Chapter 202: I need to find out what happened to me

Sienna let out a long breath. The laboratory suddenly felt different. She looked at the old file again. The one from years ago. The blood sample that had disappeared. Her fainting spells.

The unexplained pain. And now this. Her fingers moved toward the mouse, but stopped. There was a piece of the story she didn’t have. Something had happened to her years ago. Something nobody had told her.

And somehow, whatever it was might be the reason she was sitting inside this laboratory tonight, perfectly healthy while everyone else waited for her to become sick. Sienna looked at Dr. Philips, who was already moving to test their new theory.

"I need to find out what happened to me." She turned back to the computer. This time, she wasn’t looking for a cure. She was looking for the truth. And somewhere in the back of her mind, a question refused to go away. Who had taken her blood all those years ago, and why?

—-

Carina had been watching the laboratory for days. From a distance. Quietly. She had followed the progress of the research without allowing anyone to notice how closely she was paying attention. Every update, every breakthrough, every failed attempt had eventually found its way to her.

Then she got her hands on Sienna’s blood work. That changed everything. Carina had stared at the results for a long time that night. There were things in those numbers she understood. Things the researchers were still struggling to piece together.

She knew enough about the virus to recognize what Sienna’s blood was doing. And she knew something else. If they combined the information properly, they might finally have a chance at completing the vaccine.

So Carina went to the station herself. She introduced herself simply as someone with experience studying the virus. At first, they were suspicious. Then she started talking.

She explained what she knew. She pointed out connections in their research. She corrected a few assumptions they had made and suggested another approach to the formula.

That was all it took. They let her stay. Carina hadn’t planned to help them. She certainly hadn’t planned to go against the Don. She had told herself she was only there to observe.

Only to understand what they were doing. But every time the researchers reached a dead end, she found herself stepping closer.

"Try it with this ratio."

"Check that marker again."

"You’re looking at the wrong response." A little help. And another. Before she realized it, she was standing among them, watching the formula slowly come together.

Hours passed. The laboratory became a blur of movement.

Screens filled with data. Researchers moved from one workstation to another. Someone kept adjusting the same formula while another researcher checked the results against Sienna’s blood work.

Then suddenly..."Wait." Everyone stopped. The researcher at the main computer leaned closer to the screen. "It worked." Nobody moved.

"What?"

"I said it worked." He ran the test again. The same result appeared. A second researcher rushed over. Then another. Within minutes, the entire room was awake. They had done it.

The missing piece had finally fallen into place. The researchers broke into relieved smiles. Someone laughed. Another man threw his hands over his head and leaned back in his chair.

Carina stood quietly among them. She felt uneasy. Because she knew exactly where the missing piece had come from. Sienna. Her blood. Carina glanced through the glass toward the isolation room.

She could see Sienna sitting inside, still working. Even after everything. Even after being told to rest. She was still there searching, trying to understand what was happening to her.

Carina looked away. She had no idea why she suddenly felt guilty. She had not done anything; they would have figured everything out themselves eventually. She only made her time there worthwhile as someone who knew what they were working on.

That was all. At least, that was what she kept telling herself. A while later, Dr. Philips left the research area with a tablet in his hand. He walked toward Sienna’s glass cubicle.

Sienna hadn’t moved much. The same files were open in front of her. Her fingers moved across the keyboard, typing slowly now. She looked exhausted. Dark circles had settled beneath her eyes, and her hair was falling loosely around her face.

But she was still working. Dr. Philips stopped outside the glass. "Sienna." She looked up. His face was different. There was something almost boyish about the smile he was trying to contain. Sienna immediately noticed.

"What happened?" Dr. Philips lifted the tablet. "We made it." She blinked.

"What?"

"It worked, Sienna." For a moment, she simply stared at him. "The formula?" He nodded. "The formula." Sienna slowly pushed herself away from the computer.

"You mean..."

"We finally got the response we were looking for." Her mouth fell slightly open. After everything the fear, the uncertainty, the sleepless nights, there it was.

Hope. Sienna’s eyes dropped to the floor for a moment. Then she smiled. A tired, almost disbelieving smile. Dr. Philips looked toward the woman standing a few feet behind him.

"And we had some help." Sienna looked up. Dr. Philips stepped aside.

"This is Carina." Carina froze. Her eyes met Sienna’s. And the world seemed to stop. She didn’t hear the machines anymore. Didn’t hear the researchers moving behind her. Didn’t even hear Dr. Philips continuing his introduction.

"This is Carina Kothess. She helped us a lot with the research." Carina couldn’t answer. She simply stared.

At Sienna. Really stared. The resemblance hit her so suddenly that she forgot to breathe. The shape of her face. Her eyes. Even the slight way she tilted her head when she was confused.

Carina’s fingers curled slowly at her sides. No. It couldn’t be. She looked at Sienna again. Tired.

Pale. Dark circles beneath her eyes. But there was no mistaking it. Carina knew that face. She had seen it before. Years ago. Somewhere she had promised herself she would never look again.

"Carina?" Dr. Philips glanced at her. She blinked. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?" Carina forced herself to smile. "I’m fine." But her eyes had already returned to Sienna. Sienna was watching her now. Curious. Uncertain. Neither woman said anything.

And Carina suddenly understood why something inside her had been pulling her toward this laboratory from the beginning. It hadn’t been the virus. It hadn’t been the vaccine. It hadn’t even been the blood work.

It was her. Sienna. Carina’s heartbeat thudded against her ribs. There was no way. There couldn’t be.

And yet, standing there behind the glass, staring at the woman whose face looked painfully familiar, Carina had just found the answer to a question she hadn’t even realized she was asking.

"Wonderful." Sienna looked up. "How did the first trial go?" Sienna asked. Dr. Philips smiled, though there was still caution in his eyes.

"We won’t know yet." Sienna’s expression fell slightly. "We need to give it time. We’re going to wait another twenty-four hours and watch how the test samples react."

"Twenty-four hours?"

"At least." Sienna glanced toward the other side of the laboratory. Through another section of glass, Aria lay completely still on the hospital bed. She hadn’t woken up. But she was alive.

That was enough for Sienna. She smiled faintly. "Hang in there, Aria." Her eyes stayed on her for another moment. "Only twenty-four hours." Then she looked back at Dr. Philips.

"If this works..."

"It could change everything." Sienna nodded. She wanted to believe that. Beside him, Carina hadn’t said a word. She was still looking at Sienna.

There was something strange about the way she stared. It wasn’t simple curiosity. It was as though she was trying to memorize every detail of Sienna’s face before she lost the chance.

The protective suits made it difficult to see much of anyone.

The masks covered most of their faces. The protective hoods hid their hair, and the clear shields reflected the harsh laboratory lights. Still, Sienna could feel Carina’s eyes on her.

"Are you okay?" Sienna finally asked. Carina blinked, as though she’d been pulled out of a thought. "Yes. I’m fine." Sienna studied her for a second.

"Carina, right?"

"Yes."

"Where are you from?" Carina hesitated, it was barely a second. But Sienna noticed.

"The Middle East," Carina said. Then, almost immediately, she corrected herself. "I mean... my family is from there. I was born here. I grew up here. I went to school here."

Dr. Philips gave a small smile. "Carina has been helping us tremendously." Sienna nodded. "That’s good."

But something inside her had already shifted. The accent. The slight hesitation. And the way Carina had said the Middle East before quickly changing her answer.

Sienna didn’t know why it bothered her. Maybe it was nothing. Still... She had spent enough time around people to know when something didn’t quite fit.

Carina looked at her again. Sienna met her eyes. Neither woman looked away. Finally, Sienna broke the silence. "It’s almost morning." She glanced toward the clock. "Maybe I should rest my head for a little while."

Dr. Philips smiled. "Please do. Hopefully, by tomorrow, all of this will be over." Sienna nodded. "I hope so." Dr. Philips motioned for Carina to follow him.

"Good night, Sienna."

"Good night." They turned and walked away. Sienna waited. She watched them disappear down the corridor. Only when they were gone did she turn back toward her computer. Her fingers returned to the keyboard; she opened a new search window.