After the Cure

The video cut out and Nella turned to Dr. Pazzo. He was shaking and held up one hand as if to forestall her questions. "I think," he said in a low voice, "I'm going to leave you both to watch the next pieces alone. I will answer any questions you have tomorrow, but I don't think I can live through the next part again. If you'll excuse me," he rose from his seat, "Mr. Courtlen, Dr. Rider goodnight. And thank you for the books." Dr. Pazzo shuffled down the hall followed by his guards.

  Mr. Courtlen took a deep breath and puffed his cheeks blowing it slowly out again. "Do you know what is on the next tape?" asked Nella.

  "I haven't watched it, but I can guess that it is at this point that Dr. Pazzo secluded himself and the others in the lab. Dr. Pazzo's notes say this is a key piece of evidence, but I'm not so sure- I think we've pretty much seen all the evidence that matters. Let's get to it though."

  "I'm not really concerned with evidence. Did he tell you about his relationship with Ann? Or Dr. Schneider?"

  Mr. Courtlen shook his head. "No, I didn't know he and Ann were sleeping together. I guess it's not really that important for the trial."

  "It might explain some of his actions. Why didn't he contact the authorities?"

  "I have a feeling Dr. Schneider was at least partially responsible for that part. And you saw how panicked he was. He probably thought he could get ahead of it. If anyone found out- about any of it; sloppy laboratory practices or sleeping with interns, he could lose his job and his reputation would be permanently scarred."

  Nella picked up the remote and started the video again. The camera still showed Dr. Schneider taped to the chair on the side of the screen. She appeared to have fallen asleep. Two blue suited figures walked in, one supporting the other. Dr. Pazzo removed his helmet and guided Ann into a nearby chair, where he removed her helmet as well. She was awake, but to Nella appeared exhausted or drugged. Her eyes stared toward the camera but didn't seem to register anything around her. She seemed to have been chewing on her lip, there was a thin line of dark, crusted blood just below it and there were minor scratches on her face.

  "Stay here Ann," said Dr. Pazzo and Nella saw Dr. Schneider start from her sleep.

  "You're back then," said Dr. Schneider.

  "Yes, we're here."

  "Are you going to let me go?"

  "Are you going to help me figure this out?"

  "She looks fine Robert, just tired. Why don't we all go home and get some sleep and in the morning-"

  Dr. Pazzo crossed the room with surprising speed. He shoved Dr. Schneider's chair and she rolled rapidly toward Ann. The two women were about a foot from each other, but Ann didn't even blink. Dr. Pazzo grabbed the back of Dr. Schneider's head and forced her to look at Ann.

  "Look at her," he said, and his voice was low and threatening, "She can't walk straight. She's been scratching at her face." He pulled the glove off of one of Ann's hand. The tips of her fingers were pulsing with blood. "She's been eating her hands Gerta. Does that seem fucking fine to you?"

  "Let me go," said Gerta, "Okay, I get it, let me go. We'll do the samples now."

  "You aren't going to try to run?"

  Gerta sighed. "No, if there is really something wrong it's too late for me to go anywhere now."

  Dr. Pazzo began removing the tape. Dr. Schneider silently moved off screen and returned with a first aid kit. "Get the lab ready," she said, "I'll work on her hands."

  The camera cut out for a second. Dr. Pazzo appeared on screen talking into the camera.

  "I'm not sure who I'm leaving this for, but I hope that someone will find it. I would send it out over the internet, but Ann- well, Ann had an episode. The modem is in pieces and Gerta has confiscated my cell. Some nonsense about damage control. As if there could be any control after this." He scrubbed his face with his hand. "I've put Ann in the animal holding area for now and locked the door, so that she can't destroy anything else. Gerta is going over and over the tests, but I'm afraid there is no doubt. The strain of strep has mutated." Nella saw tears starting up in Dr. Pazzo's eyes as he backed a few feet from the camera and sat heavily down into a desk chair.

  "I guess that answers the question," said Mr. Courtlen. Nella nodded and turned back toward the screen.

  "Ann's antibody levels are abnormally high, even in the presence of strep. The closest thing I can compare her behavior to is Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder, but I've never seen it in an adult before. She is unable to walk without lurching and stumbling. She won't stop chewing on her bottom lip and her hands. In fact, she seems not to even notice that she is doing it." Dr. Pazzo stopped and Nella watched a tear slide down his face. He cleared his throat. "She has become erratic and aggressive which are not normal traits for her at all. She smashed a good deal of equipment before I could sedate her and contain her in the animal room. I didn't want to do it, but there is only one other room with a lock on it, and that is the closet for cleaning supplies. I can't tell if Gerta and I are infected or not. So far our blood tests aren't showing anything, but it could just be a matter of time. Whether or not we will experience the same symptoms as Ann, I don't know. There is really no way to conclusively test for inflammation of nerves in the brain. I hope Ann is the exception. But to be safe we are going to have to quarantine the lab. Gerta doesn't accept this and I'm afraid I may have to force the issue if she doesn't come around. Until we have proof that this strain is not as dangerous as it has become for Ann or we are past the incubation period for ourselves, we can't risk exposing anyone else. Eight weeks should be sufficient to evaluate our symptoms and to see if our bodies will be capable of fighting the infection off naturally. If Ann does have a form of ANDAS, her body's defenses are unfortunately fighting her brain and not the bacteria. In our quest to develop a bacterial mule that would succeed in the greatest number of subjects, Gerta and I-" Dr. Pazzo shook his head, "No, not Gerta, I chose a bacteria that was resistant to all known antibiotics. There is no known cure. I cannot realistically hope that the infection has been isolated to the lab, but still I have to take precautions. All I can hope for is that the bacteria remains harmless to the rest of the population. If not, I hope this record and our data will help someone develop an effective antibiotic quickly. I am going to close up the lab now. I will leave a disinfected copy of this video in the-"

  A banging sound came from behind Dr. Pazzo. He turned swiftly in his chair. "Jesus," he said. He stood and walked toward the animal room behind him. Standing at the window was Ann. She was slapping the glass with her hand. Nella couldn't see much of her face, she was too far from the camera. "I'm hungry Robert," she yelled. She smacked the glass.

  "You just ate Ann," said Dr. Pazzo trying to maintain a reasonable tone.

  "I'm hungry," she smacked the glass a little harder, leaving a pink streak where the bandage on her hand had slipped. "I'm hungry, Robert, I'm HUNGRY!" She was yelling louder now. Dr. Pazzo ran a hand through his hair, distressed. "I'M HUNGRY, I'M HUNGRY! I'M HUNGRY," Ann was screaming louder and faster now, flinging her whole shoulder against the glass with deep, nauseating thuds. Suddenly she stumbled deeper into the room away from the glass. Nella heard the shrieking of dozens of monkeys, along with Ann continually screaming, "HUNGRY," over and over. This went on for several seconds and Dr. Pazzo began slapping the glass window. "Ann, Ann," he called. Something smacked the window with a wet crunch, as if several carrots were snapped at once. Nella jumped. Whatever it was smacked the window again, leaving a smear of blood and silver fur. Ann came up to the glass holding a limp monkey just in front of Dr. Pazzo. He backed up slowly from the window. "Hungry," Ann said and buried her face in the carcass. Dr. Pazzo sank down into a crouch, his head swallowed in his arms. "No, no, no," he cried and rocked back and forth. The video cut out.

  Quarantine