As soon as the truck pulled up next to us, the back doors swung open, and a couple of people in full military-grade armor jumped out and leveled their weapons at Hairy and Tyberius. I wrenched open the car door, and it looked like Amelia and Kyle were going to jump in front of my friends to keep them from being shot, but before that could happen, a taller man in black tactical gear stepped from the truck.

 

“Hold your fire,” he said firmly. “Those may be the non-hostile entities we were told about.”

 

“And… what if they’re not?” one of the men asked, without lowering his weapon.

 

The commander paused for a moment. “I think it’s unlikely, since they’re not attacking these kids, but if they make any sudden movements, you know what to do,” he finally replied.

 

“We mean you no harm,” Tyberius declared, before leaning forward and rattling his plates. “However, if you try to harm either us or our charges, you’ll find out how hostile we can be.”

“Tyberius!” I hissed. “I don't think you should be threatening the men with guns right now.”

 

“Why not? More than once today, you’ve been threatened by someone carrying a gun, who has claimed to be your friend. Why should now be any different?” Tyberius asked, never taking his eye off the tactical team.

 

“He’s kind of got a point,” Kyle muttered.

 

The commander sighed. Although it looked like he wanted to say something, he just let it drop and rubbed his brow instead. “It’s been a long day already, and we’re not here for a fight. Where can we find Bryan Ortiz, and the one exposed to the contaminant?” he asked.

 

“Uhhh… Well, Ortiz is over there,” I said, throwing a thumb over my shoulder. “Our friend Kira has him in ice restraints. And if by ‘contaminant’ you mean the water, that would be me,”

 

He looked at me strangely for a minute. “And you’re still alright? No convulsions, sudden migraines, or loss of consciousness, even after all this time?”

 

“I’ve been shivering a lot since being exposed, although I think that’s because the maniac dumped a couple of dozen liters of water on me in cold weather, and although my head does hurt, I’m sure you can see the reason,” I said, gesturing at my face.

 

“Ortiz did that to you?” he asked.

 

“Right before I hit him in the knees with a crowbar,” I confirmed.

 

“Good for you,” he muttered, before gesturing for two of the people standing nearby. “Morgan, Alvarez, please go pick up the guest of honor, before he slips away again. I don’t want a repeat of this morning.”

 

The two, who were wearing balaclavas and so much armor I couldn't tell if they were men or women, immediately took off in the direction of my tormentor.

 

As they stepped away, the commander grabbed the radio hanging from the front of his vest. “The exposed person isn’t showing any external signs of a break. I think you can send the doctor forward.”

 

At his word, the ambulance, which had been hanging back along with the other cars, slowly began rolling forward.

 

“Aren’t you going to ask about the water?” Kira asked.

 

“Normally I would, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize the source,” the commander replied, gesturing to the gutter, which was still slick.

 

“There’s more inside the car, along with my wet jacket and shirt,” I explained.

 

“And your pants?”

 

“Have you ever tried to change your pants in the back of a car?” I muttered. “I’m still wearing them.”

“Then you’ll have to change them in the back of the ambulance. We’re still not sure how long the contaminant can stay active, and it’s probably best that you don’t spread it around. I’m sure they’ll have a gown for you,” the commander said.

 

“Thanks, but I’ve got a spare pair of pants,” I replied, holding them up. He raised an eyebrow, so I rushed to explain. “My friends went and got me another set of clothes after they subdued Ortiz, so I didn’t freeze.”

 

“That was nice of them,” he replied politely as the ambulance pulled up next to him. “Since you’re the one who’s been exposed, I’m going to have to ask you to enter the ambulance so that you can get checked.”

 

“Can I go with her?” Olivia asked, hopefully.

 

He shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. Based upon what the doctor told us, if your friend shows any instability at all, we’ll need to escort her out of town to the nearest deserted area, to minimize casualties.”

 

“If she shows any sign?” Amelia asked.

 

“To be honest, based upon what we experienced today, she should have popped already. That’s part of the reason we took so long to arrive,” he explained.

 

“So you were trying to avoid the area in case there was a major incident?” Amelia scoffed. “You’re a bunch of real heroes, aren’t you?”

“It’s not like…” the commander started, before giving up and bringing a hand up to his brow. “You’ll see why soon enough. Now, ma’am, please step over to the ambulance.”

 

As I made my way over, Hairy stepped forward to join me, causing the members of the tactical team assigned to watch him to tense up. “Don’t move!”

 

“Don’t fire at him!” I blurted. “He probably just wants to keep an eye on me while I’m in the ambulance. The last two times he left me alone, there was an… incident…” I said, gesturing to my face, “and he’s probably feeling a little protective.”

 

“Orders, sir?”

 

The commander locked eyes with Hairy for a few seconds. “Can you talk, like your friend?” he asked.

 

Hairy nodded.

 

“In that case, I’ll allow you to move to a location where you can see the back of the ambulance, but you’re not to approach within fifteen feet. If you do, my men will fire upon you, understand?” the commander asked.

 

Hairy snorted, but nodded again.

 

“Good,” the man snapped.

 

“Does that mean we can also watch, if we keep a distance?” Olivia asked.

 

The commander glanced over at her. “As long as you follow the doctor’s orders, I don’t see why not.”

 

“Great!” Olivia exclaimed, quickly skirting around the edge of the ambulance; Amelia and the twins were not far behind her.

 

Considering how defensive Hairy was being, I decided to walk around to the far side of the Ambulance, so we could watch me the entire time, before climbing into the back of the vehicle.

 

When I did, and finally looked up, I was so surprised I stepped back and nearly tumbled out again.

 

“Tamera, it’s good to see you again,” Doctor Michaels declared. “When I heard what happened, I had a feeling you were the one exposed.”

 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, doc,” I said, once I’d regained my balance, “but what are you doing here? I was expecting some EMTs or something.”

 

“Although I have deep respect for my medical brethren, I’m the only one on campus that has any knowledge of the water, or as you’ve probably heard Robert call it, the containment, is capable of,” she explained. “I’m also familiar with all your files, so in the case there was a problem, I was likely the only one capable of coming up with a solution. That’s how I managed to bully the response team into letting me tag along.”

 

She raised a hand and hovered it next to my face. “That’s pretty nasty, and I assume you have a couple other wounds too,” the doctor said. “I’m sorry, although I’d like to patch you up, we need to confirm something first. Mia, if you would?”

 

The bubbly nurse from before tweaked a couple of settings on a console built into the side of the ambulance, then opened the adjacent cabinet and pulled out a familiar-looking headset, which she handed to the doctor.

 

“Alright then,” Doctor Michaels said, patting the gurney. “Please lie down for a moment so we can get an idea of what’s going on in that head of yours.”