#Chapter 98: Before It’s Too Late

Ava I hurriedly pushed through the heavy double doors of the clinic, my boots clicking rapidly against the pristine white tile floors as I hurried down the dimly lit hallway toward the research wing. A sense of urgency propelled me forward, my heart hammering against my ribs. Just minutes ago, I had received a single text message from Chris: “Come to the clinic immediately. Found fungus. Hurry.” I had dropped what I was doing and made a beeline for the clinic immediately without so much as responding to his text. As I rounded the corner, I caught sight of Chris and Leonard hunched over one of the long stainless steel lab tables, their expressions grim. A thin, wiry older man in a white lab coat and large round glasses hovered beside them, peering intently into the eyepiece of a bulky microscope on the table. “What the hell is going on?” I demanded without preamble, striding up to the trio. “I got your message, but it didn’t explain—” “Ava.” Chris str