Chapter 25

The silence in the lab was broken by Sir John's coarse and heavy voice who had put his glasses back on eyes after observing the rat inside the glass container. "Hmm Unlike what was expected..." he said raising his bowed head up in the air again. "I would suggest you to run tests on the rat's blood and urine. Till now only the water samples have been tested which shows HAV and HEV. You have not observed how these viruses manifest themselves in the blood and urine of the affected bodies." It sounded logical. They silently nodded their heads keeping their gaze fixed on the dead animal. "At least you have something that carries the disease you want to find cure for. It might be the first step." They all looked at each other confused. "You are right sir. There have been many speculations about the growing disease." Olivia agreed with what Sir John said. "My Aunt has been continually giving us information about the ongoing situation. Besides the dread of the death there is one thing very common. And that is the way their bodies fail them." She announced sadly. "Not a single person who contracted the disease survived." She looked blankly at the rat and suddenly remembered, "my aunt is probably safe because she never uses local water. She drinks the bottled water." Olivia looked at Amelia. "It means the disease is not aggressively contagious." Her eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement. "I mean living among the dreadful disease does not make her sick means there is something odd. Though she takes great care of herself does not make her less vulnerable to the illness. Sooner or later people who live there are affected." They all listened to her and thought that she was right. "I think we should not waste any more time." David said putting an end to their conversation. "Yes, if that's what we are supposed to do then we should step ahead without any further time wastage." Amelia added.

They all were wearing masks and gloves while Sir John stepped forward to help take blood and urine samples from the rat in a test tube.

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David folded one of his arms and squeezed his lower lip, deeply engrossed in his thoughts as he waited for the results to come. Amelia strolled to and fro as if time was slipping out of their hands. Olivia was sitting on a bench silently staring at her phone while glancing at Amelia intermittently. There was an air of confusion and tension disabling them to breath.

They saw Peter and Sir John coming out of the room with a piece of paper and met with their unrecognizable vibes. That wasn't simply an encounter of unidentifiable expression rather a cold and blank look that camouflagued their fears and helplessness. Amelia puckered her eyebrows trying to visualize the meaning of their expressions. Olivia stood up and came closer to them. There was an eerie silence in the lab for a split second. David took the paper before uttering another word. "Again the same viruses," he whispered. "The presence of A and E is one thing but the exaggerated symptoms that took lives are another," Amelia blurted suddenly breaking the silence. "The rat is not dead because of it alone. There is something else which we can't see. " she forced her thoughts again rubbing the sides of her head with the tips of both hands.

"I think putting strain on your brain without any proper guidance is useless." Sir John said patting Amelia's shoulder. She looked at him confused. "You should seek Sir Henry's guidance." He emphasized. There was a sudden flash of light on her face. "He isn't just a doctor. He is a scientist too. And someone passionate like him can lead you in the right direction." Amelia knew he was not wrong. "Sometimes the weight of moral obligation we carry has the capacity to drown us in our own seas of scaring perceptions. Without bringing any true positive change we just drown under the heaviness of our own thoughts." Sir John added. It was the first time he had been so cautious with his words. They depicted his own fears and unattained desire to do something bigger in his life. They all eyed him as if he was someone else at that moment. "Don't let yourselves drown in your own helplessness. There is always a door to the right way. And I think Sir Henry is a key to that door." He stressed again. He had seen him working with him in the lab for hours trying to figure out complex diseases. He had seen him triumphant in his quests. Sir John had always been very impressed by the way Henry carried out his work. It wasn't joy that would cover his face whenever he found solutions rather a satisfied glare that would appear in his eyes. "There it is..." he would tell Sir John amid the silence. Having worked in the labs for years had not made him acquainted with the tools and chemicals that Henry used. He was a genius of his own isolated calibre. "He will give you hints and that would be enough for you to gorge on." Amelia nodded. "I guess you are right. We might be able to see the direction after sharing the results with him. At least he can tell us what to do next." There was flash of hope in her sparkling eyes. David who was looking blankly at the paper finally came back to his senses and folded it. "So what's next?" He asked looking at Amelia feigning oblivion. "We are meeting Sir Henry." She disclosed promptly. Peter steadied his thick glasses and said, "if that's what you are planning then we shouldn't delay it. Time is very precious." "That's true." Olivia added to his thoughts. "We should take steps immediately before the deadly thing gets to us in an unresolving manner." She said again. Sir John gave them a nod. "You know where to find him?" He asked with a doubt. "Yes ofcourse," they said in unison as they all rushed out of the lab and reached the place where they were sure to meet him.