“I’m afraid not,” said Riley.“We think they’re telling these people that they’re giving them immunizations, when in fact they’re giving them the excessive proteins.If it’s not injections, it’s most likely being placed in water bottles and the villagers are drinking it.”
“Does it have a taste?” asked Moose.They all stared at him.“Look, I don’t understand this shit but if it has a funny taste or smell, we could warn them.”
“That’s actually a great idea,” smiled Riley.“Let us test some things here and see what we can find.You boys be careful.”
“Thanks, Riley,” said Saint turning the video feed off.“Well fellas, looks like we have a big task ahead of us.”They all nodded.Logan frowned at them.
“Get some sleep.I’ve got a matter to settle with these two.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Your work on this really has been impressive, Blythe,” said Riley.“Areyou sure emergency medicine and surgery is where you belong?”
“I’ve thought a lot about it,” she said staring at the other women.“I love it all.That’s my problem.My professors and advisors made me select the direction I wanted to go.I do well with emergency medicine and surgery because I think quickly and can act quickly.Yet my insatiable curiosity about what makes things work or not work, what makes the body function is always tickling at the back of my brain.”
“Well, you can always have a seat in our research facility,” said Suzette.“I’m supposed to be semi-retired.So is Riley and Gabi, but it’s hard to give up something you love so much.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many brilliant minds in one place,” said Blythe.“It makes me feel as though I’m truly making a difference.”
“Did you not feel that way at the hospital?” asked Gabi.
“I did.Sort of,” she frowned.“It always felt like we were pushing to get them out the door.One of the older surgeons used to say, pack ‘em, hack ‘em, or hatch ‘em.Fill them with drugs or dressings, perform surgery on them, or help them give birth.It felt cold.Here everything feels warm and inviting.You’re not pushing patients out the door.”The all nodded, smiling at her.
“Your name is interesting.Blythe.It’s very American,” said Gabi.The young woman nodded, smiling at the extraordinarily beautiful woman.
“My mother was a fan of an actress with that name.It means joyful or happy, and I suppose I was always a happy child.I miss them.All of them.I really thought I’d be taking care of my little sister by now.”
“I’m so sorry, honey,” said Suzette.“Sly and I always thought we’d have a houseful of children but it wasn’t in the cards.”
“I’m so sorry,” said Blythe.
“Don’t be.Sly had leukemia which prevented us from being able to get pregnant.I didn’t care,” she smiled with a sad smile.“I had him.He was alive and well and I was going to have him as my husband one way or another.My brothers were there for me the whole time.They flew to Virginia, where REAPER was located at the time, and made sure that we both had what we needed.”
“What you’ve created here, what your parents created, is something pretty spectacular.This family environment, community, love, faith, and so much more, is a model for what the world should be like,” said Blythe.
“I think that’s why Grandma and Grandpa did it,” said Suzette.Blythe looked at the other two women.
“How did you meet your husbands?”
“Oh, for me,” smiled Riley, “Max helped me save a boy that was being used for experimental drug treatments without his parents knowledge, while battling childhood cancer.We discovered a pharmaceutical company that was pushing for drug approval through fake drug trial outcomes.That boy would have died without Max.I would have died.”
“And you just fell in love?” she smiled.
“Almost immediately.You’ve seen Max.He’s huge and intimidating but I never felt afraid of him.We were both a bit older, so we never expected to have children.Then one day, surprise!”They all laughed, nodding their heads.Blythe turned to smile at Gabi.
“Oh, my story is similar.I met Zulu when he was still serving.He had shrapnel lodged at his spine that was going to cause him to be paralyzed.I was his surgeon.Unfortunately, a hurricane hit the hospital and everyone was moved.Except he couldn’t be moved for fear of it causing more damage.
“I couldn’t leave him.I stayed with him as the storm hit, laid with him in that hospital bed protecting him.It was unprofessional of me, but I kissed him while he was unconscious.Or at least I thought he was unconscious.
“As it turned out, he was having dreams about a white-haired, crazy-eyed woman kissing him.Years later, I had someone chasing me, wanting to harm me, and the only person I knew that could help me was Zulu.So, I found him and went right to their compound.”
“And I bet he didn’t hesitate wrapping you in his arms and protecting you,” Blythe said softly.
“Oh, honey, that man has wrapped me up every night since then.His body, his equipment, mmm, mmm, mmm.”Blythe burst out laughing, shaking her head.
“Gabi, we’ve warned you about this with new people on the property,” grinned Riley.
“No.No, it’s okay,” giggled Blythe.“In many ways my mother was a modern woman but when it came to sex or anatomy, she was definitely a woman from her culture and close-mouthed.Logan is, well he’s…”
