Infection |Infected Book 1|

Chapter 21 (original version)

I opened my eyes groggily and saw a lantern hanging above my head. My gaze flicked around the room and saw that the walls were made of sheets and that I was laying on a tall cot in the middle of the room. I heard a beeping next to me and noticed that I was hooked up to a heart monitor. I watched for a couple of seconds as a machine charted my heart rate. A faint dripping noise caught my attention and my eyes shot up even higher to see an IV bag with a long tube that ended at a vein in my arm.

A scuffle of feet sounded outside the sheet in front of me and the edges started to open. I flopped my head back down onto the pillow and closed my eyes, like I had been sleeping the whole time. The footsteps made their way into the room and gradually made their way towards my cot.

“Is she ready to go?” I heard Vivian Hoff's voice on my right side. I vaguely recollected a memory of her sticking a needle in my arm. The beeping on the monitor sped up when anger flushed through my body.

A man said on the other side of me spoke. “I've patched up her arm and she's had the IV for a while. She lost a pint and a half of blood so it was pretty close to being real serious. She definitely doesn't need to be walking to the helicopter.”

“I was planning on her being sedated anyways,” Vivian said matter-of-factually. “I know she wouldn't go without a fight. Her and the boy seem too attached.”

“From what that man Rich said, it sounds like she's some tough stuff.” The man scoffed with amusement. “A little thing like this can be that intimidating?”

“She will do brilliantly in the cages,” Vivian said admiringly.

I struggled to keep my body still as panic rushed through my veins. Cages? I asked myself. What kind of cages are we talking here? I heard the beeps of the monitor pick up in rhythm and a bead of sweat formed at the temple of my head. Feeling the drop slowly trickle down behind my ear, I willed my heart to calm down.

“She'll be awake soon,” The gruff voice of the man seemed very close, as if he were leaning over me.

I heard Vivian rustle next to me. “Here, give her this in about ten minutes,” She ordered. A shadow passed over my face as she handed something to the man. “I want to have her fully sedated by the time the helicopter gets here.”

“Yes ma'am,” The man said, and I heard Vivian walk away.

The sheet made a fluttering noise and I knew she had left. A small clink sounded on the small table next to me and a second flutter of sheets let me know that the man had left. Slowly, I peeked open my eye to make sure the coast was clear.

When I didn't see anyone I slowly lifted up my head to peer around the room, my eyes landing on the table next to me. I reached out my hand and grabbed the syringe that now occupied the once vacant space. I swung my legs over the side of the cot and sat up, wishing I would have done it slower. My vision started to black out as my stomach started to feel woozy, the verge of fainting almost overtaking me. I took a deep breath and sat as still as I could while the feeling washed away.

I looked down and saw that I had been put in extra large green scrubs. A white bandage poked through the collar of my right shoulder, covering part of my neck and I realized that was where Cody had bit me.

Cody! My mind screamed at me. They were making me leave Cody! I gripped the syringe hard in my hand and slowly stood up off of the cot. I could feel the anger rolling off of me. After all I did to get here, they were just going to inflict more pain on me?

I reached into my scrubs and tore off the monitors that were sticking onto my chest.  Closing my eyes, I gripped the base of the IV and yanked it out of my arm.  Quickly, I put my fingers over the whole adding pressure to stop the bleeding.  When I stood up however, I could feel the blood start to drip down my arm.