31 The Lab (3)

IMANI

Lucille was currently giving Imani a tour of the lab after Lucas had left a couple of minutes ago. He had seemed angry after he took his phone from Imani's car but when she and Lucille asked what was wrong, he only said he'd be back soon and waited for the both of them to go back into the building before he left.

Imani had felt really nervous the moment she was left alone with Lucille but she was now a little bit relaxed. She had met another scientist named Russell Gates who had been surprised to see her and really excited when he found out she would be helping them. Lucille had told her that the number of werewolf scientists in Wolfborn was little and when they kept trying and failing to find a cure, most of them had opted out. Now, there were only seven scientists trying to find a cure.

Imani understood the fear of those who had opted out but she also thought they didn't do the right thing because the virus wasn't picky, it was affecting everyone. The same thing had happened in the Barnes Institute of Medical Research when the Sirizan virus was on a rampage. Most of her colleagues had quit their jobs, leaving only a handful of scientists trying to find the cure. She had always thought that if they didn't quit, the cure to the Sirizan virus would have been found faster and they could have saved a lot of lives.

She desperately hoped they'll be able to find the cure to this new virus before it goes on a rampage like the Sirizan virus did.

Four of the scientists were currently in the building, including Lucille and Russell Gates, but Imani didn't see the other two because they were currently in a lab while three scientists had gone to try to find where the virus was coming from. Imani wasn't sure of how they expected to find that because the virus was undetectable. The only way they'll be sure of where it's coming from is by running tests on animals with samples taken from the places they think the virus is and since the incubation period is on average three to five days, a lot of people could get infected while they're waiting for test results.

"So this is the end of the tour," Lucille announced as the both of them came to a stop in front of the office Lucas had brought Imani to earlier.

"Thank you," Imani muttered as she glanced into the office before she remembered that when they had been talking during the tour, Lucille kept referring to the new virus as 'The Virus'. "You haven't named the virus yet?"

"Well, we haven't thought of naming it because that's not one of our priorities. Do you think we should?" she asked and Imani shrugged without looking at her. Lucilled leaned into her line of sight with a smile on her face and asked again, "Do you think we should?"

According to the file in the e-mail Jacob Peterson had sent to her, the name of the virus was T Virus. She guessed the T stood for Tallerico, her last name, and she definitely didn't want a virus being named after her.

"I don't know. If you want to," she shrugged again.

Lucille placed a finger on her chin and bobbed her head. "What do you think we should name it?" she asked just as the elevator dinged open and Imani quickly glanced at it with her brows raised, expecting it to be Lucas.

It wasn't Lucas. It was three people, two men and a woman that looked exactly like Lucille. Imani's eyes darted from the woman stepping out of the elevator to Lucille and back to the woman. The two men headed down the hallway on the right, not noticing the two people standing in front of the office, as they talked amongst themselves while the woman headed towards Lucille and Imani.

"She's my sister. Twin sister," Lucille stated as the woman came to a stop in front of both of them and sized Imani up. "Did you find anything unusual?" she asked her twin.

"Define unusual," the woman replied as she scrutinized Imani who nervously shifted from one foot to another. "I see Lucas finally brought his new plaything to help...Is she here to help?"

Imani furrowed her brows at her, disgusted at what the woman called her, but decided not to say anything and pressed her lips together before she looked away from the woman who was still staring at her.

"Don't say stuff like that, Lucy. She's here to help," Lucille said as she took a step towards her twin sister. "And answer my question."

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. "I told you to define unusual."

"... You didn't go there did you?" Lucille asked as her hands squeezed into fists.

"No, I didn't. Lucas needed me." She jutted out her hip and glanced at Imani who was still looking away from her when she passed the last remark.

Imani knew that the woman expected her to feel jealous which made her begin to wonder if Lucas told them they weren't dating and they didn't believe him or if he didn't tell them anything and they chose to believe the rumours instead.

"Yeah, right. He hasn't needed you in months. He certainly doesn't need you now," Lucille stated and Lucy instantly scowled.

"Fuck you, Lucille." She gave Imani a dirty look before she walked away from the both of them.

Imani placed a hand on her chest and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding when the woman disappeared around a corner while Lucille rubbed her eyes as she turned to face Imani.

"I'm really sorry about that. I won't lie and say she's having a bad day because that's how she always is... Please don't tell Lucas she called you a plaything."

'Why would I tell him that?' Imani thought as she pursed her lips. 'Should I tell her we're not dating?... I probably shouldn't.'

"I won't tell him," she stated.

Lucille blew out her cheeks and smiled at her. "Thank you... Now, I'm going to where my idiot sister didn't go to and you're following me."