The Dark and Dangerous Secrets
It's 2:00 a.m. and Scarlet decides to stay at the evacuation center for a while as she still can't get over what happened earlier when she met Adam but he looks like he is a different person and she wasn't sure if that's Adam or not as he turned into a zombie.
She is taking a sip of Earl Grey tea instead of coffee as she doesn't want to trigger her panic attack. Justice and Gabriel continued to patrol the place while Rosie stayed as she wanted to take care of Scarlet.
"Are you okay, Scarlet?" the jet-black straight-haired beautiful lady asked with a sound of worry and concern.
"I am not, Rosie. Not that I am afraid of zombies but I saw something and it makes me scared that I end up running away." the scarlet red-haired young maiden admits as her mind is still imprinted of Adam.
Even she is scared, she wants to go back to the forest while looking at Adam and see him again. If he is really him, she'll do anything even if all things are impossible. Cause Scarlet realized something odd for him, he did not attack her, he just stared at her blankly, his body language as the brown-black-haired man only took a step forward as if he wanted to say something to her like he needed help.
Her intuition is bugging her again as it keeps whispering that 'DON'T KILL HIM' message. While Scarlet ponders about what her intuition trying to reach out to her, Rosie shakes her shoulders lightly which makes her jolt in surprise.
"I am sorry Scarlet but I keep asking you and yet you are engrossed by yourself. What bothers you right now?"
Will she tell it to Rosie? She wasn't sure if it was the right time to tell her as she was still frustrated about whom she was going to share this. The only secret she shares is her late mother, Russell, and her reliable professor and reliable master, Prof. Robert Musk.
She hadn't seen Professor Musk when the outbreak started, is he still dead or alive? But she prays to the heavens above that he'll survive since he is her role model and second father since Scarlet lives alone when she's eighteen. That age when she graduated her senior high school and also that age when her mother was dead.
"I am thinking of something that makes me have a hard time deciding, but please give me a time Rosie. I will tell you for real." Scarlet says with a weak smile and gloomy nutty-brown eyes.
Rosie realized she mustn't force her as she saw Scarlet's distress.
She tapped her shoulder lightly trying to cheer her up as she gave her sweetest smile with her pink lips curls.
"Alright, but please whatever you are thinking right now, you are not alone Scarlet. Senior Gabriel and Senior Justice are reliable enough to help you if something bothering you. Do not be afraid of us, our future doctor."
Scarlet's face is softened as she feels warm and at ease and she is truly glad that Rosie won't force her until she is ready.
"Thanks a lot, Rosie. I appreciate it."
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Scarlet is staying at the mini-laboratory room next to the Recovery room where Russell is confined since Rosie will act as a guard inside of the security evacuation.
Her Early Grey tea fills the pottery mug left untouched as she starts reading the beaten book she found in the forest.
As she skimmed through the pages, her nutty-brown orbs widened in horror and surprise as she found herself digesting the information she read about that the contents were shady, disturbing, and detrimental.
This book is full of dark and dangerous secrets and what it finds unbelievable from the scarlet-red-haired young maiden in the book is many groups are diligently cooperating and participating in these suspicious research projects and experiments.
She finds it unbelievable that she badly wants to believe this is nothing but a nightmare however she is in the real world as she tries to pinch her thighs thus a gasp of pain escapes from her lips. The College Department of Research Science from Jadeson International University also participates in this gruesome project and she also finds out not only from the Research Science who is involved but her College Department of Medicine and Health Science, is also present in the list.
She felt puzzled and confused as to why they conducted a top-secret mission and it could be deadly to humans as she read the information in this book. This is lethal since she is a pathologist, she truly understands it as this simple prototype virus can kill each individual since they're experimenting as their own pleases.
Scarlet is also curious as to why this book is left unattended in the forest, and curiosity is eating the young maiden alive.
The first object she found that made her burning in curiosity was the crimson-colored crystal-like capsule at the University grounds and now, this shady torn beaten book.
As she grabbed the porcelain mug filled with Earl Grey tea, she sipped even though the hot temperature of the brewed tea was not freshly boiled the quality of this tea was still fine. When she is still reading the book even if she can't handle the information details, Scarlet, who had been enjoying her tea, does a massive spit out of her drink, generally expressing her disbelief reaction as she reads the words written in the book.
She finds the 12th page of the book, a master list as a SUBJECT EXPERIMENT of their research as she is shaking in fear and betrayal. Cause her name is also involved in the list, nope, she and her classmates and her acquaintances from the University are also written in the master lists. Not only the names are documented but also a piece of profile information with their images and the images are taken by stolen shots, which sends shivers down her spine. She kept flipping the pages as it showed the master lists of each individual she stopped at the 35th page as she caught a familiar person her eyes were full of heartbreak and pain when she saw his name.
"The love of my life whom I have been loyal and faithful to the moment I first met you, why you are here, Adam?"
said in a weak and breathy voice as she muttered, thinking worst of how much Adam suffered a lot.
Maybe that's why he went missing in 8 years. Even his closest friends don't have an idea of where he is.
Maybe it was Adam when she saw him in the forest and Scarlet finds it disturbing that Adam's profile was marked with an X red pen marker which her inquisitive manner is making her restless.
Some people also marked with an X like Adam and she doesn't know what is the real meaning behind these marks.
As Scarlet is engrossed in the book, a loud ring from the radio speaker microphone is heard as she instantly answers it.
"Yes hello, Scarlet is speaking. How may I help you?"
A cheery and energetic voice replies as she answers the call.
"Yo! Scarlet, how are you now? I am sorry I did not mean to disturb you with whatever you are doing right now but we have found two survivors here in the forest. A man and a woman and I assume they're couples."
Justice reported that he spoke on the radio speaker with a buffering sound.
Justice paused for a while as Scarlet noticed his breathing which he had something to add about the information of the survivors.
"Well one of the survivors Scarlet, said she is carrying a baby. She's pregnant even though her belly is flat. And the man she's with is seriously injured. She said they're surrounded by zombies as they looking for a safe place and get stuck in the forest not until someone mysteriously helps them and that's why they survive."
When Scarlet heard this, she was surprised because of the information and who's this mysterious man trying to save them? That person must be an angel that was sent down from heaven and rescued as they faced the brink of death.
"Scarlet I know it's hard to believe even me too but I-"
Justice got cut off when Scarlet instantly replies
"Bring them here in this place. Whatever the reason is, they're still survivors. Please take them here with Gabriel. I am worried that they won't get evacuated here. If you are worried if there's not enough space, we still have lots and I don't mind at all. I can manage to take care of them even if we're running out of bedding and they'll sleep on the floor."
Scarlet says with seriousness and Justice totally understands her and her voice as he replies before he turns off the radio.
"Your wish is our command, Doctor Hermosa."
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Scarlet is fully equipped with a lab coat, surgical gloves, and mask as she is confined to two survivors but with different rooms for monitoring their health condition. She already got the blood samples for the two in case they got bitten by a zombie even she hadn't seen the bite marks on their body they changed their clothes and wore fresh laundry and white patient gowns.
It was already 04:30 a.m. and she read the results of each patient as she sighed in relief when their findings of their blood were safe and they didn't have any infections that needed to be worried however they needed to recover their health, especially the pregnant woman.
She needed to get to the room where a man had a deep cut of the skin on his left arm and right neck with jagged edges and gaping open and it needed to get suture as soon as possible. She prepared some surgical tools and equipment from their stock room for medical uses that can be used for suturing.
She walked the hallway and opened the door revealing a young man with red long hair, a clean haircut, and a white skin tone same as Scarlet he looked so young and attractive but his beauty was a bit feminine.
She smiled at the young man even her mouth was covered by surgical masks.
"Oh, you're awake? Greetings and you are safe here in our place. I am going to treat your wounds, sir." Scarlet said as she greeted him with hospitability.
Yet the young man won't buy it as he looks wary and panicky as he is awake while his hands are connected to the IV Drip Bag.
"Where is my girlfriend? Where is Zarah?! Why I haven't seen her and where is she?!" the young red-haired lad says with an impatient voice and cold behavior.
"I assume it's the pregnant woman of whom you talking about, sir. She was safe and was resting in the other room. And please do not lose your cool. I understand why you're acting like that as it seems you are overprotective of her. Behave well sir while I must treat your wounds which look serious and bad."
Scarlet says as she calmly explains to the young man while she grabs the medical tray and prepares the needed tools and pieces of equipment plus the supplies for the suturing.
The young man instantly panics as Scarlet his voice sounds like he is easily frightened and agitated.
"WHY N-NEE-NEEDLES?! THAT'S PAINFUL AND I HATE THE FEELING OF NEEDLES THAT DEEP PENETRATING MY SKIN!"
Scarlet felt bad for this young man even he needed to get treated as soon as possible.
"Sir, calm down for a while okay? Your wounds from your neck and left arm look terrible since the gap is quite deep and open. Don't worry I'll give you a shot of anesthesia while suturing your wounds."
Scarlet calmly explains hoping that the young man will behave and follow her even he is quite edgy because he has a trypanophobia. When the young man heard the word 'anesthesia' even he knew it was a shot, at least he wouldn't feel pain when he got sutured. Right?
"It won't be painful, right, doctor?" he asks with a pitiful look, he looks like a newborn puppy got abandoned by his owner. She sighed as he looked helpless and scared because of needles.
"It won't, my child. you feel pain but just a little bit yet it won't last long."
As Scarlet explained, she peeled the packaging of the syringe with a 27-gauge needle. Scarlet opened the cap small bottle of injected anesthesia ampule with 1% lidocaine solution. Scarlet inserted a needle and lightly poked the anesthesia solution ampule as she infiltrated it until it reached the exact right measure.
Scarlet slowly goes near to the red-haired young man as she calms him down, "I'll start now my child." she expertly grabs his hand like a magician, even the young man is surprised not realizing or feeling her hands as he just stares at her intently since he doesn't want to watch him giving a shot by the local anesthesia. He felt a cold sensation on his hands and neck but carefully not to touch the lacerated wounds as the scarlet-red-haired young maiden swabbed his skin using cotton balls with isopropyl alcohol as a disinfectant.
Scarlet felt relief as he easily got distracted and chose to gaze at her instead of his hand. As the skin area she swabbed dried Scarlet started to inject his skin at 5mm deep both his left hand and the side of his neck area she administered the anesthesia slowly but surely until the young man felt numbness on his skin.
"You'll be awake for this sir while I perform suturing, please bear the pain but just a little bit. You can still feel the numbness pain even though there's a slight sting sensation, okay?"
The young man only just nods, following her order obediently while entrusting her.
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Scarlet did a laborious task of suturing the red-haired man in 85 minutes as she carefully stitched his wounds even he hissed a little, he wasn't really nervous unlike what happened earlier Scarlet also tried her best not to let the young man distressed since he was afraid of needles.
"Thank you so much, doctor, for treating my wounds and taking care of us. And thank you for letting us stay here in this safe place instead of the forest. My girlfriend was stressed and anxious cause it was unsafe. And I haven't introduced myself to you yet doctor, my full name is Tyler Anderson"
The red-haired young man named Tyler expressed his gratitude as he thanked her for taking care of him and his lover plus letting them stay at the evacuation security.
"I hate to ruin your expectations Tyler but I am not yet a doctor, I am still a student but this is supposed to be my last year before I take a licensure exam as a registered doctor. But thank you very much and you can stay here with your lover. I won't let you leave her since it's dangerous outside."
As Scarlet said those words, Tyler couldn't help but feel delighted and grateful as his face brightened he was so happy that someone is welcomed to let them stay since they kept rejected by anyone who had a safe place and sometimes were harsh as they don't feel pity to him and his lover. Tyler wanted to cry in joy but he controlled himself since he did not want to be emotional yet.
"Oh, I haven't introduced mine. Sorry about that, my name is Scarlet Snow Hermosa but call me Scarlet."
"I was saved by the two angels including you Doctor Scarlet. The first one, which is a mysterious tall man wearing white long sleeves saved us from the nightmare when my girlfriend and I were almost eaten by zombies. I haven't seen his looks but he really saved us despite his looks so worn out. I wanted to thank him but he just disappeared and I passed out when the two soldiers rescued us here."
When Tyler said that, Scarlet paused as she unconsciously fell the stainless steel kidney tray which made her surprised as she knew who this mysterious guy helped Tyler and his lover. It was none other than Adam Brown.
Now her brain is racked and puzzled as to why Adam acts differently even he is a zombie. Is he a different type of monster? Or is it a result of the gruesome experiment or is it a different person that looked like Adam?
"Tyler you should rest now and I let you visit your girlfriend once your anesthesia is worn out. But can I ask you something before I leave?"
Tyler heard that he could visit Zarah but was also curious about Scarlet's question so he asked her what she was curious about or maybe wanted to know as he saw her eager expression.
"When you met the man who saved you and your lover's life while she was carrying your child, where did you happen to meet him?"
"At the forest Doctor Scarlet, we happen to meet him at the forest with an overturned bus."
When Scarlet heard this she had a risky idea and plan thus she picked the kidney tray on the ground and put it on the 3-layer medical tray.
"Thank you, Tyler. If you want to visit your lover when you're fully recovered and feeling okay. Use that door on that plain white wall beside the IV stand. That's the shortcut room of your girlfriend. I must have an important business to do. I'll take my leave Tyler and please feel free to stay here."
Scarlet says with kindness and leaves his room she opens the door and goes out as she takes out the medical tray, she will visit again in the forest with an overturned bus. Her intuition tells her that she must go to the forest but has to stay alive.