Colonel Lopez, inquired.
"He has been quarantined until further notice," Dr. Zhao related.
Dr. Fabio quickly chimed in after seeing the panicked looks on faces, "It's just a precaution. We wouldn't any more people to get sick than they have to."
YOU ARE READING
Aphelion
Science Fiction"It was all a dream come true...before it turned into a nightmare." In the near future, Quibilah is part of a group of students tasked with the mission to save the world, one school day at a time. The only difference between her and other students i...
