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“Not sure yet. If Jacques comes in to check you for a mosquito bite, don’t give him a hard time, okay?”
“I checked myself, but hard to see everywhere. I’ll behave.”
“Good deal. How’s Nick?”
“No change,” he said, voice a bit rougher.
“We’re going to get the cure, Bear. I promise.” I held back a sigh of frustration. “I gotta go now. I’ll let you know when we have something.” I hung up and shoved the phone into my pocket.
“Let me guess,” Portia said. “He didn’t drink the water.”
“Nope,” I said. “And he hasn’t shambled. Yet.”
Dr. Nikas sent another text then looked up, expression sober. “Very disturbing. If this hypothesis proves to be valid, it means that an organization or individual might truly be coordinating a deliberate spread of this terrible disease.”
“But?” I said. Dr. Nikas didn’t have his we-have-the-answer face on.
He remained silent for a long moment. “Frankly, I’m baffled. Though your hypothesis has merit, I believe it would be impossible to develop a specifically altered strain of Eugene in the few days since Douglas Horton and Deputy Connor succumbed.”
“But it did alter,” I said.
“Given the three-plus weeks since Judd’s demise, natural mutation could account for it. The only other option—purposefully directing the mutation to a desired, stable outcome—is a time-consuming challenge with no guarantee of success.” He shook his head. “Additionally, whoever created it would be foolish to release LZ-1 into the wild without also having a cure at hand, lest they fall victim themselves. And developing a cure would take even more time.”
“So it’s not possible?”
“I simply don’t see how in such a short timeframe,” he said. “Yet, I don’t have the answer, either, which is why I asked Jacques to run those tests. Science is about gathering data and being willing to accept the results.”
I forced a crooked smile. “Is it wrong for me to hope a bad guy is responsible for the epidemic since that would mean a cure already exists?”
“It’s not wrong, Angel,” he said, eyes warm with understanding. “And I can’t deny that the hypothesis fits except for the timing.”
“But why would anyone start an epidemic on purpose?” I asked then immediately shook my head. “Duh. If they’d already developed the cure, an epidemic would mean treatments. Pharmaceuticals. Money.”
“Greed and the lust for power have been the driving forces behind any number of heinous acts,” Portia murmured.
“Indeed,” Dr. Nikas said. For an instant it looked like he wanted to take her hand, then he pulled his gaze away. “We’ll know more once Nick’s bite and the water are analyzed.”
Fighting an evil organization or person to get the cure was something tangible I could do. To help all the victims. To help Nick. I couldn’t fight nature or science. My chest tightened, and stupid tears welled up.
Dr. Nikas took my hand. “I believe we’re close to a cure here, Angel.”
Not close enough, I wanted to scream. Instead I nodded, not trusting myself to say anything without bursting into full blown tears. He was doing everything he could. We all were.
I gently tugged my hand free then stepped away to make a call.
“Hey, Dad,” I said, voice thick.
“You okay, baby?”
“No. I mean, yeah, I’m okay. I just wish we were on the other side of this shit, with Nick and everyone else fixed up and healthy again.”
“I get it, Angelkins.” The nickname wrapped around me like a warm hug. “You’re out working your tail off while your boyfriend’s in trouble. It’s rough. But if anyone can come through this after wrasslin’ that sickness into the dust, it’s you.”
My boyfriend. Nick and I hadn’t even had time to talk about what we were to each other. But it felt right. “I’m doing my best, Dad. I really am.”
“I know you are, baby. I seen you in action. Wish I could be more help with all this, but I ain’t as smart as these other folks.”
I scowled. “First off, you are smart. You don’t have the same experience and education, that’s all. Huge difference. Second off, you are helping. You’re staying safe
