Project 14 (BEING REWRITTEN)

Chapter 10

The day went normal. Josh was working his old jobs. The door to our room opened and closed. Thomas walked in. I sighed and continued drawing.

          “Cassandra,” he whispered. “I need to have a word with you.”

          I looked up. “What do you want?”

          Thomas sat down on Josh’s bed. “Dr. White took test results on the wound that you got. He told me that the cut was infected. I don’t think he knows yet of what the infection is. He also told me that it could spread within a few hours or maybe a few days. The symptoms are nausea, light headedness, stomach pains, loss of appetite, sweating, fever, and a very sharp pain in your leg before any of those symptoms comes up. If you are feeling any of those, Dr. White said to make sure you get to him before anything gets worse.”

          “Why didn’t he tell me about this?”

          Thomas sighed. “He didn’t want you to worry.”

          I scoffed. “Well, I hope you know that even you telling me, it’s still getting me worried. I mean, not a whole lot. What would happen if I just happen to not wake up the next morning? I’m not spending anymore time in those damn hospital beds. Especially since we have another month left. I don’t get you guys? You do you bother tell me things when I don’t get the news until a few days later?”

          “It’s the doctor’s orders. Not mine, Cass.”

          I chuckled and shook my head. “I’ve probably said this numerous times before, but you people make me sick.”

          The door to our room opened. Josh stopped in his tracks and his eyes darted from me to Thomas. Thomas looked at the ground.

          “May I get a reasonable explanation for what you two are talking about?”

          “Nothing,” Thomas said and left the room.

Josh kept eyeing me throughout the day. Night rolled around I was about to go to sleep.

          “What was Thomas talking to you about?” Josh asked quickly.

          “It was nothing. He just wanted to make sure I was okay.”

          Josh sighed and came over to my bed, sitting down next to me. “I know you. There’s something you’re not telling me.”

          Tears burned my eyes, but I forced them not to run down my cheeks. Josh saw the tears. I wiped them from my eyes. “There could be some sort of deadly infection that got into my blood stream. I don’t even know how or why I got it. That’s all we talked about. I swear.”

          Josh wrapped an arm around my shoulders. His embrace felt so welcoming. “I’m sorry.”

          “It just reminds me of my mom. She’s been dead for nine months. Junior hasn’t seen me for five in a half months. Just thinking about it hurts too much.”

          “None of this is your fault. You didn’t cause your mother’s death, did you?”

          I shook my head.

          “That’s what I thought. Two more months and this’ll all be over. I’m sure we would never talk again after we all left. Colony Fifteen is the worst. No matter what, I will always come back.”

          “I don’t want to lose you.”

          “And you won’t lose me.” Josh sighed.