Chapter 388

388 Collateral Damage
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Laurie was pacing on the other end of the call, clearly agitated, but her voice held only concern. “Did you take all the proper precautions?”
Yunice closed her eyes, running through the symptoms again–everything Mr. Gerardo was exhibiting matched a rare and fatal condition reported abroad.
“We did everything we could,” she answered calmly. “But someone yanked off my goggles during the chaos, so I can’t say for sure if I’m in the clear.”
Laurie took a moment to suppress her emotions before replying. “Don’t panic. The hypothesis you gave us earlier was spot on. Even if you did get exposed, we’ve already made progress in the lab–enough to buy you time, maybe even save you. So stay calm, okay?”
“Got it,” Yunice replied steadily.
There was a brief silence.
“Did you call Mr. Wyatt?” Laurie asked suddenly.
“…Not yet.”
Laurie didn’t respond to that. She let it hang for a beat, then said, “This incident is going to hit the CDC’s desk soon. Not many people know you had contact with Mr. Gerardo. If you get Wyatt to pick you up now, you can still avoid getting caught in the net.
“Wellinges Pharma has the best medical resources in the country. With Wyatt by your side, people will move mountains to help you. But if you end up sealed inside Saunders Hospital, you’ll be thrown to the wolves.”
Laurie was nothing if not rigid and by–the–book–yet she was trying to break protocol for her. Yunice felt a quiet rush of gratitude.
She smiled faintly. “This virus… it came on fast and hard. I don’t want to drag more people into it. Once the CDC sends the alert, everyone who’s been in contact will be put under surveillance. The last thing I want is for Wellinges Pharma to get flagged for obstruction.”
Laurie went quiet again.
Yunice glanced at the time. “I don’t have much battery left. I still want to make a few more calls—so I’m gonna go.”
Right before she hung up, her voice softened. “Thanks for thinking of me.”
“Don’t hang up yet!” Laurie’s voice snapped through. “Even if you did get exposed, you better hold it together. When this is over, I’ll take you on as my student.”
Yunice laughed. “Deal.”
Once the call ended, she dialed Taylor.
Taylor picked up quickly–but Yunice didn’t speak to her.
“Put Alan on,” she said.
Confused, Alan took the phone. “Ms. Saunders? ”
“Listen to me carefully,” Yunice said. “No matter what it takes, do not let Taylor go near Saunders Hospital. Don’t let her talk to anyone from there. Best if she stays indoors for the next few days.”
Taylor grabbed the phone back in a panic. “What are you talking about? Where’s my dad? I want to talk to my dad!”
Yunice’s voice was grim. “Mr. Gerardo is unconscious. He can’t answer the phone.”
She explained everything, from the sudden onset of symptoms to the failed resuscitation of Mr. Gerardo’s assistant, who had
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388 Collateral Damage
been declared dead twenty minutes earlier.
Taylor’s knees buckled.
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That assistant had been with her father for two decades–he’d watched her grow up from a young age.
Gone. Just like that .
She clutched Alan’s arm like it was a lifeline, her voice trembling. “We—we have to go to the hospital!”
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“Taylor,” Yunice said gently, “I’m telling you this because I trust your mind. The hospital isn’t your battlefield–your home is. Your family is. Your father’s condition is critical. If you go rushing in there and get infected, then what happens to the Kendall family? What happens to the company? Your mom? Do you really think the Powells won’t take advantage of that?”
Alan stepped forward and grabbed Taylor’s shoulders, his voice shaking. “She’s right, Miss Taylor!”
Taylor collapsed into his arms, sobbing. Logic and grief tore her apart from both sides.
She knew Yunice was right. She was terrified. She was horrified at the thought that she might actually lose her father the way he lost his assistant. She was terrified that she might not even have the chance to be there at her father’s final moments too.
Alan gritted his teeth. “You have to stay strong. Ms. Saunders is in worse shape than we are. She’s stuck in there–alone–and she might be infected too!”
Taylor froze.
That’s right.
Yunice might be just as exposed as her father. She had people who loved her too. People who were probably worried sick.
And she was locked in there–alone, scared, and facing death.
And still, she was the one comforting others?
Taylor’s heart twisted with guilt and shame.
She wiped her tears, steadied her breath, and asked, “What do you need me to do?”
Yunice didn’t hesitate. She told her: this wasn’t random. She suspected foul play, and warned Taylor to watch her back— especially with Paul lurking like a vulture.
As for herself… Wyatt would figure something out.
When the call ended, Yunice looked down at her phone.
3% battery left.
Wyatt’s face flashed in her mind again and again.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
She hesitated.
Should she call him?