Virus

Sixteen

"Hey, Kelly, wake up. Kelly. Wake up. Wow you sleep a lot."

I opened my eyes and almost screamed. Sara's face was nearly an inch away from mine.

"Oh joy," I murmured sarcastically.

"Very funny," She said fake laughing. "Let my fill you in. You were almost killed out there but your kevlar vest saved you. All though you have a pretty gnarly bruise from where the bullet hit."

I noticed that all I was wearing was the black jacket and padded, yet flexible and tight, pants. No kevlar of gas masks or helmets now.

I lifted the hem of the jacket and revealed a deep purple circle right, smack in the center of my stomach.

The color was so gruesome I almost puked right there. I covered the bruise back up and leaned back.

I looked around. Rows of seats surrounded me. I was lying right in the aisle of a plane.

"We got out of their with no fatalities," Sara said.

"Who attacked?"

"Some rebels. Their apparently pissed that they got infected so they started fighting the government. Or what's left of it. Mick Holler took out fifteen rebel bases in Nevada. We are losing big time. And with that, the U.S government is dying. Canada has stopped in and conquered Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. Things are not going well for us."

"Oh lighten up McEntire," Andersen said as he appeared behind her. "The United States of America has the strongest military in the world. And the strongest people. Those titles won't fail us now."

"With all due respect General, this is America against itself and another country. Seems as if those titles are sort of working against each other."

"Lighten up," he said again, not finding a good argument. "We will win this somehow."

"Yeah we have a snowball's chance in Hell of winning this war."

"McEntire, there are consequences for treason."

Sara huffed a rude sigh and helped me up. My stomach screamed with searing hot pain. I plopped down on the closest seat and breathed, hoping to calm the white hot pain circulating through my midsection.

"I don't think your fit to fight, Movlid," Andersen said.

"I'll be fine by the time were reach Topeka."

"That's only four days sweetheart," Amberley said, materializing next to me.

"I'll be fine." I repeated.

Amberley scoffed but left the conversation alone.

"I think you should just hang back," Sara said.

"No! Okay! One damn bruise isn't going to stop me. I'm going into the battle!"

"Okay okay, geez someone is one their period."

I shook my head but couldn't help but laugh. Amberley and Sara joined me. Andersen stood in the aisle looking disgusted.

"I'm going to leave you three," Andersen said, which only made me laugh harder. The laughing ended in painful gasps. Damn bruise.

That night, while I was lying in the beds in the very back of the plane, I realized that that was the first time I'd laughed in months. It felt good, except the excruciating pain, to laugh again.