Sector B

19

Decha stiffened and Rory got her answer. "You all know that the Bracketers are behind the bombings. So did you bring me here to question me, or to teach the Bracketers a lesson? Are you going to use my condition and make it worse?" Her breath became shaky. "Are you planning on secretly ending me?"

"You're crazy." Decha rolled his eyes. "You're thinking too much. Why would I bring you into my home? If I wanted to kill you, believe me, I would've ended you when I first found out you were a Bracketer."

"I don't know who to trust. How will I know that that woman won't operate on me while I sleep? How do I know if you're not drugging me? How do I know that you won't send my body to the Brackets as an act of revenge?"

"We'd never do that." Jessica stepped forward and crossed her arms. "I understand you may be stressed, Rory. But you're now putting all Astellians in a category like how you think we are to you."

"Maybe stressed?" Rory snapped at her. "I'm freaking terrified for my life right now."

Decha noticed the change in her breathing and took a step toward her. But she flinched.

"Calm down, Rory."

"Don't tell me to calm down! I can take care of myself!"

"The reason why you're here is that you can't." He turned back to Theodore with a scowl on his face. "She has IDS, and although in some cases there is a cure and a proper treatment plan, she is very sensitive to her environment."

"They will find out about her staying here, N96."

"So what? They can't do anything about it if they do. She is under my guardianship."

"You went to the council and legalized the document to say she's under your care?" Theodore hissed.

"Of course, how else would she be here?" Decha scoffed. "No one will dare come near her when they see my stamp. Not unless they want to cross me personally."

"How long are you keeping her here for?"

"Until the walls are rebuilt."

"No," Rory cut in again. "I'm not staying here for that long. I have to go find my father!"

"When your treatment is done, you can go and find him."

"You... are so..." Rory grumbled. She couldn't tell him that she was going to die. There was no cure. No treatment would help her. The medication was only slowing her death. It wasn't preventing it.

"How long does she have left until her treatment gets better?"

"I took her blood samples but we are waiting for the results," Jessica answered.

"Could you all just stop and listen to me for once!?" Rory snapped. "You're wasting your time! I don't want treatment, I don't want to be helped! What can't you understand about that!?"

"Why are you so persistent to refuse what can help you?"

"You don't understand..."

"What don't I understand?" Decha was about to lose it with her. His patience was running thin. Not only did she disrespect his family, but she's acting ungrateful by refusing the help that she needs.

"I... I'm..." Rory couldn't force it out. The letter she read tainted her mind. She felt immense pressure at her temples. Then her vision started to waver.

The words that described her death burned in her thoughts. The symptoms and side effects floated in the air, causing her to feel dizzy.

"I..." Rory grabbed onto her forehead and tried to force the words out of her vision. She blinked several times and felt her heart pounding.