The Touch of Infection

Chapter 70: The alarm

Marnik was walking around when he spotted Carisa and Fallyn walking over to him. Beginning to walk towards them he found himself stopping on the way. His hands clenching until Carisa stood right in front of him.

"It's ok." She tells him, Fallyn walking past them and waving at Carisa.

"You know then." He said in a low tone.

"Yeah... you gotta spend time with me then." She tells him, "And Fallyn said you had to tell me something. Has something to do with your family she said."

Marnik smiled and scratched the back of his head, "Yes... my mother is coming. She'll be here soon, and she's probably going to be a little big and scary. But I swear she's as sweet as Amite... combined with as tough as Me.... or Ezhno."

Carisa seemed surprised, "Your mom is coming?..." For a second she remembered her mother, that day they went to her old house, and she found the dress.

Marnik saw the look in her eyes, "You don't need to meet her! You can go with Amite when she's here, and I'll go get you when she goes to do something else. I get it, you might-"

"No, I'll meet her." Carisa smiled, "It'll be an experience."

Marnik smiled in contempt, "You'll have a good time, at least o hope." Marnik embraced her, "I'll call every day, I'll send you pictures, I'll tell you what I'm doing... and if you want when you're all better. I'll come looking for you."

Carisa pushed back, "You know it's alright if you find someone you love over there."

Her words made his heart sink, "That won't happen-"

"But let's say it does... Alright, listen. I hate you for many things I'm not sure I can even forgive. But I'm grateful I met you that day, you were that little bit of light in the dark for me." Carisa pressed her hand on his cheek, "I... you're special to me."

Marnik held his hand on top of hers, "You're the world to me." He was shaking his head now, "I don't want to think of this, let's make plans, yes that'll be better. Let's make plans for this week, and the next one, until the last day. Then we make plans for what we'll do when we see each other again..."

Carisa leaned her head to the side, letting her hand fall, "Well, what do you want to do?"

Marnik and Carisa spoke just feet away from Amite, keeping an eye on them. Ezhno walking up behind her.

He held his hands crossed and followed her gaze, "Why did you say you'd take care of her? She's not an actual part of our group."

"Why do you say that? Everyone accepts her, the commanders accepted her, we met her before many... why can't you just accept her too? Did something happen?" Amite questioned him.

Ezhno shook his head, "She's human... our kind is better as pure, getting close to humans will ruin that."

Amite looked up at him, "That's not what this is really about. I know you're not a fan of humans as a whole... but it's not just that. Is it?"

Ezhno looked away, glaring at thin air, "she's... She takes up too much time, she's a bother. She went back out there with Marnik, just to get hurt as soon as he was away... she's dead weight. Quite literally, she's walking now, but what about tomorrow she'll turn! She'll turn before any cure is found."

"She won't." Amite spat angry, "So what if she's weak... what if I was like that? Would you have left by now?"

"Don't put it like this, it's not fair." Ezhno reproached, "She's none of our concern, you shouldn't have to look after her."

"But I want to look after her." Amite says, "If you don't want to then don't, you can go elsewhere while I'm with her. But I'm taking care of her, I'm sticking with her."

Ezhno turned and glared, "This is exactly why she's a pain, look at you. You turn everything around to look after her-"

"I'm not turning everything around-" with Ezhno intense glare she quieted.

"You're leaving me, just to look after her. She's not a child you shouldn't treat her like one, much less like one of ours. Just leave Neda, and the rest to look after her. Carisa doesn't need us, doesn't need you." His frustration beginning to get the best of him, "I don't want you near her."

"Then look away!" Amite yelled, "I hate how you've changed..."

"I hate how you've brought her in... Marnik would have never brought her if not for you." He felt Amite slam her fist hard enough to move him back, "Just look at how you're acting."

Amite huffed about to talk back at him when Fallyn cleared her throat a couple of steps away.

She casually walked over, "I've been keeping an eye on you two the last minutes, as much as your relationship is none of my problems. Carisa very much is. So to make things simple and quick, Ezhno I want you to keep a distance from Carisa the next two weeks, Amite, you're not allowed to be with her more than an hour." Fallyn sighed, "And here I was thinking you'd stay the first week and Neda the next, guess all things don't go as planned."

Amite opened her mouth but on their other side Vasin stood, "Now that you've heard, there's work to be done." Vasin told them, and instantly Amite and Ezhno stood upright. Walking away.

Vasin looked towards Fallyn, "You took that decision without me, it's the second time you've done that. You're supposed to tell me about things before you go on out, commanding,"

Fallyn smiled at him, "I know, but come on, was any of it wrong?"

"No... did you check on the cure team?" Vasin asks, looking around for anyone walking by.

"Yes, all is going to plan. Did you get notified of things at the human reservation?" She asked back.

"That's what I came looking for you about." He turned and waited for her to stand beside him, both of them walking at the same pace, "There's a few infected in the group, some will turn-in days, others weeks."

"That is manageable." She says.

Vasin sighs deeply, "infected animals are making it into camps... we can't detect them as easily as the humans, they've killed over one hundred people."

"Now that's a problem... we can get the humans in properly secured buildings, all entrances watched every single second." Fallyn determines.

"Too much time, too many resources." Vasin knocks the idea down, "I was thinking about a new camp formation. A new radar, and maybe... we could start ringing the alarm again. Even if it wakes them up again, it should also get them all into the red zone, it's safer to keep them there, then letting them run free."

Fallyn considered it for a second, "Well you have a point. But people are in the area."

"We can sweep the area for any survivors one last time. Then begging to ring the alarm, if Amy is in the area then, then it's casualties we can live with. Humans just need a hand full to keep going, they'll do fine even if just a hundred of them survive." Vasin claimed, persistent on his idea.

"Alright, alright. Let's say the alarm gathers them all. The animals have keen skills, unlike the humans, they don't just run and eat, they gather in groups and hunt. It's like they're not as dead as we think..." Fallyn stopped pressing a hand to her chin, "What if we capture a few more, run some different tests?"

"No." Vasin instantly shot her down, "Last time you wanted to run, 'different test' we had casualties, bad casualties..." Vasin stopped and looked back at her, "And Amil was one of those."

Fallyn clenched her fists hearing that, "I know."