Page 143 of Viral Justice

“You’re babbling, Max,” the general interrupted. “You know your job. You don’t need to explain it all to me, just do it.”

“I will, sir.” Max paused, then squared his shoulders and said, “I’d like to formally apologize for the mission going so wrong. I’ll have a report for you in a few hours and will present myself for any disciplinary action you’d like to take.”

“No.”

“Sir?”

“And don’t mention it again, Max,” General Stone said, pointing a finger at him. “Get your head back in the game. Got it?”

He didn’t agree, but he wasn’t the general in the room. “Yes, sir.”

“Keep me informed, but don’t wait for my permission if she needs some kind of medical procedure. You’re the expert. I trust your judgment.”

His judgment had gotten them into the situation they were in now. His judgment had failed. Max opened his mouth, but General Stone turned on his heel and left before he could make a sound.

That was just as well. What could he say that he hadn’t already? General Stone had made it clear he didn’t want to hear any more explanations, excuses, or apologies.

Max was able to set up a sort of mobile office right outside Ali’s intensive care room. Mostly a laptop computer, a cell phone, and a small rolling desk. His proximity allowed him to maintain a constant watch on her condition while still writing his mission report, communicating with Dr. Samuels and Dr. Perry at the village, and reviewing the information on the mini-flu outbreak at the base in Bahrain.

The flu that had spread through the supply department like wildfire was very nearly the same virus that caused all the death and destruction at the village. Max wondered if Akbar had tried to release it first via person to person contact between the receiving staff and local suppliers of fresh fruit and vegetables. Its lack of virulence must have spurred Akbar into tinkering with it further, creating a more deadly version which he’d released on the refugees at the village.

Dr. Perry had done some backtracking on Akbar’s movements, thanks to a couple of the militants they captured. The chemist had released his flu among his supporters, and their families had become infected. For a chance at receiving the vaccine, they were willing to confess all.

Akbar hadn’t just cooked up a few deadly pathogens, he’d taught other people how to do it too. Most had caught the flu and died, but not all. Some survived and left the training camp Akbar ran in northern Syria for who knew where.

Not only was Max going to need his team of medical specialists and their Special Forces partners working harder than ever, he could see a need for more soldiers who could be trained to find the people actively creating biological weapons.

There was just no other way to find all the militants Akbar had trained.

He was going to have to request more people, more supplies, more everything.

He just didn’t know if he could do any of it.

He listened to Ali’s ventilatorthunkandhissin its steady pattern. If she died...would he want to?

She’d given no sign of improvement. No change at all.

The current nurse on duty came out of the room and stopped in front of him. “Sir, would you mind going in and talking to her? I’d like to see if she’s aware.”

Max nodded and went inside. He stood next to her bed and for the first time in his career as a doctor, his ability to separate himself emotionally from a patient failed. “Ali?” he asked, his voice cracking. “The nurses want to know if you’re awake. Personally, I’d pretend to be sleeping if I were you.”

Next to his head the beep of her heart monitor sped up as her heartrate rose by ten, then fifteen beats per minute.

“Excellent,” the nurse said. “She’s reacting well to the sound of your voice. Thank you, sir.”

Max nodded, but didn’t follow the woman out of the room, didn’t say anything at all. He couldn’t. His throat was choked with a lake of tears.

All because the bravest person he’d ever met in his life recognized his voice. Despite the half a dozen machines she was hooked up to, with all their beeping and white noise. Despite the drugs keeping her from losing her mind while medically paralyzed. Despite the crushing weight she had to feel sitting on her chest, preventing her from getting the air she needed, she knew him. Reacted to him. Showed him how much he mattered to her with just her heartbeat.

He stood there for a solid minute, not even breathing.

Stood there and prayed for that miracle again, because he knew only one thing.

He couldn’t live without her.

He swayed and realized his knees were shaking so bad he wasn’t going to be able to stand up much longer.

Fuck it. He was going sit down right here next to her bed and pray.

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