Radioactive

Chapter 6

I feel myself floating in and out of consciousness. At one point I hear people shouting and a loud buzz and thump come from somewhere next to me. Next time I stir, there is no sound besides a steady beep of a heart monitor. I feel the weight of something over my mouth and nose and I drift away again.

The third time I float back to the land of the living I force myself to keep my eyes open. I slowly bring my hand to my face and feel the oxygen mask that was placed on my face. I remove it and slowly sit up. My head feels like it's going to explode. I look at my once white pillow to see it now encrusted with dark red blood. I feel the back of my head and lightly touch the new stitches.

I sigh and look to the bed next to me. Lucy stands over the bed staring down at someone. I get up shakily and walk over to her.

"Hey." I say, my voice coming out like a whisper.

"Hey. Good to see you awake." she says, her gaze not leaving the man in the bed.

I look down at the man laying in the bed. He has stitches lining the bottom of his eye, and his lip is split open. Bruises cover his chest along with one large stripe of stitching. It's Jason. He's breathing.

Footsteps cause me to look up from Jason's mangled body. Belinda, and Henry stand protectively at the doorway, blocking a man and a woman from entering.

"Come on this is day 2 of her coma! We just want to see her." the familiar voice shouts.

"Alex?" I say moving toward the door.

"Oh my god, Hayley." Alex says pushing through Belinda and Henry.

I see Amy, behind Alex, move slowly and apologetically through Belinda and Henry.

Alex and Amy rush toward me and squeeze me in a tight hug, that causes me to gasp with pain. They let go quickly and immediately bombard me with 'Should I get the nurse?' 'What hurts?' 'How bad does it hurt?'

"Guys, guys! I'm fine!" I laugh, "I'm just still a little sore."

I notice Belinda and Henry staring at me curiously.

"Oh I forgot." I say, gesturing toward everyone else.

"Alex, Amy, this is Lucy, Belinda, Henry, and...Jason."

"On the behalf of the 67th Nebraska, I'd like to say it's nice to meet you both." Lucy says shaking their hands.

A loud buzz comes from Lucy's pocket. She pulls out a walkie talkie and turns away from everyone.

"Captain Thomas responding....Yessir. Right away sir. On our way sir. Over and out." she says turning back to us.

"Alright, guys time to move out. Orders from Colonel Cass to leave with or without the injured. Hayley I suggest you suit up right now. There's a duffel bag of your new gear by your bed. We will be waiting outside the building. Move out!" Lucy commands.

Belinda, Henry and Lucy say good bye to Jason and then walk out of the room. Henry and Lucy holding each other's hands as they walk out.

"Alex. Amy. You should get going too." I say looking around my bed for my duffel bag.

I turn to see Alex with my duffel bag. He tosses it to me and clears his throat.

"I guess you haven't had the chance to look at your list of scientists yet. Well I'm coming with and Amy took her test while you were knocked out.

"They gave me Radiation Scientist." she says shrugging

"So she's coming too." Alex says.

I sigh and quickly suit up behind a pull curtain. The gear comes with a tan bulletproof vest that I snap on over top of a thick camouflage jacket.