Isolation

Chapter 44

Mark had a rough time sleeping that night. The sight of Addison... it added to the faces of the dead that haunted him. When he got up, he felt like he didn't get any sleep. His unconscious mind was wide awake all night. He couldn't put Austin out of his mind. He threw the sheets off his bed violently and jumped out of bed.

"That's it," he said.

He didn't know if he meant Austin's situation or the faces of his dreams, but he sure meant it. He stomped to their room and banged on the door. Austin opened it, rubbing his eyes. Mark made sure to hold his nose with the back of his throat before the smell hit him.

"It's early," Austin said. "Is something wrong?"

"You bet your ass something is wrong."

He jerked Austin out of the door and shut it.

"What the hell are you doing in there?"

"I was sleeping."

"No, I'm talking about with Addison. Yesterday, you... you talked about her like she was alive."

"She's not dead. She just plays the part so we can be left alone."

"Plays the part? Austin, she's a rotting corpse! You can't keep her in there like that."

"You might be an O'Connor, but you can't order me around like one of your grunts."

"I'm not ordering you. I'm telling you this isn't healthy. If you want to give her a funeral, you can do it today. We'll burn her body and give her a proper service."

"There's no reason to do that. She's sitting right there."

He tapped the wall.

"She talks to me all the time, telling me stories about when she was on the colony."

"She can't talk. She's dead."

"No, she's not! Geez, I thought you were pretty cool, Mark. Ever since Gino's death, you've changed. You're brash. It's like you don't really care, anymore."

"Listen to yourself, Austin. I've been shot, stabbed, nearly drowned and impailed and burned, but I don't care? You're not even making sense."

"Addison wouldn't have gotten hurt if it wasn't for you. You just had to have her join you on the first trip, didn't you?"

"She volunteered to come along. So did you! I don't know what you want from me, man. I'm trying here."

"You have fancy wolves and a fancy sword. You have everything you need. What about us? While you're sitting comfortably knowing you'll be fine, we are the ones afraid of what'll happen to us. Like we're getting picked off. Maybe Aiden was right. Maybe you are the one killing us."

Mark stammered his words.

"T-t-that's absurd! I've risked my life trying to protect you people. I'm trying to help you right now, and you think I'm killing you? I don't know what's happening to you, but you're a real selfish person to say that to my face."

"If you're not selfish, then you'll leave us alone!"

Austin pushed Mark back. He hit the other wall. Blaez and Edon growled.

"Don't!" Mark ordered. He collected himself. "Austin, you're upset and angry. I'm seriously trying to help you. Something is wrong with you. Let. Me. Help."

"You've done enough."

With that, Austin went back into his room and shut the door. Mark grabbed his ears and grunted.

"Why is it so hard for you people to understand? I'm trying to save you!"

No one answered his plea. Frustrated, he left. He was going to take James's advice. He was looking through their personal files. He sat in the captain's chair and went back through the files he had open the day before. He saw the manifest and felt a chill through his spine. Dead people should stay dead. He thought about his father and pushed him away. He hadn't thought about him since they crashed, and he wasn't starting now.