The Last Bastion of the Living (The Last Bastion #1)(24)

“Yes, I do.”

Dr. Curran nodded, then returned to her station. Mr. Petersen didn’t leave the room as Maria had expected, but lingered at the doctor’s side.

The large screen flickered to life, readouts beginning to scroll as a thermal image of Maria’s body appeared. Maria glanced at it briefly, then concentrated on her breathing, finding her running rhythm. Having endured countless tests before she had been allowed to return to duty, she was a little bored by the whole process, but not particularly worried. Except for her scarring, a missing kidney, and damaged reproductive system, she knew she was in good health. As the treadmill’s speed increased, she easily matched its pace.

“She’s in perfect health despite her past injuries,” Dr. Curran murmured.

“Her readings are superb,” Mr. Petersen agreed.

“Excellent readings on her cardiovascular system,” Dr. Curran noted.

As Maria listened to the two people discuss the status of her health as if she wasn’t even in the room, her thoughts began to drift. She could see the image changing and at one point was fascinated to see her internal organs animated on the screen.

Sweat trickled down her spine and between her breasts as the pace continued to accelerate. The heavy thud of her boot heels against the belt was a steady beat.

The doctor lowered her voice as she spoke to Mr. Petersen and their hushed conversation lured Maria’s attention to them. They both appeared excited and pleased with the data scrolling across the large screen.

After the treadmill, Maria submitted to a variety of tests and watched as samples she provided were examined and evaluated. As the hours wore on, Dr. Curran appeared increasingly pleased with all the results. The blond woman’s stern expression even broke into a smile a few times.

“Excellent, excellent,” she muttered to Maria.

“So I’m a good candidate for the serum?” Maria finally asked after being instructed to don her blouse.

“Absolutely,” Dr. Curran responded, giving her a slight smile.

Up close the doctor appeared older than Maria had first thought, with fine lines around her eyes and strands of white mixed in with the blond. The woman’s face was narrow with high cheekbones and a long nose. Her gray eyes were striking, but her thin mouth tended to frown, already forming lines in the corners.

“Good. I’m ready to do this,” Maria assured her.

“Let’s have a talk, shall we?” Dr. Curran suggested, gathering her pad and striding toward the door.

Mr. Petersen walked behind Maria as she followed the doctor. Dr. Curran moved with a quick gait, her long hair flowing behind her. She led Maria through several thick doors, moving her deeper into the SWD facility through lab areas, offices, and corridors filled with doctors and nurses. The noise and bustle was welcome after the disquieting silence upon her arrival.

Dr. Curran entered a small room with a table set in the center and several chairs circling it. The metallic walls were highly reflective and Maria noticed her form was a fractured image on the surface.

Taking a chair, Maria rested her hands on her lap. The sterile environment and grueling tests had worn on her nerves. She was uncertain what she had expected once she had reported for the mission, but her level of discomfort surprised her. She felt as though she were being kept in the dark about something. That some important bit of information was not being divulged.

The doctor and Mr. Petersen sat across from her. Mr. Petersen folded his arms over his chest, his bland face expressionless while Dr. Curran entered some final notes into her pad.

“May I ask a question?” Maria asked as she finally grasped what was bothering her.

“Of course,” Dr. Curran answered, not looking up.

“This is a safe procedure, this serum…what you’re giving me. It’s safe for me to take?”

“It is,” Dr. Curran assured her.

“And it will make me immune to the Scrags, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then why aren’t you giving it to everyone in the city?”

Dr. Curran lifted her eyes to scrutinize Maria, then folded her hands on the table. “The serum we’re giving you and the other volunteers requires a healthy body. It’s a vaccination that uses a modified version of the Inferi Scourge Plague Virus. You will become very ill for a short period of time before your body builds up a sufficient immunity. You’re in superb physical shape whereas many in the city are not. There would be a good chance that a lot of our citizens would succumb to the serum and become Inferi Scourge.”

“And there is no danger of that happening to me?” Maria asked, rubbing her suddenly damp palms over her knees.

Dr. Curran stared at Maria for a long moment, then said, “Do you really think we’d risk our best soldiers if we were not certain of the serum?”

Before answering, Maria considered the intensive medical examination to which she had just been subjected. “No. I don’t.”

“Precisely,” Dr. Curran agreed. “It’s much safer for everyone in The Bastion if only a few take the Inferi Scourge Plague serum, clear the valley, and close the gate instead of risking our elderly, infirmed, and our children.”

The doctor’s words made perfect sense. “I understand. When will I be given the vaccine?”

“Tomorrow, but I would like to take this time to discuss the Inferi Scourge with you.”