When the world goes to hell, what do you do? Are you the one who shelters themselves in hiding or fights it head on? Well when the world did go to hell, there weren’t many fighters… but there weren’t many hiders either.
When the outbreak started it seemed as though it was like any other sickness. Some tried to mask the sickness with over the counter medicine from the local drug store and some went straight to the nearest doctor or hospital. Although this sickness was unlike any other. It spread faster than any other disease seen. This disease seem to spread to the entire body and the list of symptoms seemed to grow so fast sometimes it only took about an hour before you were already saying your last prayers. The sickness spread like wildfire, it almost seemed too late when they started looking for a cure; many had already died and there were many more knocking on death’s door.
The medical team in charge of finding a cure was located in Stanford, California. The team consisted of three doctors, two scientists, and one chemist. Some people called this team the “Six Saviors” while others called them a lost cost. The team never gave an update on their progress to the media and this caused many people to lose hope and believe they weren’t even trying to help. After the first month of the epidemic, the disease began to be called Harlequin. This was because the disease seemed to be making a “fool” of doctors. Where, under it’s mask, it was prancing around killing anything in sight while doctors panicked trying to figure out what to do. After about the second month of the outbreak it began to be nicknamed “Harley” as a nickname for Harlequin.
Six months after patient zero… or what is assumed to be patient zero, it spread so fast it is hard to pinpoint exactly who was the first patient. Now, six months later and the only people left from the medical team are the two scientists. The rest of the team eventually got infected and died off, just more victims for “Harley” to claim. The two scientists left were both young women just in the beginning of their careers. Their names were Maria and Erica. Both women were single with no children. Erica went to work each day then went home to the same bland apartment where she spent her time reading and listening to music. Maria, after work, would begin her “second job” which was taking care of her father. Maria’s father moved in with her about two years prior to the disease even starting, after her mother died of a heart attack.
Each day the two ladies came to work, they immediately began their work on the cure for the outbreak. They had the same routine for every day, they would spend the first half of the day manufacturing a new cure and the second half of the day testing it. At the end of each day they would dispose of the failed cure and start fresh the next day. Even though the world population was substantially lower they knew there was still a chance in saving the fair few who were still alive if they just found the cure. Maria and Erica were not exactly close. They had very different views on almost everything. Maria believed that every day they failed, they were one step closer to their goal. Maria was the optimist. Erica, on the other hand, believed each day they failed was another sign to just stop searching for the cure and just accept fate. Erica was the pessimist.
Erica had interesting beliefs. Erica believed that God put “Harley” on Earth for a reason and humans should not be fighting so hard for a cure because it would be going against God’s will. She always described the epidemic as something of a rapture from God and he wanted all those people to die for a reason and it would be wrong to change that.
Eight months since patient zero, Maria came into the office and put her lab coat on just as she did every morning. Although she moved a bit slower than she usually did. Erica, observing the difference in Maria’s facade, she asked her what was wrong.
“It’s my dad…” she said softly, “... Harley got him.” She said this with a look of guilt on her face. Like it was her fault. As if she could have protected him from “Harley.” The room was silent until finally Maria broke the silence with a big breath in as if she were about to blow out birthday candles on a cake. Then she let out a big sigh. She clapped her hands together and chanted, “Well! Let’s get to work!” She smiled at Erica who was just speechless at the other end of the room. She knew Maria was broken on the inside, but she also knew Maria was not in the mood to talk about their feelings.
More days went by and more cures were failing. Maria began to get a big more frustrated with each failure. She was no longer just doing this for humanity but also to save her father, the last loved one left in her small family. The only thing that made Maria more angry then a failed cure was when Erica would recommend they just stop trying.
Nine months since patient zero. They were just about finished making another cure and they were going to begin the testing process soon. Maria began to sweat. Within two minutes she was no longer sweating but also shaking. Three more minutes and she began to feel very sick. Maria abruptly go up from her chair and stumbled away from the counter. She began to panic while Erica jumped up, alarmed that Maria suddenly stopped what she was doing. Maria began to pace back and forth but then stopped all of the sudden. She then looked directly at Erica slowly shaking her head. Her eyes looked bigger then they had ever looked before. Her eyes began to water and all she could mutter through her trembling lips was, “S-s-sorry.” Erica just stared at her, looking puzzled until it had finally clicked in her head. Maria was infected. Maria’s father must have infected her at some point while taking care of him. But then why did she apologize to Erica. Erica then realized she was now infected by Maria.
Erica slowly got up and walked toward Maria. Maria, in fear of getting slapped by Erica, closed her eyes and put her hands up by her face. She then felt arms wrapping around her. Erica was hugging her. Maria began to sob. She cried so hard, she dropped to her knees and held her head in her hands. Erica stepped back from Maria and just smiled. Maria was scared of the eerie grin and asked her why she was so happy. Erica responded softly saying, “You see, you saved me. I can now die and see my family in heaven. It is God’s will and I am finally ready to be with my Lord in heaven… I know you and so many good people will be there too. So do not cry. We are going somewhere where disease can not get us. We’ll be happy. A feeling we have not felt in many months.”
An hour later, both girls are lying dead on the cold lab floor. The last hope for humanity had gone. All that was left was a tiny vile sitting on the lab counter. Inside that vile was the very last cure they were able to make before they died. Sadly, they died before they could test it because in that very vile was the successful cure they had been searching the past nine months for. The vile would forever sit on that kitchen counter. Never to be picked up. Never to be tested. Never to be used.