Dorman laughed nervously. “Startled is putting it lightly . . .”

I flashed him an apologetic smile.

“I thought you might show up,” Nik said, winding around the cots to come to me. “Though not like that. Neat trick.” He stopped a few feet away, and I finally forced myself to look at him, a spike of some unsettling emotion making me feel uneasy. “I brought something for you, just in case.” His nostrils flared, his eyes narrowed, and a slow grin spread across his face. He schooled his features a moment later, going from wicked to innocent in a heartbeat. “You look tired.” He tilted his head to the side. “Have you been getting enough sleep?”

My eyes narrowed to a glare. “Stop sniffing me, you pervert.”

He smirked. “I can’t help it. You reek of one-night stand.”

“It wasn’t a one-night stand,” I snapped. At least, I hoped it wasn’t.

Nik’s eye twitched, but his smirk remained in place. “So Kitty Kat has a boyfriend. Isn’t that sweet.”

Unease turned to slight queasiness. “Shut up.”

Dorman cleared his throat, and we both looked at him. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but . . .” He swept a hand out, gesturing to the infected kids lying in the cots. “I’d prefer it if you got the samples to Bainbridge as soon as possible. There’s been a bit of a development in the disease, and I don’t think we can afford to waste time.”

I took a step toward him. “What happened?”

“Around midnight, Sammy entered what we’re calling the ‘final phase’ of the infection.” Dorman sighed and shook his head, worry shining in his hazel eyes. “He became violent, almost rabid, attacking any and every person he could. It was . . . shocking, to say the least.” Dorman’s shoulders slumped. “He got out and infected thirty-seven more people. I’d never have imagined that someone so small could do so much damage, but . . . at least he didn’t get beyond our fences.” Dorman sighed. “The only upside is that the disease seems to progress more slowly in adults. That buys us a little more time.”

“Not much of an upside,” Nik muttered.

I realized my hand was covering my mouth, and lowered it. “Where’s Sammy now?”

“Dead,” Dorman said, his voice resigned. “The last person he attacked managed to break his neck. Maybe we could’ve brought him down sooner with a gun, but we’re a firearm-free zone.”

The news of Sammy’s violent demise hit me like a punch to the gut. If I hadn’t wussed out at Constance’s house, I’d probably already have the cure. Now, thirty-seven more people might die—and might infect gods knew how many more people on their way out—all because I’d given in to weakness and spared Constance and her family. I gritted my teeth and pushed through the flood of failure. “Might need to change that rule,” I said.

“Or at least invest in some tranq guns,” Nik added.

Dorman nodded, but I thought it was mostly to himself. “A few more people have entered the final phase.” He looked at us with lost, sad eyes. “We’re using sedatives on them, but it’s taking triple the amount it should to keep them down—more, in some cases. They’re burning through our supply.”