![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
T-Minus 28 days to DEADLINE.
May. 3rd, 2011 01:46 pmReston, Virginia. May 15th, 2014.
The misters above the feeding cages went off again promptly at three, filling the air inside the hot room with an aerosolized mixture of water and six different strains of rhinovirus. The rhesus monkeys and guinea pigs who had entered the cages five minutes earlier, when the food was poured, ignored the thin mist drifting over them. Their attention was focused entirely on the food. Dr. Alexander Kellis watched them eat, making notes on his iPad with quick swipes of his index finger. He didn't look down.
"How's it looking?"
"This is their seventh exposure. So far, none of them have shown any symptoms. Appetites are good, eyes are clear; no runny noses, no coughing. There was some sneezing, but it appears that Subject 11c has allergies."
The man standing next to America's premiere expert in genetically engineered rhino- and coronaviruses raised an eyebrow. "Allergies?"
"Yes." Dr. Kellis indicated one of the rhesus monkeys. She was sitting on her haunches, shoving grapes into her mouth with single-minded dedication to the task of eating as many of them as possible before one of the other monkeys took them away. "She's allergic to guinea pigs, poor thing."
His companion laughed. "Yes, poor thing," he agreed, before leaning in and kissing Dr. Kellis on the cheek. "As you may recall, you gave me permission yesterday to demand that you leave the lab for lunch. I have a note. Signed and everything."
"John, I really—"
"You also gave me permission to make you sleep on the couch for the rest of the month if you turned me down for anything short of one of the animals getting sick, and you know what that does to your back." John Kellis stepped back, folding his arms and looking levelly at his husband. "Now which is it going to be? Marital bliss and a lovely lunch, or nights and nights with that broken spring digging into your side, wishing you'd been willing to listen to me?"
Alexander sighed. "You don't play fair."
"You haven't left this lab during the day for almost a month," John countered. "How is wanting you to be healthy not playing fair? As funny as it would be if you got sick while you were trying to save mankind from the tyranny of the flu, it would make you crazy, and you know it."
"You're right."
"You're damn right I am. Now put down that computer and get your coat. The world can stay unsaved for a few more hours, while we get something nutritious that didn't come out of a vending machine into you."
This time, Alexander smiled. John smiled back. It was reflex, and relief, and love, all tangled up together. It was impossible for him to look at that smile and not remember why he'd fallen in love in the first place, and why he'd been willing to spend the last ten years of his life with this wonderful, magical, infuriating man.
"We're going to be famous for what we're doing here, you know," Alexander said. "People are going to remember the name 'Kellis' forever."
"Won't that be a nice thing to remember you by after you've died of starvation?" John took his arm firmly. "Come along, genius. I'd like to have you to myself for a little while before you go down in history as the savior of mankind."
Behind them, in the hot room, the misters went off again, and the monkeys shrieked.
***
Dr. Alexander Kellis held a private press conference yesterday to announce the latest developments in his oft-maligned "fight against the common cold." Dr. Kellis holds multiple degrees in virology and molecular biology...
When will you Rise?
The misters above the feeding cages went off again promptly at three, filling the air inside the hot room with an aerosolized mixture of water and six different strains of rhinovirus. The rhesus monkeys and guinea pigs who had entered the cages five minutes earlier, when the food was poured, ignored the thin mist drifting over them. Their attention was focused entirely on the food. Dr. Alexander Kellis watched them eat, making notes on his iPad with quick swipes of his index finger. He didn't look down.
"How's it looking?"
"This is their seventh exposure. So far, none of them have shown any symptoms. Appetites are good, eyes are clear; no runny noses, no coughing. There was some sneezing, but it appears that Subject 11c has allergies."
The man standing next to America's premiere expert in genetically engineered rhino- and coronaviruses raised an eyebrow. "Allergies?"
"Yes." Dr. Kellis indicated one of the rhesus monkeys. She was sitting on her haunches, shoving grapes into her mouth with single-minded dedication to the task of eating as many of them as possible before one of the other monkeys took them away. "She's allergic to guinea pigs, poor thing."
His companion laughed. "Yes, poor thing," he agreed, before leaning in and kissing Dr. Kellis on the cheek. "As you may recall, you gave me permission yesterday to demand that you leave the lab for lunch. I have a note. Signed and everything."
"John, I really—"
"You also gave me permission to make you sleep on the couch for the rest of the month if you turned me down for anything short of one of the animals getting sick, and you know what that does to your back." John Kellis stepped back, folding his arms and looking levelly at his husband. "Now which is it going to be? Marital bliss and a lovely lunch, or nights and nights with that broken spring digging into your side, wishing you'd been willing to listen to me?"
Alexander sighed. "You don't play fair."
"You haven't left this lab during the day for almost a month," John countered. "How is wanting you to be healthy not playing fair? As funny as it would be if you got sick while you were trying to save mankind from the tyranny of the flu, it would make you crazy, and you know it."
"You're right."
"You're damn right I am. Now put down that computer and get your coat. The world can stay unsaved for a few more hours, while we get something nutritious that didn't come out of a vending machine into you."
This time, Alexander smiled. John smiled back. It was reflex, and relief, and love, all tangled up together. It was impossible for him to look at that smile and not remember why he'd fallen in love in the first place, and why he'd been willing to spend the last ten years of his life with this wonderful, magical, infuriating man.
"We're going to be famous for what we're doing here, you know," Alexander said. "People are going to remember the name 'Kellis' forever."
"Won't that be a nice thing to remember you by after you've died of starvation?" John took his arm firmly. "Come along, genius. I'd like to have you to myself for a little while before you go down in history as the savior of mankind."
Behind them, in the hot room, the misters went off again, and the monkeys shrieked.
***
Dr. Alexander Kellis held a private press conference yesterday to announce the latest developments in his oft-maligned "fight against the common cold." Dr. Kellis holds multiple degrees in virology and molecular biology...
When will you Rise?
