Radioactive - Book 1: Birth 🪼

Twenty

R
I open my eyes and look around a little. I feel drained and weak but better than I have been. At least everything is pretty clear and not fuzzy or through a cloud of whatever. I hear this obnoxious noise next to me and turn my head. I find Nalak sprawled out in the bed beside me, his mouth wide open and snoring. I frown at him and decide to try and get up, maybe take a shower. If it's been as long as I'm thinking it has then I really need one... I turn to Nalak though and reach out to him, shaking his shoulder.
"Nalak... Nalak."
"Huh? What?! What's up?" he yells, springing awake.
He looks over at me and sighs, putting his hand over his heart.
"You gave me a heart attack."
"Aren't you dead?"
"No, we went over this... How you feeling?"
"Slow and heavy but other than that, I'm alright."
"Good. You scared me for a second."
"Why are you in my bed?"
"I got tired of sleeping on the couch. It was hurting me. Don't worry, I didn't try anything while you were sleeping."
"Thanks, that makes me feel better." I say with a frown.
He smiles. "Well, if you're well enough, would you mind taking a bath? You stink."
"I thought as much. How long have I been incapacitated?"
"About a week and a half. You were kind of coherent and kind of not but I wasn't going to bathe you due to personal reasons as well as privacy."
"Thanks... What happened, by the way? I mean, one minute I'm okay and the next I was in Dreamland."
"Your dad suspected it had to do with your swell."
"I don't have swells anymore. Thanks for reminding me."
"No, you do still have them. It's just that it's not good for you anymore. Dr. White said that since you still have other parts, the radiation was trying to give you a swell but your body knew that you didn't have a uterus anymore and technically rejected the radiation's attempts. Since the radiation was trying to make something that couldn't be done, your body thought it was a virus or something and so it started using every available bodily defense it could. The fever to burn it out, stomach issues, other stuff..."
"Oh..."
"Yeah. So Dr. White made a serum for you to block the radiation from going to your tubes... There's only one problem though."
"What's that?"
"It pushes the radiation into your blood stream and makes your blood be ten times more appealing."
I scoot over a little. "Then... how are you right here?"
"You stink so bad I can't smell your blood."
"Wow... that is insulting."
"Your stench is insulting. Please take a shower."
"Fine, fine..."
I slip out of bed and stand up, swaying a bit. I feel like I haven't walked in years but I finally get my bearings and a towel to wash off.

*****************

I turn the water on and begin to wash my body. I look down at my stomach and see a small bruise there. I frown at that, wondering what it is because it's sore when I hear this thud on the door. I jump at it and pull the shower curtain back a little bit.
"H-hello?"
"It's just me..." I hear Nalak say.
I sigh. "You gave me a heart attack."
"Tell me not to come in."
"Huh?"
"Make me not to come in the bathroom, R." he says harshly.
I just stare at the door, not really understanding what he's asking me to do.
"Nalak, what are you talking-"
"ORDER ME NOT TO COME IN!" he screams at me.
"I- I order you not to come into the bathroom."
I don't hear anything and I just stare at the door.
"Thank you." I hear him say.
"What's your deal?"
"You don't know how close I was to opening this door and going after you. You must have washed off whatever grime you had on you and the scent of your blood is freely floating about. The steam doesn't help because all it does is dissipate the smell even further. You don't know how hard it was for me not to open the door."
"Oh... why didn't you just say that?"
"Because it took all the strength I had to ask you to make me not come in. I'm still having issues but... God, R, you smell so delicious."
"I don't know if I should accept that as a compliment or not." I say, beginning to wash myself. "What are these bruises on my stomach?"
"It's where I gave you the serum Dr. White made for you. It has to be injected into your stomach because that's where the problem is. It deflects the radiation from there."
"Oh, I see."
"I want you, R."
"No."
"Please let me in... Please let me taste you..."
"Nope."
"It hurts."
"Then go away."
"I can't... your blood is like an explosion of desserts right at my face. God, Ramey, you're like a bakery."
"I'm still not sure how I should take that metaphor." I say, continuing to wash. "Isn't there something I can use so that you can't smell me?"
"There is but I told Dr. White I'd rather suffer than deal with what she had."
"What was it?"
"Lavender... Those purple flowers that were in my room at my house were lavenders. She said they can block smells or cause taste issues. Remember when I licked your face that one day and I said you tasted disgusting?"
"Yeah?"
"You said your face wash had lavender in it."
"Well why would you suffer rather than take the lavender stuff?"
"I'd rather suffer than not be able to smell you. To not be able to locate you makes me think of my parents... I don't want anything to happen to you and I not know what to expect."
I finish washing and pull the shower curtain back, grabbing a towel. I open the door and find Nalak on the ground with his back to the door. He looks up and suddenly looks like shit.
"Geez, what happened to you?"
"Addiction is bad, R; don't ever get addicted to something you can't have."
I smile as I step over him and go to put my clothes on.
I get my underwear and another pair of shorts on when I feel Nalak touching my back. I turn as he looks at me, his eyes burning bright blue but also full of sadness.
"I don't want to hurt you, R..." he whispers.
Suddenly he grabs me by the throat and slams me against the wall, getting close to my face, sniffing me.
"But you're too delicious for me to just pass by. Give me a little taste, Ramey. I won't hurt you... I'll make sure you enjoy it as much as I do."
"Nalak, get the fuck off of me. Now." I demand.
Nalak lets go of my neck and steps back as I glare at him.
"Don't fucking touch me." I snarl.
Nalak nods, although he is still stalking me like a predator does its prey. He walks back and forth in front of me, pacing and his eyes glowing as he watches me put the rest of my clothing on. When I get done, he watches me even more.
"I think I need to stay in here until the serum is over." He says, watching me with sadness but also hunger.
The more he stares at me, the more he watches me, the more his eyes begin to glow brightly. For the first time, I am truly afraid of him.
"I think it would be best if you stayed in the room too. Do I need to keep you from going out the door?"
"No but you need to let me get back into the bathroom. I can't touch you so it doesn't matter anymore where you are." He says a little venomously.
I stare at him. "Are you mad at me?"
"No. I'm mad at myself. I thought I'd be strong enough to handle it and what do I do? I try to attack you and made you angry."
I smile at him. "You're allowed to go into the bathroom now."
"Thanks... I guess I'll just hang out in here. Do you know how to take the serum?"
"No."
"You have to inject it into your stomach; about 3ccs of it every twelve hours. You're about two and a half days away from finishing it." He looks behind me. "You'll need to inject yourself at 12:00."
"Okay... I mean, will you be alright?"
"I'll endure. I chose this."
I feel bad and reach out to pat him on the shoulder but he steps back.
"Don't... just... don't..."
I nod and go out of the room.