“You fucking bitch, breathe” Lexi was hammering on my chest. With a sharp intake of air I opened my eyes to see relief written plainly on her face. I could tell she had been at it for a while now. I went to say something to her only to have my body come alive with pain.

He did not lie about the fire, every nerve ending I had lit up in flames. The simple act of breathing now brought acid to my lungs. I have had more than my fair share of broken bones in my life, given birth and had many things done to me but this was beyond imaging. I longed for death if it would it end it. If someone would have peeled off my skin and dipped me in salt it would have felt better than this. I felt as well as heard all my bones cracking, grinding and popping. My tendons seem to give, stretched beyond their threshold, they snapped like a broken rubber band. The pain was unbearable. I could see Lexi’s mouth moving but the only sound filling my ears was a blood curdling scream. I knew it was me, somewhere inside myself I knew I was making that awful sound. I screamed until even my throat seemed to be on fire, not even that was to be spared. I could feel my body convulse and Lexi attempt to hold me down. She looked worried, again trying to tell me something. I still could not understand her. The pain and convulsions continuing for what seemed hours till I passed out; blessed nothingness. A dark oblivion, an escape from the pain as my body changed forever.

I could hear movement around me, slight rustling at first. Blankets being pulled back, clothing being moved. I just could not open my eyes. I didn’t seem to have any strength. I lay there for a moment, assessing my body, attempting to judge if it was finally over. I was surprised that I felt no pain, surely it should still hurt. I lay there finally working up enough courage to speak, still afraid it would hurt but I had to test my voice. “Lexi?” my voice sounded hoarse and small compared to before.

“And it lives.” I heard her response, not as jovial as in the past but still teasing. “You dumbass, you had me worried for a second there.” I turned my head slightly, trying to open my eyes again. I still did not have enough strength. I hated feeling so weak. Even just the movement of my head seems to take so much. “Hey, didn’t I just call you a dumbass? Stop moving. You’re not ready to do shit yet. For some reason it took more out of you than me. So, just lay there for a sec. I have to get this shit packed anyways.”

“Are we going somewhere?” Once again, it was choked out of me. My throat now felt parched.

“Here, if you’re going to not listen and talk.” A straw was shoved in my mouth. “It’s not coffee but it will wet your whistle.” I took a big pull. I felt cool water going down my throat, it seem that my body was drained of any moisture. I took several more before she took the straw away. “If you drink it too fast you will get sick. We have to leave to answer your question earlier.”

“What day is it?” I asked her. I know I had to have missed being at the hospital by at least two days.

“A day. Don’t worry about it.” Her reply was odd and didn’t answer anything.

“Lexi, what day is it? I already know I have been home sick, what two days?”

“More like four, I think. Before you go do something stupid the hospital called while you were out.” She spat in a rush. I had already started to try to get out of the bed. She came back over to me from my dresser where she had been grabbing clothes. She sat down on the bed and faced me. The look on her face was a somber one. I had an ominous feeling for what she was going to say next. “Rose” Oh shit, she used the middle name, and my breathing was increasing. “I need you to listen to what I am about to tell you.” she tried to continue before my panic could set in, but she was too late this time. It was my kids; the nightmare rushed back full force.

“No, no, no.” I was quiet at first but the panic kept building. As my fear intensified so did my denials. “NO! NO! NO! They are not dead! They’re not! Do you hear me!” I was screaming, tears flowing down my face. The dream I had before Lexi had brought me had started on a loop the moment I heard my middle name.

“I know they’re not dead. Listen to me.” she said as she shook my now by the shoulders. “The hospital said they were transferring them to the CDC headquarters in Atlanta. But, Angelik, that is not the only problem. Some things have changed. We can’t just hop on a flight.” I looked at her confused.

“What do you mean? Why can’t we just fly?” I asked her. She stood up from the bed, grabbed the bags she had been packing and then turned to me.

“Look we can talk about this on the way. I still have a few things to get together. So, you have to feel nasty after laying in that bed for days. Go take a shower while I finish up.” She turned around and started out the doorway into the hall pausing to say, “When you get done with your shower there is food and coffee in the kitchen if I am not back yet. Just wait for me there.” With that last comment she left.

I lay in the bed a moment longer gathering strength for what I knew would be a much needed shower. Once she had pointed out my need for a shower the smell of sweat, sickness, and other unpleasant odors were assaulting my nose. I slowly reached for the glass of water she left for me on the nightstand and pulled deep on the straw. It wasn’t until after a few sips that I felt strong enough for my trip to the bathroom and shower.

Walking into the bathroom the lights flickered to life; to me it was just last night I was here. Everything looked the same, toothbrush in its holder as always, assorted hair accessories where I always leave them, but I could not shake the feeling that something was different in this room. I walked over to my shower and turned on the water. Stripping off my night clothes and letting them hit the floor I stepped into the water that was always at right temp for me, hot.

I began washing away the grim that had built up in my hair from the fever, enjoying the smell of my lavender shampoo. Opening my eyes briefly I see not white bubbles going down the drain but red. Is that from blood? Why would I have been bleeding from something like the flu?

Out of the corner of my eye I think I see someone in the steam standing over by the door. I turn my head towards this figure and a wave of dizziness hits me along with the scent of sandalwood and patchouli. My vison wavers then clears, the figure is closer now, the shape of a man. Another wave a dizziness and the smell of sandalwood with patchouli threatens to choke me this time. When I can see again the shadow is on the other side of the frosted shower door. He is holding his hand up to the door, with his palm flat against it.

“Who are you?” I managed to squeak out, my heart pounding in my ears.

“Angelik, you must run.” was his response as another wave of dizziness threatened to pull me under this time.

Once it subsided the lights flickered and no one was standing there, the scent of sandalwood with patchouli absent. The bathroom was filled with only the steam from shower and the scent of my lavender shampoo and body soap. I shook off the dizziness and accompanying vision as having to do with me recovering from being ill. I am nothing if not consistently logical, people do not have visions, nor do they smell unexplainable scents.

The rest of my shower was uneventful thankfully. I dried and got dressed without any fuss. The mirror was still fogged so I wiped it off with my towel. It was then I noticed my reflection. The thing that had changed in the bathroom was me; I did not look the same anymore. My hair had grown impossibly long in just days, my face had reverted to my early twenties instead of thirty almost forty something, and the weight, I had lost at least 35 pounds. All of this seemed impossible, absolutely illogical. I did not get the chance to process this as I heard knocking on the bathroom door.

“Hurry up!” Lexi said from the other side of the door. “Damn, I thought you would’ve been out by now anyways. Da hell you doing in there?”

“Umm…Ya, I’m coming.” I replied still a little distracted by this younger, thinner me in the mirror.

“Mmm k. Well, packed the food and coffee to go. Figured you’d want to get started right away. See ya in a sec then.” Lexi said before I heard her walking away.

I turned away from the image in the mirror and went out the bathroom door. Shaking the image I had seen of myself as a trick of the mind. Things like getting younger and hair growing like that do not happen. The weight loss is plausible due to being so ill. Besides it was beyond time to get started. I needed to go to the last place I knew my sons to be, the big hospital in the city. It was also time for Lexi to open her lips about what is going on. She was acting strange even for her.