Better Revenge Thru Science Pt. 03

He ended up down in his lab, checking his vitals and body mass. He was pleased with the results. Perhaps he had finally hit on the right formula. He chose not to give himself another dose that night and instead, changed into his workout clothes. He found that physical activity was becoming more cathartic to him and helped him think clearly.

Mark's funeral service took place a couple days later and went off well. As the funeral director told him, several notable individuals came to pay their last respects, including a retired United States Senator and a couple Members of the House of Representatives. They all shook Ron's hand and offered their condolences. Ron gave a touching eulogy and thanked everyone for showing up. From there, they went to the cemetery for the graveside service.

He thought he was the last to leave and sat by Mark's grave. Overcome with grief, he began sobbing. Mark was more than just his grandfather. He had been Ron's best friend and confidant. Mark always supported him, even when no one else would. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Lisa, tears flowing down her face.

"I miss him, too," she said. He nodded his head.

"For a long time, he was the only real family I ever had," Ron said. "Sometimes, I wonder what I'll do without him."

"I know, Ron," she said quietly. "But he'll never really be gone, you know. As long as you remember him, he'll always be in your heart. And I promise I'll always be here for you as well."

"Thanks, Lisa," Ron said. "That means a lot. How is Mom holding up?" He spent time with her earlier and held her as she mourned, but he had been kept pretty busy with the ceremony and didn't get to spend as much time with her and Lisa as he would have liked.

"She's sad, but I think she'll be okay," Lisa said. "Marcus is filing papers against Dad and he'll either be served in the hospital or in jail. They're planning to take all three of them in the next few days. They ended up having to remove George's testicles, so he's recovering from that." Ron laughed at that bit of news.

"Nancy said she wanted to be here, but I didn't see her," he said.

"Well, she's recovering, but the CDC is keeping her in isolation right now," Lisa said. "They're not letting her have contact with anyone for the time being."

"Probably a wise move," Ron said. He looked at his watch. "I really need to get going," he said. "I'd like to get a good night's sleep. The last few days have taken a lot out of me."

"Okay," she said. "Don't be a stranger. I'd like to have you and Mom over this weekend for dinner if that's okay."

"Sounds good," he said before they left. As they walked to their cars, Detective Sparks came up to them.

"I just wanted to offer my condolences and bring you up to date on your cases," he said as he shook Ron's hand.

"I appreciate that, Detective," Ron said. "What's the latest?"

"Well, the three suspects we picked up have been singing like canaries," Detective Sparks said. "Turns out they're three-time losers and this could easily put them away for life. The gun they had was stolen and your brothers bought the sex toys."

"So it's an open-and-shut case?" Ron asked.

"Pretty much," Sparks said. "And that recording of their confession nails it."

"What about Lisa's case?" Ron asked.

"From what I've been told, SVU has enough to put all three of them behind bars for a very long time," the policeman said. "Trust me, they'll be old and gray by the time they breathe free air."

"I hope you're right," Ron said.

"Believe me, the DA's salivating over this," Sparks said. "Of course, it helps that it's an election year and he wants to be known as someone who's tough on criminals."

"Of course," Ron said. They said their goodbyes and left the cemetery.

The next day at work, his boss came up to him.

"Ron, there's someone from the CDC here to see you," he said. "He's waiting for you in Conference Room 3."

"Thanks," Ron said. He cleaned up and followed his boss out of the lab.

"Can you tell me what this is all about?" his boss asked.

"Not right now," Ron said. "I'll fill you in later."

"Okay," his boss said. "Just don't take too long to let me know."

"I won't," Ron promised. Gordon stood up as Ron entered the conference room.

"Dr. Black," Gordon said. "Good to see you again."

"Please, call me Ron," Ron said, shaking Gordon's hand. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to get with you about your wife's case," he said. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of checking you out."

"And?" Ron asked.

"I know all about you," Gordon said. "A tested IQ of 215, member of Mensa, two doctorates from MIT, a self-made multi-millionaire. Quite impressive for a man of your young age. You're highly thought of by all your colleagues. I understand you have a laboratory in your home."

"Some guys work on cars, others have a man-cave," Ron said. "Me, I like to do research of my own. Theoretical stuff, mostly. It's all up to code and OSHA standards. What's all that got to do with my wife's case?"

"Well, we have her in isolation right now," Gordon said. "She's healing from her surgeries and we've started running tests on her. So far, we've found nothing to explain what happened. I was wondering if you could help shed some light on things." Ron shook his head.

"I don't see how I can help you," he told Gordon.

"Our concern, of course, is for the public at large," Gordon said. "If we can understand what happened with your wife, maybe we can help keep it from happening again."

"I see," Ron said. "Maybe you'd be better off spending our tax dollars on PSAs warning about the dangers of infidelity and unprotected sex." Gordon chuckled at that.

"Perhaps you're right," he said. "Maybe that's something we'll consider. What worries me, though, is what might happen if this - whatever this is - spreads. Every man in America could potentially be in danger." Ron nodded his head in understanding.

"I see your point," Ron said. "How many more cases have been reported?"

"None so far," Gordon said. "But that doesn't mean anything."

"And how long do you plan on keeping her in isolation?" Ron asked.

"As long as it takes," Gordon said. "We need to know what happened and we can't risk a new outbreak. My superiors agree. We've filed papers with the court to keep her for as long as necessary."

"It could take months to figure it out," Ron said.

"Or years," Gordon responded. Ron smiled to himself. The idea of Nancy in isolation for years with no physical contact with her lovers would be icing on the cake.

"So what do you want from me?" Ron asked.

"Well, like I said," Ron began, "nothing showed up in her initial tests. We'll be doing more tests, of course."

"Of course," Ron said.

"Would you be willing to take a look at our results?" Ron asked. "Maybe you can help steer us in the right direction."

"You want me to work as a consultant?" Ron asked. "Is that it?"

"Something like that," Gordon said. "This is unlike anything we've ever seen before."

"I'm sure it is," Ron said. "You realize I already have a job and I'm quite busy right at the moment. You would have to run it through my managers."

"Already done," Gordon said, pulling an envelope from his pocket. He handed it to Ron, who looked at the letter inside, which was signed by the CEO. According to the letter, Ron was authorized and directed to consult with the CDC on a part-time basis for a period of not more than three months. The letter further said he would receive compensation from the company and the government for his "cooperation."

"So, I guess it's a done deal," Ron said, looking at Gordon. He began to wonder if Gordon suspected him and was setting him up for something.

"Yes, it is," Gordon said.

"Alright," Ron said. "But I have a couple things I'd like to ask first."

"Sure, ask away," Gordon said.

"First, you know I'm divorcing Nancy, right? Wouldn't that be considered something of a conflict of interest?" Ron asked.

"I suppose it could be," Gordon said. "But I know you're too professional to let that happen. Right?"

"I guess so," Ron said. "Second, you know I'm not qualified to render a medical opinion on anything. I'm not a medical doctor after all. Hell, I'm not even certified to draw blood, even though I know how."

"I know," Gordon said. "But you're the best at analyzing test results from what I've been told. And you'll have minimal contact with the patient."

"Good," Ron said. "Alright, I'll do it. But remember, this is only part-time, and only for a three-month period. After that, you're on your own. My work here comes first."

"I understand," Gordon said. "So, we'll see you, what, tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "I want to see a full workup on her - blood chemistry, urine analysis, DNA, everything. Got it?"

"We can start all that this afternoon," Gordon said. "The DNA may take an extra day or two, but we'll make it a priority. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help."

"Like you, Gordon, I don't want to see this happen to anyone else," Ron said. They shook hands and Ron watched as Gordon left the room. Although he was concerned that Gordon might be trying to trap him, he wanted to find out for himself if his solution had caused any lasting damage to Nancy and this would be the best way to do that. Theoretically, it shouldn't have, but he had no other way of knowing for certain.

He tracked down his boss, showed him the letter and told him what happened.

"Well," his boss said. "It's only for three months. And if nothing else, it'll make the company look better in the eyes of the CDC. Keep me in the loop if you would and try not to let it interfere with your other projects."

"Will do, boss," Ron said.

That night, he sat in his lab, running over the formula he used on Nancy in his mind. Nothing had been committed to paper, so he relied on his photographic memory. As far as he could determine, there should be no after-effects from the solution. It was designed to react with semen and would have worked its way out of her in 24 hours.

The next afternoon, he was equipped with a special self-contained suit designed to keep him from coming in direct contact with Nancy. After putting the thing on, Gordon ushered him into her room. Ron looked at her and took note of the bandages on her face. She didn't recognize him at first, but her eyes widened when she realized who it was in the suit.

"Mrs. Black," Gordon began. "We've brought in a consultant to help us determine what happened. Please cooperate with him fully."

"Ron?" she asked weakly. Her soon-to-be ex husband looked at her through the suit's visor.

"Call me Dr. Black," he told her in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"I'm so sorry for everything," she said.

"I'm not here for apologies," he said. "You made your position quite clear the other night. And you've gotten my response. I'm here to help the CDC try to figure out what you did to all those men." He looked at Gordon.

"Has she been tested for STDs yet?" he asked.

"Yes," Gordon said. "She was found to have been infected with gonorrhea and chlamydia. We won't know about HIV for a while yet. She was given treatments for those before her surgery."

"I see," Ron said. "And do you have the results I asked for?"

"Everything but the DNA," Gordon said. "That should be here in a couple days. I've put a rush on it."

"Very well," Ron said. "You know those STDs will affect the test results. We'll need to run another full panel in a couple weeks or so." He looked back at Nancy and handed her a thick legal pad and a pen.

"I need you to list the names of all the men you've had sex with in the last year," he told her. "I know you may not know them all, but you need to list as many as possible. Indicate the ones you've had more than once. If you don't know their names, list the number of unknown men and provide what details you can. We'll also need to know if you've ever taken any drugs. List that as well. Basically, we need a complete diary of your activities. Or as complete as possible."

"Is that necessary?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "The sooner you get started the better." She nodded her head.

"When will I be able to go home?" she asked.

"I don't know," Ron told her. "The CDC is concerned that what you have could spread. In short, you may be the latest 'Typhoid Mary,' carrying something that puts everyone else at risk."

"Oh my God," she said. "What have I done?" He smiled.

"Well, besides destroying our marriage and my love, 40 men have lost the ability to ever have sex again," Ron said.

"I'm sorry," she said as tears began to form in her eyes.

"So you've said," Ron told her. He turned to Gordon. "I'll need to take these test results to my own lab for analysis. I'll let you know what I find as soon as possible."

"Wait, you're taking those with you?" Gordon asked.

"Of course," Ron said. "I can't analyze these here."

"But we have protocols," Gordon began.

"And I have mine," Ron told him firmly. "Look, you wanted my help, right? You came to me, remember? If you want my help, you'll set your protocols aside for a bit and let me do my job. If not, tell me now and I'll let my superiors know this arrangement is over."

"Alright, Ron," Gordon said. "I suppose we can bend the rules under the circumstances. Let me know what you find as soon as possible, okay?"

"I will," Ron said. He took the folder and headed home. After he ate, he went into his lab and began poring over the test results, entering them into his computer. He studied them carefully and didn't like what he saw. There didn't appear to be anything that could have been caused by his solution, but there was something else and it bothered him. He needed more information, so he pulled out his phone and called Gordon.

"That was fast," Gordon said.

"I'm not quite finished yet," Ron said. "I need you get me a pap smear, a sample of her vaginal tissue along with an endometrial biopsy, ASAP. Can you do that?"

"Of course, Ron," Gordon said. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I need to have those done immediately," Ron said.

"You got it," Gordon said. "I'll have it done right away."

"Good," Ron said. "Text me when you have it finished." Two hours later, he got a text from Gordon saying the samples were ready for him to pick up. He texted back, locked up his lab and headed out.

"Here you go," Gordon said, handing him a plastic container containing the samples. "What have you found?"

"I'm not sure yet," Ron said. "I'll let you know." He headed back to his lab and began his analysis. A few hours later, he sat back and double-checked his findings. If he was right, he was looking at a "super-gonorrhea" that had never before been detected and no amount of medication would cure it.

Worse yet, if he was right, it wouldn't require sexual contact to be spread. He had heard about one case of a man who picked up something like this in Southeast Asia and wondered if one of Nancy's lovers had been in the area.

A couple weeks later, he approached Gordon and showed him what he found.

"Are you sure about this?" Gordon asked.

"Absolutely," Ron said. Gordon shook his head.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Gordon said.

"We're going to have to develop a medication for this, but I can tell you that it could take several years, based on what I found," Ron said. "I spoke with my colleagues at the lab and they all agree with my assessment. There's more. I detected what looks like pre-cancer cells in the biopsies you took. If my calculations are right, and they almost always are, Nancy may come down with cervical cancer sometime in the next couple years."

"Do you think this new bacterium is what caused the outbreak?" Gordon asked.

"I honestly don't know," Ron said. "Could be, since it seems to live off her tissue."

"What do you suggest we do?" Gordon asked.

"In my opinion, she needs to be kept in isolation," Ron said. "At least until we can develop something to treat the STD."

"I agree," Gordon said. "Let me inform my superiors and get the ball rolling. Do you want to break the news to her?"

"Sure," Ron said. "I'll tell her now. No sense in waiting." He suited up and went into her room. She looked at him when he sat down next to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Horrible," she said weakly. "My throat hurts, it hurts when I pee and there's stuff coming out of me. What's wrong with me?"

"You contracted a form of gonorrhea we've never seen before," Ron said. "It appears to have mutated and is now living off the cells in your vagina and cervix. We can slow its growth rate down, but right now, there's no cure for it. Worse yet, it doesn't require sexual contact to spread."

"Oh my God," she said, crying. "What have I done?"

"You had sex with all the wrong men," he said calmly. "Do you know if any of the men you were with came from Southeast Asia or were recently in Southeast Asia?" She shook her head.

"No, I didn't exactly interview them before I screwed them," she said. "What happens now?"

"Well," Ron said. "It looks like you're going to be kept in isolation until we can come up with a cure."

"How long will that take?" she asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"No one knows," he said. "It could take years."

"YEARS?" she exclaimed. "I can't do that. I have classes, things to do."

"I think your student days are over," Ron said. She shook her head.

"No, I can't do that," she said.

"There's more," Ron said.

"More? Wonderful," she said sarcastically. "What?"

"If I'm right, and you know I almost always am, you'll have cancer of the cervix within a few years," he said. She began sobbing.

"Then please, just kill me now and get it over with," she said.

"You know I can't do that," he said. But I'd love to, he thought to himself. She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"You have to, please," she begged. "I can't stand it not being able to touch anyone. All I do is lay here and watch TV. They won't let me touch anything unless I'm wearing latex gloves."

"Nope," he said. "As much as you hurt me, Nancy, I can't do that. I won't do that. I can't promise that you'll ever get well again, but I can promise that we'll work to find a cure for this. It may take ten years, but we'll find it."

"And what do I do in the meantime?" she asked. By now, Gordon had appeared in the doorway, dressed out in his full-body suit.

"You'll be kept comfortable in a secure facility where you'll be well cared for," he said. "It's the only thing we can do. Now that we know what's happening, we'll be able to closely monitor you. And if, as Dr. Black says, you do contract cancer, we'll be able to catch it early enough to deal with it."

"What about all my things?" she asked.

"You'll be staying in what amounts to a one-bedroom apartment with all the amenities," Gordon said. "Of course, you still won't be able to have any guests, but it's a lot more comfortable than this. We can have your belongings taken there if you'd like. Of course, you won't have need of a car or anything like that, and clothing will be provided for you."

"And," Ron said. "I happen to know that your remaining classes can be taken online. You may have to re-take some classes because of the time you've lost. I can arrange for that if you'd like."

"Please do," she said. "If it's not too much trouble."

"It's no trouble," Ron said. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. By now, Gordon had left the room so they could talk in private.

"I'm sorry," she said. He nodded his head.

"I know," Ron said.

"Will I ever be able to have a normal life again?" she asked.

"I don't know," Ron said. "Maybe, maybe not. All you can do is take it one day at a time. If it's any consolation, I'm not sure that I'll ever have what you would call a 'normal' life again. That's just the way it goes. You know, if you had just stayed faithful to me, you wouldn't be in this situation."