"Is it the battery?" Alexei asked as he narrowed his eyes on the soldier with the scanner. It both amused him and worried him that they were so willing to dismiss so many warning signs for the sake of not having to do more paperwork.
Then again, he didn't blame the soldier… paperwork was not fun.
"No, I just changed it," the soldier replied with a shake of his head. He tapped the plastic casing again as if sheer stubbornness alone would resuscitate it.
When nothing happened, he let out a long sigh and put the scanner away. "Whatever. Lab's going to run you anyway. You"—he gestured at Alexei—"answer the questions. Anyone sick? Fever, tremors, disorientation, body aches, pain, or recently dead?"
"No," Alexei replied. He didn't even blink at the long list of questions.
"Anyone been bitten, scratched, or directly exposed to bodily fluids from a confirmed positive?"
"No," he repeated.
