I stop dead in my tracks. This sounds more like an accusation than an explanation.
"What are you saying, Dave?" I speak through gritted teeth.
"The recent cases, where they've interviewed the infected. They see things. Chase them. It always leads them up." He says it cooly, as if he has practiced the line. It only makes me angrier.
"You think I'm infected?!" I shout it out, angry to even have to be hearing this from a rookie. "What do you know!? You haven't even had to take down a Cordy yet!" He just stares at me, still calm.
"I suspected it as soon as you came up the stairs. I beat you up to the top by at least a couple minutes. No one else had come up. I thought, for a second, maybe it's your white rabbit, and then dismissed that as crazy." I just stood there, dumbstruck that someone could be so paranoid.
"And then there was the door. The security lock. He apparently had enough time to check it, collect his wits, and then find an open room before I saw him? I doubt it. But maybe he's really fast."
"Great, it's your first day on the job and you're already accusing your partner of being a Cordy. This doesn't bode well for your future, pal." Dave just smiled.
"Then when I came into the room, and you were standing on the ledge. That's insane, you know that? We're not in any rush to get this guy. The effects of Cordyceps won't be apparent until the next day. We have time. But you risked your life to get up here. That says something." I calmed myself down.
"So what, I want to get it over with, get home, and suddenly that makes me a Cordy?" I laughed. "You really do make some huge leaps... What do they teach in 101 these days?" I shook my head. He spread his arms.
"There's no one here. So, I suppose we can go down again. Maybe he's in one of the rooms downstairs." I nodded. Something in his voice now made me nervous. To prove he was wrong, I led the way to the door. I opened it up. I heard him breathe a sigh of relief. A thought struck me.
"Did we check the vents?" I motioned to the large metal things sticking out of the floor." I saw him tighten his hand on his walkie talkie.
"We can check the vents after you've gone downstairs." I couldn't let it go. That's where the guy was.
"I have a feeling. That's where he is." I started to move towards the vent. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him bring the walkie talkie to his face. I panicked.
"What are you saying, Dave?" I speak through gritted teeth.
"The recent cases, where they've interviewed the infected. They see things. Chase them. It always leads them up." He says it cooly, as if he has practiced the line. It only makes me angrier.
"You think I'm infected?!" I shout it out, angry to even have to be hearing this from a rookie. "What do you know!? You haven't even had to take down a Cordy yet!" He just stares at me, still calm.
"I suspected it as soon as you came up the stairs. I beat you up to the top by at least a couple minutes. No one else had come up. I thought, for a second, maybe it's your white rabbit, and then dismissed that as crazy." I just stood there, dumbstruck that someone could be so paranoid.
"And then there was the door. The security lock. He apparently had enough time to check it, collect his wits, and then find an open room before I saw him? I doubt it. But maybe he's really fast."
"Great, it's your first day on the job and you're already accusing your partner of being a Cordy. This doesn't bode well for your future, pal." Dave just smiled.
"Then when I came into the room, and you were standing on the ledge. That's insane, you know that? We're not in any rush to get this guy. The effects of Cordyceps won't be apparent until the next day. We have time. But you risked your life to get up here. That says something." I calmed myself down.
"So what, I want to get it over with, get home, and suddenly that makes me a Cordy?" I laughed. "You really do make some huge leaps... What do they teach in 101 these days?" I shook my head. He spread his arms.
"There's no one here. So, I suppose we can go down again. Maybe he's in one of the rooms downstairs." I nodded. Something in his voice now made me nervous. To prove he was wrong, I led the way to the door. I opened it up. I heard him breathe a sigh of relief. A thought struck me.
"Did we check the vents?" I motioned to the large metal things sticking out of the floor." I saw him tighten his hand on his walkie talkie.
"We can check the vents after you've gone downstairs." I couldn't let it go. That's where the guy was.
"I have a feeling. That's where he is." I started to move towards the vent. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him bring the walkie talkie to his face. I panicked.
