Submit (Book 1, The Karyln Trials)

Chapter Thirty-Two

     When I shake the remanence of sleep from my body, I'm surprised by how rejuvenated I feel. Who would've thought that it would take getting shot and watching August almost die to actually get a full night of sleep?

I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. Now for the start of yet another draining and only semi-productive day. I throw off my blanket and get out of bed, the cool air shocking my senses and fully arousing me, ridding whatever sleep clung to my bones.

A chill coursed through my body briefly at the shock of the cold and I turn to wake August up. The first thing I notice is his shivering form. Then I see the paleness of his skin with pinkish-red shin under his eyes.

I kneel next to him and start to panic. "Auggie?" I set a hand on his face and gasp. He's coated in sweat, skin hot to the touch. Yet, still, he shivers as if chilled to the bone.

"August!" I raise my voice and shake his shoulders, careful not to move him too much.

His face contorts in annoyance and he peels his eyes open. "What?" He shudders and pulls the blanket closer to him. "And why is it so cold?"

My breath leaves my body and I start to tremble. "Oh, dear stars," Reaching under the covers, I pull his right arm out and cover my mouth with a hand when I read his vitals. "August, you clod!"

He sits up and I can hear footsteps outside the tent. "What's going on? We heard yelling." Eve calls to us and I just shake my head.

"Show me your wound. Now."

"Ada—"

"August, shut up and show me the cursed wound or I swear to the stars I will kill you myself." Anger and panic seem to spin and chase each other like a twisted tornado of feelings inside me.

"Adaline! What's going on?!" Eve and Lincoln are yelling concerns from the outside of the tent and August just looks at me in shock.

I groan in irritation and rip the blanket form August then lift up his shirt. I wish I hadn't. I wish that I could go back to not knowing what his wound looks like, because ignorance really is bliss.

The entire area surrounding his would is red-bright red. The space that I cauterized is still puckered, but unlike before, the skin directly affected has started swelling and turned dark. As I look upon his wound, I have the overwhelming urge to vomit at the sight. Bile rises but I swallow it down and shut my eyes, breathing slowly while putting his shirt back in place.

"Ada—"

I raise a hand, stopping him from saying anything. I can't handle him making excuses when I've pushed him too hard. "Don't. Just...don't."

I stand and slip my feet into my shoes before walking out of the tent. "What's wrong?" Eve sets a hand on my shoulder as I walk by, but I shrug it off and continue to walk out of this broken structure we call camp.

I stand, looking out in the direction of the next test, with my arms crossed over my chest. Why is it that nothing wants to go our way? What have we done to deserve the stars to look down upon us with such disdain? Tell me what it is that I've done to deserve all of this.

"Adaline," I lower my head and give it a small shake as August walks up behind me. "Listen to me."

"August, I don't know how I'm supposed to listen to you say that you're fine when you're obviously not!" I turn on him and scowl. "We've pushed you to hard, and I fixed you the wrong way! You have an infection, damn it!"

My hands curl into fists and my whole body trembles in anger, anger at myself, at him, at the world. "We're in the middle of the Waste with nothing to battle the effects of infection. If we don't do something, you'll become septic. If we do something, it could make you worse. If we don't do something, you'll die. If we do something, you'll die anyway because we won't make the cut! No matter what happens, we're screwed!"