Copy, Paste, Cut

Chapter 7: High Emotions

Anti didn't know what else to do. 

All this hurt he was feeling. All this pain and agony.

He didn't care what Infect said, if it was an order or not, he needed to tell the others anyway.

It had started to rain pretty heavily and he shivered from the cold but he didn't care.

And there he was now, in front of their door. Looking absolutely pathetic. Drenched and cold. Barely a thought in his head besides what happened all too recently.

The image of Sam being crushed and wiped off on him was searing.

He couldn't move anymore.

But luckily, Marvin opened the door, "Hey, what you doing back here so soon? You find the book alr-" he stopped, just now noticing Anti's stature and the look in his eyes, "Wh . .. what happened?"

Anti couldn't say anything. He couldn't do it. He couldn't tell him that Sam was . . . .

A breathe left his body but he couldn't speak. Instead, he swallowed and moved past Marvin into the house.

Marvin was beyond confused, "Uh . ..  Anti? Something bad happened. I can tell but you have to-"

Jackie finally came into the foyer, "Hey! Anti, I didn't think you'd-" he stopped, too, seeing the look in Anti's eyes. Something wasn't right.

Anti started to shake again, remembering over and over what just transpired.

He had to get into a more open room. He pushed past the both of them and found the couch in the living room, laying down on his side and holding himself. Everything was spinning and his head hurt. He closed his eyes to make the spinning stop but every time he tried, he kept seeing Infect crushing Sam in his fist like a giant gusher.

He didn't even notice Jameson feeling his forehead and Henrik trying to talk to him.

"This is fucked up" Marvin muttered to Jackie, "We shouldn't have sent him back. What did that guy do to him?"

Jackie tensed, "I . . . I don't know. Never . . seen him like this. . . .where's Chase?"

Marvin shrugged, "He got a weird call from Stacey. The line just cut off and he couldn't get ahold of her again. He went to check and see if everything was alright at her place"

"Okay . . ." Jackie nodded, still focused on the small glitch on their couch shaking, "Henrik! You know what's wrong with him?"

The doctor rolled his eyes, "For fooks sake, Jackie, he is in shock. Is that not clear enough to you?"

"But why?"

"He vill not talk, so how vould I know?!"

"Easy there." Marvin sighed, "Anti  . . " he went closer to the couch and slowly sat next to him, opposite of Jameson, "Hey there. . .Why don't you come with me for a moment, huh? We can get you cleaned up and relaxed. Hm?"

"Vhat IS this stuff on him, anyway?" Henrik asked more so to himself , picking at the strange dried up green gunk on his shirt.

Suddenly, Anti shook even more and cried out, flinching away from the doctor and Jameson into the corner of the couch. He made himself smaller by pulling his knees to his chest, hugging himself.