CHERISH

⭕️Chapter 7⭕️

After a few prodding and digging on the dead zombie's calves, Edward and Quartz moved on to the most taxing task at hand; opening up the corpse.

Me and Onyx decided to step back and watch as Edward held the scalpel and made the large incision from the chest cavity and stopping a good three inches from the navel. Gone was the Edward who dry-heaved. What appeared now was a professional. His movements were swift, as if he was so used to opening up corpses every day.

"Where did that squeamish Edward go?" I teased him, but followed it up with a serious question. "Were you a coroner before the apocalypse?"

As he was using these clamp-thingies-- don't judge me, I'm not all-knowing-- to forcibly open the chest cavity, he answered.

"A Forensic Pathologist, actually." Edward grunted, "Quartz, hold that side."

As they continue examining the corpse, I found myself asking him questions of what he did before the world went to shit.

"As far as I know," Quartz looked at him, curious. "Forensic Pathologists usually take thirteen years to learn and master. How old are you?"

"Um, 23?" He sounded like he wasn't even sure why he'd ask that.

I snorted, "How long have you've been 23?" Yes, I know I'm throwing out a Twilight reference, sue me.

And with good humor, Edward had a hint of a smile in his tone, "A while."

I touched my chest, "A man after my own heart."

Edward shrugged, putting what seems like the liver on a metal dish on the side. "Or after your blood."

We looked at each other for three seconds before bursting out in giggles. I know, I know. This isn't the place to joke about blood and shit, especially when they're doing an autopsy that's bloody gruesome.

"I am utterly lost. Explain to me, baby." Onyx was unusually clingy today, going behind me and hugging my waist while he was trying his best to hide in my hair, pouring out his grievances in my ear.

My left hand held onto his arms while my right was combing his silky jet-black hair away from his face.

We were both looking at the two men, my voice was soft as I answered his query. "It's a Twilight reference." When I didn't hear him speak, I continued. "It came from a movie based on a book by Stephenie Meyer. It's about a vampire named Edward," I jutted my chin towards the busy person, "and a human girl named Bella."

"There was a scene in the book and in the movie of when Bella found out the truth about Edward's origins and yeah, they said that dialogue." Edward murmured, low enough for his concentration not to dwindle but loud enough for us to hear.

"Fun fact though," Edward looked at us before extracting another organ from the corpse, "My mom named me after him, that's why I know."

I frowned.

"It's 2023." I pointed at him, "You're 23 which meant your birth year was 2000. Twilight was not released until 2005. If we do the math, you didn't exist back then."

"Forgive me," Edward looked at the ceiling, exasperated. "Aunt Stephie named Edward after me, not the other way around."

I was flabbergasted.

"Your aunt is Stephenie Meyer?"

"Yup." He said, popping the 'p'.

Quartz didn't mind us conversing. He was focused on getting tissue samples from the calves of the corpse.

"H-how?"

"She and my mom are... churchmates, if you will." I can see a subtle change in his expression, his eyebrows furrowing at the mention of his mom and aunt. "My mom always encouraged her to write, especially when aunt Stephie told my mom her dream of vampires."