It’s with this mindset that I went to the lab this morning. I am often the first arrived at the lab and I always appreciate these little moments of tranquillity before the noise of the lab or the stirring of the dormitories in which we are split. So what a surprise for me to see Lucia already awake and leaning over her laboratory bench surrounded by samples and test tubes of all kinds. I moved towards her to look at what she was doing but she saw me and, in a startle, exclaimed:

- Adam, I didn’t hear you coming. What are you doing here so early?

- I’m always the first at the lab Lucia. It’s been like that from the beginning. I added with an intrigued look

It was already unusual to see her here but her anxious look increased my curiosity.

- So, what are you working on so it couldn’t wait until 8 am?

- Oh nothing interesting, she exclaimed, I was just checking if my analyses from yesterday in case of something changed.

- Really, and so what? You discovered something new, can I see?

- NO! she hastened to answer by blocking my view. She understands too late that she had betrayed herself all by herself and looked at me with culpability in her eyes.

- Lucia I’m not an idiot, you’re the one who sleep the most and it must be really important to wake up so early. So, I wait for explications, I said in a firm tone.

She looked at me hesitantly and, after a few minutes of silence, finally gave way in a trembling voice:

- First promise me to not report me

My expression became even more intriguing but I ended up telling her

- I promise you.

- You know that the localisation of the centers are kept secret even for us, she started

- Yeah of course, to avoid us to use the centers resources for our families or our… I stopped myself, I had understood and she saw it

- Few weeks ago, I heard the colonel Lowell talks in video conferencing and I don’t know why I just stayed to listen. And he said the contact information of the center and… she inspired deeply as if to prepare to announce a death, and I couldn’t resist so I entered the information in my computer and I saw that we were in a place close to where my family lived. So I thought that maybe… maybe I could help them if they were still here and... Her voice broke in her last words

She doesn’t need to continue, I’ve already guessed;

- And you found a member of your family still alive right?

- Yes, so I found the way to contact her and I learnt that she was infected. I couldn’t let her like that, she was the last member of my family, I had to do this, and

- Do what? I said to her, cutting it off

But she didn’t answered, she just laid her head down.

- Lucia, I repeated, what have you do?

She finally held her eyes in mine and whispered

- I let her come in.

At this moment, I was like in another world, I couldn’t think anymore. Those five little they had made feel like a sledgehammer blow on the head. Little by little I retrieved my mind, I restarted to breathe normally and I began to go out of the lab.

Lucia was crying