fatal for
both child and mother. She was the only female on the entire planet
who had not been infected with this horrible virus and in her
bloodstream was the only source of a viable vaccine. The fate of
all mankind rested literally in her hands.
Chapter 8
Geoffrey was still
watching Mr. Reynolds from the other side of the large pane of one
way glass. He was just about sure that he couldn’t stomach any more
of the gruesome sight, when the door to Mr. Reynolds’s room opened
and a man in a white overcoat with matching white pants and
bootie-covered medical shoes, entered. With his pale white skin,
beneath a spotless outfit, in a completely white room, the man
looked like an apparition as he strolled almost casually beneath
bright white lights, to where Mr. Reynolds lay. Geoffrey had seen
his father in medical garb plenty of times, but never like this. If
it was possible to add to the strangeness of Mr. Reynolds’s current
condition, the man in the lab coat did, and only added to
Geoffrey’s struggle to adjust to all this.
Meanwhile, the doctor hit
a button on the underside of the bed. The astronomer’s ankles were
bound with white leather straps, and his wrists were strapped with
white leather straps to two armrests supporting his arms. He wore
loose white plastic gloves on his hands. Slowly, the bed began to
lift Mr. Reynolds’s head and torso, while lowering his legs and
feet. After a few moments the bed had transformed into something
like a recliner. The armrests tilted as Mr. Reynolds was forced
upright, his mouth still forming soundless words and his eyes still
missing irises.
The doctor grabbed the
stethoscope hanging around his neck—also white—and placed it over
the Mr. Reynolds’s heart. After a few seconds of listening, he
nodded solemnly as doctors usually do, and raised his hand and
gestured. Apparently, he was calling for assistance. Meanwhile, he
hit the bed button again and the recliner now raised Mr. Reynolds’s
torso and midsection upright. The armrests rotated smoothly into a
semi-vertical position along with the transforming divan, until Mr.
Reynolds was positioned nearly erect. A few moments later, two men
entered the room wearing equally-spotless white uniforms and
pushing medical equipment. Even the stainless steel equipment was
draped with what looked like thick, white curtains. The two men
brought the doctor a small rolling cabinet and quickly left.
Lieutenant Dan stood on the other side of the one way glass with
Geoffrey, but he didn’t look nearly as confused as the intern. In
fact, his chiseled face looked as calm as if all this was standard
procedure. Back on the other side of the glass, the doctor worked
his hands in a pair of latex gloves and produced a butterfly
needle, and a small plastic vial from the rolling cabinet. He drew
blood from Mr. Reynolds’s arm into the vial. He then drew another
larger vial full of blood, one that already had some other liquid
in it, and returned them both to the cabinet.
After that, he used the
machines that were brought in to run some simple tests. He hooked
up leads to the scientist’s body from the machines, and situated
goggles over Mr. Reynolds’s eyes. Then, he exited the room. The
scientist seemed oblivious of anything taking place around him.
Geoffrey, on the other hand, was hypnotized by the scene. Moments
ago, he hadn’t even been sure that he could continue to look on but
now, he found himself enthralled with expectation of what could
possibly happen next. Geoffrey was so enthralled, in fact, that the
sound of an opening door in the otherwise deathly silent room
startled him out of the corner Lieutenant Dan had sat him in when
he had taken the wheelchair away sometime earlier.
The doctor he had just
seen with Mr. Reynolds, entered the room. He spoke with Lieutenant
Dan briefly, then turned to Geoffrey. His gaze was intent upon the
intern’s hands as he spoke. “Hello, young man.” He said “How are
you feeling?”
Geoffrey
both child and mother. She was the only female on the entire planet
who had not been infected with this horrible virus and in her
bloodstream was the only source of a viable vaccine. The fate of
all mankind rested literally in her hands.
Chapter 8
Geoffrey was still
watching Mr. Reynolds from the other side of the large pane of one
way glass. He was just about sure that he couldn’t stomach any more
of the gruesome sight, when the door to Mr. Reynolds’s room opened
and a man in a white overcoat with matching white pants and
bootie-covered medical shoes, entered. With his pale white skin,
beneath a spotless outfit, in a completely white room, the man
looked like an apparition as he strolled almost casually beneath
bright white lights, to where Mr. Reynolds lay. Geoffrey had seen
his father in medical garb plenty of times, but never like this. If
it was possible to add to the strangeness of Mr. Reynolds’s current
condition, the man in the lab coat did, and only added to
Geoffrey’s struggle to adjust to all this.
Meanwhile, the doctor hit
a button on the underside of the bed. The astronomer’s ankles were
bound with white leather straps, and his wrists were strapped with
white leather straps to two armrests supporting his arms. He wore
loose white plastic gloves on his hands. Slowly, the bed began to
lift Mr. Reynolds’s head and torso, while lowering his legs and
feet. After a few moments the bed had transformed into something
like a recliner. The armrests tilted as Mr. Reynolds was forced
upright, his mouth still forming soundless words and his eyes still
missing irises.
The doctor grabbed the
stethoscope hanging around his neck—also white—and placed it over
the Mr. Reynolds’s heart. After a few seconds of listening, he
nodded solemnly as doctors usually do, and raised his hand and
gestured. Apparently, he was calling for assistance. Meanwhile, he
hit the bed button again and the recliner now raised Mr. Reynolds’s
torso and midsection upright. The armrests rotated smoothly into a
semi-vertical position along with the transforming divan, until Mr.
Reynolds was positioned nearly erect. A few moments later, two men
entered the room wearing equally-spotless white uniforms and
pushing medical equipment. Even the stainless steel equipment was
draped with what looked like thick, white curtains. The two men
brought the doctor a small rolling cabinet and quickly left.
Lieutenant Dan stood on the other side of the one way glass with
Geoffrey, but he didn’t look nearly as confused as the intern. In
fact, his chiseled face looked as calm as if all this was standard
procedure. Back on the other side of the glass, the doctor worked
his hands in a pair of latex gloves and produced a butterfly
needle, and a small plastic vial from the rolling cabinet. He drew
blood from Mr. Reynolds’s arm into the vial. He then drew another
larger vial full of blood, one that already had some other liquid
in it, and returned them both to the cabinet.
After that, he used the
machines that were brought in to run some simple tests. He hooked
up leads to the scientist’s body from the machines, and situated
goggles over Mr. Reynolds’s eyes. Then, he exited the room. The
scientist seemed oblivious of anything taking place around him.
Geoffrey, on the other hand, was hypnotized by the scene. Moments
ago, he hadn’t even been sure that he could continue to look on but
now, he found himself enthralled with expectation of what could
possibly happen next. Geoffrey was so enthralled, in fact, that the
sound of an opening door in the otherwise deathly silent room
startled him out of the corner Lieutenant Dan had sat him in when
he had taken the wheelchair away sometime earlier.
The doctor he had just
seen with Mr. Reynolds, entered the room. He spoke with Lieutenant
Dan briefly, then turned to Geoffrey. His gaze was intent upon the
intern’s hands as he spoke. “Hello, young man.” He said “How are
you feeling?”
Geoffrey
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