The Road Home by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 11

The next morning saw the tired eyes of the students opening slowly at the harsh sound of their alarm clocks. Stepping out of their rooms, their senses came to life as the smell of coffee drifted in the air. Maya had a habit of rising earlier than her roommates and was busying herself in the kitchen. By necessity, breakfast was short and simple—eggs, bacon, and coffee. Everyone was in a hurry to get to class, and some would eat on campus in the event they rose too late. With three to a car, they made the hazardous journey to campus, and driving onto the nearest access road, everyone noticed the absence of hazmat suits and assault rifles. The crisis that began in the biology lab had come to a close only a short time ago, but having just spent a relaxing weekend in the mountains seemed to erase the previous week's stress. Now, the real world raised its head, reminding them of what could have been a city-wide catastrophe.

Classes went as usual, with Maya participating in a mock trial and Nathan studying combat footage from the Iraq war, while the rest worked in the labs of their respective fields. Lab work was arduous and sometimes dangerous, with the handling of biological agents and specialized machinery. But in the end, it would all pay off and the soon-to-be graduates would either be on their way to a Doctoral program or swim the violent seas of the real world, competing for jobs. Nathan’s chosen field carried the greatest risk, as he could find himself as a war correspondent somewhere in the Middle East. The path each roommate had taken offered the reward of a secure future and an income unmatched by most other fields.