Page 114 of Lethal Game

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sophia wanted to throwher microscope across the room. Negative, negative, negative. Every stain, every test she’d tried for every virus, fungus, and parasite she knew of that fit the symptoms turned up exactly nothing.

She growled at the offending piece of equipment and clenched her fists to keep from doing something very stupid.

“What’s wrong?”

Con stood behind her, looking much too awake and alert than should be allowed. Neither of them had had more than two or three hours of sleep and it was now noon. The heat of the day made her want to curl up on the sand and snore.

“All the tests I’ve conducted are negative.” She gripped the narrow counter her microscope sat on until her knuckles were white. “I’ve tested for every disease that could match the symptoms, but there’s nothing.”

Con nodded slowly. “Okay, here’s what you’re going to do. First, you’re going to eat something and take a nap. Then, when you’ve gotten some rest, you can come back at this problem with fresh eyes.”

She snorted. “I’m not sure I can sleep. I’m too wired up. Too fucking angry at everything.”

“Did I ever tell you how I survived the monthly week from hell when I was growing up?”

“Week from hell...oh, your sisters.”

“Yeah. My sisters. The only thing that kept me alive was my ability to judge when a woman needed to eat, and you, Doctor, are overdue for some food.”

“You’re not going to go away until I agree, are you?”

“Nope. Max gave me strict instructions to make sure you ate. He seems to think that you forget to do that when you’re working.”

“Tattletale.” Max was a great boss, but his tendency to overprotect her was infuriating.

Might as well get the eating over with, then maybe she could get some work done. She walked out of the tent to find that the team had erected a sun shelter just outside. Smoke and River were both asleep on the sand, the remains of consumed MREs beside them. Stalls was awake and standing under the tarp that composed the shelter, his rifle in his hands.

“Where are Norton, Henry, and Macler?”

“In the other tent,” Con replied. “Henry is grabbing some sleep.”

“How are Norton and Macler?”

“They’re doing okay. We’re waking them every couple of hours, but there’s been no change.”

“Good.” She took a seat and Con handed her an MRE and a bottle of water.

Chicken Dinner. All MREs tended to taste the same, but this one wasn’t too bad. By the time she was done with the food and water, she was half-asleep.

Con smiled at her.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m tired. Happy?”

“Only if you actually sleep.”

“I’m going to. It would be stupid not to.” She gestured at the lab tent behind her. “In there.”

He nodded and continued eating his own meal.

Sophia got up, dusted herself off and went into the lab tent. She lay down in the same place as she’d slept last night.

Had it only been last night? It felt like it had been a week already since they’d arrived, not less than twenty-four hours.

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