Clock? What clock? She has a atom bomb dead man's switch, she has as much time as the writers need for the story to progress.
If we've learned anything from the last 20+ pages its got to be this. Logic and reasoning has fuck all to do with the plot of this show, its window dressing at best.
The hive that wont pick an apple off a tree, despite it being an evolved designed seed distribution system necessary for the trees reproduction, because it would cause "harm"; cannot poison her food with some sedative so that they may forcibly convert her while shes knocked out.
They absolutely can pick up the apple once its fallen, just like they can use her eggs to develop a custom virus for her since they've already been removed. And if they can get her alone they absolutely could use an aerosol on her to force the conversion, hence the a-bomb.
The scene with the little girl willingly converting is informative not only in that it shows they will drop the charade and pack up once the conversion happens, but also in how the specialized virus is administered. I'm sure some mcguffin will explain that it must be inhaled, can't be ingested, and they can't just chem trail the specialized virus, either its too limited for mass production or it would end up killing Manousas and thus they can't just blanket drop it, it must be administered directly.
Keeping her happy and comfortable is still right up there just below converting her on their priority list. Otherwise the girl was willing, why not fly her and her "family" to a hospital to take her marrow, make the virus, then convert her there? keeping her comfortable in her familiar setting was just as important.
