{"id":347,"date":"2014-12-30T06:34:24","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T06:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=347"},"modified":"2021-12-06T19:36:28","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T01:36:28","slug":"part9","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode8\/part9\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 9"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 8: \u00a0FANthrax<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 9<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Still visibly embarrassed by the recent maiming on the helipad, Nick crept back inside the hospital and made his way to the ward designated for anyone affected by the biochemical agent. He glanced through the doors as he put his Hazmat suit back on. Spare hospital beds lined the walls as if they had run out of rooms for the influx of patients and were planning to fill the hallway next.<\/p>\n

Bracing himself, he placed the helmet back on and pulled open the door. As he walked through the ward, an eager young nurse pushed past him, almost knocking him down as she hurried down the hall. He could see a cluster of hospital staff ahead of her.<\/p>\n

Wonder who\u2019s died now,<\/em> Nick speculated as he approached the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse before he went to find Red. But he could barely see anything; it seemed as if all the doctors and nurses were congregating outside one patient\u2019s room. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d Nick asked the young lady who had almost knocked him down. She turned and grinned at him through her face shield.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Carter,\u201d she stated. \u201cHe\u2019s getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m Carter,<\/em> thought Nick in confusion. 00Carter<\/em>. Then he remembered the other Carter, Dr. Carter, whom Red reported had fallen victim to the epidemic at the hospital. \u201cOh — good.\u201d He quickly recovered. \u201cI mean, that\u2019s great news!\u201d<\/p>\n

The young nurse stepped aside so Nick could approach the window where the others stood, watching what was happening in the room. He managed to shove his way through the swarm of healthcare workers to get a better look. Peering through the glass partition, he saw Dr. Carter being examined by two doctors in identical suits. The doctor\u2019s eyes were open and looking around, a faint smile forming on his lips when he recognized his colleagues through the window. Soon he closed his eyes again, presumably to sleep. People started to dissipate, though a few still lingered.<\/p>\n

When one of the doctors turned toward the window, Nick rapped his knuckles on the glass. \u201cRed!\u201d he called.<\/p>\n

Red Jewel looked up, smiling when she saw him. She came out to the hall, carrying a vial of blood in her gloved hand. \u201cNick, he\u2019s improving. The welts are going away, and Jeanie just came back with the results of his latest bloodwork, which shows that his viral load has decreased significantly. I was just getting a fresh blood sample to take back to the lab to synthesize an antidote.\u201d She brushed past him.<\/p>\n

All of a sudden, he heard another commotion at the other end of the hall. The same group of staff members who had gathered outside Dr. Carter\u2019s room now raced down the hall in the other direction. Stuck at the back of the crowd, Red and Nick made it out of the ward just in time to see a stretcher fly by in a flash of blood-soaked blue. \u201cWhat happened, I wonder?\u201d asked Red, frowning in concern behind her face shield.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026 uh\u2026\u201d Nick grimaced. \u201cSlight mishap on the helipad. Julilly can explain when she gets back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh,\u201d murmured Red, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. \u201cWell, I\u2019ve got to get this to the lab. Why don\u2019t you go check on Brian?\u201d With that, she squeezed through the lingering herd of hospital staff and disappeared.<\/p>\n

Nodding after her, Nick turned and ducked back into the isolation ward, making his way to Brian\u2019s room.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Nick stared at Brian\u2019s unconscious body. The seconds ticked by with the steady beep of his heart monitor, reminding Nick that time was running short. His stomach had stopped cramping every time Brian twitched or moaned, mostly because he\u2019d been awfully quiet since Nick had come back. According to Red, who had been monitoring him closely, Brian had slipped into a coma.<\/p>\n

Hearing a soft sob, Nick turned his head toward the woman sitting next to him. Through the clear front of her face shield, he could see tears rolling silently down her cheeks as her bright green eyes took in the grim sight of her boyfriend lying in the hospital bed in front of her. Feeling oddly inadequate, not knowing what to do or say, Nick sighed and looked back at Brian.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, the door of the room burst open, startling both of them. In came Jeanie, holding a syringe in one hand, followed closely by Red.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it ready?\u201d Opal asked, rising from her seat. Nick noticed the hint of hope hidden in her voice.<\/p>\n

Red nodded. \u201cYes, finally. We ran a couple of tests on the guinea pigs, and it seems to work just fine. Let\u2019s just hope the same for Brian.\u201d Sighing, she turned to look at Jeanie, who was preparing the needle for injection. \u201cLet\u2019s just hope we\u2019re not too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opal let out another sob, her lower lip trembling. \u201cBaby…\u201d<\/p>\n

They all stood still and watched Jeanie find the vein in Brian\u2019s arm and wipe the area where she was going to inject the needle with an alcohol swab. Being the pro that she was, it took her only seconds to insert the syringe with the antidote made from Dr. Carter\u2019s blood into Brian\u2019s skin and push the plunger down. Nick held his breath as the antidote made its way into Brian\u2019s bloodstream.<\/p>\n

Jeanie placed a clean cotton ball over the injection site and withdrew the needle from Brian\u2019s skin, gently applying pressure on his arm. Behind her face shield, her expression was full of fatigue and sorrow, but Nick could also see the determination in her eyes as she stepped back to observe him with the others.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s hope for the best, people. If Dr. Carter could get better, so can Officer Littrell.\u201d Her eyes panned across all three of them slowly, her gaze landing on Opal, whose eyes were still fixed on Brian. \u201cI just hope we weren\u2019t too late. The efficiency of the antidote is the only thing we can lean on right now — that and the strength of Officer Littrell\u2019s immune system. We can only wait and see how his body will react now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opal collapsed back onto the chair she\u2019d been sitting in and bent over, resting her helmeted head in her gloved hands. Nick could hear her whispering words of prayer under her breath, as she had been doing between her sobs for the past few hours.<\/p>\n

Red motioned for Jeanie to follow her outside the room, mouthing, \u201cWe\u2019ll be right back,\u201d to Nick through her face shield.<\/p>\n

As the two doctors left the room, Nick saw Julilly standing in the doorway. Meeting his gaze, she raised her hand to wave, hesitating to come into the room. Figuring he could leave Opal alone with Brian for a couple of minutes, Nick went out into the hallway to meet Julilly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is he holding up?\u201d Julilly asked hesitantly.<\/p>\n

Nick let out a tired sigh, fogging up the front of his helmet. \u201cI don\u2019t know. He was going in and out, but now he\u2019s in a coma. Jeanie and Red just gave him the antidote they prepared from Dr. Carter\u2019s blood, but I don\u2019t know if it will work.\u201d He growled exasperatedly. \u201cI just wish I\u2019d gotten the chance to rip that twitchy bastard\u2019s head off. A helicopter crash was a good way to go compared to what I would have done to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Julilly flashed him a sympathetic smile. \u201cLittrell will be fine, Nick. He may be small, but I think he\u2019s pretty tough on the inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick nodded. \u201cYes, he is.\u201d He looked back into the room, where Brian was still lying unconscious. \u201cHe knows how to kick some serious ass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave faith in him, Nick, and have faith in the antidote. You\u2019ll see\u2026 Before you realize it, he\u2019ll be back on his feet, healthier than ever. I don\u2019t know him personally, but from what I could tell, he\u2019s not the kind of person to let a stupid virus take him down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick knew Julilly was right. Although he didn\u2019t want to admit it, in the short and not-so-pleasant time he had worked with Brian, Nick had witnessed the CIA officer\u2019s strength and determination. No wonder he was known as The Rok. Nick thought Brian would do a brilliant job if he were a part of HimTak.<\/p>\n

But still, he was worried. Not only was he worried because someone he knew had caught this awful virus and was battling for his life right behind that door; he was worried because it was Brian. Brian, Officer Littrell, The Rok. Cousin of his boss, ally of HimTak, and for this past mission, his partner. Someone he\u2019d fought alongside for the same cause.<\/p>\n

At that point, it didn\u2019t matter that Brian was a part of the American government, a group Nick hated almost more than he hated FANS. He was suddenly overcome with a strange realization: he cared for Brian. He was as surprised as he was worried, but he found himself deeply hoping that Brian would be back on his feet soon, so that he could annoy the hell out of Nick.<\/p>\n

Nick let out another sigh. \u201cI should go back in,\u201d was all he said. He would never admit his true feelings out loud.<\/p>\n

Julilly nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll be around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeling the need to be polite, Nick knocked on the door before walking back into the room. The scene was identical to the one he\u2019d left: Brian lay unconsciously in the silent room, accompanied only by the constant beeping and buzzing of the machines, with Opal crying silently on the other side of the room.<\/p>\n

Opal.<\/p>\n

Nick was clueless when it came to comforting other people; hell, he didn\u2019t even know how to comfort himself. And he was notorious for saying the wrong things at the very wrong times. But, at least, he could be there. He could just be there for her.<\/p>\n

Slumping into the chair next to Opal, he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards him. Reacting to his touch, Opal gave in and rested her head on his shoulder, tugging on his suit.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s gonna be alright, Opal,\u201d he whispered as he rubbed her arm with his gloved hand. \u201cHe\u2019s gonna be alright.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The day turned into night. Night passed gradually. They waited. Mostly in silence, with occasional coffee breaks, chit-chatting now and then about the most random things, just to break the tension surrounding them. Nick made sure he goofed around enough to distract Opal from going crazy just waiting there. She wanted to know all the details about the virus, the mission, and the man behind it all.<\/p>\n

When dawn broke, the sun shone with its full might. The room was dim because of the closed window blinds, but the sunbeams still seeped in, bathing the room in a soft orange tone.<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s head kept falling down onto his chest; every time, he jerked his chin up, his eyes flying open to see if there was any difference in Brian\u2019s condition. Opal had been sleepless all night, barely winking an eye.<\/p>\n

However, the last time Nick nodded off, it wasn\u2019t his fallen head that woke him up. It was Opal\u2019s sudden tugging on his arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe moved!\u201d Opal whispered enthusiastically. \u201cNick! Wake up! Brian just moved his foot!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Nick straightened himself up on the chair, rubbing his eyes.<\/p>\n

Opal was already by Brian\u2019s bedside, carefully examining his face. Afraid a single touch would break him into pieces, she gently stroked his hand.<\/p>\n

Nick shook the sleepiness off of him right in time to see Brian moving his head slightly.<\/p>\n

A minute later, Brian\u2019s eyes fluttered open. \u201cAshy…\u201d his voice cracked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m right here, baby,\u201d Opal said tenderly, taking his hand in hers. \u201cThank God..\u201d<\/p>\n

In an attempt to speak more, Brian tried to clear his throat, which made him cough uncontrollably.<\/p>\n

\u201cShh\u2026 don\u2019t wear yourself down,\u201d Opal coaxed her boyfriend. She used a damp cloth to wipe away the tiny beads of sweat that had appeared on Brian\u2019s forehead. \u201cYou need your energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the coughing fit subsided, Brian let out a low groan. Looking around, he noticed Nick sitting on the other side of the room. His eyes shifted to Opal again, his expression confused. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

A single tear rolled down on Opal\u2019s face. \u201cOh baby, I thought I lost you. When Nick told me you got infected, I thought you were going to die. You\u2019ve been through hell and back, baby. I don\u2019t know what I would do if I lost you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian cleared his throat. \u201cI\u2019m not going anywhere, Ash,\u201d he said hoarsely, his eyes never leaving her face. \u201cI won\u2019t let anything tear us apart, let alone a stupid virus.\u201d He cracked a smile. \u201cI\u2019m the luckiest man in the world. Your love kept me alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you, Brian\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick just sat there awkwardly, a heavy lump caught in his throat. He wasn\u2019t one to enjoy emotional scenes; as a matter of fact, he felt quite uncomfortable whenever he found himself in one. This time around, though, he was surprised to find himself getting emotional, too.<\/p>\n

Brian was a lucky man.<\/p>\n

He stood up from his seat and snuck out of the room, trying not to draw any attention to himself. Luckily, Brian and Opal were too engrossed in each other to notice.<\/p>\n

He bumped into Red and Jeanie in the hallway.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just coming to tell you…\u201d he started.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid something happen to Brian?\u201d Red cut his sentence worriedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he\u2019s getting better,\u201d Nick replied. \u201cActually, he just woke up!\u201d<\/p>\n

The two doctors looked at each other for a second to process the news they\u2019d just heard. It took them another second to fully comprehend what Nick had said, but he saw the moment when their eyes lit up behind their face shields. \u201cThank God,\u201d Red murmured, hugging Jeanie through her Hazmat suit. \u201cWe did it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI better go inside to check him,\u201d Jeanie said as Red released her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would wait for a while if I were you,\u201d Nick chimed in, wiggling his eyebrows. \u201cLet the lovebirds finish declaring their undying love for each other.\u201d He pointed his finger at his open mouth, pretending to retch.<\/p>\n

Jeanie and Red could only show patience for another five minutes before bursting back into Brian\u2019s room. It surprised Nick how much better Brian looked already: the black pustules were disappearing, his blue eyes were shining, and he was smiling. So was Opal.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook who\u2019s back among us!\u201d Red said joyfully. \u201cYou just kicked the virus\u2019s butt, Officer Littrell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had doubts that I wouldn\u2019t, Dr. Llewellyn?\u201d<\/p>\n

Red shook her head. \u201cNot for a second, Brian. Not for a damn second.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the next half an hour, the hallway outside Brian\u2019s room filled with other members of the hospital staff, who stopped by to see for themselves that their patient was improving. One survivor was one thing, but two meant that the antidote was working and could be used to cure other victims.<\/p>\n

Eventually, the rush died down, leaving Brian alone with the people who knew him best. Happiness was contagious inside his hospital room. Red talked a mile a minute, telling Brian all about the virus and how Jeanie had come up with the cure for it. Opal couldn\u2019t stop smiling as she coddled her boyfriend, stroking his hair and promising to nurse him back to health once he was well enough to go home.<\/p>\n

Nick watched the scene before him with a peaceful feeling until a soft knock on the door diverted his attention. A nurse poked her head inside, eyeing everyone before entering the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to interrupt,\u201d she said, \u201cbut I\u2019m afraid visiting hours are over. We have to let Mr. Littrell rest. He\u2019s been through a lot, as you already know. Plus, the sooner he gets back on his feet, the sooner we can send him home.\u201d<\/p>\n

They all nodded in agreement. Red said goodbye to Brian and followed the nurse outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be back first thing in the morning.\u201d Opal squeezed Brian\u2019s hand before she let go. \u201cEven before you wake up. I love you, baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian smiled and blew her a kiss. \u201cI love you too, Ash.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opal left Brian\u2019s side and walked over to the door. Nick held it open for her, motioning her to go out first. She smiled with gratitude as she walked past him.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarter?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick was about to step outside the door when he heard Brian call his name. He stopped and turned back towards his hospital bed.<\/p>\n

A mischievous smile played on the CIA officer\u2019s lips. \u201cI heard you wailed like a baby in a helicopter chase… just to try and save me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well… word travels fast around here, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d Nick suddenly felt embarrassed. What had he been thinking when he\u2019d told Opal how he\u2019d almost had a panic attack during the chase, anyway?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m kidding, Carter.\u201d Brian chuckled softly before his expression turned serious. \u201cThank you. For everything. But especially for taking care of Opal. It means a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick lowered his head, kicking an invisible object on the floor. \u201cNah, it\u2019s no biggie\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI owe you, Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Nick\u2019s turn to return the mischievous smile. He lifted his index finger towards Brian. \u201cI\u2019ll make sure you pay me back, El-li-ott\u2026\u201d he spoke in his ET voice.<\/p>\n

Instead of shaking his head and rolling his eyes as he would normally do, Brian lifted his own hand up and motioned to his forehead with his finger. \u201cI\u2019ll\u2026 be\u2026 right\u2026 here\u2026\u201d He imitated his own version of ET\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

Surprised that the CIA officer was actually going along with his joke, Nick grinned and motioned towards the door once again. \u201cGlad to have you back, Littrell.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 10<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 8: \u00a0FANthrax Part 9   Still visibly embarrassed by the recent maiming on the helipad, Nick crept back inside the hospital and made his way to the ward designated for anyone affected by the biochemical agent. He glanced through the doors as he put his Hazmat suit back on.\u2026<\/p>\n

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