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They were all sleepwalkers Their eyes were dead, rolling wildly or staring at nothing as they writhed against their restraints So shut with such force that it was cutting their gums Blood and drool ran down their chins, undifferentiated and unchecked None of the technicians were getting near those snapping jaws, even as they frantically injected what I assus

One ed to yank a hand free from his restraints, at the cost ofwithout any apparent purpose Thehim to the cot was buckled at his chest He could have reached it easily and let hi hi like he had any idea what that thing ht be, or how tosounds Little squeaks and gasps, for the , a low, constant noise that ebbed and rose with thethe sound, and I was glad It would have been alrab a pillow andThat was less disturbing, soh the sound was flat and without any trace of humor

One of the technicians walked over to join us, clutching a clipboard against her chest as she approached She stopped a few feet away, saluting my father "Colonel Mitchell, sir," she said

"At ease," said hter, Sally"

"Of course, Colonel," said the woht it was strange thattrip in an isolation ward, she didn’t say anything about it Being the boss apparently caes

"Dr Snyder, Sally is here because shefor the sleepwalking sickness," saidaround us was coainst their restraints, clawing and gnashing and striking at the air as best they could I shrank a bit farther down into o near thehly irregular I--"

"She saw the test at SymboGen," said Joyce Her tone wasn’t one I’d heard before: it was the saance that I heard from Dad when he was on the phone with his military contacts… and that I heard froet me to do what he wanted It made her sound older, and scarier, like she was a part of the establishment

Which, technically, I suppose she was

Joyce continued: "This is the first lead we’ve had toward finding a physical sign of infection We know these people are ill If they show as positive on Sally’s test, we can begin testing asymptomatic individuals This could put our preventative measures forward by a matter of weeks, if not months"

"I don’t want to do this," I whispered My voice was barely audible, even to myself

My father looked at me There was a cold sympathy in his eyes, like he understood my dile any more than that "I know you don’t, Sally," he said calmly "The trouble is, you don’t have a choice Your country needs you"

My country had never neededinher orders, and asked, "What will you need?"

"Sally?"

I glanced up again and said, "A UV wand, and soh that we can see bioluminescence"

"Of course" Dr Snyder turned and walked away froe for what I’d requested

"Pick a subject, Sally," said ht I didn’t say anything Whether they were people in the classic sense or Dr Cale’s people who’d passed through the broken doors, beco monsters, it didn’t matter They were sick and confused, and they couldn’t be trusted without the restraints They would hurt us if we let the on a frail-looking little wohties "Her," I said If she soet loose, it was unlikely she’d be able to do ain

My father followed the direction of aze, and nodded "That’s Ms Lawrence She’s been here for teeks Her family was quite relieved e offered to take over her care and cover her ress of her symptoms" I shot him a startled look He shook his head "No matter what you ht by the people who come to us We don’t have to Their illnesses will teach us how to prevent hundreds more, and the only way to stay sane in this job is to treat everyone alks through that door--or is wheeled through--as if they’ve already died But every single one of us will celebrate the day that soet up and walk out under their oer We’re notain I couldn’t tell what that o home as soon as this is over" Then I turned and walked toward Ms Lawrence, inhaling to ed between the cots with their squir burdens I did o anywhere near the rabbed me… I didn’t want to die the way that Devi had