Transmission -[Containment/Jake Riley]-

FOUR

I woke up to the smell of coffee. The bed I was in was unfamiliar, and the room was incredibly dark. "Jake?" I called out. Not knowing where I am or who was making coffee. Jake stood in the doorway and flicked the light switch. I pulled the covers over my face, the bright light hurting my eyes. I could hear Jake's footsteps coming closer. Suddenly, the covers were pulled back.

"Why?" I groaned, squinting my eyes with a smirk on my face. "Where are we? Starting to become cliché, isn't it? Me waking up after you brig me to a mysterious place?" I jokingly said, receiving a laugh from Jake.

"This is my apartment. It's on the outskirts of the cordon. Nobody comes here so it's safe." Realising I was in his bed, I felt guilty. He had done a lot for me over the past few days yet I hadn't repaid him. "And yes, it is becoming cliche." He handed me a cup of coffee with a smile. I got up slowly, still wincing at the pain that engulfed my body. "Woah. Slow down. Are you hurt somewhere else?" I ignored his question as I strolled over to the bathroom sink.

"They kicked me everywhere." I slowly stated, lifting up my shirt to see the damage. Large, dark purple bruises covered me. There was at least 6 bruises the size of the average dinner plate. I touched one and flinched. They hurt a lot more than yesterday. "Does it look bad?" I ask Jake, who was staring curiously at the marks. I needed reassurance.

"Well. They look pretty painful. But I've seen worse. It doesn't look like internal bleeding but keep an eye on it." I felt relieved at the 'no internal bleeding' part. "Why don't you have a shower? I'll find you something to wear." Jake handed me a towel as he walked out and shut the bathroom door. I turned on the taps, itching for a nice, warm shower. Taking off my clothes, I looked at how atrocious they were. I had been wearing them for 3 days.

My shower seemed to take forever. In reality, it was only 5 minutes but I enjoyed it too much to care. Wrapping the towel around me, I peek outside the bathroom door, noticing some clothes on the bed that was now made. I figured they were for me, I so ran over and took them back into the bathroom as quick as I could. A baggy, black t-shirt and a pair of shorts. I couldn't complain, I used to mope around my own apartment in the same type of clothes. Finding a plastic bag in the bathroom, I threw my dirty clothes in it and put them in the bin as I walked out of the bedroom. I didn't want to risk it with the disease.

"There you are! Took you long enough." Jake jokingly laughs as I sit on the lounge chair in the small apartment. "Are you hungry?" I haven't eaten in 2 days. Of course I'm hungry.

"Starving, actually." I admitted, walking over to the kitchen bench, as Jake was standing by the sink. "Do you have food here? Or do we have to go out there?" I dread going outside again, but someday I'm going to have to.

"No, I've got food here."

Eating whatever he made for lunch was amazing. He is a good cook, I'll give him that. "What is this?" I question about the food.

"I don't even know myself. I just chuck it together." He said, with his mouth full. "What? You don't like it?" He chuckled.

"No! It's amazing!" I assure him, sensing the touch of hurt in his voice. His face seemed to ease as I rapidly devoured everything on the plate. I helped wash and put away the dishes afterwards, thinking about my growing debts towards Jake.

We had to wait out the rest of the day, as Jake wasn't needed by Dr Cannert or his best friend, well his boss, Lex. Sleep was crucial, tomorrow was going to be a big day. It wasn't as awkward as I thought it was, sleeping with Jake, on Jake's bed. It surprised me. Although I did sleep under the covers and he slept on top of them, to make it less awkward.

That night, tonight, I had finally realised the feelings I had towards Jake. There was something about him that was different. Mysterious. Consuming. And I liked it.