Medic Kaul sat at the conference table with Council Leader Vorik. His body vibrated with excitement. His thoughts swirled with endless possibilities of what Hope's blood could do. "I checked Seeran's mate's blood twice. She has immunity to the zombie toxins. The readings indicated that she had been bitten, or she ended up with their blood in her system, but she never turned."

Council Leader Vorik sat back in his chair, thinking as Medic Kaul waited in silence. His thoughts were listing all of the possibilities that this might mean. "And you think that you can create a vaccine to prevent others from turning into a zombie or perhaps cure the ones that have already been infected and turned?" he asked. It was not only a question, but a confirmation as well.

Hearing Council Leader Vorik's words, Medic Kaul's excitement grew. He sat up straight, excitement washing through him. He hadn't thought of that. "I was thinking of a vaccine; I didn't think about trying to use it to cure them. That would be wonderful if I could make a vaccine, and if it could do both. If it can cure and prevent the virus from spreading, that would make it even better. This entire toxin outbreak could be eradicated...all of it."

Council Leader Vorik nodded. "I was also informed that the tranquilizer had the opposite effect as intended. We need to figure out what to do to help all those humans who have turned," his thoughts drifted. "Maybe instead of a tranquilizer, you need a stimulator. If a tranquilizer has the opposite effect, a stimulator might as well. The only way to know for sure is to try it."

"I'll work on it," Kaul nodded vigorously. "I was heading over to Seeran's home to check on his mate. Maybe she'll be strong enough to tell us about her immunity and what happened to her." There was hope in his words. He wanted to know everything. If he knew how she became immune, he could figure out how to make others immune as well. He knew he needed to ask her, yet he was worried that Seeran wouldn't allow it.

"Keep me informed," Council Leader Vorik stated. He appeared to be lost in thought while he spoke.

Medic Kaul left the council room and headed for his clinic. He was rushing through the streets, his mind in chaos. So many possibilities had been presented to him.

He needed to pick up his supplies so he could scan Seeran's mate. He thought about the possibility of finding a cure for the zombies as well as preventing anyone else from changing. If he could accomplish that, then it would give everyone a much brighter future. The remaining humans could be saved, even those who had been turned or infected by the zombie toxins.

On his short trek to his clinic and then to Seeran's home, thoughts and ideas flowed through his mind. In the end, he had decided he was going to make a dart filled with the vaccine so that if one of the teams ran into zombies, they could shoot it and see what happened. It would be the safest thing for them to do. They wouldn't have to risk their lives capturing and then binding them. Just aim the gun and shoot the dart filled with the vaccine. At least, that's how he saw it in his mind.

Smiling faintly, Medic Kaul rushed up the small steps and stood at the front door to Seeran's home, pressing the call button, letting Seeran know that he was there. The door slid smoothly open, with Seeran standing in front of him.

"Come in, Medic Kaul. I was expecting you." Seeran stated, ushering him to come inside.

Kaul stepped through the threshold, his gaze moving across the small room until it landed on the sofa. The girl was lying peacefully, covered with a soft blanket. The blanket was wrapped tightly, a subtle shiver running through her thin frame, barely seen through the thick blanket.

Seeran, seeing what Medic Kaul was looking at, folded his arms. "She's cold," Seeran explained. "She's too thin for her body to stay warm."

Kaul nodded in understanding, then walked up to her, taking out his scanner. The girl stared up at him with her brown eyes. "What's your name?" he asked her gently. He didn't want to startle her, not sure if her frail heart could take it.

"Hope," she whispered. It came out quietly. There was a roughness in her voice. Kaul didn't know if it was from the feeding tube he had to use to force nutrients in her or from how frail she was. He knew it could be either, or both.

Medic Kaul smiled. "I'm going to scan you to see how you're doing," he told her gently. He paused briefly, waiting for her to allow it. He knew most humans, when they arrived at the dome, didn't know the technology that his people had brought with them. Most of their technology scared them, because they didn't know what it did. They didn't trust it.

Hope nodded slowly, still watching him. Her eyes hadn't wavered.

While Medic Kaul scanned Hope, he asked her gently, hoping she would answer. "What happened to you? My scanner indicates that you were bitten by a zombie but didn't turn into one."

Beside him, he could see Seeran stiffen. It was clear that her mate didn't like this line of questioning.

"I have a reason I need to ask you," he continued, more for Seeran's benefit than hers. "You're immune. I'm going to try to make a vaccine out of a sample of your blood that I already have, but I need to know what happened."

Hope whispered. Her soft tone was not capable of going any louder. It was clear she was still too weak. "I went out for supplies and got attacked. I had to lock myself in the room inside the tunnel. I was afraid the bite marks would get infected, but they didn't. Those things stayed at my door and wouldn't leave me alone. I couldn't leave."

"Bites?" Kaul asked, trying to hide his shock. "You were bitten more than once?"

Hope nodded, her eyes not wavering from him.

Medic Kaul studied her, then looked over at Seeran, who was watching stiffly. "May I see her bites, or can you tell me if they have healed properly?" he asked Seeran calmly.

Before Seeran could answer, Hope pulled the blanket down and moved her clothing aside so he could see her bite marks. There were three on her arm and one on her leg. All were healing nicely. There was no sign of infection, nor the green tint that normally lingered around the bite marks.

Kaul pressed a few buttons on his scanner and scanned her bite marks, passing the scanner slowly over them so he could get a good read. Once he was finished, he smiled down at Hope, "They are healing as they should. I see no infections," he informed her as he pulled her blanket back up, covering her to keep her warm.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"I will be back tomorrow to see how you're doing," Kaul told her, packing up his supplies, then turned to Seeran. "Inform me if you need me. Hope is doing well. Her injuries are doing fine. She's weak but regaining her health. Give her high-nutrient food that is easily digestible, like cream soup. Keep her warm so she doesn't become ill."

Just as he turned to leave, Hope's quiet voice spoke to him. "If you can cure them using my blood, then if you need more, I'm willing to give it to you."

Medic Kaul was touched by the offer of more of her blood. "It is doubtful I will need more, but I will keep that in mind if I do. Thank you," he smiled, then left Seeran's home.

All the way to the clinic, he thought about the possibilities of curing the zombies of their toxins. Not only would he make the planet safer, but also restore some of the human population. He didn't like what his people had done. Even more, since he acquired a human mate, who was currently pregnant with a child.

He had found Julie with one of the groups that one of the teams had found. There were several sets of mates in that group. His mate was the only one who found a mate when the group reached the dome.

Medic Kaul was thankful to receive a mate. He didn't expect it to happen to him. The devastation that his people had done to the planet at Council Leader Tosh's order nearly wiped out every human on the planet. The poison Council Leader Tosh had provided was also what created the zombies.

Now there was a chance to cure those infected and preserve what was left of the planet's people, and Seeran's mate was the key, which meant she had to be protected at all costs.

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