Invasion

"I don't want to hear it," Cassy said, looking off in the opposite direction. "Just do it. I mean, you're going to be a doctor."

Pitt had seen medication administered IV thousands of times but never had tried it himself. The idea of puncturing another person's skin was daunting, much less a person he loved. But the consequences of not doing it overwhelmed any timidity he had. Ultimately it went well, and Cassy told him as much.

"You're just being a good sport," Pitt said.

"No, really," Cassy said. "I hardly felt it." No sooner had she complimented him that she had an explosive bout of coughing that left her gasping.

Pitt was momentarily terrified she was having a reaction to the shot as Harlan had warned. Although Pitt had had CPR training, he'd never actually done that, either. Anxiously he held her wrist to feel her pulse. Thankfully it stayed strong and regular.

"Sorry," Cassy managed when she could get her breath.

"Are you okay?" Pitt asked.

Cassy nodded.

"Thank God!" Pitt said. He swallowed to relieve a dry throat. "You stay here on the backseat. We've got about a twenty-minute drive."

"Where are we going?" Cassy asked.

"To a place that's like an answer to a prayer," Pitt said. "It's an underground lab built to deal with a biological or chemical warfare attack. It's perfect for what we have to do. I mean, if we can't do it there, then we can't do it. It's that good. Plus it has a sick bay where we can take care of you."

Pitt started to climb into the front seat when Cassy took hold of his arm. "What if this antibody doesn't work?" she said. "I mean, you warned me it was weak and very preliminary. What will you do with me if I turn into one of them? I don't want to jeopardize what you all are doing."

"Don't worry," Pitt said. "There's a doctor there named Harlan McCay who was stung and is still fine after getting the antibody. But if worst comes to worst, there are what he calls containment rooms. But everything is going to be fine." Pitt gave her shoulder a pat.

"Save the clichés, Pitt," Cassy said. "With everything that has happened, it can't turn out fine."

Pitt shrugged. He knew she was right.

Pitt got behind the wheel, started the van, and pulled out into the road. Cassy remained lying on the backseat. "I hope there's some aspirin where we're going," she said. She was as sick as she'd ever felt in her life.

"I'm sure there is," Pitt said. "If the sick bay is like the rest of the place, it's got everything."

They rode in silence for a few miles. Pitt was concentrating on the driving for fear of missing the turnoff. On his way out he'd built a small cairn of rocks to mark it, but now he was afraid it wouldn't help. The rocks had been small and everything was the same color.

"I can't help but worry that my coming here was a bad idea," Cassy said after another coughing spell.

"Don't talk that way!" Pitt said. "I don't want to hear it."

"It's been more than six hours now," Cassy said. "Maybe even more. I wasn't all that sure of the time when I was stung. So much has been happening."

"What happened to Nancy and Jesse?" Pitt asked. It was a question he'd avoided, but he wanted to change the subject.

"Nancy was stung," Cassy said. "They infected her in my presence. I couldn't figure out why they didn't do it to me until later. Jesse was a different story. I believe the same thing happened to him as to Eugene. But I'm not sure. I didn't see it. I just heard it, and there was a flash of light. Nancy said it was the same as before."

"Harlan thinks those black discs can create miniature black holes," Pitt said.

Cassy shuddered. The idea of disappearing down a black hole seemed like the epitome of destruction. Even one's atoms would be gone from the universe. "I saw Beau again," Cassy said. Pitt turned to glance at Cassy before looking back at the road. It was the last thing he expected her to say. ''How was he?'' Pitt asked.

"Horrid," Cassy said. "And he's changed visibly. He's mutating progressively. Last time I saw him it was only a patch of skin behind his ear. Now it's most of his body. It's strange because the other infected people didn't seem to be changing. I don't know if they will or if it has something to do with Beau being the first. He's definitely a leader. They all do what he wants."

"Did he have anything to do with your being stung?" Pitt asked.

"I'm afraid so," Cassy said. "He did it himself."

Pitt shook his head imperceptibly. He couldn't believe that his best friend could do such a thing, but then again he was no longer his best friend. He was an alien.

"The most horrid part for me was that there was still some of the old Beau inside," Cassy said. "He even told me that he missed me and that he loved me. Can you believe it?"

"No," Pitt said simply, while fuming that Beau, even as an alien, was still trying to take Cassy away from him.