The Key to My Hart

Chapter 3

Carlos turned white at Doc's words but crossed my arms. "We already know, Doc. Azrael figured out his body is constantly fighting off the infection due to my blood."

Carlo's shoulders relaxed at my words, and I could hear him take a ragged breath. Doc didn't look pleased.

"Yes, you mentioned that, but what you didn't realize was that because his body is fighting the infection, he could also pass it along to someone else if his blood was in contact with another's." The doctor's face soured as he pointed to Carlos's bloody hands.

"Does that go for all bodily fluids?" My throat squeezed shut, making it impossible to swallow.

"No." The doctor snapped. "Thankfully it's somehow just contained to his blood, though that's not the case for a regular biter now is it?" He was checking some of the machinery that Chogan was hooked up to.

Chogan looked pale, not like he was sick, but more like, "The two of you should probably leave. I don't want to risk infecting anyone."

I pursed my lips and stalked into the room. "You have my blood. My blood caused this. If you think I'm going anywhere, you are very much mistaken. Although," I face Carlos who hadn't come any closer, "Carlos you should probably go sit in that chair over there." I pointed out one that was all the way on the other side of the labs, far from Chogan's hospital bed.

Carlos's head went back and forth between the chair and Chogan before he chose the chair, his footsteps were heavy before sinking into it. I watched as the Doc studied a screen, then reached out and gripped Chogan's hand.

"I'm sorry for all this." To the doctor, I said. "Look, he's been here this long and hasn't infected anyone. Do you really think all this is necessary? He's not a lab rat."

Chogan sat up a little higher. "It's okay, Hart. The better we understand this disease or virus, the more hope we have in finding a cure."

"So he can run his tests then let you leave." I grumbled.

"Do you understand what an outbreak can do inside the base?" Doc snapped at me. "Hours. That's all it would take for one person to become infected then turn everyone else."

"Okay. We know the risks. He can't do anything that will make him bleed." I didn't want Chogan locked up. I needed him.

"Hart." I waited a heartbeat before I acknowledged Chogan. "I'll be okay. Maybe we can move the devices in the communications room into here so I can keep working on figuring out the code. Everyone else has given up, happy that we have somewhere safe to be. You can come visit me. I'll be fine."

I untangled my fingers from his and left, not bothering to reply. I was being selfish. Logically I knew it, but I was angry. Mostly at myself. I was the reason Chogan had to be forced into quarantine. Why did it seem like every bad occurrence involved him? He was shot and almost died. Left behind and almost killed by a thinker. Almost starved from infiltrating another group of biters. Now this. All because I refused to allow him to die. Because I refused to give up on him.

I didn't realize I was crying until I ran straight into Ryder. "Sorry." I scrubbed the wetness off my face with my hands. "I didn't notice you."

"I called your name three times. What's wrong?" He used his thumb and forefinger to lift my chin up.

"Chogan. He's... being quarantined because if his blood spills, he could cause an outbreak." I dipped my head again in despair.

Ryder rubbed his palms together. "We'll figure this out, alright? Is there anything we can bring him that will make it easier?"