Rabid Nights: Book Two

14| Claire

"Check her vitals. She doesn't look so hot."

The words pulled Claire from the black void she'd been floating around in for several hours and brought her down to earth. The same earth where she was in agonizing pain. The fire had not let up. When would it all end?

"I told you—" Dr. Martin's voice hissed "—that this wouldn't work. I specialized in pediatric medicine. Not a virology. You want a cure? Bring the child to the CDC. I'm sure they could find a cure in a more humane way. If anyone there is still alive, that is."

"Check. Her. Vitals," Daniel ordered with an edge in his voice.

Claire heard Dr. Martin sigh. Footsteps drew closer to Claire.

"She's weak but holding steady. Seems to be in some pain due to the increased heart rate." A hand brushed against Claire's forehead. "She's burning up."

"So, another failure?"

"You mean another murder?"

Daniel snarled. "Hold your tongue before I have Savannah cut it out. I can work with a mute doctor."

Dr. Martin sucked in a breath. "I wouldn't mark her as a failure just yet. It's been almost twenty-five hours. Usually they turn within thirty-six."

"My patience is wearing thin, doctor. Six months and I have yet to see even a positive step in the right direction."

"We are dealing with a mutated virus, and you expect me to just pull a cure out of my ass? These things take time. Years even."

Though they felt like cinder blocks, Claire peeked an eye open. Through the narrow slit, she saw Dr. Martin's back. In a split second, Daniel crossed the room and roughly grabbed Dr. Martin by the throat. She stumbled backward, hitting Claire's stomach.

It took every ounce of her willpower for Claire not to scream out in pain. Purple dots danced across her vision. She hoped she would pass out. At least then the pain dulled from a blaze to a simmer.

"I said watch your tongue!" Daniel snarled above her.

A loud slap echoed throughout the room.

"What would Ellen think?"

The room fell silent at the mention of his wife's name. While Claire didn't know Daniel's wife all that well, she heard of the traumatic end she met. His wife had turned and Daniel had to kill her. It's what made him snap.

"Don't say her name." Daniel sounded less threatening, hurt almost.

"Why? You don't think she'd approve of you harming an innocent child? Of killing so many people for your experiments?"

Daniel remained silent.

"I knew Ellen. She wouldn't want this from you."

Could Dr. Martin breakthrough Daniel's hard exterior? Could she convince him to give up this hopeless attempt at a cure? Claire hoped so. If not for her sake, for Trinity's. That poor girl deserved better than this.

"I'm doing this for her. If I find the cure, maybe I can save her."

"For her?" Dr. Martin asked. "Daniel, she's dead. She turned."

Panic rose in his voice. "No. No, she's home. I couldn't..."

"Wait," Dr. Martin said. "Is she still..."

Pain shot through Claire's abdomen as Daniel shoved Dr. Martin backward. He stormed out of the room.

"He didn't kill her, " Dr. Martin muttered to herself, rubbing her neck.

This explained a lot. Why he was so hell-bent on an impossible cure. He never shot her. He wanted to bring his wife back to the land of the living.

She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Martin asked in a low voice. "I know you're up."

"Everything hurts," Claire whispered in a hoarse voice.

"I'm sorry."

"How's Trinity? I miss her."

"She's okay. Asking for you of course."

A tear rolled down Claire's cheek. "Am I going to die?"

Dr. Martin's lips pressed into a thin line. "No. Not if I can help it."