Project Sleeper

Chapter Eight

Zeke feels that same guilt every single day.

Guilt for kidnapping Juliet, for stealing her from her parents.

He had no right.

But he sees her running, really running, on the playground. He sees her playing with her new friend, that girl... Paloma. Zeke sees Juliet yelling irritatedly at Chandler, and sees him shaking his head and chuckling to himself long after she stomps off.

There was obviously good that came out of taking Juliet away from Menzel Hospital. Still, he can't help but think: What if he had just minded his own business?

Juliet has brought indescribable joy into Zeke's life. For that, he'll forever be grateful. The guilt just gnaws at him, because he wonders if this joy really belongs to him.

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The school day is almost over, and Juliet is slouched in her desk chair, ready to go home.

"Psst!" Paloma hisses next to her, and she looks up.

"Huh?" Paloma rolls her eyes.

"Look!" she whispers, and Juliet glances to the classroom door, where she's indicated. Cody comes inside, clutching his stomach, looking quite green.

"So what?" Juliet shrugs, but Cody's eyes are frightened.

"That's the fifth time he's gone to the bathroom in the last hour." Comprehension dawns on Juliet's face.

"Oh..." Mrs. Heart seems to have noticed, as well. Her face is concerned; worried.

"Cody... Will you come sit up in this desk?" she asks uncertainly, gesturing to the seat in the left-hand corner of the room, away from everyone else.

The "Potentially Plagued" desk.

Cody's eyes widen in terror.

"B-but..." Mrs. Heart holds her hand up.

"No. Up here. Now." As Cody stands, Mrs. Heart makes a quick, whispered phone call.

The room is quiet now, and everyone is looking at Cody. His eyes are red, and he looks like he's going to pass out.

There's a knock at the door, and two school nurses come inside.

"Cody, how long have you been feeling bad?" one woman asks kindly, calmly.

"Umm, not that long..." He lies, and everyone knows it. The nurses seem to know it, too.

"Are you sure?" He's breathing heavily now, and his cheeks puff out, and the two nurses jump out of the way before Cody vomits all over his desk.

The first woman has a phone out instantly.

"Plague in room 10. Sound the alarm." Moments later, the alarms are going off, and the rest of the students are frozen, glued to their seats, their eyes wide. Juliet's heart beats fast.

"All of you, against that wall, now," the second nurse orders, and none of the children know what to do. This goes against protocol. No one is allowed to move when the alarm is going. "Now!" she screams, and there is a mass bustle of movement as all the students rise and stand against the wall. "Stay away!"

The children watch as the nurses reach into their bags and pull out tightly folded suits which they slip over their clothes. They pick Cody up and carry him out the door, and everyone is left to stand still.

Karen and Brooke are crying, as are most of the other girls. Juliet doesn't quite know what to do. She leans heavily against the wall and rubs her face with her hands, then let's them fall at her sides.

She feels movement to her right, then feels a hand slip through hers, and she sees Chandler standing there, fear etched on his face.

Juliet looks from Chandler's face to his hand holding hers, and she shoots him a confused expression.

I thought boyfriends were supposed to hold your hand?

He seems to read Juliet's thoughts.

"I'm just trying to make you feel better. You know, because you're scared," Chandler says, not looking at her.

"I'm not scared," Juliet insists, but Chandler squeezes her hand.

"Then why are your hands shaking?" Juliet doesn't bother to answer, but she doesn't take her hand from his, either. Besides, Chandler looks more frightened than she feels. Perhaps HE needs some comforting.

Men come into the classroom, also wearing suits, and they clean up the mess. They then order all of the students to leave and to use the telephone boxes placed outside the school to call their parents immediately and have them pick them up.

Chandler is no longer holding Juliet's hand, and his face is flushed. Juliet shrugs. He's probably embarrassed for being scared.

They reach the hall, and Rannen breaks the silence.

"Cody's going to die," he says.

"Shut up, Rannen," Paloma snaps, obviously affected by the events of the last fifteen minutes. Rannen pays her no mind.

"He'll go to the hospital, and they'll try to help him. But he'll just keep puking and puking until he starts throwing up his innards. And then..."

"SHUT UP, RANNEN!" little Juliet screams, and that's when the tears begin to flow. She didn't need someone describing Cody's inevitable fate. No one deserved that, no one. Not even an eraser throwing jerk.

She remembers the fear in his eyes, the absolute terror. He knew he was going to die.

Juliet is the first one to the phone, and she calls Zeke.

"Hello?" comes his oh so comforting voice.

"Daddy? Please come pick me up?"