I was stunned. She sat there, her smile fixed on her face, as if she had just announced that she wanted to go to the zoo. “K-k-kill you?” I inhaled deeply. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“No…no joke.” She took a delicate sip of her tea.

“Why?” The question sounded hollow in my ears.

“Didn’t you already ask that?” She set the tea cup down on the table and leaned forward. “I want you to kill me because if you don’t, the entire population of this city will die.”

“What are you talking about?”

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “I’m a carrier, Jamie. I just found out this morning.”

I put a hand in front of my mouth and unconciously scooted away from her. “But I thought…you can’t…how did you become a carrier?” I stuttered through my questions, incredulous at what I just heard.

“They took me in the night, Jamie.” Her smile was back. “Don’t worry though, they won’t be infecting many more people.” She took another sip. “I can afford to be happy.”