Vial #127

Chapter 41: Becoming the Frontline

"What do you mean?" I say, my voice puzzled. I don't know whether or not to tell him about our cure. I decide against it, at least until I tell the others. I can sense Sadie, her actions halt when Jeb brings up the topic. Before he has a chance to explain, I butt in, "I should go outside; I've been in here for a while, some fresh air would be nice," I head to the door in a hurry.

"You know what, why don't I join you. It is kinda stuffy in here," he offers, still not catching on to my escape plan.

"I just really want to be with my group right now," I place my hand on the door, turning the handle and exiting into the forest.

On the way, I couldn't pay attention to the forest around me but now, I have a moment to relax. The trees are old, their trunks way up in the sky with gnarly branches swaying off. The roots bulge out from the ground, casting magical shadows all around. There's a dirt opening in front of the cabin, leading back to the highway. Surrounding that, is grass and bushes, scattered around dotting the landscape.

"Isn't this place just great?" I hear Jamie come behind me, taking a seat on a rock. I wrap my arm around him, holding him close to me.

"It sure is buddy," I am so glad that he's here and safe and alive. By now we've all been exposed and no one is ill. I am hopeful it stays that way. "You know what?" I suddenly perk up.

"What?" he sort of laughs, smiling at me and waiting for my answer.

"You are in serious need of a haircut," I burst out laughing, his hair is covering his eyes, coming down in the back like a mullet, "Let me get some choppers," I head back into the cabin, trying to avoid Jeb but I have no idea where the scissors are.

"Looking for something?" I spin around. He just appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes, actually, do you happen to have a pair of scissors?" I ask and come over to the cabinets. He searches around; finally he hands me a pair .

"Thanks," I murmur, scuttling out the door like prey escaping the predator. I still feel uneasy around him, my instincts always on high alert.

Before I can make it out, he asks another sudden question, "Why don't you come with me, to the WHO?" I shrug and walk out, ignoring the question and returning to my brother.

I sit behind the rock that Jamie is sitting on and gently snip away at the stray hairs. I've never done this before but by the end, it still looks half normal, at least with his baseball hat on.

Next, I want to sit down and talk with my Dad. It's been too long. I wander around the camp, my eyes scanning every inch of it but he's not there. Suddenly, from behind, he jumps out and starts walking beside me. "Jesus," I curse in front of him, terrified of surprises, "I was looking for you," I try to recover.

He grips my hand and we head into the truck. "Why?" he asks playfully.

"I dunno, I just wanted to be with you," Immediately he smiles, causing me to do the same. It's been so long since I've been able to talk to him, to just be normal but I couldn't because they left me.

"What is it?" he asks, sensing my shifting emotion, "you look mad," I try to blow off the comment but it sticks with me as the conversation continues.

"Why did you leave me?" I blurt out, just needing to know exactly what happened on that night.

"I thought you'd been taken down by one of them. I thought you were dead." He looks down and I can see how hard it is for him to say these words.

"But you could've at least waited outside for me," I accuse him, "I was alone for weeks." All this time I've pretended that I was okay with what happened that night but now I really just want to cry. I feel my chest tighten, I bite my lip but I just keep thinking: he left me. Then I let it all out, weeping like a hungry baby. He wraps his arms around me, protectively and I know that he really cares. Sometimes, even though the circumstances haven't changed, a good cry can make you feel a lot better.

"Thank you," I whisper once the crying stops. I know that he loves me, and never stopped, and because of that, I forgive him.

"It's okay, I know I should've waited," he says, guilty for what he's done to me.

"It's okay, we're here, together, now," I say. Then I get up and leave, wanting to find Aiden. I find him at the edge of the opening, staring blankly into the forest. There's red scratch marks from where he struggled to get free but the rope held him tight.

"Hey," I casually stand next to him, my voice causing him to turn his head abruptly.

"Oh, hey," he responds but then we both say nothing and just stare into the open forest.

"I'm so glad I found you," I recall him hanging limply by his neck on that old tree.

"I almost died," he shares, "if it wasn't for you, many times," I remember all the hardships we'd faced before. I see his glassy eyes doing the same.

"I'm just so grateful that I met you," he saved me many times, too. I wrap my arm around his and we lean against each other.

"Were you always so brave?" he asks.

I laugh, "no, not at all. I was the top of the class of nerds." I still don't think of myself as brave. My other life seems so distant, almost like surreal, not mine, "were you brave?"

"No, I was a typical farm boy." It's so weird to think about the past, so much has changed. Not only the world but the people in it. All the teachers, doctors, lawyers, all of them now survivalists.

"Aiden," I need to tell him something.

"What is it?" he asks, his smile warm with curiosity.

"You met me in an odd time in my life. I've changed so much and I don't think I'd be who I am today if I hadn't met you."