Burning Slow

A Solution

"Why can't I find a f*****g formula?!" The scientist proceeded to run back and forth in his laboratory, digging through piles and piles of stacked papers in the room to find a formula that could save his daughter. He had no idea if there was one but he was determined. Even with all the dust, paper and chemicals scattered all over the room, he didn't let any of that hinder him from trying to bring his daughter back to life.

The smell of toxic waste was the only scent you could smell in the whole room and it was starting to spread throughout the whole house. It should have killed them in a snap but for some reason, they were still alive, breathing and feeling nothing abnormal in their bodies despite inhaling the toxic fumes day in and day out.

A person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder would probably faint at the first sight of how messy the room is. Hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals on the floor, on the tables, on the window sills, every-f*****g-where. Toxic wastes in every corner of the room. There was no way to identify all the smells in the room- the smells, fumes that they shouldn't even be inhaling. The smell in the room is incredibly toxic and was starting to spread throughout the whole house, no longer contained only within the room. From inhaling all these toxic fumes day in and day out, it was a surprise that their bodies had managed to not shut down and still work perfectly fine.

Nathan watched as Greyson continued to dig through the piles and piles of the scattered papers- files, documents, some were trash- in the room as he kept on mumbling to himself.

He made a promise. A promise to save his daughter and so he will.

But how? That was the question that left him baffled and he had no time to think through their current situation, no time to organize his thoughts; he was just on a fight response- fighting against time to save his daughter- away from the clutches of death.

Determination was clear in his eyes, as clear as day, but still after hours of searching for that damned red folder that he knew would probably help them in their situation, he kept coming up empty. He was starting to lose hope- determination just was not enough sometimes.

He could not lose his daughter. He just can't. Not now, not ever. She can't be the one to be reunited with their loved ones first, it's not fair; not for any of them.

"Greyson, it has been five days. Let her sleep in peace, please. Please." Nathan pleaded as he stared at his best friend's lifeless body in the blindingly white room she was in. 

Ember always hated dull rooms. 

He hesitated on turning on the transparency mode of the walls but seeing her everyday is what kept him going. Ember looked like she was only sleeping- willing himself to believe a lie he built for himself.

"Nathan, you don't understand, I need her." He panted, looking at Nathan straight in the eyes. "I need her. Get Alex!" Greyson looked like he was on the verge of tearing his hair out.

"Alex is dead." Nathan said. "He was infected weeks ago. He already died weeks ago just like Ember did days ago." He watched the scientist still study the scattered papers in the room for the hundredth time today, it seems he hadn't even heard what Nathan had just told him. He massaged his head, feeling another headache starting to come in. "Greyson, you are the only scientist remaining on Earth. At least the only scientist who still remained on the grid despite all of the s**t thrown at scientist when this virus spread out. Especially the parents." He shuddered at the memory.

Greyson collapsed on the chair next to him.. "There must be some other way..."

And it was as if a light bulb just went off- Greyson jumped- effectively startling the young adult- as he dug through a pile of forgotten folders in the corner of the room.

He should have searched there from the beginning.

Nathan watched the man that he already considered as his father frantically dig through junk. "What are you doing?"

"Before the virus spread out, we gathered some data and found intriguing particles in your blood and in Ember's blood so we conducted a research. I kept the blood of all of them in the basement in case there's a need for it or if I get bored and decide to experiment on... things." Greyson shrugged. "Anyways, we collected the blood of all children born in 2209 because that's the year that you kids with powers were born. So yeah, ninety percent of the world are dead and we're going to save Ember with the preserved blood that I conveniently volunteered to keep safe."

"What do you mean?" 

Greyson simply smirked at the teenager. "Ah here it is." The folder was encased in a thin layer of dust. Greyson blew on it, mixing more dust with the toxic fume filled room.

Nathan coughed, accidentally inhaling some of the dust.

He stared in wonder at his father figure. Although he was confused, he was also extremely curious. "What if whatever your idea is doesn't work?" He asked, deciding to roll with it. If there was a way to save his best friend, he will do whatever it takes to bring her back.

"It will work. Trust me." Greyson assured as he scribbled on a piece of paper. " Here. Grab your gas mask, we're going shopping." 

"Shopping?"

He ignore Nathan, handing him the piece of paper he scribbled on earlier as he passed by him, stopping in front of his daughter's encasement, staring at his daughter with longing in his eyes. "We're going to save you, love. I promise."

The pair stepped out of the house, more determined than they ever were.

A possible way to save their dead flame? Why not?