Chapter 11 - Awakening in the Dark
“Her vitals are crashing!” Marcus shouted from the console, his eyes scanning the telemetry lines turning from green to violent amber. “The purge protocol didn't stop—it triggered a delayed neuro-blocker! If we don’t administer the counter-agent within sixty seconds, her heart will seize!”
Julian spun toward Victoria, seizing her by the collar of her lab coat. “Where is the reversal serum? Where is it!”
Victoria smiled through bloodied lips, her eyes venomous. “In the safe. And the combination is in my head. Watch her die, Julian. Watch her die right in front of the little brat you love so much.”
Julian’s vision went red. He raised his hand, but a tiny voice from the doorway stopped him in his tracks.
“Dad.”
Maya stood in the doorway of the pod. She wasn't crying anymore. In her small hands, she held the floral purse she had carried all day. She walked over to Victoria, her hazel eyes completely clear, devoid of fear.
“Mommy said bad people always keep their favorite toys in the same pocket,” Maya said simply.
She reached into the bottom seam of the purse. Her little fingers pulled at a hidden velcro strip inside the lining, drawing out a small, amber glass vial wrapped in a handwritten label. On it was written in elegant cursive: Antidote: Neostigmine-B. Administer via Central Port.
Victoria’s breath caught in her throat. Her smug expression vanished, replaced by an expression of utter disbelief. “How… how did she have that?”
“Because Elena knew you,” Julian whispered, taking the vial from Maya’s hand. “She knew you were a perfectionist who always kept a safety net for your own skin.”
Julian didn't hesitate. He loaded the amber fluid into a pre-primed syringe from the tray and injected it directly into the IV line feeding into Elena’s wrist.
May you like
For five long seconds, nothing happened. The heart monitor’s alarm peaked into a sustained, continuous tone. Julian held Elena’s limp hand, his forehead pressed against her cold fingers, silently pleading with every fiber of his being.
Then, with a sudden, violent intake of air, Elena’s chest arched off the mattress. Her eyes snapped open, blazing with life and terror.
