The Last Colony

Part 36

Mark watched Lexi leave with a heavy heart. What was he going to say to her? If he exposed the Horsemen... how long would it be before they'd find out? Across the table, Mari stabbed a pancake as she told him discreetly. "Be careful around her. She'll make you feel like she is on your side... but she is only out for herself. I promise you that." Mark leaned over his food more, discreetly asking. "Why do you say that?" Mari glanced at Kenny who reluctantly sat down with them. Once he was seated, she told him seriously. "Back before this virus happened. My mother and father worked on Disease Control. Their job was fighting disease and to prepare others for a possible biological warfare. Well, one day... My father came across a strange vial in the lab. He ran it for testing. Someone was mixing shit." Kenny pointed a finger at her, warning her sternly. "Dad never had any proof of that, Mari." Mari dropped her fork on the tray, turning to face Kenny as she shot back. "Yes, he did. He had cameras in the lab. He told me. If the person hadn't gotten to him first... He wouldn't have gotten sick..."

Mari's eyes teared up and she turned to face the tray again, mumbling out. "Mom didn't believe him. No one at the lab believed him. She claimed he was working too late and got careless. Exposed himself to the virus without meaning to. Then mom did what she did best... She covered her own ass. She claimed to have checked the security cameras, but they revealed nothing. Just him working." Kenny rolled his eyes, gently adding in. "Mom had nothing to do with that. She-" Mari glared at Kenny, snapping in bitterly. "Lewis said that the tapes looked edited and altered! Whoever did it had planned it out, Kenny!" Kenny rested his arms on the table and looked away from them. Mari looked back to Mark, whispering to keep the onlookers from hearing. "She filed for a divorce while my dad was in quarantine! Said it was for the best... My grandfather became my dad after he died... Do you have any idea what it's like to love your dad behind a glass for his last few days? She didn't care. She never visited him. She only cared about her career. And he took a backseat to it."

Kenny didn't look at them as he said very softly. "Mari, she did care. She was trying to save other people from that strain of virus. Dad understood that. Sadly, they just couldn't find a cure to save him... and then they just ran out of time." Mari huffed dryly, muttering out. "Why do you think Grandad took me away to Canada? He knew something was wrong. Someone set it up and he believed it was her!" Kenny slammed a hand on the table, saying sharper now. "Stop it! You only see what you want to see. Grandad filled your head with that crap because he was pissed over losing his son! And he couldn't even bury him because..." Mari's eyes narrowed on Kenny, growling out. "What? Because he was Patient X and mom refused to bury him? Grandad cremated him to spare him from being her science project." Kenny clenched his fists, snapping out. "No. Grandad cremated him and lost her viable DNA to work with!" Mari jumped to her feet with tears in her eyes, slapping Kenny hard enough to draw everyone's attention. Sniffling, Mari told him in a fragile voice. "You weren't there to watch him suffer. I WAS! How dare you! Dad was more than just DNA in a vial!"

Storming from the table, Mari broke into a run. Kenny stood up, calling her name but she didn't stop running. With a sigh of his own, Kenny kicked the bench seat, causing it to fall over as he stormed away in the opposite direction. Mark very lightly tapped his tray with a fork feeling guilty for that. The subject was clearly a very sensitive one for their family. Mark tried to finish up his meal, when Amy made her way over to him. Mark cleared his throat, gesturing for her to sit with him. For a few minutes, she watched him eat in awkward silence. Then she finally asked him with a smile. "You're really wolfing that down... Haven't you eaten?" Mark stared at his plate, answering softly. "I've been rationing food... After becoming a prisoner of war... My diet was bread and water." Amy shifted uncomfortably, looking around before asking discreetly over his shoulder. "Mark? About the gnome... Can you tell me why I did that?" Mark dropped his fork on the tray, nervously uttering out. "I can't. Not right now..."