You look tired
[Vivian's POV]
Emily and I paused as we heard voices coming from a nearby hospital room, seemingly engrossed in reading something on a nameplate.
Dr. Boris Jasper
Pathologist, MD, Ph.D.
“Your father is on the ward round, Vivan,” a passing doctor informed me, wrinkling his nose at the overwhelming scent of perfume.
“I need the postmortem report for the body brought in yesterday.”
“This way,” the doctor led us into another room where another doctor was examining something under a microscope. The girl’s body lay on a stretcher nearby, and a chill swept through the room as we entered, likely due to the corpse.
“Did you find anything, Dr. Smith?” I inquired, staring at the body.
“Not much, but I think this information will aid your investigation,” he said, focusing on his computer.
“She’s been dead for about a week. Her body bears animal claw marks, and her face shows signs of chemical burns, even postmortem,” Dr. Smith explained, looking intently at me.
“Chemical burns? After death? But why? If she was already dead, why torture the body?” My brows furrowed in disbelief.
“To erase her identity. A face is a person’s first identity. It’s easier to find names from faces than vice versa, especially online. But there’s something even more shocking,” Dr. Smith continued.
“What?” I pressed, worry etched on my forehead.
“A virus—an unknown virus has also been found in her system.”
“From her body, you mean?” Emily asked, alarmed.
“It’s the third case where this virus has been detected. We can’t ascertain its effects on the body or mind yet.”
“Did you gather information from their families?” I inquired.
“Yes, when we asked the relatives of the deceased, they mentioned that they began to smell like dogs and experienced depression and panic attacks,” Dr. Smith replied, checking the reports.
“Dog-like smell,” I instinctively crossed my legs, clearing my throat as I sat up straighter.
“But strangely, only they report this dog smell. Others around them deny it,” he added.
I recalled Mrs. Matthew mentioning similar symptoms before her daughter, Faryal, vanished.
“I want her DNA reports too,” I stated, pointing at the body.
“I can arrange that, but I’ll need this body for research,” Dr. Smith replied.
“A missing report has been filed at the station, so legal proceedings are necessary to retain the body. And regarding her family, you must obtain their permission before we can issue an official letter.”
Interrupting my thoughts, Dr. Smith reassured me, “Don’t worry about the letter; it will be issued. Since the first two bodies related to this case are under investigation in different labs, getting the letter is straightforward. As for the families, you should also try to convince them. This is a deadly virus of unknown origin. We don’t know where it’s coming from, how it spreads, or who’s behind it. But finding a cure is crucial.”
I nodded, stepping out of the room after glancing at the body.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look so troubled?” Emily gently caressed my arm, attempting to comfort me. “Don’t worry; everything will be okay.”
The mention of the dog-like smell clung to my thoughts as I forced a smile at Emily’s words, revealing my white teeth. Yet, worry creased my forehead. “Hopefully, but I really don’t know how to handle this,” I said, biting my lip nervously. My face felt pale beneath my dark hair.
The thought of a disease that affects humans in some manner makes sense. That virus has a specific characteristic that resembles wolf. The only thing I’m unsure of is what it is, exactly. I don’t remember ever reading any medical journals, nor have I seen it on TV. And most of the time, I just assumed it was some obscure disease from a distance. That’s why I had never paid much attention to it.
Until now. What’s worse is the fact that it seems to affect children in a similar manner. How else could it infect the entire school population? It doesn’t make sense. There are many possibilities, however, including that this virus is an alien species from somewhere beyond our solar system.
That could explain why no one seems to be aware of its presence within our system. But then again, we haven’t encountered anything with the appearance of a canine or wolf species. In fact, according to the media, wolves and coyotes aren’t considered to exist in our world until the discovery of radioactivity.
Maybe they’re part of the flu epidemic, I reasoned. The virus could simply be an outbreak of global pandemics caused by an airborne infection, which we are currently unable to fight. However, I still wasn’t satisfied. Something about the virus bothered me, although it did give us an edge over potential new diseases that might pop up next. But, if what Dr. Jasper told us was true, this could change.
If that’s the case, then I should tell my mother about the situation as soon as possible. She always tries to help people when it comes to problems involving other people.
As if hearing my thoughts, Emily reached across the car console and grasped my hand in hers, interlacing her fingers with mine. My heart pounded at the intimate gesture. She’d initiated contact often lately. It’s not that we don’t get along. But sometimes, a certain sparkle in her eyes tells me she wants more.
“Let’s go home. I can cook for you tonight; you must be exhausted. You didn’t sleep last night, did you?” She offered the same kind smile that always made my day.
I couldn’t resist her charms, though I knew I shouldn't allow myself to become infatuated with her. After all, I'm here for the purpose of helping a friend. It's the right thing to do. So why did it feel as though my heart would burst every time I looked at her, my stomach fluttered, my cheeks flushed? Because I liked her. A lot.
She gave me a soft squeeze and smiled sweetly. "You look tired."
"Yeah." Even saying the word felt wrong. My eyes scanned over the familiar roads of suburban Virginia with the occasional passing car. They went straight past my house. The house that housed my parents and my little sister Emily, who had died in an accidental fall during a summer camping trip with friends years ago.