Viral Pandemic

Chapter 4

Dr. Austin was literally shouting orders to keep the Zo-20 patients in special rooms, with their hands chained to various places in the room. Later that day, she was surprised by a report saying that one of the patients was screaming uncontrollably.

She immediately grabbed her coat, and ran to the “special room”. A teenage girl was screaming and struggling to free herself. Dr. Austin saw that the patient turned zombie was tied to her bed, a metal bar attached to the wall, the window sill, and the door by metal chains.

Dr. Austin could not bear the scene anymore and went out through the door. She ordered the staff in charge of the “special rooms” to deprive the patients of human needs after they turn into a zombie. Immediately, one of the staffs lowered the temperature of the room to 3 degree Celsius. She planned to make them die or be disabled by cold and starvation.

She walked backed to her office, giving reassuring looks to the patients who had noticed something wrong. When she entered her office, she found another fax from the UpLine. It contained information about the virus and also how to recognize a zombie.

Dr. Austin was taken aback. Out of all the symptoms that were written down there, none of them matched what happened to the teen girl just now. The fax also said there are no other symptoms. If a patient shows none, then it may not have activated yet. After the incubation period was over, the fax also said that if the person is still fine, then the virus had been rejected automatically by the immune system.

Dr. Austin could remember that the girl had been here for three weeks. Almost over the incubation period. She was now wondering what to do now. There was a risk of the zombie, yes, but on the other hand, she wouldn’t let a sick person suffer. In the end, she ordered for the room temperature to be re-adjusted and for the chains to be unlocked. Later on, it turned out that the girl was screaming uncontrollably out of fear, and that she was perfectly fine.

Before anyone knew it, it was already time to go home. As usual, Dr. Austin checked on a few of her patients before leaving. To her relief, all of them were fine. One of the patients even gave her a pack of chocolate. She received it with a smile and bid the mid-30s woman goodnight.

While she was leaving the hospital to join the traffic jam on the road back home, she bought some snacks and more coffee on the way. All these would be used during the jam. Instead of waiting behind the wheel and muttering curses, she preferred to have something to munch on.

Fortunately for her, the traffic jam seemed to be clearing up by the time she arrived at the usual jam spot. She was surprised and happy at the same time. Unfortunately, she had no idea what a mess she had left at the hospital.