Dr. Jackson stood alongside his best friend and fellow scientist, Dr. Brown. The two had grown up studying science together, always being at the top of their class, and both being tied for valedictorian when they graduated. 

Now, they stood beside each other, proud of their newest creation. It was a virus that was supposed to kill cancer cells in the brain, using a form of radiation to kill said cells. If it worked on their first patient, then they not only would have created a cure for brain cancer, but they would also be famous and rich. 

Dr. Jackson tended to be more brash when it came to science, always wanting to test things out and document possible outcomes after the first test. Dr. Brown, however, tended to be quieter and more reserved, tending to write every possible outcome before even attempting the experiment.

Their patient sat in the room beside them, Kara Smith, age 28 with stage three cancer. She was certainly nervous about being the first patient but was hopeful that the cancer would be gone for good. Chemo could only do so much.

Dr. Brown left the room for a moment as Dr. Jackson entered where Kara sat. “Are you ready, Kara?” He asked with a smile on his face. He knew that this would work. It just had to. They’d spend so long working on this thing.

Besides . . . it wasn’t like anyone besides Jackson knew the most likely side effect of this. It was the one thing he couldn’t let Brown or Kara know about unless it actually happened. “Yes! Oh, sorry, that was too loud, sorry. Yes, please, I’m so excited!” Kara responded happily.

“Alright then, it’ll be just a quick pinch to your neck. . . .” He injected the virus into Kara, swiftly leaving the room and locking it, much to Kara’s confusion. He waited for a moment, listening as Kara’s speech started to slur and grow more jumbled as her pitch rose, eventually growing into a screech of agony. 

Dr. Brown rushed back into the room with a look of panic on his face. “What happened?” He asked, watching as Kara struggled against the binds now restraining her to the metal bed. “What did you do?” He asked quietly, his voice starting to tremble.

Dr. Jackson looked back at Dr. Brown with a cold look. “I’d hoped that I’d never have to explain it to you like this, but there was an extra little ingredient in the final batch.” He tilted his head a little and gave a small smile. “Did you know that rabies was supposedly a cure for cancer? Neither did I.”

Dr. Brown grabbed Dr. Jackson by the shoulders and shook him fiercely. “Jackson! We are supposed to be making a cure, not some . . . zombie-making concoction!” He yelled, unsure of what to do or say next.

Dr. Jackson laughed as he went back to his workstation. “That’s exactly what it is, Brown. It is a cure. But not the one you’d think. We just need a few more patients and a few more trials, and we’ll have our cure.”