Day 6: The Bloom Begins

We walk out of the lab together ready to part ways when we noticed it was not normal looking outside. The sky was an eerie color. I look at Joie and she returns the look with a very concerned look. What have we done?

I look at my watch and it’s around 2:30 in the morning. I think something happened when we entered the lab that put into motion something not good. I tell Joie she’s coming home with me and can sleep on the couch. Whatever is in the air doesn’t look good and we need to get to safe spot right away. We cover our faces and I take her to my place.

When morning comes, I look out my window and still see the eeriness outside. The military are probably already starting their investigation and know that someone had entered the secret lab. Luckily, I made sure there were no traces of myself or Joie left behind.

It’s only been about 2.5 hours of sleep, but it’s enough. I have to go to work. It will look suspicious if I don’t. I find dad sleeping, but mom is not there. She must have gotten up early knowing I’ll be heading off to work soon.

I go looking for her. I need to tell her what is going on. She’s still probably worried about what happened yesterday. I don’t want to yell her name and wake dad and Joie up. So I check all the rooms.

Then I find her. She’s in the living room where Joie is sleeping. And it’s not good. She’s back to the possessed look. But there is no fruit in the fridge. This could only mean that she’ll go in and out of this phase unless I can find a cure.

Her head is snapped to the side with that grin. And she’s staring at Joie. I try to snap her out of it with no luck. I decide to wake Joie and dad up. Dad’s already filled in on everything. I need to save mom and figure out what is going on in this town.

I tell Joie that I’ll meet her at the library after work. We need to find protective wear or something before it gets worse outside. And I do believe this will get worse before it gets better. In the meantime, I ask her to cover herself up, even her face, when she goes outside. I tell dad to watch over mom and not let her out of his sight and to stay indoors. When she phases out and back to normal, keep her calm. And keep her indoors. I’ll be home in the evening sometime.

I played dumb at work and asked a lot of questions and made myself eager to help with whatever is going on. I’ve been earning the trust of my commanding officers and whatever I did or said worked. I was promoted. I was even given a hazmat suit to wear outside. Too bad I wasn’t able to get one for Joie. I knew if I asked if my family could have one, they’d say no.

I head directly to the library after work to meet up with Joie. She had some news to share with me as I did her.

She was talking with her co-workers and it seems the spores all around town have something to do with what is going on. That the scientists were going to do some experimentation and stuff.

Was I in luck. I explained that I got promoted and the military gave me a hazmat suit to be outside and other areas where there could be contamination. I was told to collect spore samples from around town and was also given a scanner to do so. I decided to keep some of the spore clusters for myself. What they don’t know won’t hurt them. But it will hurt me a lot if they find out I am stealing from them and doing my own investigation.

Maybe, just maybe, this was the key to getting past that misty area. I share with Joie that we’ll need to go back to the lab with these spore clusters and see what data we can get from it for her scientist co-workers.

I had her go home and gear up again and meet me at the back of the secret lab. I know a way to sneak in.

As suspected, the front of the lab was guarded. I was still in uniform. I attempt to use my Corporal status and tell the guards I needed to retrieve some computer equipment from the lab immediately. I had to act all boss like and it seemed to work. They let me in. I, of course, told them this is a highly top secret mission and they were to tell no one less they wanted to find themselves in the brig.

Once inside, I go to the back of the lab and let Joie in. I tell her we need to make this quick. I noticed a part of the lab had some working equipment last time we were there and figured we could see what information that could give us.

With the spore clusters I kept, we could construct an infection profile data for the other scientists she works for that are working on this project. Joie keeps an eye on the door while I get to work on the data.

I put some of the cluster samples in the machine and watch the computer do its magic.

When all is complete, I grab the data. Giving it to Joie, I give her a small peck on the cheek and thank her for helping me get to the bottom of this. I ask her to also see if there’s any information about this virus that has gone around infecting others. I need to find a cure for mom. Maybe part of this data can help. She replies she’ll do the best she can and that we will find a cure for my mom.

I then lead her to the back of the lab and make sure she escapes safely before going back and grabbing some of the computer parts that were all destroyed. Leaving out the front, I salute the guards and make a small reminder this is top secret. To not even discuss this at the base at all. They nodded. I hope I can trust them.

I arrive home and find dad and mom watching t.v. Mom looked to be back to her normal self again, but I knew she could turn at any time of the day to that weird state. I share everything with the both of them. I want them both to know that I am working hard on a cure for whatever mom has. She still doesn’t understand any of it because she doesn’t know when it happens. Whenever she snaps out of it, it seems like she only remembers the last of what she was doing.

Among sharing my investigation, I even go as far as telling them that I really like Joie. We seem to have a special connection. Mom said she did talk to her for awhile and seemed like a nice girl. Dad said grandma was a scientist. And that his aunt is a scientist. Science is good for the family, he continues. Then he laughs.

As I get ready for bed, I hear my phone buzz that I got a text message.

The data has been transferred. Good news to come. Talk to you tomorrow. Sleep well!

xoxo,
Joie

I’m anxious to know what good news she has for me. I have the weekend off, so most of it will be spent finding this cure for mom. It’s hard on both myself and dad seeing her when she’s like that. Especially on dad. He’s at the old age, I don’t want him leaving mom during all this. It will break her heart if anything happens and she’s not well herself.