Guilt (A Zero Spin-Off)

FortyThree - Ella

"I'm so glad you've made it back," Dr. Summers said pulling me in for a quick hug. Her smile faltered a little when she saw the bandages around my arm. They were nice and white still, the gauze clean since it only changed the night before at the church so the fresh bandages didn't look nearly as awful as the previous ones. And really, they weren't absolutely necessary at this point. But the white gauze looked much better than scabbing wounded arms, so I thought it was best to keep them for now. "Were you bit?"

"No," I shook my head but didn't offer any further explanation. "Uhm." I stepped aside and gestured behind me. "This is Atlas, Hunter, and Zero."

They all looked nervous. I think I probably did too.

"It's nice to meet you," Dr. Summers said, coming her hair behind one ear. She looked at me questioningly, likely wanting to know why I'd brought them to her lab. I looked at the people who I felt closer to than anyone on this base. Zero nodded her head, giving me the okay.

"Zero was bit."

"She was?" Dr. Summers asked, alarmed. "I can't believe you'd bring her back here, Ella. It only takes one person... and the cure is possibly months away from usable. That is, if you brought back H-26?"

"I did," I said and slipped the messenger bag off my shoulder. "But I didn't bring Zero back here hoping to cure her. She, uh, she cured herself."

Dr. Summer' head cocked to the side, her eyes on Zero. "Cured herself."

I nodded. "Immunity, or at least resistance. She fought off the virus."

My mentor's response wasn't immediate. She just sort of... stared at Zero. Her eyes growing wide, hungry. Like Zero was the one in the world she'd been hoping for. It was the expression you'd expect to see from a child on Christmas morning as they stared at dozens of wrapped presents under the tree. I understood. I mean, Zero was, well, she was a cure and to a woman like Dr. Summers who'd been working all this time to make just that, Zero was everything. She was revolutionary. Her presence advanced the making a cure time line up weeks, or months even. It was huge. It was Christmas morning and Easter and birthday parties and the Fourth of July fireworks all rolled into one. Except that something about her expression set off alarms in my head. For the first time, I questioned whether or not I could trust Dr. Summers. And I was leaning toward not.

The realization was startling. Of all people on Hudson, I trusted her. I thought... I knew she was good. But the way she was looking at Zero had me second guessing. And I had trusted my father too. I had thought he wouldn't do anything to betray that. And he was my father. Dr. Summers' is just some woman I met when I got to base. Working for the people I never really trusted.

Not liking the look, I stepped in front of Zero, blocking Dr. Summers' line of sight to the girl.

"She's agreed to come in the lab for tests. Just for today," I added, though they'd agreed to stay longer than that, I suddenly felt uncomfortable with that. "They've got people to get back to."

"Well, it's not ideal," she huffed. "But come on, then. We don't have any time to waste." All of us started to follow Dr. Summers into the lab, but she stopped at the access door. Turning she held up a hand. "I'm so sorry. But only official personnel. We shouldn't be more than a few hours," she said to Hunter and Atlas. "I'll have an escort show you the way to the dining halls." She scrunched up her nose. "And the showers if you'd like. I'm sure we can get all of you something fresh to wear."

Hunter looked ready to fight her on that, and I think he would have had Zero not spoken first, surprising all three of us.

"We'll be fine. Ella will be in there with me. Relax, eat. Shower," she gently insisted.