Chapter 16 – There’s nothing left

Ricky sat in the empty lab. It did not feel right to try and actually carry out any new tests. He had promised Mr Benite that he would stay to see through one last experiment. If anyone found that he had participated willingly, he would never work again. If Paul died, he might still have some questions to ask.

The Lab complex had seemed like a ghost town these last few days. All he had left was to write up experiment s and notes he had left for more interesting things.

Maybe he could put off those notes if he reviewed the samples and checked on the animals.

Jackson took another tablet. He had lost track of how many he had taken but somehow it seemed that this was the least of his worries. Luke had not woken up since last night and Angelina slept continuously throughout the daylight hours.

Jackson’s skin was cold and clammy and his head had a continuous dull throb while his stomach was unsure which way was up.

Luke was a nameless man in a whirlwind of dreams in hallucinogenic colours, instructions and half memories. He chased treasure boxes down corridors of lies and all about him strange people helped him for no reason and in the centre of the circus a hypnotist looked on and smiled.

Jackson looked at himself in Angelina’s hand mirror. He looked gaunt and dried-out. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy – he looked as if he had not slept in weeks.

“What’s happening?” He asked out loud.

The air did not answer him.

Ricky looked at the results again. That could not be right. There had to be some error.

He turned and looked for the phone, this was going to need a lot more people on it.

Paul sneezed.

“Bollocks,” he said, “I think I have caught a cold.”

He was sitting at home. He had tidied it and added new ornaments to replace those that he had damaged in his drunkenness. His house looked nice and all that it needed was to be filled with happiness.

He thought about Gail and her smile. He found himself drawn towards the very thought of her. Ever since she had asked him out (and he had said it wouldn’t work because he was the boss), he had thought of her from time to time.

She had always been a perfect worker and possibly the best of the administration team. He eyes seemed so open and he smile lit up the room.

Paul had always felt happier when she was in the room.

It had been a while since I have seen her, Paul thought, I wonder what happened. He thought about her absence and his. He thought about her and felt a sudden need to explain his actions to her.

He picked up the phone.

“Ricky,” said John, “try a different way to explain it to me.”

“Yes, sir,” said Ricky, “it all boils down to the fact that we can cure all instances of the virus but by that time the host has become a factory and produces more not long after. This new virus ahs the host DNA and is not vulnerable to our treatment.”

“I was hoping you would say it meant something else.” Said John. “Paul’s a dead man isn’t he?”

“Yes sir.”

Jackson slipped into a feverish sleep next to his queen. Their strong hold had become a house of death. He dreamed of ghosts and bodiless voices hunting him. He was glad when he awoke from his nightmare only to discover his dreams just as disturbed when a few minutes later sleep claimed him again.

Paul put down the phone. He felt strangely numb. In a little under two hours he was going to break one of his own rules. He reflected on this thought and slowly realised that there would be no rules left to break – he had hit John, lied to Ricky and was going to date another member of his staff. He had tested an untested process on himself and he had sold out, twice.

“I must not think like this,” he said to the walls, “I am not scum, I do not suck. However, I need to stop talking to myself.”

He left his kitchen to go upstairs. The phone rang. He would let the answer machine get it. He needed to get his bedroom ready for company.

“I can’t get him, sir,” said Frances.

“Keep trying,” said John, “We have to get hold of him as soon as we can.”

“Yes sir.”

“If you succeed I’ll do everything I can to get you Gail’s job.”

“Thank you.”

Paul said nothing but just looked out of the window. He wondered where his, one time, best friend was.

Paul sat in the restaurant with a beautiful women he felt good and he felt ready to take her home. However, he had a nagging feeling of nausea that would trouble him every few minuets.

Gale was in heaven. She had worshiped Paul from afar for ten years. After his wife had run off with another man she had been there to prop him up and keep him from the pub at lunch times. She had worked late missing out on time with friends to be there fore him.

She knew that he over looked her almost all of the time and she had hated herself for quitting over the silly pay dispute. She wished she had been there for him when the bad things had happened at work.

She almost sighed as she remembered how she had plucked up he courage and asked him out. She remembered how gently he had said no. She loved him all the more for it.

Now she was eating dinner with him and she knew he had changed his mind. To Gail, Paul was a god among men.

“So where have you been?” Asked Paul as his curiosity got the better of him.

“I quit,” she said, “that silly Sally girl had been making life unbearable and I don’t get paid enough to take her crap.”

“Oh.” Said Paul. He was unsure how he should react. He did not want to seem disloyal to his staff but he wanted to be sure to take this women home to his bed.

“…but don’t worry,” she said, “I made sure that everything was in order for you when you got back. I hope that Frances girl kept your office tidy. You’re a very busy man – far to busy to worry about tidying an office.”

She looked at him and smiled. Paul smiled at the sight of her happiness and this made her smile all the more.

She looked at him again. Other women might not notice but she thought that something might be wrong. If something was hurting her Paul she wanted to know about it.

“Are you ok?” She asked tenderly.

“Yes,” he lied, “I’m fine, just a little indigestion.”

“Indigestion that’s been bugging you all night.” Said Gail. “Come on, let’s go back to mine, it’s nearest. You need to be looked after properly.”

“No, I’m fine honestly,” lied Paul, “I want to spend time with you. That’s why I called you.”

“You’re sweet but exhausted,” she said, “we can spend time together at mine. Unless of course you don’t want to spend the night.”

Of course, I do, thought Paul; I am as horny as you would not believe.

She smiled at Paul’s lack of answer. “Let’s get the bill,” she said.

It was cold out side and Paul felt foolish needing a taxi when he had a perfectly good car still waiting to be fixed due only to laziness (and a little shame at getting arrested). None of that seemed to matter to Gail. The police were wrong in the gospel according to Gail. Paul marvelled once more at her dedication and care. She had always been a good worker. He had never thought there could be any deeper reason for it. Now he knew he was wrong.

The taxi arrived and Gail bundled Paul in the back seat and then climbed in after him. He had become lethargic and a little listless. She pressed herself up against him as the car drove them away. Her Paul needed looking after properly. That Sally and That other silly girl, Frances clearly had not been doing their job right. She would look after her man now. She would love him and care for him and meet all his needs, as a woman should.

Paul sat in the taxi with a woman at his side. His head swam and he was not sure why. His whole body ached as if he had been running for a week. He was only partly aware of leaving the car and somewhat aware that his clothes were being pealed from his body. His skin was cool and a little clammy.

“My poor man has the flu,” said Gail tutting about him like a mother hen. “Come on now lets get you up to bed and see if we can make you feel a lot better.”

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