Bloodhearts

Chapter five: The Returned.

Jay and I have four cups left and the other guys have three. It takes a few more rounds for the number to reduced to three-one. Marc's friend tries to step up his game a little and hits another one of our cups, which Jay has to drink. Then Jay closes the game by hitting the last of their cups and I know he's proud of himself because he did it without too much effort. His physical condition has improved a lot over these last few weeks. He hasn't put on a lot of weight yet and still looks skinny, but he is improving. To me, those are big steps forward. It has worried me a lot that Jay seems to be so much more affected by the cure that most other returned. Marc for instance, doesn't have the same problems physically. He's muscular and his movements are characteristically stiff, but still, they aren't nearly as bad as Jay's.

"Did you see that??" Jay asks me when we win and his boyish joy is so hard to resist. I take his face in my hands and kiss him because I can't help myself. We even dance a little, leaving the crutches behind for a moment and Jay supports me instead. He does need a little convincing at first to start swaying with me. We're both a little drunk, just enough not to worry so much, and I feel myself laughing a lot. It's been a long time since Jay has looked at me with so much adoration in his eyes and we end up kissing some more, until Jay needs a break and we sit down with Marc and his friends. Jay begins to lean on me a little. The alcohol must be getting to him.

"Having fun?" Marc asks me and I nod enthusiastically.

"You don't know how long it's been since I've been to a party. Any kind of party," I answer and he finds it just as funny as I do.

"Well, the same goes for me," he reveals and we both chuckle at the bad joke. No one's really been partying for a while for obvious reasons. Like the world ending and stuff.

"So how did you end up here?" I ask him. "Are you from this area?"

Marc's good mood dwindles a little and his smile becomes a little sad. "I'm from the area," he replies. "I used to live right in the city center."

"Oh," I say. "So do you know anyone here, then? We have a register, you know."

He chuckles darkly. "Yeah, I know. I just don't have much family left. If any at all. You know, I was kind of dead too, so..." He takes a deep breath. "Anyway, we're a couple of people in that same situation and we just sort of stuck together after we finished treatment at the rehabilitation center. And most of us are lucky enough not to have any considerable physical issues. Not like..." Marc gestures to Jay and he doesn't even notice. "... you know."

"I see," I respond. I know from Sadie that the newest version of the cure doesn't give the returned many issues, but of course it varies from person to person. And since Jay was her first specimen, he has a lot more side effects that most people do. Not just physically, but mentally too.

"Do you have much family here?" Marc asks me curiously.

"Just my dad," I tell him. "And then Jay, of course. But that's about it."

Mark sighs. "That's the world for ya," he says. "But we just have to move on as well as we can. We have a responsibility to do so."

I nod slowly. Maybe Marc is political or something. "Sure. That's what we're trying to do here."

He doesn't look like he completely agrees with me and considers me for a moment. "It's not that I don't believe you're trying," he says, thoughtfully. "It's just that some people still have problems with folks like me. The returned, I mean."

My face falls a little. "Yeah. It sucks. I wish we could change that. Fear makes people do the craziest things."

Marc hm's in agreement. "Tell me about it. I'm glad you don't see things that way, though." He smiles timidly.