The lab was quiet when Valeri returned to her floor. She had gotten used to the chatter and laughter of the techs. In only one week of being away, this lab had become a mess. Stacks of blood samples filled the cooler, waiting to be run through tests. The computer was full of data that needed to be organized. No one had sent the trash through the recycler. Even the floors were dirty. Where was maintenance? Where was everybody?

Valeri went to search for the nurses. She couldn't find even one. Her father's office was open and empty. Voices were coming from the conference room, so she went to investigate. She slid the doors open and found Reginald and the rest of the scientists arguing. She caught her dad's words before everyone noticed she was there. He said, "The nurses and Valeri will be back today. Stop complaining about the extra work. You know we needed them gone so we could do what had to be done. You'll be paid for it."

"What had to be done, dad?" Valeri didn't like what she had heard.

Reginald snapped, "If it was any of your business, I would have kept you here. You're behind in the lab. Mind your own business and get to work."

Valeri backed out. She should be angry and hurt, but she was more worried about the aliens. If the nurses were gone, how were they being cared for? The lab could wait. She hurried to check on her friends.

The Voltuni's voltage had been turned way down. She was lethargic and had lost much of her shine. It was obvious that the scientists had wanted her to remain passive while the nurses were away. Valeri changed the settings and hoped the low voltage was the only problem.

The Reptilarian was lying on top of the sand. His television was off. She glanced at his chart and saw nothing written there. Taking a chance, she picked up the passkey and opened his room. He barely lifted his head. She went inside and discovered the skin patch she had put on his arm was torn and the wound infected. Without a nurse, he had been ignored except for the food (bugs and worms) that had been shoved through the feeding slot. She cleaned and disinfected the wound, put on a new skin patch, gave him a large dose of antibiotics, and switched on his television. He hoarsely whispered, "Water. Need water." That's when she noticed the sand was dry. She was furious. She put some water in a dish and held it for him to dip his tongue in. He absorbed it within seconds. She turned on the irrigation system that kept the sand dampened and hurried to the next alien.

By this time, the nurses were arriving. Valeri stopped them and explained the situation. They were horrified. They had been told to take a vacation and that substitutes would care for their patients. Each hurried off to care for their charge. Valeri went with Akeila's nurse. The old man was doing well, considering the circumstances. He had plenty of nutritional paste, so he wasn't starving. He was tired, dirty, and in a little pain. He had not been given any pain medication, but the tumors were shrinking. He was fighting off the cancer. Valeri left him with the nurse and headed for Ohber.

She dreaded this. She was sure Ohber was going to be angry and combative. She was right. His glare made her skin crawl. The nurse was taking his pile of dirty laundry to be washed. It reeked from sitting there. No one had washed any of his clothes or bedding while the nurses were away. He was still wearing the shirt and pants from the last time Valeri had seen him. He smelled bad as well. There was dried blood all over his body. Without the salve, the scabs had itched, and Ohber had scratched his sweaty skin until he bled. He looked ill. Valeri reached up to touch his forehead, and he shoved her hand away. She said, "I was just going to check your temperature. You look sick."

Ohber growled, "What do you care? You abandoned me like everyone else. I am alive and ready for more tests. That is all that really matters to any of you."

Valeri tried to explain, "I didn't abandon you. I was assigned to a different lab for a week. I didn't know the nurses were going to be gone."

"If you truly cared, you would have checked on us at least once. You would have seen that we were alone and untreated. Bring me water. I need to wash. Do not concern yourself with any of my other problems," Ohber snarled.

"A bucket of water won't do. You need a shower. I'm taking you to the men's locker room. I'm also going to find out why you are sick." Valeri tugged at his hand, trying to make him get up.

"Ask your father what the illness is. He gave the same one to each of us. He wished to know how it would spread in different species. Stop pulling at my hand. I cannot get up. I am locked to the bed." Ohber lifted his shirt to show her the wide band across his chest. "They did not like my attitude. I tried to get out and see to the others’ needs. They locked me down."

Valeri was sickened by what she heard. She would not be asking to work elsewhere. The aliens could not be left alone with the scientists ever again. She told Ohber, "I'm going to get the key. I promise to come right back."

The key wasn't in the lab. She searched the experiment room and finally found it. She ran down the hallway, not stopping when she heard Reginald yell her name. He would stop her from unlocking Ohber, and she couldn't allow that to happen.

Valeri raced into the room and quickly unlocked the bar. There was a bloody mess beneath it. Ohber had obviously struggled to get loose. He must be in a lot of pain. She asked, "Do you want any pain medication? It might make the shower easier to bear."

Ohber grimaced as he sat up and the bloody skin was pulled taut. He replied, "The pain feeds my anger. Let it be. Take me to the shower. I have been lying in my own filth for days."

Valeri was helping him stand when the nurse came back. She ordered, "Strip the bed, burn the mattress, and get him a new one. Have the salve ready when I bring him back from the shower." She walked slowly through the hallways with Ohber limping at her side. He stopped frequently and leaned against the wall. His strength was waning.

One of the scientists was in the locker room. He protested, "You can't bring that creature in here! He's filthy and disgusting. He could give us all a nasty illness. Besides, Reginald had him locked down for his insolence."

Valeri's anger exploded, "He's filthy and disgusting because none of you saw to his needs! You were all too lazy to do your jobs, and yet you complained to dad about extra work. You didn't do any extra work, and yet you expect to be paid. You can be sure he will be told not to pay you. If Ohber has a nasty illness, it's because dad gave it to him. Get out of my way!"

Valeri turned on the water, set it to warm, and helped Ohber into the shower, still wearing his dirty clothes. She heard him moan in both pain and pleasure as the warm water ran over him. He threw the filthy clothes over the shower door. Valeri shoved them into a plastic bag for the laundry. She was afraid to throw them away. They might not be replaced, and Ohber had few changes of clothing. She readied a large towel for him to wrap around himself for the long walk back to his room, then sat down and let him soak in the shower for as long as he wanted.

Thirty minutes later, they had returned to Ohber's room. A new mattress and clean sheets adorned his bed. Clean clothes sat on a chair, along with the salve. Valeri began applying the soothing salve to every scratch and sore. She was interrupted by a summons through the speakers. Reginald's demanded, "Valeri, I know you're there. Come to my office immediately." She left Ohber in the nurse's capable hands and went to do battle with her father.

Reginald was on the phone and made her wait for almost an hour. She knew it was deliberate. He was reminding her that he was the boss and in full control. He finally acknowledged her presence and said, "I was told you unlocked the alien without my permission and then took him to our showers. Have you lost your mind? He could have overpowered you and escaped! He most likely contaminated the shower and the hallway. There are blood smears on the walls. Just because you are my daughter doesn’t mean you can overrule my decisions. In fact, I expect you to set an example."

Valeri controlled her anger and replied, "Are you done yet? I don't need you to tell me what I've been doing. I need you to listen to the reasons I did them. Your precious scientists complained to you about extra work this morning. What extra work? No one did anything for the aliens while the nurses and I were away. The Voltuni could have died with her voltage so low. The Reptilarian's wound was infected, and his sand was dry. He was too dehydrated to move. The Arkani was dirty and hadn't been given any pain medication. The Milisarian was a bloody mess. No one had put salve on his skin. He clawed himself, and his chest was raw and bleeding from you locking him down. He was too weak to attack anyone. You ignored it all and gave them an illness on top of it. How could you allow it?"

Reginald responded, "They were fine when I gave them the shots. It was Monday, and everything looked normal. It was just a virus to see how each species differed in handling it. I trusted my scientists to do their jobs. They swore the aliens were being cared for. I was too busy with the business side of things to check. They will be appropriately reprimanded."

"Reprimanded? That's all? A little slap on the wrist and a ‘bad boy’ is all they get? Think about it this way: your program could have been ruined by their inaction. You might have lost some money and the aliens. Does that make you care more?" Valeri asked.

Reginald declared, "The aliens are replaceable. We are almost done with this group anyway. As I've told you repeatedly, mind your own business. I control this program and the scientists. Go back to the lab and put it in order. Don't ever take matters into your own hands again. I'll be watching."

Too frustrated to organize the lab, Valeri went back to check on the aliens. The nurses were working double time to fix all the messes. Even the young gigglers were working hard. Ohber was eating. His skin was covered in the salve. He still wore only the towel, allowing his skin to soak up the medication. He raised an eyebrow in question as she entered the room. Valeri sighed, "He just wanted to yell at me. I unlocked you without permission. We contaminated the shower, and you bled on the hallway walls. No big deal. He's always mad at me now. Are you feeling better?"

Ohber answered, "I am alive for now. That is the best I can hope for. Why did he abandon us? Is he finished with our experiments?"

Valeri defended her father. "He didn't know you were being neglected. The scientists promised him they were caring for all of you. After Monday, he was too busy to check. He trusted the others."

"He likes to remind us that this is his project. That should mean it is also his duty to make sure all are cared for. He certainly found time to give us a new illness, though some were already sick. The scientists took blood, but did not care for our wounds." Ohber looked away and continued. "I think he is done with us. We no longer serve a purpose. He does not care if we die now."

"I will speak to him again tomorrow. He will be calmer then. I can make things better for all of you. I refuse to believe he would allow you to die. This program has a long way to go. He still needs you. It's just so difficult to argue with him over this. He isn't just my father. He founded this program and has the power to fire me. If that happened, I wouldn't be allowed in this lab." Valeri gently touched his face. "You are my friend. I will not let you give up. Stay alive for me, please."

Ohber smiled, "I will continue to fight as long as possible. Do not fret. I will not ask you to defy your father. He is your family. I am nothing."

Valeri whispered, "That's not true. You are more important to me than you realize. In fact, you are everything that matters."

Valeri returned to the lab. She organized the data, ran the blood tests and cleaned the room. The maintenance people must have been banned from the premises for the week too. She tossed the trash into the recycler. Maybe, if she did her job well enough, Reginald would be more willing to listen to her suggestions. She even scrubbed the walls in the hallway and bleached the shower. With only a few minutes left in the work day, Valeri checked the schedule to see what the scientists had in store for her friends. Nothing was scheduled. That frightened her more than any new experiment could. If there were no new tests, the aliens were expendable, and she still had not discovered what their fate would be.

Valeri reached for the phone and hurriedly tapped a message to Victor. It read, "Hurry with the information. Tests almost complete. Bad situation. What happens to unusable aliens?"

He instantly texted back, "Have lots to tell you. Meet me in the park. Apartment may be watched. Bring food."

Of course, he was hungry. He always was. Why would her apartment be watched? Did her dad think she was doing something to sabotage his study or was there someone more sinister involved? What or who would she have to take on to save the aliens? It didn't matter. She would fight to the death if necessary. The aliens were the innocent ones in this mess. What did her dad do to get them all into this? Could she get out? Valeri couldn't answer her own confused mind.