Where Tears Fall Like Snow

14

-A Couple Weeks Later-Callum-

I step into the mostly empty room.
"Hey." Scott stands up.
"Hey." He says. I look around.
"I would say nice room but it's a little plain." I say
"Yeah, try spending weeks in it." He says
"Sounds boring." I say
"It's not like remember most of it." He says
"Do you know how long you're in here?" I ask
"Someone told me that they wait until this stage of 'the transformation' is over." He says, "I'm not dangerous after that."
"Do you, like, go... out?" I ask
"With a power blocking cuff on." He says
"Are they hurting you?" I ask
"Maybe a bruise here and there but only if things get out of hand." He says, "With exception of the first time."
"Yeah, I saw that." I say
"You did?" He asks
"Yeah, we were there." I say, "I left half way through though."
"Was it bad? I don't remember and nobody is telling me anything." He says
"It's definitely the most I've seen you go at someone." I say, "They had vines around your wrists so you couldn't summon stuff but you casted behind your back." His eyes widen.
"I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" He asks, worried.
"A tiny bit, but it wasn't bad." I say. He nods.
"Do you know around how long until they'll let you out?"
"At most a couple months, at least a couple weeks." He says, "By the time we got here I was towards the end of the stage anyways." One of the 'guards' walk in.
"Mr Knight, Miss Terraworth would like to speak to you and your friends." They say
"Say hi to the others for me." Scott says
"I will." I say. The 'guard' hurries me out of the room.

We walk down the hall and meet up with the others.
"How's Scott?" Lauren asks
"He's fine." I say, "He says hi." We walk into another room. A girl walks over to us and holds out her hand.
"Ivory Terraworth, pleasure to meet you in person." She says. We all shake her hand.
"Have a seat." She says. I sit in a chair conveniently marked with a fox and a flame.
"How are you guys settling in?" She asks
"Good." Shelby says
"I'm sorry Scott couldn't make it, due to the unfortunate circumstances." She says, "Using a power cuff would set everything back, and it hurts." We all nod.
"Anyways." She says, "I'm sorry about Jess, Callum. Coming all this way to figure out she isn't here."
"Mhm." I say
"Are there anything else you would like to know?" She asks. We all shake our heads.
"Ok, if you need anything, you can always ask." She says, "Dismissed." We walk out of the room.
"I think I'm gonna go see Scott." Lauren says
"Do you mind if I come with you?" I ask, "Out conversation was cut short."
"Sure." She says.

"Names and who you wish to see." The person at the desk says.
"Callum and Lauren, here to see Scott." Lauren says.
"I'm sorry, Mr Major is not fit for visitors at the moment." She says
"I was just visiting him." I say. They look at their computer.
"Something has happened that needed immediate attention." She says
"What happened?" Lauren asks
"Do you have a pass to access the files?" She asks
"Well, no, but-" Lauren says
"I'm sorry, if you do not have a pass, I can not tell you." She says
"Please." I say, "We really need to know what happened."
"I'm sorry, but if you do not have a pass, I can not tell you." She says, "But you may wait here until he is fit for visitors."

-Ari-

We walk into the waiting room.
"How may I help you?" The girl asks
"I want to know how my friend is doing." I say, "She came in an hour or two ago, Rachel Tenna."
"She will be fine." She says, "Malnourished." I turn and look at Ash.
"Did she tell you?" I ask
"She didn't say anything." Ash says, "Normal eating patterns, a little worried about calories but not enough to be worried about. I need to go think." She walks out. I walk over and sit next to Callum and Lauren.
"Ari, you guys are here?" Lauren asks
"Yeah, we got here a couple hours ago." I say
"Why are you guys in the hospital wing?" Callum asks
"Rain passed out on the way." I say, "You guys here for Scott?"
"Yeah." Lauren says, "They said something happened but they won't tell us what."
"Don't have a pass?" I ask
"Yeah." Callum says. I walk over to the desk.
"How may I help you?" She asks
"I would like to know what happened to Scott Major." I say
"Do you have a pass?" She asks
"Yes." I say, "Arianna Miller." She prints something out and hands it to me.
"Thanks." I look through it and sit back down.
"What happened?" Callum asks
"It says he might've gotten here too late." I say, "He's showing symptoms of stage two if her goes untreated. He passed out again."
"Of course." Callum says
"So what's up with Rain?" Lauren asks changing the subject. I close the file.
"Malnutrition." I say
"Oh..."
"Yeah." I say, "She had a relapse which sucks but there's nothing we can do now." Alex walks over.
"I'm gonna go." They say, "I don't wanna glitch here and get caught."
"You're leaving?" I ask, "Rain just passed out and you're scared someone is gonna find out you're infected?" They look at me, their eyes flicker.
"You have terrible timing." I say. They start flashing, holding themselves in pain. The girl at the desk stands up and hurries over to us.
"Miss, please stand back." She says.
"Posts, we have an IF in station 102." She says into a com, "Early stage two."
"No, they're fine." I say
"They clearly are not." She says, "Now Miss, I request you step back and let us do our jobs."