I am having so much difficulty doing research on the medical side of things, but the update will be in a matter of hours... Or less
Boring-ish chapter but nearing the end of chapter 3 so expect a really crazy "something" to happen soon Kira sat at her work station, peering down at the samples whirling about in a machine. Earlier, the techs had managed to peel back the skull of one of their test subjects and had extracted curious brain matter. Decked out in full chem wear and a safety mask, Kira was deep in observation when a hand clamped down on her shoulder making her jump. “Sorry,” Karina said, her face looking unusually solemn through her own full body gear. “Just wanted to let you know that we've finished preliminary blood work.” Kira nodded and slowly stood, the bulky suit crinkling as they made their way to the door. After a rinse and extraction from their suits, they donned their lab coats once again and walked down the long sterile hallways of the facility. Their journey was uncomfortably silent. “You know,” Karina finally said, unable to keep her mouth shut in the awkward atmosphere, “I don't blame you for what mom did.” Kira's eyes flashed angrily, but she remained silent. The walk became even more awkward as they entered a large room. Antoine Calkhen was lying asleep on an operating table, her arms and legs strapped down by leather restraints. She had dark circles underneath her eyes, from exhaustion and around the missing one, bruising as well. Karina and Kira pulled on their gloves and stood on either side of the table, their eyes catching as they both moved about. The tension was almost unbearable yet neither of them had anything to say. Kira began to take notes as Karina started her examination. “Blood work has revealed an invasive cellular component... seems to be almost virus like. In our carrier we see no visible changes besides the bleeding of the eye.” Karina said in a monotone as she lifted Antoine's right eyelid. “Eyes appear to retain full capabilities.” The flashlight shone dully across the hazel eye which then snapped shut as Karina released the eyelid. Her hands drifted over the scars that were present on Antoine's arms. “I'm not yet certain how transference occurs. Blood? It hasn't been an airborne virus if that's what it is. The CDC has yet to confirm any of the blood samples we've sent them.” Kira nodded and continued to write a complete physical report on the unconscious woman. Karina paced back and forth, hands on her hips. The two continued to talk in the giant room, swathed in the bright lights. “So, we've stabilized the carrier, and she's in a relaxed state right now. So far she's exhibited signs of fever, discomfort, the bleeding sclera... yet no delirium or loss of control. What makes her tick?” Karina paced some more and then paused, her eyes drifting over to Kira who was furiously writing. “I'm not mad at you, Kira.” Kira blinked in surprise and stopped writing. She looked up and shot a worried glance at Karina who was staring intently at her. Finally realizing that Karina was not going to continue talking, she spoke in a clipped tone. “Mom made those choices.” Karina turned away, flushed with anger. Memories flashed in her head of her father sitting at the dining room table with his hands in his head, eyes red with tears. Karina stood, shoulders shaking until finally she swept from the room, door slamming shut behind her. Kira remained alone, staring after her. So occupied with this, she didn't notice Antoine's hand twitching in the restraints behind her.
:| man... Are people updating so much my story gets pushed to page 3 so fast? It's hard to update I feel so inefficient. So... Here's an update... And... Blah.... ._. I'll post to the sign-up sheet more details on the progress of the story. Kira tapped her pen on the clipboard, Her scribbled notes were jumbled across the page, a scrambled mess like her nerves were right now. Although it wasn't a widely known fact in the labs, Karina was Kira's older sister, and she herself was an outcome of their mother's infidelity. Her red hair and blue eyes were a striking contrast to Karina's brown hair and brown eyes yet put together in the workspace, it wasn't odd for someone to notice how similar they indeed looked. Antoine let out a moan from behind her and Kira whirled around. The anesthesia was not supposed to have worn off yet. She hurried to the distraught woman's side and checked the IV drip. The diazepam was running smoothly through the tubes, yet for whatever reason, the woman was no longer remaining sedated, and seemed to be in immense amounts of pain. Kira placed a hand over the struggling woman's head, shocked to feel the heat emanating from her skin. Antoine was on fire, her body visibly sweating in the cold room. Her fingernails began digging into the bedding beneath her, wrists pulling up at the restraints. Kira was torn with the need to run and get help and the desire to help the woman herself. Pulling out her radio she called for a nurse and some orderlies to help restrain the woman. Antoine writhed in her restraints, the leather creaking as she jerked about on the bed. Kira leaned over her, trying to reach the IV to stabilize it as it had begun to tip with the frantic movements of the patient. Suddenly, Antoine's eye snapped open and her wrist twisted about to grip onto Kira's lab coat. “Let go!” Kira shouted, panicked. “W-What's going on...” Antoine said in a groaning wail as she continued to try and kick free from the restraints. “It burns...” The orderlies arrived then and held the woman's flailing appendages down as she began to shriek. Yet she did not release Kira's lab coat, her iron grip inhumanely strong as she continued to pull Kira closer. “They're here!” Antoine screamed at the top of her lungs, her eye wide in fear and focused on something that was not there. “Where are you taking me?” Karina burst in the room just then and ran forward, trying to pry Antoine's fingers from Kira's coat. It was fruitless as the woman continued to ramble, lost in her delusions. Karina and Kira's eyes caught and unspoken words passed between them. Then Antoine ripped free from the restraints, her wild flailing knocking her captors back. “Stop! Stop! Stop it!” Antoine shrieked, her voice echoing off the white walls. She fell off the operating table and onto the floor, her body a limp pile as Kira's coat ripped at last, releasing her. Antoine was quickly subdued and restrained once more, although her body was now coated in a fine sheen of sweat. Karina quickly stabbed a syringe of ketamine into Antoine's upper thigh. Antoine didn't even register the new pain yet quickly became rigid as the drug began to take effect. Antoine was lifted, her body stiff as they set her upon the table again. “Delusions,” Karina said to the shaking Kira. “This isn't a good sign.” A loud klaxon alarm sounded just then and both women stared up at the ceiling. The room was suddenly awash with a red hue as the emergency lights kicked on. They both caught each others eye as they rushed from the room, wondering what was going on.