I felt warm hands push and shake my upper arm slightly, I stretched my neck and head, then opened my eyes. I was meant with big sparkling eyes and a huge white toothed smile. I inhaled stale air and observed my surroundings. I was laying on a cold white tiled floor. My hand traced the cool straight lines in the tile pattern.
“Are you alright?” A concerned voice asked.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I replied getting to my feet.
I was standing once again in the laboratory at the facility. I faced Zola and many familiar faces. I did a quick count to make sure everyone teleported with us. Our group was together including Quinn and my sister, Julia. She was eying me closely and I felt a calm come over me. Silas and Gabe also stood close by.
“Is everyone good?” I asked.
“Yes,” Greg said.
He had his arms wrapped around Hannah in a warm and comforting embrace. She cried quietly into his chest. I guess she knew that her father had betrayed all of us. I was certain her pain ran deep, knowing that he had ultimately betrayed his own daughter. I knew the pain she felt. The secrets and lies that unfolded in my life and the secrets my parents kept from me.
“Where are we?” Quinn asked a bit shakily.
“We are at the T.4.7. facility,” Julia responded.
“Julia!” Dr. Mills trembled.
“You are alive. I thought you were…
His words tapered off as Julia hugged him. I felt I ping of jealousy watching her embrace the man I thought to be a monster. I didn’t understand how she could care for a man that admitted to hurting endless numbers of children. He was as guilty as Dr. Nickels in my opinion. I stood in silence while the group conversed in thunderous chatter. No one understood what had happened and why it happened. I explained along side Dr. Mills and Zola what we knew. I watched faces fall when realization sank in. The screamers were not going to be cured and the rest of the human population was doomed.
“Why wouldn’t they open the fallout shelter door for us?” Sara cried.
“Maybe they couldn’t hear us,” Wes said.
I knew they could hear us begging for help but it was their chance to get rid of the freaks. They took their chance and kept us out. I didn’t want to say this aloud but I was screaming it in my head. I was angry. Angry at my father and mother. Angry at Dr. Nickels for releasing death and complete chaos upon the world. I was angry at the people in the warehouse bunker for locking us out and I was angry at Dr. Mills for hurting so many innocent children. It didn’t seem fair. I had a sudden urge to scream but I gathered my wits.
“Dr. Nickels injected my sister before releasing her. The screamers ate her,” I explained.
“If what you have told me is true and Dr. Nickels did release a new virus there still maybe time to stop it from spreading to the humans,” Dr. Mills explained and then continued, “I have studied different strains of viruses and diseases my whole career. I have one cure that is ready to be tested. It is a nasty little cocktail of multiple viruses that have been mutated and genetically altered. Zola please escort our guest’s into the living quarters. I have to get the cure ready to administer and cannot be distracted.”
“How do you plan on administering the cure?” I questioned.
“Layla, it’s best if you let the doctor work. Remember he is trying to help,” Zola said kindly.
“Help?” I stated coldly.
“Layla,” Quinn said placing a hand on my shoulder.
I closed my mouth and bit my tongue. I knew I wanted to fight someone. My anger was going to boil over sooner than later and I wanted to make someone feel the pain I was feeling.
Zola escorted the group out of the lab and into the living quarters. I lingered behind and disappeared from the group, making my way back to the lab. I found the Dr. Mills mixing vials filled will colored liquids. He extracted the liquid into a syringe and then repeated the action until he had filled four syringes and caped them. He then placed three of the syringes into a briefcase and the fourth he held loosely in his hand. He walked over to the glass door where the babies screamed in the cell. He punched in a code and the door slid open after making an awful screeching sound. I stepped into the lab and walked over to the cell where the doctor was placing latex gloves on his hands. He covered his face with a white mask and lastly placed clear plastic protective glasses over his eyes.
“What are you going to do?” I questioned.
The doctor started at my voice and looked up at me. He was clearly surprised to see me standing there.
“I don’t believe I need to explain myself to you,” he said.
“Maybe not but I still want to know what the hell you plan on doing?” I demanded.
The doctor sighed in resignation.
“You remind me so much of your mother,” he breathed.
His words surprised me and I stood speechless.
“Your parents and I knew each other quite well. They were desperate like so many others for something they could not have. Your mother was determined to get what she wanted. She wanted to know everything too. Every injection I gave her and every note I made,” Dr. Mills added.
He removed the cap from the syringe and leaned over the glass bassinet and injected the screaming infant with the liquid. The baby continued to howl for some time before it stopped. I stepped up to the bassinet and gawked at the still baby.
“Is it dead?” I asked
“Define dead?” He replied dryly.
“Is it still a screamer?” I questioned.
“We shall soon find out,” he retorted.
The infants screams echoed loudly in the small cell. It was strange that the screams from the infants didn’t hurt and cause pain like the way the adults did. The injected baby stirred and slowly opened its little eyes. It made little jerking movements then went still. Zola, Julia, Silas and Gabe entered the cell and waited quietly. Silas glanced around uncomfortably at the bassinets. He brushed my hand gently. Our fingers lingered for a moment before they came together.
A quiet whimper brought our attention back to the still baby in the bassinet. The baby stirred and let out a human cry. It was a beautiful sound. Its skin pinkened and sunken cheeks filled to chubby pinchable cheeks. The baby’s eyes opened and they were a beautiful dark blue. Dr. Mills smiled brightly and gently picked up the infant. The baby cried out but the cries were a delightful sound.
“Zola get the team together, we need to release the infant before sunrise,” Dr. Mills ordered.
“Release the infant?” Gabe questioned.
“The infant must be released so the virus can spread,” Julia explained.
Dr. Mill’s carried the infant into the laboratory and held the infant tightly. He frantically worked one handed at his computer. He made quick entries tapping the keyboard with one finger. The baby whimpered and cried. We followed Julia into the lab. I was confused and didn’t understand what was happening.
“How are you going to release the baby? It can’t walk or take care of itself. I don’t understand,” I quaked, a sick feeling entering my stomach. I didn’t want to know but I knew I had to ask.
Zola exited the lab and returned quickly with a group of soldiers.
“You don’t mean you’re going to leave the baby out there?” I pointed towards the door with the word, “Exit” above it.
“Yes Layla, we need to feed the infant to the screamers. It is the only way we can pass the virus and save the humans,” Dr. Mills stated.
“Over my dead body are you killing that baby,” I yelled stepping towards Dr. Mills.
Julia stepped in front of Dr. Mills.
“Move,” I shouted.
“I can’t do that Layla,” Julia said, sadness edged her voice.