The Garden of Eden (Silent Moments Series: Book 5)

Chapter 13

 Octavia's voice cut through the tension. "What the hell happened out there?" she demanded of Miller.

"We separated to cover more ground," Miller began, his voice strained. "Then I hear him screaming that they're everywhere! I got to him, and there's nothing but screams..."

His recounting was interrupted by a disturbing sight. Obika's stomach contorted unnaturally, as if something was moving beneath his skin. The group recoiled in horror.

"There's something inside him," I muttered, my mind racing to understand this unprecedented situation.

"Get him in the tent!" Miller shouted, urgency lacing his voice.

Inside the tent, I barked orders to keep everyone else out and cleared a table to lay Obika on. "Help me get his jacket off," I instructed, focusing on the task at hand.

Indra's voice was laced with concern. "Kegan, what is this?"

"I don't know," I replied firmly, my attention fixed on Obika. "Miller, tell us exactly what happened."

"Nothing happened," Miller insisted, panic evident in his voice. "We stopped to eat, then separated. Next thing, he's screaming."

My thoughts turned to the rations. "Show me," I demanded.

Cooper was quick to defend the supplies. "Nothing's wrong with our rations," she stated.

"He was eating when it happened," I pointed out. "That's our only lead."

Octavia, however, was skeptical. "If it was the rations, Miller would have it too."

I was adamant. "Well, it got in him somehow."

Bellamy's discovery added a new piece to the puzzle. Lifting Obika's pant leg, he revealed an entry wound by the calf.

"It came from the sand," I concluded. "We have to go back."

Octavia was resistant. "No," she declared flatly.

"Octavia, he told Miller they were everywhere," I argued, trying to convey the seriousness.

Cooper sided with Octavia. "Everywhere could mean inside him," she suggested, earning a scornful comment from Indra.

Octavia made her decision. "We march on at first light."

Miller's concern for Obika brought a harsh response from Octavia. "If he's not better by then...I'll end his pain myself."

Her words sent a chill through the room. As she turned to leave, the others followed suit, a testament to the unwavering loyalty she commanded. It was unsettling to witness the extent of their devotion to Octavia, their actions mirroring her every move with almost blind obedience.

"You know, Octavia's not the only one who's changed," I said to Bellamy, a chuckle in my voice as I tried to offer some perspective. "You've shown mercy where others wouldn't. Diyoza would've killed me if not for you. Madi would be alone. And you, you got that bunker open."

"Who knew it would be Pandora's Box?" I added half-heartedly, reflecting on the unforeseen consequences of their actions.

Bellamy's response was thoughtful, acknowledging the complexity of our situation. "The heart and the head," he said, echoing a sentiment that had guided us through countless challenges.

Our conversation shifted to the impending conflict. "So, what does your head say about two armies fighting in the only green place on Earth?" I asked, seeking his insight.

"Same as yours," he replied, his expression somber, acknowledging the mutual understanding of the dire situation.

Suddenly, shouts from outside the tent interrupted us. We rushed out, only to be greeted by a massive sandstorm sweeping across the landscape.

"Sandstorm," I stated, immediately recognizing the danger it posed.

"It's blocking the way back," Bellamy observed with a sigh of frustration.

"Can we outrun it?" Indra asked, her voice carrying a hint of optimism.

I explained the storm's behavior. "As long as it keeps running laterally from east to west, we shouldn't have to," I said, my eyes fixed on the swirling sands. "But if the wind shifts..."

Octavia's raspy voice cut in with determination. "The wind hasn't met Wonkru. We keep moving."

Bellamy's frustration boiled over. "Thanks to you, we're stuck between razor-blade winds and burrowing parasitic bugs."

Octavia retorted sharply, her words laced with accusation. "Thanks to you, we're at war, Bellamy."

Their exchange grew heated, with Bellamy softly questioning Octavia's disregard for Obika's life. Cooper stepped in, her hand pressing against Bellamy's chest, but Indra hissed a warning. The tension in the air was palpable, with others joining in to demand respect for Octavia. In the midst of this escalating conflict, I noticed something crucial. "He's awake!" I exclaimed, redirecting everyone's attention to Obika. I dashed back to the tent, with Bellamy, Octavia, and her advisors in tow.

As Obika thrashed in agony, I sprang into action, my voice cutting through the panic. "Hold him down!" But nothing in my first aid experience had prepared me for what happened next. The skin on Obika's stomach began to contort grotesquely, swelling as if something alive was moving underneath. The horror reached its peak when the parasites violently erupted from his flesh, a scene straight out of a nightmare. Bellamy, reacting with lightning speed, grabbed me and dragged me out of the tent, his protective instincts overriding everything else. We barely had a moment to catch our breath when we saw Octavia collapsing in pain.

"Indra, burn it down! Kill them all!" I shouted, crawling towards Octavia, fear and urgency driving my actions. The nightmare was repeating itself, this time with Octavia as its victim.

Bellamy's arms were a cradle of safety as he carried Octavia to another tent, away from the chaos. "I can't feel my legs," she groaned, her voice laced with pain and fear. Her bicep showed the telltale signs of infection, the worms moving insidiously under her skin.

"It must be its venom," I concluded, analyzing her symptoms as Bellamy gently placed her on a makeshift table.

I barked orders, driven by a mix of adrenaline and desperation. "Put her arm on the table! We can't let it get into her torso!" Turning to Miller, I instructed him to fashion a tourniquet, his compliance vital in these critical moments.

Cooper, still in shock from the horror we had witnessed, began to speak. "There were dozens of those worms. They must lay their eggs—" But I couldn't afford any distractions. "Thank you! Go!" I cut her off, my tone sharp and urgent. The tension in the tent was palpable as Bellamy, Indra, and I focused on saving Octavia. The stakes were incredibly high, and the room was filled with a sense of dread and determination.

Outside, the camp was a whirlwind of activity as the threat of the parasites became evident. The fear of the unknown enemy, now manifesting in one of their own, added a layer of panic to the already fraught situation. In that tent, with Octavia's life in the balance, we were more than just survivors; we were fighters against an unseen and terrifying foe, doing everything in our power to conquer it.

Bellamy, his face etched with worry, hovered over Octavia, offering words of comfort. "I'm right here," he cooed, gripping her hand tightly, trying to anchor her through the pain.