Touch: Awakening

Part Two

I'd probably enjoy the scenery more if my lungs weren't about to explode.

They're so painful, I'm surprised they haven't shredded themselves to pieces. Trees mock me as I lope down the side of the hill, mountain, really, if you want to get technical. My legs are rubbery from the excess speed, and the only thing keeping me from flinging myself forward and rolling the rest of the way is pride. There are several of my students out here as well, and it wouldn't do for their instructor to be seen making a spectacle of herself.

Parker careens into me, and I stumble, almost going to my knees. "Jesus. Careful much?" It's the third time this run she's done something along these lines, jostling me off balance, her hands coming out to steady me in the aftermath.

"Sorry," she puffs, her mouth still moving as I swerve away to avoid running into her a fourth time.

God, I need a shower

Finally, finally, we're at the bottom. The end. Finito. I take a few tentative steps forward and stop, hands on my head, struggling to draw breath. The air is too thin, cold enough to burn my lungs with each inhale. I give in to my shaking legs and sit down hard enough the pain sings up my spine.

The trail was brutal. The idea was to beat the time set by the last group, who'd run the trail in just under an hour. I doubt we managed. The terrain's rough and steep, full of shallow holes and tree roots, and curves through the trees and around boulders in a series of wicked switchbacks that if you aren't paying attention, you'll go stumbling off the trail and hurt yourself. Well, hurt yourself more than you already have, racing up to the top and scrambled back down to the bottom. Somewhere along the way I lost my hair band. My hair clings to my neck, golden brown ropes of it trailing over my shoulders.

"Water," I groan. "Gimme something. Anything. Dying here."

Bee flops next to me, her red curls frizzing about her head. "They'll be around soon. Drag us out. Can't have our electrolytes unbalanced." She giggles, the sound ending on a moan as she clutches her stomach. "Can't laugh. Hurts. Remind me again why we did this?"

I close my eyes. "Challenge. Someone wanted a challenge. Not me. You?"

"Nope. Must have been Brij."

Brigit is, in fact, the instigator of the challenge. She lowers herself to the ground, legs stretched out in front of her. I hate the serene expression in her brown eyes. "Stop complaining. It's good for you. Your body will thank me later."

"I'm pretty sure it won't," I grumble. They really will drag me out if I don't move now, because I'll be unable to do so myself. Parker limps up and collapses, moaning. "Bet you're regretting picking such a hard trail to do so soon after you got back."

"That's not all I regret," she mutters, and I poke her in the side. Ever since her return, Parker's been off. Saying things that will get her quarantined, constantly running her hands over every surface she can reach. Touching. So much touching. Me, our friends, her datpads and minis and the office furniture, frustration and anger burning bright in her eyes.

Sometimes they don't come back whole. When Parker dropped out for a week following her extraction, I hoped she wouldn't be one of them. It's becoming more and more apparent she might be. She needs to adjust her behavior and watch what she's saying in public. They'll quarantine her if she doesn't.

Whimpering, I struggle to my feet and gesture for Parker to join me. After some awkward maneuvers, she does, and we shuffle off, away from the others. "Are you trying to get noticed?"

She slumps against a tree. "No." Desperation rolls of her in a slow, sticky wave. "It's hard, Lex. They don't tell you how damn hard the readjustment is." Her voice drops to a whisper. "I'm trying. I am."