Diseased | #wattys2016

Chapter 10

"Riley, Riley wait!" Andrew shouted, running after the fragile girl.

"Will you please just listen?" He shouted, yanking on her arm and forcefully turning her around.

Her murderous eyes met his, the pain just caused by him evident. She stood there, her cute button nose flaring, trying to make herself look fierce, stronger. "Save it".

She lifts her chin up and puffs her chest out a bit. This seemed to have given off the rig affect, for Andrew's grip faltered, allowing her to take advantage of his disoriented self, twist out of his grasp and continue her path towards the bathroom.

The man finally snapped out of his daze, dashing to catch up to her. "Um, how are you feeling?"

"Oh, I don't know Andrew. I am an eighteen year old girl, accused of murder when I can't kill bugs because they're too gross and I'm afraid of a lot of them. I have been locked up here for two whole months, with nothing but my lawyer as moral support, which has came here to deliver a vague message to me about how, guess what? I may be in danger and that I may never get out of here. You treated me like crap for god knows why, I'm rooming with a maddening serial killer and I feel myself going crazy. I'm doing just fine and dandy, thank you very much!"

This renders him speechless, with nothing but Riley's hot tiny feet feverishly slapping the cold tiles.

On their way back to her ward, Andrew opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again like a gaping fish. He does this a few times, finally taking in a long breath, apparent to have found the right words "I meant with your fever.... Sickness.... Um... Yeah... I'm sorry" he trails off.

Wow. For a man that seems almost perfect, he sure has a way with words. Riley thought bitterly.

"I'm doing just fine thanks" she replied briskly.

And true to her word, she was doing as well as she could. For as soon as she was plopped into her confinement, Jack jumped to his feet, staring at Riley with worried wide eyes.

"You okay? I don't know what happened to you. For all I knew, they could've executed you or something... some punishment for being sick?..."

Riley let out a short laugh, falling buy a cough. She has recovered from her fever, but not entirely.

"Execution would've been better. Took a bath in your heart. You should've been there" she said, a smile playing on her lips.

"In spirit" he smiled too, staring at her as she laid down and got herself comfortable. Well, as comfortable as one could get on the broken cardboard like mattress.

"So, what did I miss?" She joked as she closed her eyes, tired from the few days she had being sick.

"Oh you know. Four fist fights. Two proclamations of love, a wedding and a pregnancy"

Riley opens her left eye briefly, squinting at Jack as she raises her eyebrow as him. She plays along, liking the good mood Jack seems to be in. She doesn't know when it's going to go away or if it will ever come back. She sure will make the best of it while she can.

"A pregnancy? Was it an announcement or a birth?"

"Conceivement"

Riley let out a loud laugh rolling a bit on the mattress.

She opens her eyes, smiling at him, but saying nothing.

"What's a serial killer's biggest weapon?"

Jack looks up, amusement crossing his face. She's joking with him. He already has a good assumption of what her corny amswer would be, but plays dumb, asking anyways.

"I don't know, what is his greatest weapon?"

"His killer smile" she barely finishes the joke before slapping her own knee and going into a silent laughter.

He watches her as her facial feature turn into laughing to crying looking to If-I-keep-laughing-I'm-going-to-pass-out face, as she finally stuggles for air. She makes this seal like noice at the back of her throat, covering her mouth from laughing so hard.

"Oh....god...I am.....soooooo..... sorry...." She says in between breaths.

He doesn't say a word, just comtinues to watch her. "It's just.... I haven't been joking for a while you know? All this stress and problems and I don't know sometimes it all hits you all at once. Bad joke, sorry. I'll try coming up with a better one next time."

At that, Jack makes a playful face, squishing up his nose in fake disgust, squirming away. "Next time? No thank you. I thought the punch line was that you could kill people with your jokes"

"Why thank you kind sir"

"Not in a good way"

This sent her through another relapse, Jack having to wait for her to sober up once again.

"So, you're telling me that all I have to do is smile at someone and I'll kill them?"

She bits her lip, smiling with her top teeth. Her dimples just peek through. "Mmm yeah..."

"I could have girls dropping like flies around me" he winked.

As if they don't already.

"Hey! And guys!"

"Yes, how could I forget? For I live to entice all those attractive men out there."

"Especially your secret lover"

He raises a hand to his heart, fake shocked. "Me and Pablo Guadalupe Pepe Gomez have a special relationship. Im not ashamed, I just... wanted to keep him for myself for a bit longer"

Riley laughs again, propering her weight on her elbows; moving out of her previous position.

Jack leans in, a twinkle in his eyes, giddy from the information he wants to share with her next.

His voice drops a few octaves, effectively makeing her lean in subconcsiously before he continues.

"But you see babe, there's no blood in that. And that's the best part."

And just like that, Riley stilled up like a statue, her face turning sheet white. Her face morphs into disgust, and her voice shakes before she speaks.

"You disgust me"