Woe

        Dr. Burns began the lengthy process of putting on his protective suit. He had been dealing with this extraordinarily uncomfortable suit everyday for the last few months. It never seemed to get any easier to put the insanely complex thing on. Perhaps this was because Dr. Burns had seen many of his colleges succumb to the deadly virus already.

        The virus could be transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, through the saliva of an infected dog, and through the air. The first method was relatively easy to avoid since avoiding contact with infected people was common sense. Long before the initial outbreak, people already had a tendency to steer clear of blood, saliva, or any other fluids that came from a person’s body. It was simply common sense. 

        Dogs were no longer a problem at all. They had quickly transformed from man’s best friend into man’s worst enemy once the initial outbreak began. Dogs didn’t experience any ill side effects from the virus, so their owners often were completely unaware of the hazardous contents of their companion’s affectionate licks before it was too late.

        It was impossible to detect the presence of the virus in a dog without extensive testing; many owners simply abandoned their pets to avoid the risk all together. As stray populations skyrocketed, governments around the globe soon enacted programs to eliminate the canines once and for all. It was with a heavy heart that humanity caused the complete extinction of all canines, domestic and otherwise, using a specially designed virus of their own to do their dirty work for them.

        This did not end the threat of the virus: it had become far too widespread by then thanks to its third method of transmission: the virus had an airborne strain that could survive in droplets expelled from the infected. Two of the virus’s easiest symptoms, sneezing and coughing, helped it spread rapidly. Dr. Burns was required by law to wear a face mask at all times unless he was replacing it with a fresh one moments later. Everyone was required to wear them around the clock in the US. There was no excuse not to since masks could be picked up for free at distribution centers that had been set up across the country.

        Poorer countries had a much harder time fighting the pandemic. The disease spread through them like fire in a prairie, leaving nothing except death in its wake. This was primarily caused by the dreadfully low sanitation in those regions and by the lack of proper equipment for hindering the spread of the virus. From what Dr. Burns had heard on CNN three months ago, entire countries were thought to have been wiped out already. These were all exceedingly poor countries: Niger, Mozambique, Eritrea. However, this news understandably caused a great deal of paranoia and fear around the world.

        All of the currently surviving countries had banded together to form the Alliance against Infectious Diseases (AID) in order to combat the virus. The AID had set up dozens of research centers around the world, including the one Dr. Burns worked in, whose sole purpose was to develop a cure for the disease. Once that was completed, they would then be devoted to curing other diseases in order to lessen the likelihood of future outbreaks of any kind.

        Once he finished putting on his elaborate protective suit, Dr. Burns gave his partner a thumbs up. Dr. Hall returned the gesture. The two men then proceeded to inspect each other’s suits for holes, punctures, tears, and other openings. Their work area contained large amounts of the virus, so it was absolutely crucial that their suits stayed in excellent condition. With both suits passing inspection, both men grabbed a roll of duct tape each before heading to the airlock. In case a breach did occur, they would need to patch it up ASAP to minimize the risk of infection. 

        The two men entered the airlock separating the outside world from their workspace. The path behind them was cut off by an enormous metal door that slammed shut after they entered the airlock. Then the entrance to the research area slid open slowly. Dr. Burns and Dr. Hall prepared their equipment and began working. They both swore upon noticing the failure of the most recent cure attempt on the samples of the virus they had kept in petri dishes for the three days. Thanks to radioactive materials that glowed magenta in the presence of the virus, it was clear that this had been a complete failure. They would have to hope for better results for the ext batch.

        After Dr. Hall prepared a fresh petri dish full of the virus, Dr. Burns added a drop of their newest concoction to each sample. These were set aside once they were covered so that the potential cure would have ample time to take effect before the sample was observed again in two days time. Despite their frustration, the two men continued to work on their next cure candidates. They hadn’t managed to make any progress yet, but one of the labs in France had announced that they had created a drug which could slow down the onset of the virus’s symptoms by as much as three whole days. The pair were working with a newly imported sample of that drug now, praying that it could lead to a breakthrough.

        Hours passed before the pair’s shift ended. Their results hadn’t been favorable today, yet they felt fairly confident that this new drug would lead to the development of something which could finally destroy the virus. As he removed his suit one piece at a time, Dr. Burns noticed something on the suit’s left sleeve. It had a small tear about the size of a fingernail in it. He tore free a tiny bit of tape and patched it up before informing his partner about the potentially catastrophic problem. 

        Dr. Hall grimaced before reminding his colleague of the standard protocol for such an event. Dr. Burns nodded solemnly. He would have to be quarantined for the next month to see if he began displaying symptoms. The initial coughs and sneezes wouldn’t be too bad if he did indeed get sick. It was the blood that would be expelled from his lungs in the later stages of the illness, the tears in his throat, and the eventual filling of his respiratory tract with blood that terrified him. The last thing Dr. Burns wanted was to die with a coppery tang in his mouth as he choked on his own blood and quite possibly fragments of his lungs.

        The isolation chamber Dr. Burns would be living in for the next month was blindingly white from floor to ceiling. Even the bedsheets were the color of fresh snow. Hopefully they wouldn’t be dyed crimson any time soon. The room was nearly barren. It contained only a bed, a toilet, a shower, and a lone chair. Dr. Burns hoped that the hazmat suit wearing individual who brought him his daily meals would be kind enough to at least bring him a magazine once in a while. Otherwise, he might die of both boredom and respiratory problems.

        Before entering the room that would be his home for the next thirty days, Dr. Burns saluted his colleague before giving him his final request. “If I start to show any signs of infection, try out the latest batch on me.”