Zion's Children - pt 17

Byrin only had a few hours sleep and he was headed back to the lab. So far, all the blood samples had been as they were supposed to - with one acception. Those who weren't sick yet, had normal healthy blood. Those who were sick, varied from age group to age group. However, he had acquired a blood sample from a deceased fever victim on a whim, and was surprised to see that the virus was still active and consuming cells long after the person was dead. He had half a mind to dig up the early victims to see if there was anything left of them. He wasn't sure how that would go over though.

From his brief exposure to the people here, he had already caught on that they were a deeply religious society. Even more serious about it that Lily Bennett if he was any judge, though they were no where near as uptight about it as she was. At any rate, he didn't think that they'd react well to his request to 'desecrate' the dead.

And to be completely honest, he wasn't sure of what he would find if the virus continued to be active in a dead body. Would there be anything left at all?

Unsure of how long Miri's originial blood sample had been stored in the refrigeration unit, he lowered the temperature to a quicker freeze while he had been gone for the 'night'. Even now, it was still dark out as he walked back to the lab. Byrin paused only briefly to gaze at the starlit sky. The constellations were unfamiliar here, but on any other night, he would have found them captivating.

He slipped into the hospital as quietly as possible. Even at this early hour, there was activity. Night watch was as busy as the day it seemed, though it seemed quieter. Once in the lab, he pulled the blood samples out and prepared to thaw them.

"Here kind of early aren't you?" came a voice behind him.

Byrin turned and found Doctor Alexander entering the room. "Aren't you?"

The older doctor chuckled. "The difference is, I sleep here."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Did you?" Alexander asked in reply.

"No."

"Neither did I."

"I won't tell Miri if you don't," Byrin commented, beginning to prepare his slides.

The other doctor laughed. "Don't tell me you're afraid of her!"

"That's not the word I would choose." Byrin shook his head. "She's very good at taking care of people."

"That she is. And just to warn you - she'll be able to tell we haven't slept. Whether she'll say anything about it, is a fifty-fifty chance we'll have to take. Just, when she threatens to sedate you, go to bed and get some sleep. Trust me, it's not a pleasant experience."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Yes."

When Alexander didn't elaborate further, Byrin wisely let it drop. "Does she get her way often then?"

The white haired doctor sighed. "Most of the time. She's usually right." Then the doctor grinned widely. "I trained her well."

Byrin chuckled. "So you're the one we have to thank."

"I am."

There was a moment of silence as Byrin held up a vial of blood that was clearly beginning to break down. The red of the blood was streaked with darker layers. "What do you make of that?"

"Please tell me that's not Miri's new sample."

"It's not."

"What stage of the disease it that from?"

Byrin shook the vial gently, but the layers of separation didn't disappear. "Post mortem."