Chapter 138: The Right to Choose

Chapter 138: The Right to Choose

Christopher could still picture the moment James busted out of the hospital with Emily and Isabella.

It was a real-life escape mission. If a schemer got caught in their own trap, then calling it a virus infection would be a lame joke.

Christopher shook off his doubts and grinned.

At least for now.

He unzipped the side pocket of his bulletproof vest, pulled out a Type 92 pistol, held the barrel, and handed the grip to James, asking seriously, "You know how to use this?"

James took the gun with a smile. Right in front of everyone, he quickly took it apart and put it back together, then handed it back to Christopher.

It was a pretty slick move. Everyone except Emily was floored.

Matthew blurted out, "Not bad! When'd you learn that trick?"

In the past day, Matthew had been hit with so many surprises that he felt like he could handle anything now.

Emily turned sideways, grabbed the gun from Christopher, and tried to mimic James's actions. She wasn't as fast and her movements were clumsy, but she still managed to put the gun back together.

James explained, "We learned it during military training. A few weeks ago, the city told everyone to beef up anti-terrorism stuff. Our hospital had a training session, mostly about combat and using weapons."

Christopher's eyes lit up. Before James could finish, he quickly turned to Isabella, who was sitting nearby, and asked, "What about you? Do you know how to use a gun?"

From the hospital to here, Christopher had noticed that Isabella was the most timid and almost defenseless. Without James and Emily, she would've been zombie chow by now.

Maybe she was the key.

The question caught Isabella off guard, and she didn't know how to respond.

Christopher squinted, his eyes darting between James and Emily. He wanted to catch them off guard, to see if their stories matched. In a country with strict gun control, it was fishy for a doctor and a nurse to know how to handle firearms.

Christopher knew the city had issued similar orders before. If the leadership at Auroravale General Hospital took it so seriously and had their staff undergo such training, even Christopher would have to give them props.

Isabella, a bit nervous, said softly, "I-I don't. The training was done in batches. It wasn't my turn yet."

Christopher nodded, understanding.

That made sense.

Plus, neither James nor Emily seemed to be pressuring her or giving her any signals.

Christopher pulled out two fully loaded pistol magazines from his pocket, along with the Type 92 pistol, and handed them to James. Then he pointed to Emily and said to Matthew, "Give her a gun."

Even though ammo was scarce, having two more people armed would make everyone safer against a horde of zombies. More firepower meant a better chance of survival.

Water was still running from the faucet, which meant the water tower was still working, or maybe it was just the siphon effect between the pipes. When James had Wayne renovate the place, he had an extra water tank installed on the roof, connected to the solar water heating system. Even if the cold water supply got cut off, the water in the tank should last a while.

Emily and Isabella both felt like they needed a shower. The guys got it. As they headed to the bathroom, James had already found clothes for them from the supplies and kept reminding them not to waste water since it was limited.

The room was packed with supplies, leaving little open space. The bunk beds could only sleep two people.

Luckily, James had prepared two large mattresses, which, once covered with sheets, were relatively clean and more comfortable than sleeping on the hard floor.

Christopher struggled to take off his boots, wanting to give his feet a break after being cooped up all day. He found his feet pretty ugly and smiled awkwardly. He stood up, planning to put the boots on the windowsill to air them out. Then he noticed the sturdy steel bars on the window, so he placed the boots on a nearby cardboard box instead.

"James, your prep work is seriously impressive!"

Christopher had no more doubts about James. He walked over to the soft mattress, sat down, and watched Matthew and the others bustling around. With a touch of emotion, he said, "If it weren't for you today, we might still be wandering outside. We might not have even had a meal."

James leaned against the wall, thought for a moment, and pulled out the immunity serum from his inner pocket, handing it to Christopher.

"What's this?"

"Immunity serum."

James spoke softly, just loud enough for the four police officers in the room to hear. Everyone, including Christopher, gathered around, looking at the test tube sealed with a plastic cap with curiosity, doubt, and tension.

Matthew looked at James strangely, "You mean this thing can counteract the virus?"

James nodded calmly.

Christopher, however, was more concerned about another issue. He couldn't help but raise his voice, his expression becoming particularly serious, "James, are you serious? You're not joking?"

James saw the meaning in his anxious eyes, "This is the result of our director's research. The reason we locked the infected and mutated doctor in the hospital basement was to study the immunity serum. He succeeded. But there are only two doses of this serum. I gave one to my girlfriend, and this is the last one."

Kurt got visibly excited, barely holding back his emotions, and asked, "Dr. Smith, are you sure this serum is effective? It... really provides immunity?"

James nodded and glanced towards the bathroom where the sound of water was coming from, "At the hospital, I gave my girlfriend a shot. On the way out, she was bitten by a zombie. The bite is on her ankle, and the wound is quite obvious."

No one questioned it further.

Emily had shown no abnormalities along the way and exhibited no symptoms of viral infection. This meant the serum's efficacy was undeniable.

Matthew looked into James's deep eyes and couldn't help but ask, "If that's the case, why didn't you give Isabella a shot at the hospital? Weren't you afraid she'd get infected?"

James smiled, "At the time in the basement, Mr. Turner only gave me these two doses. He's a cautious man, and the formula should still be there. Due to time constraints, he might have only been able to produce these two doses. Maybe these are the last two."

Matthew understood.

Christopher crossed his arms and looked at James meaningfully, "You should know the significance of this thing. So, who do you plan to give it to?"

James shook his head and candidly said, "I think it would be better for you, Mr. Taylor, to make the choice. I don't want any regrets because of this. The serum is just a tool; it only works when used. Keeping it without using it is pointless."

James was cunning.

The last sentence was indeed his true thoughts. The purpose of the immunity serum was to protect the user from viral infection. Now it was certain that both he and Emily were immune to the virus. If there was one more immune person, it would mean one more person to share the burden in the upcoming battles.

Everyone wanted a chance to survive, but there was only one dose of serum. Honestly, James would prefer to give it to Matthew. After all, his relationship with Matthew was much closer than with the others. In terms of combat ability, the four police officers were not much different. But if he secretly gave the serum to Matthew, it would definitely cause conflicts among the others.

So, James handed the decision to Christopher. This way, whoever got the serum would remember that it was James who selflessly offered it. Any negative effects from the distribution wouldn't be linked to him.

Christopher saw through James's little trick.

He kept smiling wryly to himself.

Even if he saw through it, what could he do? He couldn't just pass the problem back. His three subordinates were all watching him. Could he bluntly say, "None of you should think about it; this thing is mine"?

A clever guy, a cunning little rascal!

Christopher had an urge to grab James and give him a good beating. He thought for a moment, exhaled a breath of air through his nose, and said lightly, "Give it to Matthew."

He then turned his gaze to the disappointed faces of Kurt and Allan and patiently consoled them, "Since there's a first dose of this serum, there will definitely be a second, a third... Didn't you hear James say earlier? Their director has the formula. There must be more at the hospital. Don't worry, get a good night's sleep, and rest up. Tomorrow, we'll take on those monsters again."

Christopher had high authority among the officers. Under his persuasion, Kurt and Allan nodded repeatedly. They watched as James took out a syringe from the medical kit, drew the serum, and slowly injected it into Matthew.