Chapter - 12

Two employees, the only ones who exchanged phrases from those who gathered at the door of the vaccination office, finally fell silent. The imposing captain, immense in shoulders, stepped aside, giving the briefcase on the table to the second man at his disposal. The doctor opened the suitcase and Roman saw that ampoules and syringes were compactly folded inside it. The doctor expertly filled the first syringe with the vaccine and looked at the assembled staff with a glance.

"Those who cannot prick themselves, I will prick them, I ask the rest to get vaccinated on their own, we are delaying the opening. The only correction, colim in the forearm," he said.

Several people lined up to the man in the white coat. The others moved in a line to the suitcase and took the vials with the vaccine. Roman hesitated between two queues. Making an injection, especially in the forearm, was no problem for the young scientist. However, after the words of the staff about the new experimental vaccine, I did not want to hurry. Roman adjusted the white bracelet out of habit.

"We are not in a hurry to inject, first I will show you how," the doctor warned.

Despite the doctor's words, several particularly impatient employees have already pricked the ampoules and refilled the syringes, releasing the air. The doctor rolled up his sleeve to the first employee who approached him. It turned out to be one of the men who conducted the dialogue and slowly injected the vaccine under the man's skin. It was noticeable how the employee grimaced in pain and let out a muffled groan. The injection was never pleasant, but the reaction was so painful, Roman saw for the first time. The doctor who gave the injection considered the man's reaction to the vaccine for a few seconds, then took an electronic screen device from the pocket of his robe and handed the device to the captain. The man in uniform pressed some keys, made sure of something, nodded to the doctor.

"Take off the bracelet, you don't need it anymore. The rest, after you remove the bracelet, make sure our captain that it is deactivated on the screen of this device," he said. - "Is everything clear?"

Noticeably pale, the man unfastened the bracelet with trembling hands and threw it on the table. There was no face on him and he could hardly stand on his feet. The dose of the vaccine was shock. Probably, a little more and Roman's jaw dropped to the floor. The man's bracelet was red. How could it happen that after vaccination he was allowed to remove the bracelet? Especially red? Did this doctor really not understand what such reckless actions could lead to? The confidence that in the rehabilitation center, where the scientist was seconded, has now only grown stronger. It was necessary to get out of here as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Roman felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. If he didn't want this strange doctor to inject something incomprehensible into his blood, he should have taken the opportunity to take the vaccine himself. He hurried to the briefcase and grabbed the first ampoule and syringe he came across. The doctor who gave the injection to the third employee caught the scientist's eye.

"Don't run far away, I have a conversation."

Roman nodded, feeling how sweaty his palms were holding the ampoule and syringe. The people who were kind enough to inject the vaccine themselves left the bracelets on the table, watching something on the screen of an unusual device in the hands of the captain and scattered, who went where along the corridors. There was less than half an hour left before the opening of the center and the doctor was right, if you didn't hurry, you might not have time to prepare. With obvious doubt and disbelief, Roman stared at the capsule with the vaccine in his hands. He glanced sideways at the doctor who was giving the injection to the last employee, shifted his gaze to the captain, who seemed to have nothing to do with the scientist and slowly lowered his hand with the capsule into his pocket. While he is conscious, he will not introduce any new drugs that have not been studied and tested in the laboratory. Without hesitation, he opened the syringe and threw it into the trash. It was at this moment that a voice called out to him.

"Roma?"

The scientist turned around, feeling his stomach muscles cramp. I didn't want to explain why he threw away the unused syringe and hid the capsule in his pocket. In front of him stood the same doctor who carried out the vaccination, now without a gauze mask and smiling broadly with a mouth full of false ceramic teeth. He couldn't have been more than fifty.

"Hello," Roman smiled back, but the smile came out somewhat forced.

"You forgot to do something, didn't you?"

"I..." Roman hesitated."

"The bracelet," the man bent down and unfastened Roman's white bracelet. - "You forgot to take off the bracelet. I can congratulate you, he is no longer needed now," the man turned to the captain, who was still holding an electronic device in his hands. "Is everything okay? Is the bracelet deactivated?"

"That's right!"

Roma cautiously squinted at the electronic device. The device did not give any signal, it remained lying next to the empty suitcase. The man reached out and shook hands with the scientist.

"Vasily Viktorovich, head of the center, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor."

"Very nice. Roman, Doctor of Biological Sciences," the scientist introduced himself in turn.

"I'm terribly sorry for keeping you in the dark for a long time and leaving you without my attention, but the fuss with the opening of the center took all my strength to the last drop," said the head.

Roman, still trying to recover, forced a smile again.

"Judging by your reaction, you don't quite understand what's going on around you and you need some explanations?" Vasily Viktorovich asked.

"To be honest, I don't understand anything at all," Roman agreed.

The manager nodded understandingly and pointed Roman to a chair.

"Sit down, there is no truth in the legs, but we have a conversation to have. I don't want my employees to have unanswered questions. Captain? Can you leave us alone?"

The captain silently put the device on the table and left the room. Roman followed the manager's advice and sat down on a chair. Vasily Viktorovich sat down on the next chair and stared at the scientist.