"I don't like this plan," Sevita grumbled. Nella sighed and strained to see into the power plant's dark interior."You couldn't think of a better one," she said, giving up and turning back toward her friend. "Besides, what could happen? This guy is just a jeweler. Pazzo wouldn't have any co-conspirators. He's too controlling for that.""Why couldn't I have gone instead of Christine?"Nella laughed. "You're too well known. It would have been career suicide. If anyone, it should have been me and Christine that went.""You're no good at lying. He would have seen right through you.""I know, I know. This way no one gets caught.""That's so boring," Sevita grumbled.Nella laughed. Sevita tapped her fingers along herknee and Nella rolled the window down for some fresh air. "You're sure that's all he brought in with him?" Sevita asked."Hmm? Oh, Dr. Pazzo, yeah, three pens, an almost empty wallet and a dead cell phone.""Well did anyone check the lab where he was found?""Yeah, I asked Fran

Nella paused and Frank shook his head in warning. She pushed forward anyway. "I don't know Dr. Pazzo, why did she become so much more damaged than you?" She pulled the photos from the CAT scan from her brief case and threw them at him. They slid glossy and bright and damning over the floor. "I'm not the one who created this thing. I can only fix what I understand. Why don't you tell me?"He slumped back onto the bench. Nella knelt down on one knee so that Dr. Pazzo could see her face. She picked up a photo. "This is what I understand, Robert," she said holding it up to him. "See this dark empty void here? That's where Ann lived. That's where her memories of you were, all the memories of who she was meant to be. And see these small spots here? That one was where she was happy. And that one let her string together her thoughts so that I could understand what is happening in her brain, why she screams about teeth, why she can't stop hurting herself."Dr. Pazzo took the photo and cradled

I don't like leaving you without your car. What if you need to go to the hospital?"She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I won't need to go to the hospital.""But if you find it and the vial is broken-""Then I won't be going to the hospital. Sevita needed the car. It didn't make sense to have it parked here all day.""Then drive me to the courthouse and take this one."The parking lot was cold and breezy, old leaves raking themselves across it and catching in the cracks like little flags. She straightened Frank's tie even though it was already perfect. "It would look odd if I'm supposed to be treating Ann and I'm at the courthouse.""You're so stubborn," Frank sighed, "be careful."Nella squinted up at him, the bright morning sun splintering and bouncing from the waving spring leaves and sudden tears, blocking her sight with bright sparkles. "I will be. As much as I can."He leaned in and kissed her. "I'll be back after court." "Okay. Good luck.""You too." He got into the car and

Nella didn't know how long it was before they were sent through the decontamination shower, but it felt like years. The plastic suit was scratchy and slimy with sweat and her hair was sticking to her skin. Even her breath felt sluggish and thick, like she was in a sauna and she had to fight the urge to rip the face mask off more than once. She could tell the others were having trouble too. But at last another group of soldiers in biohazard suits, a different color, led them out of the cell block and into the parking lot where the chemical shower and a large bus were waiting. As soon as they were through the shower, the suits were allowed to come off and Nella heard audible sighs of relief around her as her group removed the hot plastic. The cool afternoon breeze made her feel like a hollow reed. They piled onto the bus and were driven to the City's unused hospital. Her heart raced in her chest as the bus pulled up to the defunct ambulance entrance. There were a number of other buses si

The phone jarred her awake. She sat up. Frank was sitting cross legged across the way, watching her. He was holding the receiver to his ear. She reached for the phone."You can't hear much through these walls. Just Dr. Pazzo's yelling. What are you doing here?""The doctor- knew about us. I don't know how. Stan maybe. She said you might have been infected yesterday in court, so I could be infected because of last night.""But I thought we caught it in time. I thought you said he wasn't contagious yet.""I think they are just being cautious. At least I'm with you now."Frank shook his head. She could see the lines on his face draw down in sharp angles. There were dark patches under his eyes and sweat marks on his shirt. "So now you can watch me turn back into one of those things. I can't do it, Nella. I'll die first.""It's not going to happen. To either of us.""If it does- will you find a way to- will you ask them to shoot me?"Nella nodded, not trusting her voice. Frank cleared his