The Risks

July: Chapter 17

EYELIDS THAT FELT like sandbags lifted slowly. I expected to see the florescent lights and white walls of the hospital but I was happy to see that was not the case. I was alone in an apartment with only the light from the sun through the sliding doors to illuminate my surroundings.

The walls were a cream color and from the windows hung navy curtains. Across from the living area in which I was in, was a kitchenette with a black, marble island that seated four. I craned my head and leaned off the couch slightly -and with much pain- to peek down the hallway. I could see at least two doors near the mouth of the hallway and it went back further so there had to be another at the end.

I rubbed my eyes, but felt a light tug on my hand. I looked down to see an IV embedded in my skin and I followed the tube up to a bag of clear liquid hanging from a wooden coat rack. My eyebrows knitted together. I was confused and still slightly disoriented.

I was startled by the sound of a door opening next to the kitchen.

Parker. He was alive.

I felt a huge sense of relief, tears nearly streamed down my face immediately, but I kept them in.

He shut the door, set his bag down then looked at me and paused for a moment. I stared back at him silently across the living area. The air was so thick with emotion that I thought you could probably cut through it. Finally he moved toward me. He sat on the coffee table and faced me. In his outstretched hand was a water bottle.

"How long has it been?" I whispered. My throat felt dry. I took the bottle from his hand.

"Eight days," he said without hesitation.

Eight days? Holy shit. Water dribbled down my chin and I wiped it away. I didn't remember being taken anywhere. "Where are we?"

"We're in an apartment complex on the outskirts of a large town. There's a hospital nearby." He nodded toward my IV bag.

A hospital nearby. He'd gone to search a hospital by himself. I didn't like the idea of that. I imagined hospitals were one of the most dangerous places you could do a run- basically like ground zero for the infection. He shouldn't have gone alone, and yet, if he hadn't I might not have woke up.

"Can we take it out?"I asked. "I don't like needles."

He got me unhooked from the tubes and I pushed myself up.

"Hold on," Parker said. "You're well hydrated now, but you're still weak. I don't know how long it's been since you've eaten."

I remembered them bringing me a small plate of food once a day for the first few days or so, but then everything seemed to blur. "What happened?"

"They caused all this, Claire. They created and released the virus. The vaccine is the cure, but can only be used in the very early stages. It doesn't matter though. They refuse to use it on anyone but the people inside the walls. They chose those people before they released the virus and inoculated only them. They only chose them to survive. When I told the people, they were indifferent. They agreed with it. I couldn't convince them otherwise."

I let all his words sink in. George really did play a part in all this madness. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. I never thought he was a decent man but I never thought he'd be capable of such malice. Maybe being around Deacon caused him to turn darker. Or maybe George had been that way all long...

"Are they still alive?" I asked coldly.

"Deacon won't be long. He's promised to kill me. He's making a game out of it, and his promise is one I'm not going to let him keep."