Wilted.

Log Day 15; Wilting.

It's been a week and a half here in the factory and everyone is tense, Phoenix has been keeping Alex in solitary confinement in the sleeping room, and only Keegan can go inside for testing every once in a while. She looks so scared, even more fearful from when everyone left Arkansas. She's been looking thinner since she stopped eating, and she even stopped sleeping. This worried her friends. Today Azrael is standing at the door of the sleeping room, leaning against it as he spoke to Alex. "I'm scared Azzy... I'm gonna die- you saw what happened to Ben-"  "You're not gonna die Alex. I'll make sure of it." I cut her off before she could finish, my hand rested on the door. I know she's scared, I just don't have any other way to comfort her...
"Azzy?..." her voice sounded strained as she spoke my name, she sounded as if she were on the verge of crying. "Yeah?". "Can you do me a favor?..." I hesitated for a moment, opened the door and stood just outside of the threshold. "Anything." The look of worry crossed her paler features as I came into view. But she sighed and sat down on the floor. "Can... I know this is dangerous- but... can I have a hug?" She seemed hesitant to ask, as if she knew she was risking my own life. I smiled and crawled forward, sitting down in front of her and hugging her tightly. "You got this, we'll be by your side even if it gets worse..." I reassured her, my eyes closing as I felt her lean into my touch. She's asleep. She must've been tired. 'You'll be okay Alex.'
I picked her up, she's much lighter due to her starving herself... and I carried her to her sleeping bag. Laying her down gently and sitting down beside her. She needs the comfort.
After setting her in bed I sigh heavily, my gaze traveling to the still open door. I rolled my eyes at the thought of that no good scientist walking in and scolding me for "being near a dangerous experiment". Experiment? Experiment my rear. This is my friend. This is my friend and she needs the comfort, the help. She's scared. She's scared of dying. She's scared of what's gonna take over her body after she dies.
I growl and pinch the bridge of my nose. 'I'm scared too. This is the scariest thing I've ever dealt with. Heck, it's scarier than losing a side of my face. And that... I wasn't even sure I'd survive a week due to the amount of blood I lost. I'm surprised I even managed to fight not one but TWO wasteds...
If I can fight two scary monsters who wanna rip me piece to piece then Alex can survive this disease. Sure, it looks impossible because it's been almost eight months and we haven't heard anything about people showing immunity to this?! But she can fight it. We all believe in her.' I turn my head back to look at my sleeping friend. My stomach hurting as I began to think even more. 'Oh who am I kidding... she won't survive this and she knows it... that's why Mr. "I know it all" old guy is keeping her quarantined. So we don't get sick and kill each other... what do I do... I can't help Alex with this...' I brush a strand of loose hair out of her face and stand up. Exhaling quietly as I make my way out of the room. 'Maybe I should plan something anyway... if she dies sooner than stage 5 then I'll kill him too...' I closed the door quietly behind me and stopped as soon as a hand stops me in my tracks. Speak of the devil. "Mr. Maize. What have I told you? Stay OUT of the containment room!" I glared at him as he touched me, I smack his hand away and cross my arms over my chest. "Come off it. You would want comfort and company if you were dying too." He growled at me in response, putting both hands on his hips as if he thought he were tough stuff. "She will be the hero of this crumbling world and you believe she'll perish?! You seem to be having LITTLE HOPE for your DEAR "friend", Mr. Maize." "I lost hope when the last guy who said he'd help us tried to shoot my grandmother in the head, and got ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS KILLED. You may think you're some all mighty man, but you and I both know that this disease can't stop. It won't. I'm pretty sure you tried to come up with a solution when you created it." I retort, stepping forward to get close, my voice coming into a hushed threat. He stared at me, offense in his gaze "You think I created this?! You're even weaker minded than I thought young man! How could I create a disease that could mutate all human life?!" He questioned me as if he didn't know what I was talking about. It's simple really. "The government planned on getting rid of all EIGHT BILLION people. And what more HUMANE way of doing it than a "natural" disease? But little did those small minded individuals know was that they doomed their own lives by making you and your science lackeys create a scientific-induced nightmare. A hell if you will. If you know what caused this, then you know how to end it. Don't you?"

As Azrael questioned the man ,he smirked. Arms shifting to rest behind his back and posture threatening. "I'm right. Aren't I? with no one questioning you, you thought this would work out didn't you? Well you're sorely mistaken, we don't trust you science idiots already thanks to the poison in our food."
The man was starting to look furious, brows furrowing and hands clenching into a tight ball. "Young man, I take that the patient is your friend, would you like her to die?" Azrael sneered at the comment and stepped forward. "She's not gonna-" He was cut off,  "Oh, she won't die because you 'promised' her? Once I finish the antidote AND my research I can just choose to leave her." Keegan grinned ear to ear, smug that he had the power to do that. "You said she's going to die? It doesn't matter either way if she does or not. If I don't give her the antidote you're looking for or my research you'll kill me, then she'll kill you." Azrael narrowed his eyes, voice stuck in his throat. "I'd rather you die than you leading her on for hope." He growled darkly, lowering his arms to his sides.  Keegan chuckled darkly and walked away, his voice echoing in the crumbling building to reach the boys ears. "Trust me, Maize. She'll be fine."