Andreas’ condition was severely getting worse. None of her antibiotics were working on her infected wounds, and no one could test her to see what a proper antibiotic was for her because she was hostile with everyone.
Everyone except for me.
But, everyone was in fear she’d bite me or hit me in the head, which was like giving me rigor mortis for half an hour unless I tried really hard to move.
Sometimes it’s just better to play dead in those situations.
So, I stood behind, watching as they sedated her for the fifth time that month because she was hitting, scratching, and kicking like a crazy person.
I tried my hardest to explain that her head and emotions were going haywire because her head was readjusting to her newly-working body. Our bodies were brand new to us because our virus strand enhanced everything opposed to keeping it all the same.
Synthia spent a long time trying to make me less emotional by coddling me.
She needed someone to hold her and make her feel better.
Everything I spoke fell on deaf ears. I couldn’t even get it through to Danny, who was so stressed out that no one could really talk to him.
I took it into my own hands that night. I made her an almost raw hamburger made of deceased human (from the morgue) and dressed it like a normal burger, wrapping it in some paper carefully. I rested it in a paper bag and went to the nurses’ station to get a tourniquet and a blood kit.
I went into her room and rested everything down on a wheel-over table. I wrapped the tourniquet around her upper arm tight and put on gloves to start feeling for a vein.
“Lin?” I met eyes with her and smiled at her.
“Good morning, sleepy head,” I joked, finding a vein.
“Why am I acting out like this, Lin?”
“Our strand enhances the body before the brain can catch up. It screws up the way our minds decide what hormones are made. I was always crying after I turned, but I was lucky to have someone that gave me endless attention.” I put the end of a needle into her arm carefully and started hooking up vials to fill up. “Sometimes, we just need someone else there to get through it all. All the change, all the feelings. It’s hard to process by yourself.”
“Do you know what’s going to happen to me?”
“Nothing is for sure, but I’ll do the best I can behind the scenes for you, Andreas. Maybe, since you’re here, we can find a cure to help people who weren’t so fortunate to become like us.” I kissed her forehead softly. Her hair was graying and so was her skin, which wasn’t a good sign for anyone. “I brought you something to eat.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re hungry.” I took out the burger from the bag and removed the needle, pressing a piece of folded gauze against the hole to grab a bandaid. She opened the paper on the burger and took a bite into it. I grinned as her skin almost instantly gained some color. “If anyone ever listened, they’d know you were hungry. Weeks without what we need is dangerous for us.”
Then, just with my crummy luck, Danny walked in.
He turned so red that I thought he was going to explode.
When the door opened, it startled me (I was already skittish), making me spill the vial of blood I had to close. I tried to back up and slipped in it, busting my head on the immobile table.
I felt my body just go stiff as I hit the floor. Andreas almost lunged from the bed to get me out of the floor. I forced my body to react as she helped me sit up.
“Oh no, Kaleb, are you okay?!” Danny panicked, getting down next to me. I felt the back of my head and trembled at the blood that came back on my fingertips. “Lin, this is what happens when you sneak around!” He grabbed a small stack of gauze and pressed it against my head, telling Andreas to hold it there for a minute. I supported her hand as he grabbed medical glue and a bottle of antiseptic.
He sprayed the wound clean carefully and glued it shut. He wrapped bandages around my head and secured it. He pulled me close to kiss the side of my head. Andreas moved to get back into her bed and finished her burger.
“Andreas, where did you get food from?” Danny quizzed, getting up to help her get her weak legs in the bed. He took the wrapping and smelt it. “Nevermind, smells like the bile Lin makes.”
“I thought he did a good job,” she responded, defending me. I got up and wrapped my arms around Danny.
“Just keeps giving you his stuff. His glasses, his food, his time. Might as well give you his life.” He gathered the blood kit and cleaned up the mess.
“Aren’t you worried about me being contagious?” He chuckled so deep that I could feel it rattle my bones, which made me a bit nervous.
“I’m in charge of your case for a reason, Miss Bello. And, it’s not because I’m extra cautious.” He kissed the side of her head. “Goodnight. I left some books if you want to read. I’ll see you in the morning.” He pulled me out with him. “Are those your night clothes, Lin?”
“Oh, no, but they can be,” I implied, knowing what he was getting at.
“They’re covered in blood.”
“I can go get something to sleep in.” He put the blood samples in for testing and pulled me close to him.
“No, I can give you something of mine to sleep in.” He took me to his room and locked his door. He was already in his night clothes, so he went straight into the bed. Stress was turning his hair gray and making him restless. I could see it in his face. I changed into one of his civilian shirts and lied down next to him, putting my head on his arm.
“Goodnight, Danny.”
“Goodnight, Kaleb.”
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