I was talking again as I watched the blood drip feed my cells directly. Danny was in his night clothes, ready to stay in ICU with me for the night. He gripped my hand and ran his thumb along its burned surface.

“So, you’re gifted?” he interrogated.

“Yeah,” I yawned.

“What’s the gift?”

“I assert my energy into pure electricity. I don’t understand it enough, so I just don’t use it. My sister had the same gift, but she didn’t have enough time to teach me how to use it before she passed away.” He seemed a bit stunned when I mentioned Lindsey.

“You had a sister?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened to her?” I groaned and moved my bangs from my face.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now. I feel emotionally drained enough.”

“I understand. I’ll ask another time.” I rested my head to the side.

“So, what’s happening with Jacob? Did he get bit?”

“It’s very strange what’s going on. He was bitten twice but isn’t showing any signs of the infection, so we induced a coma so his adrenaline doesn’t make it spread if it becomes more apparent. He fought the whole time, asking for you and everything.” Danny blew his bangs from his face and dropped his head onto his arms on the edge of the bed. “We’re making sure that the infection is going to progress slow enough to see if we can find a cure in that time.”

“He’s human, right?”

“As far as I know. That’s why it’s confusing that we can’t see the infection. His white blood cells were really high, though. I’ll make sure you know what’s going on for however long you stay in here. You got burned really bad.”

“It feels like it. I haven’t been in this much pain in a while.”

“I wish I could’ve done something.”

“You’re not allowed to?”

“Well, it’s on something I signed after I was used as a lab rat. It’s too hard to bring me back down from it all.” He rubbed my exposed thigh and patted it before sitting up.

“You can go to bed, Danny. I’ll be okay.”

“Don’t question my decisions.” He got up and put two chairs together so that he could lay down in them. “Goodnight, Kaleb.” He reached and held my hand in his again.

“Goodnight, Danny.” I curled up into the fetal position, gripping his hand tight.