Charisma (11 page)

And the room falls silent.

Rosa weakly waves the doctors away. “I'm okay,” she says in a raspy voice, before going silent.

I hold my breath as pressure builds in my head. Get up, Rosa, get up.

Everyone's face twitches with anxiety, yet curiosity too, and even excitement. A gangly orderly with an orange beard shouts for us to make way so he can get through with a gurney. The crowd parts, their interest and apprehension becoming more palpable when Rosa's body goes limp in Dr. Culdicott's arms. The doctor and the orderly lift her onto the gurney and roll it out, followed by Dr. Fisk.

The silent vacuum in their wake only lasts a few moments. Xavier, Dr. Sternfield's intern, rushes into the room, knocking over a chair. Wait a minute. He wasn't at the family event. He doesn't need to be here.

Although I've rarely heard him use anything but a soft-spoken voice at Nova Genetics, his words now come out like a newscaster's.

“Enough,” he says, “I know what's making people sick.”

Everyone in the room turns his way. I inch toward the door.

Chloe's dad slams the table. “Well, tell us.”

One mom, whose face has gone splotchy, tugs at Xavier's sleeve. “Before any more kids pass out.” The other parents snarl and sputter as they tighten around Xavier.

Xavier pulls back his shoulders. “I think the kids who've been fainting were given a gene therapy.”

There. The volcanic ash of the truth settles over the crowd.

Dr. Gordon's mouth drops along with everyone else's. Then he wags a finger at Xavier. “Now, wait a minute, wait a minute.”

But no one's waiting for anything. Chloe's dad yells, “A gene therapy? What in Hades for?”

Chloe's next to me, cursing. The mass of bodies around us heats the room to stifling. Yet I can't force these locked knees to move, and that old familiar drowning sensation squeezes my lungs.

Xavier clears his throat. “To be more outgoing, less inhibited.”

The room erupts again. Dr. Gordon, who wobbles amid crazed parents, shouts, “Please, calm down. I assure you Nova Genetics isn't in the business of administering rogue gene therapy, and certainly not for inhibitions, despite what this young man asserts.” He turns to Xavier. “You should be ashamed of yourself for needlessly upsetting everyone.”

Xavier doesn't flinch. “You have a better explanation? Tainted geoducks, maybe?”

Dr. Gordon's face is scarlet. “The rest of you please hold on until I set this young man straight.” He ushers Xavier out a side door.

The room falls silent as everyone digests what's going on, and then explodes with exclamations of disbelief. Chloe's dad grabs her by the shoulders. “You what?” he screams in her face. That's when I catch sight of Mom storming toward me, her gaze ready to ignite. I huddle behind a chair, as if that'll do any good.

Her face radiates fear and rage, to an extent I've never seen. “Did you know anything about this?” She grasps my arm. “No more lies. This is dangerous.”

I put up my hands in surrender. “Can we talk later?”

The side door opens and Dr. Gordon pops his head into our room. “Chloe and Aislyn, I want you out here too.”

Kiera whines, “Why didn't I get any gene therapy? No fair.”

With everyone glaring daggers, Mom drags me out the door, which leads to a hallway. Chloe and her parents tumble after us.

Dr. Gordon shoots Xavier a pointed look. “Tell them what you told me.”

Xavier says, “Three weeks ago, a researcher offered me an experimental gene therapy called Charisma, or CZ88. She wouldn't show me the exact combination of genes it targeted, but I trusted her work enough to say yes. The next day I felt really powerful, not afraid to ask my parents if I could enroll in an art class, which they think is a waste of time for a pre-med student. And I wasn't as hesitant about speaking with people who came in for gene sequencing.”

He swallows, and the shine in his eyes dulls. “But then I started getting headaches and feeling dizzy. I fainted a week ago, and again last night.”

Dr. Gordon rubs his brow. “Now, I'm going to ask you again. Which researcher did this?”

Xavier's stance falters for a second. “I'd rather speak to someone more official.”

Chloe's dad's face goes dark as he closes in on Xavier. His voice drips venom. “Like a lawyer? Why? Did you do this to my daughter?”

Xavier balls his fist. “No.”

Chloe's dad pokes Xavier's chest with a stubby finger. “Then stop pissing around. Who's behind this?”

Xavier glances at Chloe, then at me. I give him a nod. The secret's already out. No use getting pummeled by Chloe's dad.

Xavier takes a long breath. “Dr. Sternfield.”

Dr. Gordon sputters. “Charlie? Impossible.”

Xavier's posture stays ramrod straight, although I sense his insides crumbling at betraying his boss and idol. “I wish it weren't true.”

Dr. Gordon turns to me. “And you, Aislyn? Did Charlie give you something?”

I swallow. “Um.”

Mom glares. “The truth. Now.”

I remember Rosa's limp body and say, “Yeah.”

There's a chorus of gasps. Dr. Gordon addresses Chloe. “You too?”

Chloe crosses her arms. “Dr. Sternfield's a freaking genius. The drug even took my personality to a new level.”

Chloe's father snaps, “That
genius
should be in jail.”

Dr. Gordon loosens his tie. “Please, let's get the facts before we convict.”

The door next to us opens, sending a wave of noise blasting into the hallway. Along with Shane and his dad. I shouldn't be surprised that the drug is behind Shane's girl-gathering escapades, but what was Dr. Sternfield thinking?

Shane shrugs. “The truth will set us free, right?”

His story matches ours. Dr. Sternfield gave him, Rosa, and me the CZ88 last weekend. Chloe and Sebastian received it a week earlier and Xavier a week before that. None of us know if there are others.

Mom tugs at her necklace. “We have to tell the doctors, now that we know the truth.” At the last word, her gaze my way could knock a bird from the sky.

Dr. Gordon fumbles with his phone. “I should call Charlie first, see what her side of the story is.” He paces away from us.

Mom yanks me away from the others. Her throat pulses and her skin is crimson. “You allowed yourself to be used as a guinea pig for a shyness drug?”

The weight of her wrath slams me. “Dr. Sternfield promised it would be safe. She's on our side. Look how she got Sammy into that trial for AV719.”

Mom's breathing becomes noisy. “Unbelievable. That woman administered an untested drug? On kids?” She blows out in exasperation. “You've always been so sensible. And this is just madness.”

“Is it really so crazy to want to be fixed?”

Chloe and Shane are battling the same arguments with their parents. Sweating profusely, Xavier leans against a wall looking miserable. I hope he isn't about to faint. But he, like the rest of us, stands to attention when Dr. Culdicott joins us in the hallway.

Dr. Gordon steps toward her. “How's Rosa doing?”

Gotta give him points for asking about Rosa first. Unless it's just for show.

Dr. Culdicott's face is grim. “Still unconscious.” She points back toward the room. “The folks in there said something about a gene therapy?”

Dr. Gordon rubs his hands together. “I'm trying to assess that allegation.”

She whips toward me and barks, “What happened?”

I clear my throat and tell her about the Charisma.

Chloe plants a hand on her hip. “The fainting and headaches are normal, just ask Dr. Sternfield.”

Dr. Culdicott says, “Who?”

Now it's Dr. Gordon's turn. “My daughter, who runs a lab at Nova Genetics. However, I highly doubt she'd participate in something like this.”

Dr. Culdicott pauses a moment, and then takes hold of the door behind her. “After I dismiss everyone not involved with this drug, I'm going to speak with you all. This time you're giving me the whole truth.” She forges into the other room.

Chloe's mother tugs Dr. Gordon's jacket. “Dr. Sternfield never mentioned the CZ88 to you? The whole idea is crazy, right?”

He removes his glasses and wipes them with a handkerchief for the second time in five minutes. “Yes. My company targets diseases, not personality traits, which can't be ascribed to a single gene anyway. This must be an enormous misunderstanding.”

Mom taps her foot. “Oh, come on, there's no misunderstanding. We need to notify the authorities.” She pulls out her phone even though it's probably useless in here.

Dr. Gordon's hand rests lightly on her arm. “There doesn't seem to be cell access here. And which authorities would you notify exactly, Danielle? I'll do everything possible to figure out whether and what the kids got and how to reverse it. It's crucial we keep this under control so we can focus on a fix rather than dealing with the hysteria that's sure to burst if this goes public.”

Mom stares at him, nostrils flaring. “Let's hear what Dr. Culdicott has to say.”

Desperate for some peace, I slink down the hall. If I hold my phone up high, it gets a weak signal. So I type in a message for Dr. Sternfield and raise the phone overhead to press
SEND
. I also text Evie with the news that all is out in the open. That should make her happy.

After fifteen minutes, the door opens again. Dr. Culdicott says, “I have some perplexing news. First, Rosa's gone into a coma.”

We all inhale sharply.

The skin around Dr. Culdicott's eyes is sallow, as if she's worked too many shifts in a row. “Second, there's a young man named Jesse who's been admitted to the ED, complaining of fainting. He says he's—”

Chloe's voice falters. “My boyfriend?”

The doctor nods. “Who insists he's never been to Nova Genetics or been involved in any gene therapy.”

We blink at each other as the implications of this news settles in.

Dr. Culdicott heaves a long sigh. “Whatever you got in this gene treatment may be contagious.”

I swallow. “Contagious? How can that be?”

Dr. Culdicott says, “Any theories, Dr. Gordon?”

Xavier pipes up. “The altered DNA is carried by a virus. Dr. Sternfield's been trying different viral vectors to get past the blood-brain barrier yet still provide sufficient doses of multi-gene therapies. She could've made a miscalculation on whether the virus was deactivated.”

Mom says, “So how contagious is this virus that carries the gene treatment?”

Dr. Gordon glares. “Hold on, hold on. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.”

Dr. Culdicott glances from face to face, as if trying to ascertain the truth of what must sound insane. I can hardly believe it myself. My blood runs cold at the possibility I've infected my family and friends with CZ88. Oh my God, Jack too.

The doctors huddle, and then head off to consult with other staff. Everyone else waits in the meeting room, the parents discussing lawsuits and the teens not saying much to each other, which is weird given how sociable we're supposed to be. Shane and Chloe each take turns on the wall phone, though.

An hour later, Dr. Gordon returns. “I'm heading out to track down information about the purported gene therapy. In the meantime, I've suggested to Dr. Culdicott that you be kept here overnight for observation. Nova Genetics will cover all expenses.”

I turn to Mom. “I don't need to stay over. I haven't felt headache-y all day.”

Mom glares. “You'll do what the doctors suggest.”

The doctors suggest we ride up to the third floor and make our way past a secure door with a camera that Dr. Culdicott waves to before we're buzzed inside. I head through, more annoyed than anything else. Only when the door clicks behind me do I wish I'd taken the time to run outside for one more breath of fresh air and a stroll through the garden.

Charisma must be making me paranoid.

Online feeds . . .

Posted by TheShaneShowCrew:
Send your good vibes to our bro, Shane, who's stuck in Florence Bishop Children's Hospital (which for the record treats patients through age twenty-one). If you're a hot nurse on duty there, give us a shout-out!

Posted by FarrahS:
Chloe and Jesse! Both of you?? What's up with that? Kisses and hugs, you guys! When's the next party?

Posted by Mia Santiago
: The Ravens' cheering squad is announced! Congrats to my girl Rosa!

Posted by KieraTheRed:
A crapload of kids who went to Nova Genetics last weekend took a drug to make them lovable. How pathetic is that?

Posted by JackThompson:
Aislyn? Why aren't you answering your phone?

Dr. Fisk escorts the boys down the hall while Dr.
Culdicott
leads Chloe and me into a large room with three beds and faded pink curtains. She says, “A med tech may take another blood draw later, now that we know what's up.” With a pointed flick of her eyes, she leaves.

Chloe claims the bed by the window and I take the one by the door. Hopefully Rosa will recover enough to take the spot between us, all slumber-party-like. After a few minutes of discussion, our parents take off to fetch us overnight items.

The second they're gone, Chloe and I dive for the corded phones on the shelves next to our beds. Of course my first call is to Evie.

She answers, crunching on something. “Aislyn! What's going on? I texted you a million times.”

I try to keep my voice calm as I tell her. “I just don't understand how Chloe's boyfriend got it.” That's the weirdest thing. Gene therapy is not supposed to be contagious. But creating a virus to attack specific cells and stitch DNA into just the right spot is still a radically new science.

“Does Jack know yet?”

I shiver uncontrollably. “I'm not sure what to tell him.”

Her voice lacks all of its usual laughter. “I'd go with the truth.”

My cord-wrapped hand blooms red. “That should go over well.”

There's a knock at the door. “Gotta go. Could you please, please check and make sure Jack's not fainting or anything?”

“This is seriously—”

“You're the best.” I disconnect myself from the cord with trembling fingers.

A nurse marches in followed by Xavier, Shane, Jesse, and a light-brown-skinned guy with close-cropped hair and a languorous way of moving that reminds me of a feline. He introduces himself as Sebastian. Both Chloe and Xavier met him at Nova Genetics. Apparently, he has superior dancer genes, which doesn't take genomic sequencing to figure out.

In a no-nonsense voice, the nurse says the boys will have to return to their own room next door if things get too rowdy. Before leaving, she adds, “No funny stuff.”

Most of the guys grab chairs and make a semi-circle around the bedless side of the room. Chloe and Jesse nestle next to each other on what should be Rosa's spot, eyeing Chloe's bed as if they have plans for “funny stuff.” Thank goodness for curtains.

I say to Sebastian, “Saw your video on Chloe's page. How'd your call-back go?”

Sebastian crosses his legs in a graceful swoop. “I did okay.”

Xavier, who doesn't seem able to take his eyes off of him, says, “Bet you nailed it.”

“It helps that I'm way less inhibited these days.”

Shane cocks his head. “So how did you end up here if you aren't part of the siblings group?”

“Xavier and I kept in touch after he sequenced my genome.” He laughs. “Sounds kind of weird when you say it that way, huh? Anyway, when I posted about feeling light-headed, he told me to get my butt here.”

Xavier sighs loudly. “Still can't believe Dr. Sternfield lured you. If I'd had any idea  . . . ”

“Hey, she got to you too.”

“But I needed it. You're the best dancer I've ever seen.”

Sebastian pulls a leg to his chest, stretching. “With auditions, I needed an edge. Dr. Sternfield knew that.”

I say, “She knew us all.” I frown at Shane. “But it seems like you'd be a better guinea pig for testing a drug that would make you less extroverted.”

He grins. “Dr. Charlotte promised me something a little different.”

“Really? A cure for obnoxiousness?”

His eyelids lower to half-mast. “She said it would make me irresistibly charming.”

Good Lord. I pretend to study him. “Not working.”

He runs a hand through his longish curls and gives me a slow once-over. “You know, I thought the cold-hottie thing was working for you. Never would've guessed you'd go for the big, scary injection. You keep surprising me, Blondie.”

I channel my inner Evie to shoot him a lazy eye-roll. But for some reason, he doesn't annoy me as much today. Could be I'm building up an immunity.

Shane glances around the room. “What about the rest of you guys? What did the RILF promise you?”

“Rilf?” I ask.

“Researcher I'd like to—”

“Never mind.”

Chloe tells everyone about her political ambitions. I mention the disastrous science fair. When it's his turn, Xavier squirms so much I wonder if the CZ88 worked on him as much as I thought. Finally, he says, “I wanted to express myself, especially with my family. They come from the Philippines. If I miss Mass on Sundays, they say extra novenas for my soul.”

Sebastian blows out a puff of air. “That's a lot of pressure.”

Xavier gives him a grateful smile. We're all quiet for a moment.

Xavier's eyes circle the room. “I don't want to scare you guys, but is anyone still feeling faint or running fevers?”

All of us claim to feel fine. Shane hasn't even fainted.

I rub my temple. “Dr. Sternfield isn't answering my calls. You sure you don't know any more about what she gave us?”

Xavier pulls a notepad from a counter that runs behind our beds. “There were so many genes and phenotypes she was investigating. Maybe if I start brainstorming, something will come to me.” He scribbles furiously.

Shane snags the TV remote. He surfs through channels until he becomes transfixed on one. I gaze at the screen and squint.

Sebastian points a toe at the TV. “Isn't that Kiera?”

Shane turns up the sound. Sure enough, Kiera faces the camera, breathless and flushed. “Some of the kids took a secret drug to make themselves popular.”

The overly hair-sprayed reporter asks, “Secret drug?”

Kiera flips a lock of her striped mane forward and strokes it. “Nova Genetics is always coming up with stuff for rare diseases. But who doesn't want to be popular, right? You should see this one girl, Chloe. I mean, she was already kind of a diva, but she got on the news and everything.” Kiera giggles, as if self-aware that here she is on the news too. Then she attempts a pout. “Of course, it all caught up with them. They've been fainting left and right.”

So much for keeping this under wraps.

The reporter faces the camera. “We don't have details yet on who provided the drug and how many people received it. Nova Genetics refuses to comment. We'll be investigating further as well as updating you on the condition of the victims.”

Shane bats the remote through the air. “Victims?”

Chloe huffs. “I'm the only victim here. That bitch told the whole world I took an illegal drug.”

Sebastian rises to pace, his every step like water flowing. Without any apparent effort, he spins until he ends up at the window. He frowns. “You aren't going to believe this.”

We join him, everyone's eyes as big as poker chips. A swarm of news trucks tethered to reporters congregates in the edge of the parking area. Everyone will know what we've done. Even Jack.

Shane slaps Xavier's back. “This is good news, dude. The coverage will pressure Dr. Charlotte to fix us fast.”

Chloe sniffs. “Or scare her into running off to a foreign country. Crap, I should be working with KBLB to do a feature on Charisma.”

I cough. “I thought you were mad about Kiera outing you on TV.”

She straightens her shirt. “I want to control my own publicity. This story could take us places.”

Xavier says quietly, “Not if we go into comas.”

Sebastian scoots closer to Xavier. “Rosa is probably the exception. Let's focus on the positive. Because so far I've gained a lot more than I've lost. I barely notice the headaches anymore. And I see people so differently. Clearer.”

I stare at him. Hadn't Rosa said something similar?

A booming voice comes from the corridor. “Where are the kids?” With a whoosh of air, Dr. Gordon's in the room, greeting each of us, and then pausing for a dramatic breath. “I'm happy to see you all looking so chipper.”

“What does Dr. Sternfield say about all this?” I ask.

His cheek twitches. “It totally slipped my mind that this was the weekend she took off to go camping, off the grid. In the meantime, we'll do whatever's necessary to get Rosa back to her old self, and you guys too.”

Dr. Sternfield camping? She's never struck me as the outdoorsy type.

Shane's eyes narrow. “What if we don't want to go back to our old selves? The side effects are supposedly temporary.”

Xavier inhales sharply. “Temporary coma? If Dr. Sternfield miscalculated the side effects this badly, we want the CZ88 reversed as soon as possible.”

Jesse punches his palm. “I need whatever the hell's in my system out before football season. If I fail the drug test because of this—”

Dr. Gordon raises his hands. “Slow down. You guys relax here tonight, and avoid the press. I've alerted the hospital operator to screen calls.”

Chloe sulks. “Why? The story's already out.”

He shakes his head, causing his cheeks to wobble. “
Some
of the story's out. So far we've been able to shield your identities.” His face becomes somber and his voice lowers. “As you may know, there are people who don't support gene therapy, and may want to take their frustrations out on what they see as a threat.”

Chloe clutches Jesse's arm. “What do you mean?”

Dr. Gordon wipes a finger under his glasses. “It's not just vicious protestors. There are businesspeople who don't want this science to develop. If gene alteration can fix diseases with one or two injections, where would that leave the makers of drugs that are routinely proscribed for years? When people stand to lose a lot of money, they can be dangerous. I suggest you keep a low profile. Okay?”

We nod blankly. Thanking us, he leaves.

As soon as the door shuts, Chloe says, “Do you believe that? He only wants to protect his butt.”

I play with a loose thread on my blanket. “You ever run into those anti-gene-therapy folks up close?”

She groans. “They're just a bunch of losers with signs. Boy, Dr. Gordon totally got into your head. He's trying to scare us to protect his rotten daughter.”

Shane slaps his forehead. “Oh, man. We totally missed an opportunity to blackmail him for our silence.”

I sigh. “Seriously? What would you have asked him for?”

“Some entertainment, for starters. This place is hardly party central.”

Sebastian rises and spins. “We can make our own entertainment. Who's got tunes?”

Xavier turns the TV to a music channel. Sebastian convinces us to get off our sorry butts so he can show us a few hip-hop moves. As promised, we're all soon dancing and laughing. His hands are on my shoulders, guiding me through a Scooby when my mom walks in.

She holds out a small overnight bag. “Perhaps it's time to calm down?”

Dr. Fisk enters the room behind Mom. “Mrs. Hollings is right. Why don't you guys return to your own room? I'll give everyone a quick look-see.”

Sighing, the boys say their good-byes and head off. Dr. Fisk starts with me, rattling off questions. She types briskly. “It all sounds good.” With a curt nod, she moves to Chloe's bed.

Mom sits in the chair next to mine. “You seem anxious.” Actually, she's the one chewing off her nail polish. Her fear rolls off in waves.

I select a pair of sweats from the three choices she brought. “I'm only afraid of what my friends will think.”

“What about what
I
think?” She leans forward. “I
never believed
things were so painful you'd take such drastic means to change them.”

I stare at the floor. “What about losing out on that science scholarship? Or dealing with creeps at the pool? I couldn't even survive a party. There's always something to deal with, Mom, every day. I'd have tried anything to go from the way things were to what I've had in the past days. It's worth a few headaches and a fainting spell.”

She takes a long breath. “You shouldn't worry about the scholarship. If I make more cold calls, take on more open houses for the other agents, I can—”

“Mom, you already work a ridiculous number of hours. And you need every bit of extra money for Sammy. It's time I carried more of the burden.”

Chloe's voice rises on the other side of the room. “I'm telling you I feel good.”

Dr. Fisk keeps a neutral volume. “Your fever is over a hundred and two.”

“I promise I'll let you know if I feel weird.”

Dr. Fisk stands. “I'll be back.”

Mom asks if she can speak to the doctor in the hall. Then she gives me a quick hug good-bye. Something tells me I should hug her bony body longer. But instead I just tell her I'll see her in the morning.

She and Dr. Fisk take off together, and soon our dinner arrives. Bland chicken, steamed vegetables, and fruit from a can. We watch more TV, where the news reports spread quicker than our viral vectors. One station advertises a roundtable show tomorrow about the promise and peril of gene therapy.