Free AM13 Outbreak Series (Book 2): Forgotten by Samie Sands Page B

why only some people can make it to the final stage. It’ll finally be a variation in my results — a tangent to work on.
    I intend to run detailed blood tests on all seven specimens today, see what I can find out from this. To do this safely I will need the assistance of two soldiers. I’m currently awaiting their arrival. Drawing blood is going to be a very difficult, dangerous task which I can’t do alone. Too many things could go wrong. At this moment, I’m uncertain if any sedatives will work on the infected as their systems don’t seem to react to things in the expected way — I may test this today if I’m given enough time.
    I have a theory about one of the questions that I have been given to look at. It’s more than a theory, I’m certain it’s correct but without proof I have to word it in this way.
    Why must the victims be shot in the head to die?
    Well, when people are normally shot in the chest, their heart stops beating. When they’re shot in another place on their body — say the stomach — more often than not they bleed out. None of this applies to the infected. Their hearts aren’t beating to begin with, their blood isn’t flowing. The only active function they have is in their lower brain. When this is severed, they cannot carry on.
     
    6:35 p.m.
    Notes from the blood tests:
    I am not able to determine blood types from the samples I’ve taken, so I have to assume I have a range of A, B, AB and O. None of the tests show any variety in results, which could be affected by type, so luckily this information isn’t vital.
    As previously determined, without the heart functioning, blood is not pumping around the body. The arteries, capillaries, and veins are useless. The blood is stationary, causing the plasma to coagulate and form clots. Need to find as much information about haematopoiesis as possible and run further tests into the serum.
    An uninfected human typically has approximately five litres of blood. The infected have a much smaller amount than this — approx. 2.75litres. This is possible due to the loss through the damage to their bodies or because they no longer appear to need it to function. I may return to this at a later date, for now I think I can continue successfully without this data.
    The virus has consumed all of the white blood cells — neutrophiles, eosinophiles, basophiles, and monocytes , explaining the lack of antibodies, and has latched itself onto the red blood cells at the reticulocyte stage. This allows it to travel around the body at a rapid pace — may go some way to help answer why people are affected at different rates. The ratio of RBCs to WBCs is much higher than normal — 2,800 to 1.
    Also notable: haemoglobin is absent.
     
    9:45 p.m.
    Specimen five, who was previously showing no signs of life, has now made a full turn and is up behaving in the same way as the others. In fact, she’s probably the most rabid of them all. By removing her from her enclosure and having her breathe in the scent of the uninfected, I’ve ‘woken her up,’ so to speak. I almost wish I hadn’t, it’s far too noisy to concentrate now. She hasn’t shut up once.
    The soldiers told me a few noteworthy tales while they were here, of some of the infected that they’ve had experiences with. They’ve witnessed, with their own eyes, some function in the same way as the specimens I have, with all their limbs removed, their insides trailing behind them. It seems that no amount of damage to the victims’ bodies is enough to even slow them down. I just wanted to write that down so it isn’t forgotten. I think there’s something very important there. I’m certain it’s something I’ll return to at some point.
    They also told me that they’ve been instructed to retrieve me some new specimens in varying stages of infection to help me progress with my studies. I read between the lines and have concluded that someone in power is unhappy with my current level of progress. Despite this,