Council Leader Vorik left Kaul's lab, his thoughts swirling around him on what he had just learned. His features were set in stone. He had to make a decision that would make many of the populace angry. So of whom were his friends.
Pulling out his comm link, he called for a eting in his council chambers. As an afterthought, he called dic Kaul to be included. Kaul needed to know his decision; part of his orders were for him. Not to ntion that since it pertained to the illness spreading across humans, he needed to be there too.
Council Leader Vorik was the first to arrive. The door to his council chambers slid smoothly open. The sound of the soft scrape as it opened, then the soft click as it closed again. It was a sound that he never noticed. Today, he had noticed it. Sothing about the snap of the door shutting gave him a sense of claustrophobia.
He knew why. This was going to be a eting that could change everything with the people under his care, and not in a good way, either. He cringed just thinking about it. As each second passed, his anxiety increased, and his breathing beca uneven. He was not looking forward to this eting.
In agitation, he paced along the long table, trying to calm his nerves enough to think straight, waiting for those who needed to attend.
When the council chamber's door slid smoothly open, Vorik cringed at the sound before turning to see who had arrived first.
"I brought dic Renn with ," dic Kaul stated after giving the gesture of respect, and then moved toward the long table to claim his seat. dic Renn sat beside him, remaining silent. He wasn't normally included in etings, and he didn't know the etiquette.
Council Leader Vorik paused in his pacing, then nodded without saying anything. The room was silent. Only the sound of Vorik's continued pacing could be heard.
The council chamber door slid smoothly open, making Vorik flinch. The group of attendees walked in, then gave the gesture of respect before sitting at the table. No one spoke. Council Leader Vorik's deanor kept them quiet. It was obvious this wasn't going to be a happy eting. The tension in the air was thick with the anxiety of their leader.
Once the last of the attendees walked in, Council Leader Vorik stopped his pacing and slowly sat in his place. Those in the eting were dics Kaul and Renn, Seeran, the gate commander, rrick, Rask, Orik, Mikiel, whom Seeran brought with him, and Zack Nelson with his mate, Shelia, to represent the humans.
They all watched in silence as Council Leader Vorik scanned the room. "This eting pertains to the illness spreading through the humans of the do. It has been determined that it's not a virus, yet it's acting like it is one." Vorik turned to dic Kaul. "Please explain to them what you and dic Renn discovered."
dic Kaul nodded, then faced the others at the long council table. "dic Renn and I entered the criteria into the computer to determine what each of the victims of the virus had in common. We discovered that all the infected were previously infected with the zombie toxin."
"So then, all we have to do is bring in those who were once zombies and treat them?" Seeran asked dic Kaul. "Sounds like an easy fix."
dic Renn sat back in his chair. He knew what was coming next. The testing of the infants. He didn't like what the conversation was leading up to. He chose to remain silent. It was dic Kaul who was the chief dical officer. It was Kaul's place to explain, not his.
"As you know, the zombies were infected by a bite. Perhaps even a scratch. The toxin in their blood acted like a virus, making it contagious, even though it wasn't one. It was the serum acting differently in their bloodstream than it acts on Rasians or the Kreq," dic Kaul started.
"If we treat all of the humans who were once zombies, wouldn't that fix everything?" Orik asked, interrupting Kaul's monologue. He was worried about his mate Jada, who was only a few weeks pregnant with his fetus. "What about Jada? She's currently pregnant."
Council Leader Vorik cringed at the topic of the pregnant Jada. He knew what he was about to say next could make him lose control of the eting. "We don't know if what is happening to the humans who were once zombies is contagious. We also don't know if those born of one parent that was a zombie at one point are affected by their parent."
"So what are you trying to tell us?" It was rrick. The one Vorik was worried about the reaction from.
Council Leader Vorik sat back in his chair. He scanned the room. "I need to isolate and quarantine all humans who were once zombies. I need dic Kaul to scan and treat Aleigha's son and Jada's fetus if they are found with the residue. We don't know what the effects of the treatnt will have on the infants, but if they have the residue, we need to remove it."
dic Renn scanned the room. He could feel the change in the atmosphere imdiately. The anger of rrick and Orik thickens the air. The tension was everywhere. Both rrick and Orik were glaring at Vorik. A deep hatred in their eyes. Everyone else looked at their leader in shock.
dic Renn stood up. "I think I may have a solution in regard to Aliegha's son and Jada." He stated as calmly as he could. He wanted to try to defuse the situation before sothing happened that one or more of them would regret.
Everyone turned to face him. dic Kaul looked at him, annoyed. Renn swallowed. He had to press on. He wanted to do what he could to save the infants from the pain of the procedure.
"Speak!" Council Leader Vorik snapped. The tension in the room had gotten to him.
"Yes, sir," dic Renn nodded, then turned to rrick and Orik. "First, I think we should scan Jada. If the residue is present, we can take the residue from her. Once the residue is out, we can scan her again, along with the fetus inside of her. I think that the procedure to remove the residue from the fetus could do more harm than good. I don't think treating the fetus is wise until there is evidence that there is, in fact, residue in the fetus." Renn then turned to rrick. "I think your son should be scanned. If there is residue, I think sedating him is the safest way to remove the residue. I would even go as far as finding a way to numb the pain. I don't believe it's safe to leave the toxin in, yet I also don't believe the procedure is safe for the infant. Great precautions should be taken to ensure he feels none of it." dic Renn looked between the two fathers. "My hope is that neither child has the residue inside them, to begin with, but they need to be checked, just in case."
dic Renn's words filled the room, the anger and tension evaporating slowly. His words gave them hope that there might not even be a need to perform the procedure on the infant and fetus.
Council Leader Vorik turned to Seeran and Mikiel. "I need you to set up an isolation dorm for all the humans that were once zombies. Once set up, start escorting them into the isolation dorm. None of them leave it without a dical order," he ordered, then turned to dic Kaul. "I want all of them scanned and treated, then placed back inside the isolation dorm. Scan Aleigha's infant, then notify of your findings. If there is residue in the child, perform the procedure using precautions as dic Renn has suggested. As for Jada, scan and remove the residue. If the fetus is infected with the residue, remove it."
Orik shot up, angry. "That could kill the fetus!"
Council Leader Vorik turned to Orik. "There is no other choice," he said evenly, his eyes narrowed in anger at Orik's outburst.
Orik stood up stiffly and stord out of the council chamber; rrick got up slowly and followed him out. Everyone watched them go. Vorik turned to the rest of the attendees. Before he could say anything, Zack Nelson spoke. "You brought here to represent humans. Here is what I have to say about it. I think putting them all in isolation is a bad idea. I agree with scanning them all and removing the residue if they have it but not locking them away," he said evenly. "As for the infant and Jada, what you suggest is cruel and inhumane."
Zack stood up, pulling Sheila gently with him, and they exited the room, saying nothing more.
The council chamber was dwindling in attendees. Rask stood up. "I don't think I'm needed here," he said calmly, then proceeded to exit himself.
Only dic Kaul, dic Renn, Seeran, and Mikiel remained.
Council Leader Vorik turned to Seeran and Mikiel. "You're dismissed. Inform when the isolation dorm is ready, and the humans who were once zombies are inside it."
Seeran and Mikiel stood up and left the council chamber leaving Vorik, Kaul, and Renn alone. Vorik turned to dic Kaul. "As soon as you scan Aleigha's son and Jada, notify of the results."
dic Kaul nodded. "Yes, sir."
"You're dismissed," Vorik sighed.
dic Kaul and dic Renn stood up and quickly left the council chamber. Council Leader Vorik didn't even watch them leave. His mind wandered to what would happen if one of the infants died. He needed a plan.
Reviews
All reviews (0)