Rosie

Chapter 1

Ring around the rosy...

Andrew was staring blankly out the window.
Our neighbors just got taken to quarantine.
Andrews best friend,his only friend and his first crush was taken.
Once you are taken you don't come back.

"Ryan... will we ever find the cure?" He asked , his voice cracking a bit.

I couldn't bring myself to tell him the possibility, that it would take probably over a century, so I decided to protect him.
"The government is working on it. In no time will everyone in quarantine will be out." I managed a false grin.

I saw a flicker of hope in his eyes before he turned away.

A loud knock sounded from our living room, it was our time to be tested.
Andrew jumped and quickly hugged me before heading downstairs.
Once he was out of the room I let out a shaky breath.

Everything is fine, I was trying to convince myself, that pinkish rash was from something else.

I started getting up before I started seeing stars.
"Not now..." I whispered quietly,"Andrew needs me."

I slowly walked out of the room to see the doctor.
Their mask just like the ones they were centuries ago.

"Ryan and Andrew...?" A women voice echoed through the room.

"Thomason."

The doctor nodded and took out two syringes.
"Now, before we began I'm going to give you all the information you need and aloud to have," she went on in a monotone voice "I'm here to check for the plague. If you have the symptoms, just one, I will escort you to quarantines. If you put up a fight I will alert the authorities. Now please extend your elbows so I can draw blood."

Andrew hastily held out his. The doctor without thinking stuck the syringe beneath his elbow, she quickly pulled it out and shook it then set it aside.

She did the same to me, quickly.
"Please strip to your undergarments."
My face flushed and so did Andrews.

"Hurry." She hissed.

We both quickly did as we were told.
I looked towards Andrew and the first thing I saw was his rash. I gasped as I noticed more.

The gasp had gotten the attention of the doctor and she looked where I was looking.

"Andrew Thomason, I am obliged by the law to take you into quarantine." The sympathy in her voice was very noticeable.

Andrew stood still, all the color was drained from his face. But he didn't cry.
I was the one that started crying.

"No! Please." I whimper as she sat him near the door.

She turned to him, "please stay right here until I finish the entire examination of your brother and look over you blood."

As she turned to me the glint from the sun outside reflected against the glass eyes of the mask, making them eerily white.

Andrew nodded and pulled his knees into his chest. I heard him start to sob.
Without thinking I rushed over to comfort him.
I was fingertips away from him when the doctor held out her cane to stop me.

"You look fine. No boils or rashes. All I need to do is check the blood." She said.

I felt the waterfall of tears run down my face, "please! He doesn't have the plague..." I cried . The tone in my voice wasn't very believable. I didn't know who I was trying to convince, the doctor or me.

I heard the click of her tongue, maybe a strange habit but it made me flinch.

"Both your blood looks normal... but I still need to send it to the Department for testing. But for now, come on Andrew."