Mig City on the outskirts of Esquire. Security Zone Deltatron 109. Sector V. Ward 5.
The girl with the glow appeared in the center of the ward. One of the beds was empty. Approaching it, the girl laid Gerda on the bed. Waving her hand over the bed, she summoned an interface that resembled a large transparent screen. The image quality was very high. The words «INFECTED PROTECTION SYSTEM» appeared before Gerda's face.
The girl pressed some buttons on the interface. A holographic chest appeared to the right of it. Opening it, the girl took out a syringe with a long needle. She placed the glowing sphere on a stool next to the bed.
— Well, let's treat you. Haha, — she chuckled slyly.
Pressing more buttons, the girl took a vial with a clear liquid from the chest.
— What is that? — Gerda asked.
— Oh, you're awake. It's a sedative to help you reach the Apila exit, — the girl filled the syringe and brought it to Gerda's arm, holding the plunger with her thumb, — it will only hurt at first, then you'll fall asleep!
She pressed the plunger, and the white liquid flowed through the needle into Gerda's vein. The girl began to convulse violently. The girl turned around, took the glowing sphere, squeezed it again, and disappeared.
A guy with similar burns lay on the next bed. He watched what was happening, and after the girl disappeared, he looked at the ceiling and muttered something.
The convulsions lasted for 5-10 minutes. The burns increased, blood gushed from Gerda's ears, nose, eyes, and mouth. The bleeding stopped only after the convulsions subsided. Gerda's body lay motionless.
The doctor, a nurse, and an orderly reappeared in the center of the room with a glow. They approached Gerda and felt for a pulse.
— No pulse, that's bad, — the doctor reacted.
— Well, one less, — the orderly commented.
— God bless you, amen, — the nurse prayed.
The doctor leaned towards Gerda, about to lift her, and noticed that the burns were gone, but other symptoms had appeared. Her pulse quickened, her heartbeat became faster than that of ordinary people. Under the dried blood on her face, changes were visible: Gerda's pupils narrowed, her teeth became like fangs, and her ears resembled those of a cat. While no one noticed that the girl was alive, the doctor waved his hand over the bed. A huge black sheet appeared out of nowhere and covered Gerda.
— What the hell, Hardy Alinsberg, what are you doing? — the nurse asked.
— None of your business, Billagi! Prepare the morgue with Rogi! — the doctor replied nervously.
The doctor, leaning his hands on the sheet, felt that it had become empty underneath, and, unable to hold himself, fell on his back. Jumping to his feet, he threw the sheet off the bed. There was a pool of blood underneath, and nothing more.
— Where, where is she? — Hardy became nervous and began to rush around the ward.
He threw the bed aside, searched everything, turned everything over, but he could not find Gerda. Billagi and Rogi, watching him, decided to report to the commander. Like all medical personnel, they had tools and bags. Each of them had a small bag with several pockets on their belt. Both took out glowing spheres from there and, squeezing them tightly in their fists, disappeared. Only the patient on the next bed and the doctor, Hardy Alinsberg, remained in the room.