Fibre Mortem: Rhesus Factor

7

I felt like maybe I was going to throw up again. I'd given myself a headache with worry. I wanted to find out if Reese was okay, but I was too chicken shit to go out there and check. Part of me knew that if I did, nothing would ever feel the same again.

I'd finally felt like I'd found a true friend in this godforsaken place and I wasn't sure if I could handle him being taken away from me so quickly. How would I live with myself?

I don't even think him turning into the undead would push me faster to finding a cure. Not with me being banned from the lab currently.

I wiped my clammy palms on my running pants, took a deep breath and stormed out of my room with all of the courage I could muster. I took slow and practiced steps towards the lab and with every step, it felt like a death sentence.

Others had congregated in the hall and it felt like eyes of sorrow were trained on me, were they feeling sorry for me? Was I reading their expressions wrong? I prayed that I was wrong. I didn't want to be right. I didn't want their pity.

I neared the lab's doors and I took a moment to steel myself for whatever I was about to see in there. I shook the tension from my shoulders and put on my best brave face and pushed them open.

My father was the first one to greet me at the door. I figured he would be the one to give me whatever news but his words fell on deaf ears. His outstretched arms went unfilled. My heart stopped. Every fiber of my being felt alive and zinging with electricity.

Before I could stop myself, or even knew that I was doing it, I was running. My body hit his with force unrecognized. I don't think either of us realized how grateful I was that he was not hurt. My whole body shook, trying to get out the pent up energy I'd held onto until I knew Reese was fine.

What's more shocking was that Reese was hugging me back and whispering that everything was fine. He was wiping away tears that my body unknowingly released while I was shaking. I was a fucking mess over my friend. "Please don't ever fucking scare me again like that you idiot." I whispered before I let go of him.

He bellowed out a deep laugh and groaned, "Nice to see you too, Princess," He looked up, finally noticing everyone in the room and became serious again. "But you should probably talk to your dad. He's got some news."

I nodded and looked around at the open jaws around us, "What are you looking at?" I said making eye contact with everyone, "Have you never seen friends hug before?"

"Lively." My father growled. This took me back for a moment. I don't think I'd ever heard this tone from him before and it put me on the spot.

Suddenly embarrassed, I eased away from Reese and put my head down while stepping toward my father. I was a little embarrassed by my behavior but everyone knew me and knew that I was a smartass so the back talking was nothing new to them.

"As I was saying," He started making his way to the holding cells, where I'd been an hour before, "We have some news. It's rather sad, as he'd only just begun his work here as part of the team. I'd like to introduce you to Nathan Savage."

Staring back at me between the plexiglass was perhaps the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. His unkempt ebony hair was dripping with sweat and although the circumstances weren't great, he smiled a shaky smile and said, "Hey, Doll."

"Hi," I whispered back, releasing a breath I hadn't known I was holding with it. I don't know what prompted me to do so, but I put my hand up on the glass in what I'd hoped was a comforting gesture.

The snarling from the emaciated zombie next door grew louder after that, it's hunger filled eyes now looking on the smorgasbord of bites littering the room before it. I couldn't break eye contact from Nathan, something about the look of true terror in them had me feeling pity for him.

"This is all interesting dad, but I don't understand why I'm here other than to make sure Reese was okay. If this is all you wanted to taunt me with, I'm going to call it an evening and bid you adieu." I forced myself to turn from him, though, I knew later his eyes would haunt me.

"That's where you're wrong my sweet daughter. With these new turn of events, I'm granting you access to the lab. Reese has also given his blessing, which means you've had to make some sort of headway in class. I'll leave you to study the changes and stages of our friend Nathan's condition. I have a lot on my plate right now, so I'm counting on you."

I looked from him to Reese, stunned. Reese smiled half-heartedly at me, and I knew what it meant. I wouldn't be spending as much time with him anymore and that broke my heart a little. I didn't have time to respond to anyone.

"Since Nathan's bite is so fresh, I'll need you to stay with him tonight and monitor his vitals, take notes of his symptoms while he's still coherent. The future of humanity is riding on your shoulders little lady."

"Talk about not putting pressure on a girl. Thanks dad," I paused everything had happened so fast, "I won't let you down."

My father nodded proudly and made a swift exit with his goons.

I stood there for a few more moments before I went to my locker and grabbed my lab coat.

"I understand if you don't want to continue our lessons anymore. I figure you'll be plenty busy here for awhile." Reese says behind me and I can't help but jump.

"You're going to have to quit doing that, or I'm going to have to give you a black eye." I try to joke, but it falls flat.

Silence stands between us and usually I wouldn't mind but right now there's this big elephant in the room and it makes it awkward between us.

Reese whistles, "Well, I guess I'll get going. I'll talk to you later, Princess."

I try to say something but my words catch on my tongue and I'm left sputtering like an idiot after him.

"Well that was pretty painful to watch," Nathan says mid-chuckle.

"Yeah? Well it was painful to experience. How are you feeling?" I ask pulling up a notepad and pen, ready to jot anything down.

"I'm feeling better than you or him. You two look like you've just had your hearts ripped out and thrown in a cheese grater. Poor love birds, I promise I'll die quickly so you can get back to whatever that was."

"Bite me, Nathan. There's nothing going on between me and Reese. I can promise you that. Up until a month or so ago we hated each other," I try to shake off Nathan's goading, "I'm going to ask you a series of questions. Please, try to answer them as much as you can."

"Sure didn't look like nothing to me. You were all over him the second you walked in, but I digress, Princess," He used my nickname from Reese and I find myself grinding my teeth to keep from saying something rude. I mean, he is dying.

"Look, trust me, there's nothing going on between us other than our agreement that maybe my father is wrong about some things. We're friends, nothing more. What's your age?" I try to change the subject.

"34 and trust me Doll, there's something there. Even if you don't see it."

I flick my teeth, "You're wrong. If there was something there I wouldn't have been pining..." I stop abruptly because I really shouldn't tell him that I was basically drooling over him moments ago.

"What, what was that?" His eyes widen, and a knowing smirk flashes across his face.

"It was nothing, Nathan. Nothing you need to know anyway, what with your impending death a few days away. What's your height?" I, again, change the subject to signal I'm done with this topic.

"You're blushing Lively. That's your name, right? I heard your dad use it. It's a beautiful name, it suits you. Lively, like your soul." He looks at me, or is he looking right through me? It's like he's seeing something of me that I don't let anyone see. It startles me more than anything else that's happened tonight.

"I'm not blushing. I've had an emotional day, okay? How much do you weigh or am I going to have to fight you to get it out of you?" I blurt this all out because I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm thinking but all I can think about is how all of this is so wrong, and yet...I can't pull away from whatever lure Nathan has. Bad Boys are so wrong, yet so right. God help me get through these next few days.