Fibre Mortem: Rhesus Factor

13

Things with Reese were looking up so I started to hope that maybe I could juggle all the crap I wanted to deal with and not have it crash and burn. I'd hoped anyway, but things don't always work the way we need them to, do they?

My nightmares seemed to be a part of my normal routine and Reese never seemed to have a problem with me climbing into his bed at two in the morning, or whenever one happened. Instead, he started leaving space for me, things for me to do or eat or whatever if I couldn't really settle down. Sometimes he would just hold me. It was comforting in a time when I needed just that. Little by little, I spent less time in my room and more in his until one day, I just stopped going to my room altogether.

Every morning Reese would leave with a smile on his face and leave me to my bidding. I'd started reading the files we'd brought back that night after the horde. From what I could gather, there were little changes in the virus before all studies of it were put on hold due to all of the humanity being overrun.

I was right with my initial hypothesis about blood being a factor in how the virus works. Other factors could, of course, mess with it as well, such as health--like Nora and I assume chemicals--like Nathan. This intrigued me most of all, because up until that time, I just assumed the virus was a blanket virus, but all the samples I'd worked with were with dead hosts so that didn't help that though process either.

I was just beginning to plot out a way to somehow work on things without going into the lab when Reese came rushing in quickly. His eyes a lively cross between shock and disbelief.

"Reese, slow down, you're not making any sense!' I grabbed him by the shoulders, whatever it was, this was big.

He closed his and shook his head, trying to calm himself. When he was ready he opened them and said, "Liv, you aren't going to believe this."

"Ree, we live our lives fighting Zombies. I think I'll believe anything you say."

"You sure you don't wanna sit?" He asks wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.

"Just spill it, or I'm going to sock you."

"Nathan," He started but I interrupted before he could finish?

"He died didn't he?! Why didn't anyone come tell me," I began running around the room finding something I could wear other than my pajamas. I was getting ready to put a shirt on when Reese stopped me.

"No, Liv. He isn't dead. He's awake. He's awake and God, he looks really good for a guy who is supposed to be dying."

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm about as shocked as you and the thing that everyone is talking about? His bite wound, it's healing. It's not getting necrotic. I don't know what is going on but I figured you'd want to be a part of whatever this is. Let's go!"

He didn't have to tell me twice. This was big news, this meant possibilities. We could find a possible cure, civilization could be restored. We could start over again without living in a fear and be pissing our lives away hiding. This was incredible news.

Or...it would have been if my father hadn't fucked everything up.

I came into the lab and didn't waste time. I wanted stats, I wanted to know if there had been any changes in routine. What happened the last hours before he woke up joking around like a cocky bastard.

"Hey, Princess, God You look better every time I see you. New hair?"

"I so had wished the virus would steal your voice Nate," I said batting away the irritation I felt by him using Reese's nickname for me, "but it's nice to see you up and walking around, being an ornery bastard."