2020

Chapter Twenty-Two

The night afterwards was horrible, for Floyd and Eileen alike. Floyd blamed himself for passing out at such a bad time, because of his own selfishness. He desired he knew how to kill the defects without crumbling; he wish he had the solution to help her without killing her or amputation. Worst of all, Floyd wanted to know how to tell the others without them immediately killing her. He wanted her to tell them herself, but he knew she didn't want the same reaction Floyd gave her. 
He pushed open the door to where she was sleeping, peering around the room in broad daylight, the room completely lit up. It was early and no one else in the group was awake. Floyd shut the door behind him, leaning on it. As he walked into the bedroom, her eyes fluttered open, inspecting him. She smirked at him for a second then sighed. "Thanks for waking me up early, again." She croaked drowsily, tilting her head back, looking at the ceiling. Eileen was obviously worse off than last night. She was lightly shivering and wincing everytime she moved, her skin was flushed and her voice was drained, despite her acts to act like she was alright.
"No problem." He pulled a chair closer to the bed, sitting. "How're you feeling? Still gonna fight it?" He laughed.
"Godawful, but I think I have a few more days left." She rolled onto her side, looking at him. "Guess I can't win everything, right?" 
Floyd chuckled, "Guess not even a badass can win in the apocalypse." 
She shrugged her shoulders. "Do me a favor and tell no one else. Not even Lara. They'll kill me." 
"I can't really explain you randomly getting sick and wanting to eat people, though, Eil." He beamed, snorting.
"Oh, sure you can! Say I'm a cannie." Eileen waved her hand, dismissing the thought.
"You'll get thrown out either way." 
Eileen winced and sighed,  laying back flat. "Can you do the honors when it's time?" 
"I'll try." 
"I just feel bad about getting blood on Lara's clothing," She gestured to a pile of clothing draped over the shower's bar, Floyd seeing a jacket, jeans, and a few undershirts."She let me play dress-up last night after you fell asleep."
"Didn't see the bite?"
"If she did, she didn't start calling me everything under the sun. Like some people." She sneered, cackling. 
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Floyd rolled his eyes, standing up. "Need anything? I'm leaving for a bit." 
"..Why? Where are you going?" She sat up with another wince of pain, Eileen wrinkling her nose.
"Relax. I'm not leaving the hotel, just going downstairs."
"Hphm." She laid back, looking to the balcony's window. 
"Well, what will it be, princess?" Floyd looked over his shoulder, laughing.
"If I don't die tonight, I'm breaking your nose for that. Like Kimberly." She bluffed.
"Do me a favor, walk over to the bathroom and pick up a rag for me, and the waste bin." She snickered, motioning to the split bedroom bathroom. "Forgot you're American. Waste bin is trashcan for your simple-minded brain, Floyd." 
Floyd didn't really mind her insults, especially now. He did as she instructed him to do, setting the empty trashcan near the bedside and a rag in her hand.
"Lastly, could you get me a water bottle? Maybe some painkillers?" Eileen handed the rag back to him, "Douse the rag, pretty please with Scotch on top?"
"Scotch?"
"Yes, Scotch. Don't correct me." She grinned, "And thank you, Floyd." 
He nodded and left the room, venturing downstairs for a water bottle. When they first came, the night before, he added the supplies he found at the gas station to what they already had. They said, "If you take something, be sure to return something else in it's place." So that's what he did. He actually lied to Eileen, just to make her not want to go with him. As soon as he was alone, Floyd grabbed the backpack and ditched the hotel, walking to the compartment store. Waiting there was the dead, about two or three. Not anything he couldn't take single-handed.