THE MEDUSA VIRUS: Book one of the Beta Viruses

Chapter 16 - Jason Brock*

I run my fingers through my hair as I lean my head back up against the wall. Soreness runs through my legs, and despite the walker, I still am in a great amount of pain. I'm trying not to show it though. Jolene doesn't need another thing to worry about, she's already having to deal with her idiotic ex.

Speaking of him; I haven't seen him in almost an hour. I know this is a big building but I don't think it would have taken that long just to check each floor. Something must have gone wrong, but I don't know what. Me and Damion would have heard the screams if he would have gotten attacked by stones. And although I would have liked that, I still am glad I haven't heard any screams.

Beside me, Damion is waking up. He passed out earlier from pure panic and pain, so I'm actually surprised he is able to sit up right now. But he is a stone, so I guess I should give him some credit.

"Feel'n any better?" I ask as I reposition my legs. Damion nods and looks at his shattered arm.

"Dear god, i-it actually h-happened." Damion breathes as he touches his shoulder- the only part of his arm that still remains.

"Do you need anything?" Damion shakes his head and then scoots over to the wall I'm leaning against, joining me in resting with my back against it.

"J-jolene still frozen?"

"Yeah. Kit is supposed to bring back some heaters." Damion nods and then rubs his temples. I stare at him for a second before I look at the door Kit exited out earlier. "I'm going to go make sure he's okay." I say. Damion nods at me before he motions to Jolene.

"I'll s-stay and watch, make su-sure everything goes well." Damion replies. I nod at him before I push myself off the ground for a couple seconds, letting my legs readjust. When the walker corrects my legs, I fully stand, happy that my legs don't hurt when I all my weight goes to my feet. Sadly, they were hurting the entire time I was sitting, which makes me almost not want to sit again.

I walk across the main office and over to the red double doors that lead into the stairwell. With my hands planted on the inner part of the door- the area that actually opens- I push with as little force as needed, that way the door doesn't fly and slam against the stairwell's wall. It wouldn't go that far anyways, because when I push it about half way, there's a thud symboling that the door has come in contact with something. I squeeze through the small opening and bend around to where I can see what's behind the door.

Two heaters sit in front of the door, as if Kit had come and set them down. When I step out into the stairwell completely, I hear no noise signaling that Kit may have gone up or down the stairs. He must have set these down a while ago. I move the heaters out of the way of the door. When I can open the door again, I do, quickly pushing the heaters into the main office with my feet. Which sends pain all throughout my legs and back. I walk into the main office and pick up the heaters, quickly making my way over to Jolene so I can thaw her.

Damion stands when I reach him and Jolene, and quickly begins to help me, taking one of the heaters out of my hands and plugging it into an outlet. I plug the heater I still have into an outlet, but I make sure to put the heater on the other side of Jolene so we thaw all of her at the same time. I flick on both of the heaters and then I turn to Damion.

"Can you do me a favor?" Damion nods and stands, rubbing his stub of a arm.

"Sure, w-what is i-it you need me to-to do?" Damion asks. I motion to him and then to the stairwell.

"Since you're a stone, I need you to use your abilities to check the building for Kit. I don't know if he just went to get another heater or if he's in trouble or what." I say. Expecting Damion to automatically move I lean over and touch Jolene to see if she's even thawing. But when he doesn't move, I have to look up at him again. "It would help if yo—" I'm interrupted by me making eye contact with Damion. His crystal blue eyes turn into a deep green and with that, his breathing picks up. Instinctively, I take a step back. Damion sniffs the air and takes a twitching step towards the stairwell. He makes a screeching noise, that makes me jump, and then he snaps at the air. Damion then turns to me, his eyes blue again, breathing completely normal as if that didn't even happen.