At Last I See the Light (Lunar Chronicles Fanfic)

Chapter 12: Hold On

With a groan, Thorne pushed himself up from his chair and began his slow journey towards the kitchen. Still shaking, he found the cabinet where he had put the cough drops, shook a couple out of the bag, and unwrapped one. After a couple seconds of allowing the syrupy, pungent taste to soothe his throat, he made his way towards the bathroom where a light appeared to be on. Thorne quickly glanced back into his room only to prove his suspicions, Cress' bunk was empty.

"Everything okay?" Thorne mumbled, the scratch in his throat threatening to trigger another coughing fit. Gently, he knocked on the ice-cold metal. He gazed down at the paper-thin gap between the door and the ship's floor, except the light was barely seeping through in small lines. For some odd reason, towels appeared to line the usual empty crevice, leaving only tiny spaces between the cloth.

"You have to go." From the other side of the door, Cress curled up into the corner of the washroom. "Don't come in." This time, her voice broke, and Thorne could hear her crying.

"Cress, if you're sick or something, just let me in. I can handle whatever is happening... Just please aim for the toilet," Thorne sighed. However, the door remained locked. "Fine. Don't let me in, but at least let me help you somehow. What do you need, ginger ale? Soda? I can go out and buy some real quick, we're docked pretty close to a store. I'll get some paper towels too-"

"Thorne, it's not like that," her voice grew more and more terrified with every word. "Just... just go away, I'll be fine."

"Cress-"

"I... I just need you to leave."

"Please, just tell me what's wrong. Or at least tell me what I can do. I know throwing up sucks, I'm human too. It'll be okay though, just open the door-"

"Stars, Thorne. I'm not in here throwing up."

"Well what are you doing, having a tea party in there?" He let out a laugh, but no response came from inside the bathroom.

"Just... just call an emergency hover..." she returned gravely.

"Cress, are you okay? You're really scaring me." When no response came, Thorne pounded on the door. "Cress!"

As he commed a hover with his port screen, he could hear her crying. Softly, as if she didn't want him to. Thorne tried talking to her again, but no response came. Without stopping to think, he lunged towards the door, and fell hard onto his side, leaving no more than a small dent.

"Thorne, stop," she cried. "You can't come in here. Please... just get everyone out."

Ignoring her, Thorne stepped back again, knocking himself back into the door. With a thud, he crumpled back onto the cold floor. She could be dying in there, and there was nothing he could do. He stood up again, somehow finding the strength. Thorne tried the handle, but it remained locked.

"Thorne, stop. You'll... you'll catch it."

"What?" He took a step back towards the wall, instinctively covering his face with the cotton of his blanket.

"I... the antidote distribution today... I don't know how but... the blisters... Thorne, they're everywhere and... and I don't know what to do. You have to leave, you have to get the others out of here, please."

"That's... that's impossible. It has to be something else... Cress-" Carswell fell short. His brain swirled and he felt as if he'd collapse any second. This had to be a nightmare. It wasn't possible. Cress was lunar, and while there might have been mutated strands, it was her own un gifted blood that gave her immunity. That was it. The antidote. Not sparing a single second, Thorne bolted towards the cargo bay to the crates lining the walls, frantically trying to grasp one of the many small vials.