The soldier shrugged. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I really wouldn’t know. I’m just here to log you in and get you assigned to a bunk, and you are…” He ran his finger down his clipboard. “…in room fourteen in the women’s barracks.” He handed her a key strung on a necklace-like chain.

The women’s barracks. Did that mean she wouldn’t see her father? She looked around the fenced-in area, and though she saw others dressed in civilian clothes here and there, she didn’t see him. As she stood in the middle of this bleak camp, it took every ounce of her control just to breathe normally.

She found herself passed down the line to another soldier, a woman who took her temperature. As her forehead was being swiped, Kathy saw a cart full of suitcases being wheeled away.

“Excuse me, ma’am, but my suitcase is on that cart.”

“It’s okay,” the soldier reassured her. “We’ve got your room assignments and will put your things in your room. Welcome to Camp X-Ray.”

The soldier finished with her, and Kathy found herself left alone. She hadn’t even been told which blocky building was the woman’s barracks. As she looked around, confused, a voice yelled, “Pumpkin!”

Her eyes instantly welled up with tears. “Dad!”

She ran to him, threw her arms around him, and cried on his shoulder.

He hugged her tight. “My God, baby girl, why did they bring you in here? Was it—oh, baby.” He held her at arm’s length, tears running down his cheeks. “It was from that time you accidentally drank my water.”

Kathy’s throat tightened, and she could only nod.

He squeezed her tight once more. “I’m so sorry. I never meant for any of this to affect you.”

###

At least eight technicians were busy in Juan’s lab as he entered. The new team had hit the ground running, and Juan was relieved. He’d given them a lot of work to do.

He approached one of his new team members. “Good morning, Kevin. How are things going?”

“Good morning, Dr. Gutierrez. We’ve just completed the metabolic panels and have some results.”

Juan sat on a stool. “Kevin, first remind me what we have under test and then give me the results.”

“Yes, sir. We have one hundred and fifty lab rats under test. Fifteen have been given the minimum dosage only once; fifteen others were given the maximum dosage only once. The remaining one hundred have been split into five groups of twenty, each of which has received daily dosages of the viral agent for the last seventeen days. Each group at a different level.”

Juan nodded for him to continue.