The silence stretched after that, Pepper considering the option.  So many of the arguments she might have made were invalidated simply because it was the Malnosso providing the doses of Extremis that kept her alive.  They clearly already had access to it, and they were free to use it however it they wished.  Pepper could do nothing to prevent that by refusing to make herself a test subject.
 
But she couldn’t say yes.  The reasons were far more complicated than simply what was morally good.
 
“I don’t know him.”  And in turn, Pepper didn’t trust him.  She’d been at the hands of scientists already; it was how this had all come about.  There were things she had to provide, blood samples and data for Tony’s research.  The thought of doing the same for someone else—or perhaps more—made her stomach twist into knots.  She couldn’t meet Carol’s eyes, but her answer would be clear enough in how she shook her head.
 
“No.  Tony is working on it.  He’ll figure it out.”