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“Yes. As you may have both been exposed, we’d like to draw some blood and keep you under observation. It will be easier if you’re both together. If you don’t exhibit any symptoms within 24 hours, you’ll be free to go.”
“And if we do show symptoms?” I ask.
Dr. DeLazzer frowns. “After initial signs of being infected, patients typically die within 48 hours’ time. Sometimes as soon as a few hours after symptoms begin. It’s different with everyone. There’s no consistent pattern.”
“Oh, my God,” I whisper, all the blood draining from my face and my stomach sinking. “What about an antidote?”
“There isn’t one. I’m sorry,” he says, and I turn to Maddox.
There’s no way we could be infected. That would mean…
No, I refuse to think about that.
“What’s the first sign of infection?” Maddox asks.
“Hemorrhaging from the nose,” Dr. DeLazzer informs us. “Then it moves fast as the Black Widow takes over the body, destroying one system after another, essentially rotting the patient’s body from the inside-out.”
“Christ,” Maddox swears, raking a hand through his damp hair.
My eyes slide shut as the worst-case scenario hits me. After all the physical danger and adventures I’ve been through, I never imagined I’d go out this way, the victim of some stupid virus.
Dr. DeLazzer stands up. “If you need anything or notice any hemorrhaging, let us know immediately. Someone will be in the observation room for the next 24 hours.”
“We need to make some calls,” Maddox says. “They took our cell phones.”
“I’ll get you a phone,” he assures us and walks out.
I slump down on the bed DeLazzer was sitting on, completely overwhelmed. Maddox sits down next to me, and when he wraps an arm around my shoulders, I lean into him.
“Do you think we’re sick?” I ask, dreading his answer. I can’t hide the fear lacing my voice. Suddenly, I’m terrified. One minute we’re dressed up, doing what should’ve been a simple security job. Maddox looked so damn attractive in his suit it made my breath catch. Of course, it was in a rugged, ready to bust out of his jacket kind of way, but I loved every single seam pulling against his thick muscles. And now we’re in scrubs facing what could possibly be the beginning of the end. Of everything. Well, for us, at least.
“I hope not,” he says.
But I don’t hear the normal confidence in his voice and that worries me.
Dr. DeLazzer returns a minute later and draws our blood. Then he hands Maddox a phone. “Remember, if you need anything, just knock on the door and someone will be right with you.”
I watch him walk out, the door closing behind him with an ominous, echoing sound. Biting my lip, I try to tamp down the emotion bubbling up inside of me. My entire life just altered course. And I have zero say in it. And I’m not okay with that.
I could be dead in less than 48 hours.
Tears prick my eyes and I turn away, not wanting Maddox to see.
“Now I know what the bad guys feel like when they’re locked up down in the interrogation cells at Slater Security,” he quips.
I know he’s trying to keep the atmosphere light, but I’m beginning to crumble. I start picking at my pink nail polish, already chipped and a mess from the harsh way they scrubbed us down.I’m not even 30 years old yet.There’s so much I assumed I would have time to do.
But that assumption just went up in a puff of acrid smoke.
“Hey.” Maddox bumps my shoulder with his. “Don’t you dare give up. We have no idea how this is going to play out.”
I force the tears back and turn to look at him. “My birthday is next week,” I say softly.
“I know,” he says. “The big 3-0.”
A wave of surprise fills me. “You remembered?”
Maddox clears his throat and shifts on the bed. “Sure. I already bought you a new bag of lollipops for the occasion. There are even little birthday things on the wrappers. Balloons and party hats, you know, fun shit like that.”
