Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl



"Okay, Wayne. Don't argue with him." Arguing would only make the situation worse, and Wayne knew it wouldn't affect him.

"Alright, Pea." Wayne sat down but continued to watch Thomas, who was clearly feeling the pressure.

"Give me two days. If I can't find someone to test it out, I'll test it on myself, okay?" Pearl said.

Wayne quickly objected without a second thought. "No. You're leading this project. If something goes wrong and you're sick, what will happen to our lab?"

Wayne's point made sense, and everyone around agreed, except for Thomas.

"Why not? She's in charge, so she should be the one to step up." Thomas casually took a sip

of water and added, "If you won't let her do it, why don't you?"

Wayne was furious. "Don't think I won't do anything to you, Thomas."

"Oh, go ahead then."

"That's enough!" Pearl slammed the table, and the room went silent. "We'll go with my plan. Meeting's over."

After the meeting, Wayne approached Pearl, looking worried. "Are you really considering infecting yourself?"

Pearl gently patted his shoulder to reassure him, "Don't worry. We have two days left. Let's see what happens then."

"I've asked everyone I know. Where will you find volunteers?" Wayne was upset with Pearl's tendency to put herself at risk. "You're not a hero, Pearl. You don't need to risk so much. Are you really going to do this just because he challenged you?"

Pearl sighed, knowing Wayne was concerned. "It's not about what he said, Wayne."

"Then why?" Wayne asked.

Pearl looked sad. "I don't want to let Esther down."

Wayne quickly understood what was happening. "So, you're doing this for Esther? Because of her heartless boyfriend?" He almost laughed. "Pearl, Esther might not see things clearly

because she's in love, but you do. You know this is serious, and you really shouldn't go through with it."

Pearl nodded. "I know, but the chances of this medicine working are very high, so I'm not too worried."

"But even if it's likely to work, you shouldn't risk your own health like this. Alright, I'll stop here. Just think it over carefully."

Disappointed, Wayne left.

*

Early Saturday morning, Pearl got a call from the hospital.

"Is this Pearl Leighton? We have a new case, and she seems to be your friend."

Pearl immediately felt uneasy. "Who is this, please?"

"I'm a doctor at Central Hospital. Your friend feels unwell and came in for a check-up. We've confirmed she's infected."

"What's her name?"

"Esther Sanders."

Pearl tensed. "Esther Sanders?"

"Yes, she mentioned wanting to call you."

After a moment, Esther's voice came through, sounding rough. "Hey, Pearl."

From her voice, Pearl knew she was sick. "What happened? Weren't you staying home lately? How did you get sick?"

Esther sounded embarrassed. "I'm so sorry. I might have accidentally touched something in the lab..."

Pearl was frustrated. "Didn't I tell you not to touch anything there? And yet you went and did it anyway. You're an adult. You should be able to look after yourself."

Esther felt bad but understood that Pearl was just concerned. She playfully stuck out her tongue. "I know, I'm sorry. Please don't be mad."

Pearl was too upset to stay mad at Esther. "Since you're infected, stay in the hospital and get some rest. I'll make sure someone is there to take care of you."

But Esther didn't plan on staying. "I have a question. Are you looking for a test subject?"

Pearl hesitated before answering, "Yes. How did you know?"

"I overheard your meeting," Esther replied, sounding hopeful. "Now that I'm infected, maybe I could help out as your test subject?"

"You?" Pearl was taken aback.

Esther nodded, then remembered Pearl couldn't see her nodding. "Yes, it's such a strange coincidence. Since you haven't found anyone yet, why not consider me?"

"Did you try to get sick on purpose because you knew we needed someone?" Pearl asked sharply.

Esther quickly shook her head, stuttering, "N-No... Why would I do that?"

"Do you understand the risk? What if the treatment doesn't work? Are you trying to kill yourself?" Pearl felt like she might faint from anger. Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal if Esther had been reckless, but now was not the time for mistakes.

"You would have done the same if you didn't find someone..." Esther spoke more softly. "I haven't been much help to you before. Let me do this for you."

Tears filled Pearl's eyes.

"So, please let me try," Esther said with a chuckle. "If it works, it could be a big help, right?" Finally, Pearl reluctantly agreed to let Esther participate.

To keep everything under control, Pearl spent days and nights in her lab, working on the treatment. It wasn't completely safe, but she took every precaution she could.

Seeing her hard work, Richard felt sad. "Don't overdo it," he cautioned her.

Pearl massaged her weary eyes. "We need to cure this disease quickly. Esther is still at the hospital waiting, and I don't want her to suffer any longer than necessary."

Richard sighed. "Okay, but you must promise not to overdo it."

"Don't worry. I need to stay strong until Esther's body doesn't reject the medication. I won't

let myself break down."

Richard suddenly remembered something. "I heard there was a troublemaker during one of your meetings."Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

Pearl looked at him, curious. "How did you find out about that? Did Wayne tell you?"

"Yes, he told me everything." Richard's expression turned serious as he thought about the man named Thomas Middleton. "He keeps opposing you, doesn't he?"

Pearl sighed. "Yes, but I haven't been taking it to heart."

"I've been looking into his background, and it seems we need to take him more seriously."

Pearl perked up. "What did you discover?"

"He met with an employee from Lawson Enterprises three days ago."

Pearl frowned. "Why does Lawson Enterprises keep coming back? How did they manage to find a loophole?"

"It's not Lawson Enterprises' fault. You just hired a traitor."

"What are you planning to do?" Pearl asked.

"I'll deal with him after your project wraps up so we don't let anything slip." Richard gently rubbed her head and smiled. "Don't stress about this and just focus on your research."

Pearl nodded wearily. "I'll leave it in your hands then."

Three days later, Pearl took the medication to Central Hospital.

The hospital was set up as a large quarantine zone and was crowded, making private rooms a rarity. However, Esther's case was exceptional. Pearl had arranged for a separate room for her.

To prevent any accidents, Pearl donned protective gear at the hospital's entrance. She reached Esther's door and, informed by the staff that she could enter directly, pushed the door open.

Esther was sitting quietly on the bed, looking frail and unwell, her face much thinner than before.

"Esther," Pearl called gently.

Esther tried to speak, her voice hoarse and strained.

"How are you feeling? Are you in pain?" Pearl sat close, taking her hand.

Esther initially tensed, knowing her contagious condition, but relaxed after noticing the protective gear. She stayed still, allowing Pearl to hold her hand.