What We Become | Book Two

38. What's Changed?

The facility seemed quieter today and there was a calmer atmosphere outside the windows. I watched as people in white coats meandered past, some glancing in my direction before quickly looking away.

"Em, you have to eat something," Julia pushed the plate back towards me.

"Why?"

"Why do you have to question everything?" she tried to joke.

"I thought you were supposed to answer any questions I had," I smirked. "That's what Dr Rhodes told me."

"Hm," she rolled her eyes. "Did she tell you anything else?"

"A few things."

She pursed her lips. "Seriously though, you need to eat."

"Maybe I just enjoy making your job harder than it needs to be," I shrugged, ignoring her. "Don't you think it would be boring otherwise?"

She laughed. "You think I wouldn't take boring in a world like this? I'd take boring any day."

"What was your life like before the outbreak?" I asked. "Did you have any family? I mean, you can't have been here the whole time."

She softened a little and adjusted herself. "I did," she nodded. "It was just me and my sister. Both our parents died when we were still in school."

"How did they die?"

Her smile faltered. "Car crash," she explained. "One drunk driver and that was it... One broken family."

"What about your sister?"

"She handled it better than I did. She was a little older than I was at the time so I think she felt like she had to be strong for me or whatever... As bad as it sounds, I'm kind of glad my parents didn't live to see this world. My dad would've been awful with all the survival stuff."

I looked down at my untouched plate. "I'm sorry..."

"It's been years so it hardly bothers me anymore," she said. "Especially now with everything going on."

"Where's your sister now?"

"I haven't heard from her since the start of all this... I have no idea where she is or where she was planning to go." Her gaze lowered and her expression faltered, fighting tears.

"She could still be alive," I tried my best to comfort her while simultaneously not believing my own words. "I mean, I'm all the proof you need that surreal things can happen when you least expect it."

She gave a small laugh. "Oh, Em. I've known that from the moment you woke up."

I hadn't expected to find a friend in Julia but I had. She looked at me like I had something to say and listened when I said it. It made me feel that maybe not everyone at EDIN was so bad after all.

"Okay," she announced, lifting herself from the bed. "If you're not going to eat, I suppose I should take you to Dr. Rhodes."

"You don't have to..."

"Em."

"Kidding," I joked, as she held the door open for me. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

*

I pushed open the door to Dr. Rhodes's office and the woman inside greeted me from her usual chair.

"Em!" she smiled. "Come in. Come in." She waved a hand, ushering me in.

"I'll come and get you later," Julia said, leaving me at the door, placing a hand on my shoulder before she disappeared back down the corridor. I made my way into the room, shutting the door behind me. The blinds to the outside were closed today but I could hear the rain which pattered against the windows, filling the silence.