N87 Virus | Book 1 | After the Outbreak Kadin, Karri (booksvooks TXT) 📖

watching, surrounded by his Collectors. People got all riled up and went to whooping and hollering. Demanding Dr. Neff explain himself. Instead of confronting the crowd, the Collectors escorted him out the door and back to the medical camp. The people took this as a sign that Billy was right. More people spoke out about Dr. Neff and how something should be done.” Sandra took a sip of her tea. Allison watched the tears gather in Sandra’s eyes. “Billy arranged a secret meeting with many prominent locals to discuss forming a militia to take the medical camp and remove Dr. Neff from power.” Sandra wiped the tears away before they rolled off her cheek.

“That took some guts,” Allison said.

“When Billy didn’t show to his own meeting, some of the others went to his house to look for him. His door was unlocked, there was uneaten breakfast on the table and fresh coffee on the counter. They walked around his property and his animals had not been tended to that morning and his truck was still there by the barn. But Billy wasn’t anywhere. He never showed up again. Officially he was declared a missing person. Billy’s disappearance ended any talk about overthrowing that son of a bitch doctor.” Sandra finished her tea.

“That’s absolutely horrible. He sounds so brave. Like he was really one of the good guys. Did you know him well?” Allison asked as she moved near Sandra to sit at her feet. Allison placed her hand gently on Sandra’s.

“Yeah, I did. He was my brother.” Sandra grasped Allison’s hand and let the tears flow.

Chapter Seven Dr. Neff

The former Infected boy lay quietly on the exam table with his eyes closed. His little body battered, bruised, and tired from too much blood loss. Tubing carrying his blood extended from him into a dialysis machine before exiting into tubing on the other side. The line of tubing disappeared behind a curtain. Dr. Neff stood by the boy, watching the instruments that tracked the boy’s vitals. They weren’t looking good.

“That’s enough for today. Take him back to his room. No other tests are to be conducted on him until further notice. Make sure we give him the post-donation meal and supplements,” Dr. Neff said.

Dr. Samuel came out from behind the curtain and pulled it aside to reveal Christopher in his electrified cage, curled in a ball, fast asleep. Dr. Samuel turned the power off on the cage and opened the door, leaving it only slightly ajar. He expertly removed the IV and tubing from Christopher’s arm before securing the door and turning the power on once again.

“How is my perfect patient?” Dr. Neff asked.

“He is doing well. No reaction to the blood this time. Maybe this is the—” A scream erupted into the air, cutting off the man as he spoke.

Christopher’s body heaved in the cage as he convulsed, white foam spewed from his mouth, and his hairline was damp from the sweat forming across his brow. The cage rattled and buzzed as his body made contact with its sides. His eyes sprung open as his body stilled. He rolled to his side and vomited a black ooze that leaked onto the clinic floor. His eyes fluttered shut as his body went limp. Dr. Samuel ran to the cage and injected a sedative into Christopher’s arm before opening the cage back up again and examining him. Dr. Neff paced, his eyes locked onto his son.

“His blood pressure is a little low. He’s tachycardic almost to the speed it’s at when he is in predator mode. He has a fever.” Dr. Samuel pressed a cool rag to Christopher’s head.

“Something isn’t right. There is a capability factor we are missing. This former Infected won’t work as a donor for Christopher, but I have other uses for him. Have him taken back to his room. I will stay with my son,” Dr. Neff said as he kneeled down next to Christopher’s open cage door.

Dr. Samuel patted Neff’s shoulder before wheeling the boy, still strapped to the table, out of the room. Dr. Neff filled a bag with ice from a cooler near the cage and rested it across his son’s forehead as he tenderly brushed his hair behind his ears. He leaned down and pressed his lips to his son’s forehead, and the boy stirred. Dr. Neff administered another dose of sedative and the boy’s body stilled once more. He left the ice pack on Christopher’s head as he shut the cage door and turned the electrical current back on before he walked out of the room.

Dr. Neff stood in the woods leaning against a black van flanked by Collectors with matching buzz cuts. He glanced at his watch. She’s late. He walked to the back of the van and swung open the doors. Christopher lay asleep in his cage, his chestnut hair neatly combed, face scrubbed clean, dressed in Batman pajamas. Wire wrapped around each cage bar hooked to the battery beside it. Battery at 60%. That should get him there. The boy shifted in his sleep. Dr. Neff leaned forward and checked the IV attached to the boy’s arm. He took a syringe from the case nearby and injected it into the port on the IV line. Must keep you asleep, my boy.

A white van appeared on the road between the trees. It drove slowly, cautiously. It parked near the black one, and three Collectors exited. Two flanked the van, nodding greetings to the buzz cut twins. The third opened the back door, extending his hand to the occupant. Out came a woman, her brown skin, black hair beautifully complimented by her powder white blouse and olive pants. Stunning.

“Hello, Nick,” she said pushing her curls from her face before walking to the rear of the black van.

“Hello, Natasha. It’s good to see you,” he said. She nodded.

“How did Christopher handle the trip?” she asked.

“Everything went smoothly. I just gave him another dose of sedative so he should be