Page 117 of Viral Justice

“I didn’t have enough eggs for a complete third dose.”

“One test subject isn’t very many.”

“No, I need to choose another.”

She pointed a finger at him. “Me.”

When he just looked at her, she rolled her eyes. “Why not?”

He didn’t say anything for a while, busying himself with tidying his work space. Finally, he said, “I don’t have a good reason.”

“What you have is an overdeveloped sense of chivalry.”

“I suppose.” He picked up the used hypodermic, and walked to the doorway.

“Where are you going?”

“To dispose of this in the fire.” He disappeared.

She strode over to the counter and glanced at the hypodermic with the one full dose. She was only going to get one chance at this.

Ali picked up the syringe, opened her coat and pushed her clothing aside so she could inject the vaccine into the triceps muscle of her upper arm. She hesitated only a moment before sinking the needle in and depressing the plunger.

She pulled it out, put the cap back on and put it back where she found it.

No, she couldn’t leave it there. She grabbed it and made her way to the room where everyone was sleeping and threw it in the makeshift metal fire pit with its glowing embers.

Max was talking to someone in the next room, his voice a low rumble. The sound calmed a part of her that normally never relaxed.

She left the sleepers and stood outside the room where Max spoke to Tom, Hunt, Holland, and Warren. The other two relatively healthy soldiers, Jessup and Bird, were on watch.

“We’ve received the package of standard flu vaccine that I requested and I need anyone not sick to be vaccinated as soon as possible. I’m going to need a team of two to go into the village and identify the healthy and ask them to come here so I can give them a shot. If it works, it could be the difference between life and death for some people.”

“You want us to go?” Hunt asked.

“I want Sergeant Stone to go with one of you.” There was an edge to his voice that set off Ali’s radar.

“And you’re afraid we might say something to piss her off?” Hunt asked. “Colonel, I’ve pressed my luck as far as it will go on that front already.”

“I’m not going to go there at all,” Warren said.

“Good.”

Footsteps approached the doorway, then Max stepped through it. “Sergeant Stone,” he said. “Eavesdropping?”

“I heard my name mentioned. I’m going into the village?”

“Yes, you’re less of a stressor to the locals.”

“Sir,” she said. “Instead of another soldier, I’d like to take Fatima with me. These people have been under an attack of one kind or another for days. I think they’ll respond better to a woman and a young man than to soldiers with guns.”

“Taking your weapons is not optional. You will be armed.”

“I understand that, sir. I don’t have to wave it in anyone’s face, though.”

He thought about it for a moment, but nodded after a few seconds. “Your reasoning is sound. Proceed, Sergeant.” He stepped backward a couple of steps and said to the four men he’d just left, “Did you guys catch that?”

“Yes, sir,” Hunt said. “We’re staying home.”

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