Book 1: At the Edge of Misery
Cristine Daya Gerrard, a young residency doctor in the apocalypse must mend the pieces with her broken and estranged family, while fighting for her place in a community that doesn't accept her. One man in particular doe...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
People have always been a bigger threat than the dead. Even before the apocalypse, people ruined the world. The living were more unpredictable than the dead. The living had wants, needs and while necessary only complicated things. Troy would never react so selfishly and withhold intel detrimental to his home. If the choice had been his to make, Troy would lock Cristine up.
The woman's declaration actually rendered him speechless, and for one short, sour moment, Troy couldn't help but feel annoyed by the flip of the script. It's the twitching of his fingers on his gun that reminded Troy he severely underestimated Cristine Gerrard.
He should've dug deeper as to who she was, what she did before. The look in his eyes was like ice, as he slowly he started to wonder.
"We're all infected. Bitten or not." The reveal was a surprise and Troy let his thoughts wander to that single, important fact. It changed everything now.
It mattered now how long it took before coming back. The time it took to end a friend or family. Time to bury their dead, how much time was needed to sit with a loved one, before they came back spoiled.
It changed how they survived now and dealt with loss and closure.
It mattered more than anything.
But first, he needed to know how the infection worked. Troy's icy blue eyes remained plastered on the Gerrard's. James, Hailey and even Dolores were seated at the table. The atmosphere looked off, fidgety and Troy quickly pieced together that their family dynamics were peculiar.
Hailey and James didn't know a damn thing about Cristine. This revelation came as much as a shock to the family as the rest. He'd burn whatever bridges with the head of that household, his respect for the veteran gone when the truth of his daughter came to light. True, James had given him pointers and advise on how to best deal with the security and such. He was patient with him and even complimented Troy for a job well done after their runs outside.
It was much more than his father had ever given him in his years here.
Still, James didn't seem to be mad with his eldest. On the contrary, he looked worried and Troy dare say sought out to comfort her. Troy didn't get it. She screwed up. If he'd pull a stunt like this and hide such crucial information from everyone, his father would have beaten his ass. Heck, the man would've disowned him. Troy remembered the appreciation inside his father's eyes when he shared the repellant tactic with him.
Tapping his fingers on the wooden table, Troy bit the inside of his cheek. It was only when he tasted the metal on his tongue that he realized he bit the skin open.
These were dark times and they barely knew of the dead. Barely knew what they could do. How they migrated or their behavior. Troy had his theories and knowledge, yes. He didn't want to admit it, but the woman's intel would allow them to prepare for runs, tighten their security or any other potential contingencies. She had been closest to the infection. Had been outside between the dead. As much as he despised it, Troy would have to fake his interest in the woman.
