The 50/50 Vaccine

Chapter 5

Lexi, Liz, and I have all made it to the end of week one. However, the fear of dying increased by the fourth day after seeing people be taken out of the block for a simple rash or allergic reaction. It was heart-wrenching when the first person with a rash was taken out, she was just in line to get her breakfast and the cashier spotted the rash on her wrist and alerted the medical staff.

Day 7 also marks the next blood draw for research purposes. They drew the first sample 24 hours after receiving the vaccine, and today is when they start to compare the results of our white blood cells and immune defenses. Lexi and I seem to becoming fast friends as hanging out with her for the whole week has proved fun and entertaining even though we are stuck within a large room with nowhere else to go. Liz is still just as chatty as she was the day I met her, but she’s finally moved off the subject of the vaccine and onto telling us more about herself and her life outside of this place.

Coming back from the blood draw, one of the girls collapsed in the middle of the line causing us all to gasp and freeze in place as the attendant contacted medical to assist. Now our release date has been pushed back a day as the rule is we need seven full days of no failed trials before we can be released. The knowledge of the delay seems to be weighing heavily on all the women in our block. We all move quietly back to our rooms.

“How are you feeling?” Lexi asked me as she entered the room. They had us line up by our numbers so she was behind me, though closer to the woman who collapsed.

“I’m a bit shocked as we haven’t had any failed trials in two days, I truly thought it was done,” I admit.

“Twenty-two out of forty. Does that sound like the projected 25%?” Lexi commented sitting down on her bunk.

“I was thinking something similar, but as you said it’s with 25% overall blocks or it’s a made-up number to help deter the protests,” I reply grimly.

“Hey, I know things are looking grim, but I’m confident you and I are making it out of here in a week. I would like to talk to you about what you plan to do outside of this place.”

“I’m not sure where I’ll be living never mind what I’m going to be doing. I know I do need to at least talk to Doug and see where we stand. I feel the relationship has run its course and fizzled out, but I haven’t discussed it with him. I feel after six years, I owe it to him to sit down and talk about everything,” I reply.

“That’s a good start to a plan.”

“Where is this coming from?” I ask.

“My cousin has established this compound for vaccine recipients. A place where we can be safe from all the hatred in this world. It’s called a compound only because it’s a community consisting of only vaccine recipients. No non-recipient lives there, and my family only offers to people we feel would be a good fit.” Lexi explains. “We could always use an accountant in our group.”

“I’ll think about it, thanks.”

“It’s called A New Way located off-grid in Texas, before we part, I’ll give you my phone number. If you decide to come, just give me a call and I’ll give you the address. It’s a hush, hush compound for reasons you’ll understand when you arrive there, please don’t tell anyone else about it, especially Liz. I fear she’d slip up and tell everyone about it, then the company will learn about it and things will get more complicated.” Lexi stressed.

“I understand, it won’t leave this room,” I promise.

“Good, now let’s try to relax and calm our nerves. I feel seeing someone just drop like that kind of spooked me a bit.” Lexi admitted.

“Me too,” I nod getting my book out. Around dinner time things seemed to be turning back to normal as we all shook our shock off. By lights out, I felt calmer and ready to get out of here. I never realized how much being locked up without sunlight would affect me, but man I’m ready to start climbing the walls wanting to get out and do something, anything at this point, even just taking a walk down the street or sitting on a bench on the sidewalk. Just to breathe some fresh air and feel the sun on my skin again.

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One Week Later

“Today is the day! Only three more hours and they release us, can you believe it?” Liz is practically singing in the line for lunch. This past week has been uneventful, we took our official final blood draw an hour ago and were told the time of our scheduled release.

I’ve been thinking about Lexi’s offer, but I know in my heart I owe it to Doug to at least talk things out with him. I made the decision to come in here, but I left things in the air with him which isn’t fair. I realized that too late. “I’m ready to get out of here,” I comment as we make our way through the cafeteria with our tray of food and find a table.

“What are you planning on doing when you get out of here?” Liz inquires.

“Sit on a bench in the common park and soak up some sun, then go home to handle some unfinished business,” I answer.

“Oooh, soaking in the sun sounds so good,” Liz almost pouts at the idea. “I am going home to see my hubby and maybe start looking into moving to a secluded area for safety.”

“That sounds like a safe bet,” I nod. Lexi was saying the same thing just the other day about a community her family had found, but they only tell specific people about it, and Liz is not one of them.

Eventually, Lexi found her way to our table and sat down next to me. “I can not wait to have a shower where the warm water is timed. Also, I want the hair products that I use for my hair, not these generic brands that do nothing for my frizzy hair.”

“We were just talking about our plans for when we get out in a few hours,” Liz pipped up. “Mandy is going to find a park bench to sit on in the sun, I’m going home to see my hubby, how about you?”

“I’m going west to see my family. It’s all that I’ve been focused on, just to see my family again,” Lexi smiled.

“Do you have kids?” Liz inquired.

Lexi laughed. “Nah, I’m thinking about my folks and sister.”

“Oh,” Liz’s face changed as she glanced down at her plate then brushed her hand across her nose. “That’s not good,” she muttered looking up at Lexi and I.

My mouth dropped open as blood began dripping out of her nose, and coming out of her eyes like tears. I tried to call for help, but no sound came out. I may not know Liz well, but she’s become a friend over the past two weeks. I feel like the world is being tipped upside down as I try to find my voice.

Lexi was the first to manage to overcome her shock. “We need help!” She shouted, and three medical personnel came rushing into the room with a gurney. They gathered Liz up onto the bed and pushed it out of the room, leaving us all dumbfounded. As Lexi and I sit staring at the doors Liz was ushered out of, I begin to shake.

“What the hell was that?” I shriek as my voice returns.

“Unexpected… Delayed failed trial. It’s never happened before,” Lexi states.

“How can you be sure?”

“My family sends two in at a time, and we’ve gathered evidence and statistics.”

“Wait, what?” I look at Lexi shocked.

“Not out here,” she replied shaking her head. She stood up and tossed her food. “I’ve lost my appetite for lunch.”

I don’t blame her, I did do after seeing Liz practically self-combust in front of me. I toss my tray of food and walk back to the room to unpack my things. So much for going home today. Looks like we have another week to get out.

Lexi is unpacking her bunk as well, “my family. There are about 20 of us all over the age of 18, not counting the spouses. We’ve been sending two people every few months and documenting the experiences. My cousin started it, and then her girlfriend and brother went in. Then there was the group where only one came out as I told you. My aunt came in with me, though she’s in a different block as she had diabetes coming in. We are looking for statics on the vaccine’s rate of curing preexisting ailments.”

“Are they trying to make their own vaccine?” I wonder.

“No, there’s more to receiving this vaccine than anyone talks about, but again, this isn’t the place to discuss it. Once we’re on the outside, if you chose to join us at the compound then we’ll tell you. I hope you do because if the issue arises for you and you're alone, you’ll end up back here permanently as a lab rat.”

“Can’t you just tell me?”

“No, because it sounds crazy, and if word got out in here, they’d send people after the compound knowing we know the secrets.”

“Are you saying there’s a chance Liz doesn’t die?”

“No, her trial failed. There’s nothing avoiding that. It’ll take more than a month for the changes to truly take hold and form. That’s why everything is hush-hush. Though, it’s also how people get discovered even when they are being careful. Trust me, Mandy. You’re going to want to think about your options within the next year.”

“Are you telling me the vaccine causes changes, like mutations or something just as bad?”

“Yes,” Lexi barely whispered the answer telling me she was speaking the truth. “Just think about it, okay? I know how crazy it sounds, but I’m not making it up.”

“I will think about it,” I reply wanting to be done with this conversation. I’m still pretty shaken up about seeing the terrible unexpected way Liz’s trial just failed. It was so sudden and over so quickly. I know I should be upset about her failed trial means I’m stuck here another week, but honestly I feel sad for her and her husband who didn’t get to say goodbye. I hear murmurs from the main corridor but I’m to shaken up to get up to find out what’s going on.

“Attention all participants, due to patient 3 failing her trial, you all are required to remain for further observation for one more full week. We told you the rules at the very beginning of the trial, they will not change today, I am sorry. Please, remain calm and go about as you were.” The announcement ended leaving everyone silent.

“Sounds like people where still expecting to leave today,” Lexi guessed. “Why is it so difficult for people to hear the rules, and except that there will be know exceptions to the rules?”

“Will they let the loved ones of those of us still in here know we need to be observed longer?” I ask.

“Nope, but it’s at the point that unless they get the notification of death, people shouldn’t assume anything.”

“Not everyone knows about the notifications,” I start then stop myself, as I realize that the notifications had to be made in order for the families to know their loved one didn’t make and demand legal retributions.

“Are you thinking about your man?”

“I’m not sure he’s still my man, but yes. I was dreading the conversation, but at the same time I was ready to get it over with and out of the way.” I admit.

“Well, you have another week to think about what you’re going to say to him.”

“The hardest part is, I’m not sure what his responses are going to be. I know what I want them to be, but as I said I fear the relationship just fizzed. I love him, but the stress of not having a job or an income really took all my focus, and he pulled away while I was focusing on myself. I know I’m not entirely at fault, but neither is he.”

“What you are looking for is a simple conversation of closure, my friend. You don’t want him to confess his love, or to tell you anything harsh. You just want to have the conversation where both of you mutually realize and accepted that the passion is gone and the relationship ran its course and fizzled out. It happens, doesn’t mean either of you are bad people, it just means it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe you can remain friends, you know how people say it but in the end it never happens.” Lexi explains. She truly just gets me, which I find oddly comforting even though we barely know each other. The more I get to know Lexi, the more I think her offer sounds legit and tempting, but the logical part of my brain seems to have a nagging sensation that this community is some sort of cult. Hence, my hesitation to accept the offer.

“Exactly,” I sigh. “I’m going to take a lap and try to clear my head a bit more.”

“Okay, I’m here if you need to talk to someone.”

“Thanks,” I give her a smile and leave the room. I really was hoping to get out of here today, as secretly I’m starting to get stir crazy from feeling so cooped up, but after what I saw with Liz, I’m almost glad to be here for one more week just incase something else happens. Seeing Liz die like that made of the side effects more real instead of just hypothetical.