Disease

A very short story. A disease has ravaged the earth, killing billions. This takes place

"Is it nearly ready, doctor?" my assistant asked.

"It's ready for testing," I answered. "We just need subjects to test it on..."

"Many will be willing. They are, after all, on the verge of death," my assistant replied.

"We'll open the locks soon. Do you have the masks?" I questioned. We certainly did not want to contract the disease from the number of the infected wandering in to test the medicine that could save their lives.

"Yes, sir," my assistant said. He held two masks, similar to gas masks in his hand. "But...I've been wondering..."

"Yes, hurry up," I said, turning back to my work.

"Well..." he began hesitantly. 'What if it doesn't work? What if it happens like it did last time?"

Last time. Last time was a nightmare. The medicine, consumed as a liquid, seemed to work at first. My other assistant actually threw his mask up into the air in celebration. That was a bad idea. To make a long story short, the "cure" actually sped up the symptoms of the disease. Poor Derrick...he was as good as gone as soon as he took that mask off. First he began to vomit. Then he became deranged, and he couldn't think straight. Then he became immobile. We laid him down one day, and he never woke up. I got over him quickly, though; I had to. I needed to get back to work. He wasn't smart enough, anyway. The way I think of it, he did us a favor by getting rid of himself and preventing accidents in the future.

"It won't," I said to my assistant. "I've made this medicine quicker than the last one. Our biggest problem with the disease is that it works so quickly. It transmits quickly, it spreads quickly, it adapts quickly, and it kills quickly. I've simply made the cure quicker. See, our last cure worked fine, until the virus adapted and fought the antidote. I've made this medicine so quick that it actually eliminates all traces of the virus in the body before the virus even knows what hit it."

"How do you know it works?" my assistant asked.

"I don't. That's what the tests are for," I replied simply.

"But...what if it doesn't work?" my assistant asked.

I shrugged. "They're already as good as dead anyways."

"How can you say that?!?" he said, astonished.

"You gotta learn to toughen up," I said.

"You say that like it's nothing," he spat, turning away. "How?!?"

"It's been two years since the disease began. I thought you would have learned by now."

"Just...hurry up and finish the serum so we can hand it out and save lives."

I laughed at him. "You're young, but hand it out? No, we're charging for this."

He jumped back at this statement. "Are you crazy?!? SELL it?!? This is supposed to save humankind."

"Just think of how much money we could make! We could put whatever price we wanted on this thing, and people will pay it!" I answered.

"Money?!? You're rich enough!" He said. He was breathing heavily. I thought of how he was losing his cool so easily. It was almost comical.

"Just...open the locks," I ordered him. "Let's get this over with." I walked over to him and put on the mask. He walked over to the heavy, airtight door and put his mask on. Then, slowly, he opened it.

I was confused at first, because there wasn't anyone at the door. Usually, people were lined up at the entrance, hoping for hope; they were pests, really. Then, suddenly, two men with bandannas around their mouths and guns in their hands ran in.

I knew what was going on, and I had prepared for something like this. I quickly pulled a revolver out of my pocket and fired. No warning shots, just a bullet straight into the older one's head.

The other man was quick too. I felt a sharp pain in my right wrist, and I dropped my gun. He shot again, and I dove to the ground. He pinned me down and pressed a knife to my throat.

"I need this medicine for my daughter," he said. "She's already immobile."

"Assistant!" I struggled. "Help me!"

"Why should I?" he said as he stepped into my view.

I looked at him. "What?"

He shrugged and gazed right into my eyes.

"You're already as good as dead anyways."

Author's Note

This was written quite a while ago. I didn't put much effort or time into it; it was really just for fun in my spare time.