Orphaned Stars (original title Humanity)

Chapter 22

"Do we have any good news?" Shahnaz asked, peering over the doctor's shoulders.

Staring through the microscope now and again he scribbled into a cream coloured notepad. "So far your blood seems to cure the crawlers. I haven't seen any signs indicating that they'll change back, which is unusual." He pulled up a chair for Shahnaz. "In cases like these, being cured is one thing, but to fully understand what has changed is different. I was expecting Jodi to show some signs of her former crawler life. It seems she doesn't want to eat human flesh, or show any animalistic urges."

"Which is a good thing, right doctor?"

He quickly nodded his head, realising how absurd he might have sounded. "It seems like your blood is the perfect antidote to bring humans back from crawlers."

"And my lungs?"

Dr .Leo avoided her intense gaze, occupying himself with shifting piles of paper in a neat order. "I'm afraid not much can be done about that. My contact is unreachable. I can only assume that he still works for the Vega Army."

For a while Shahnaz stayed silent. "Has Jodi ventured outside the dome?"

"No. Not that I know. But why would she?"

"Do you think, and this is a maybe, but what if Jodi can walk outside and not turn into a crawler. If that's the case then her lungs would work just as well as mine."

"It's a risk Shahnaz."

"If she changes back to a crawler, then my blood will bring her back as a human."

Dr. Leo huffed. "I don't feel comfortable."

"I know it's a risk, but it's a risk we have to take. The longer I stay here, more of those poor crawlers can't be healed and what better news could there be if they're able to breathe properly. We can't spend the rest of our lives in a dome."

He tapped the pencil repeatedly on the table. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright. But I won't force Jodi to walk out of here."

***

Jodi scanned the horizon. A month had gone by. Living under a dome wasn't her idea of living at all. It was just not dying out there that made the difference.

"So what are the chances that I'll turn into a crawler?"

"I really don't know," said Shahnaz.

"Yeah that's comforting," Jodi said, sighing. "What have I got to lose anyway? Everyone I know is dead or worse, into those things."

"You're not alone in this plight. Lots of people have lost all their families but they somehow managed to move on."

"Yeah well, it's easier to say than actually do it." Jodi stared at Shahnaz, wondering how someone like her can pull herself through, adapt into a new world she could barely understand. "Okay, I'm in."

"You sure?"

"Just promise me something. If I turn into a crawler don't bring me back. Kill me."

Shahnaz wanted to protest, try to win over her humanity but she had no right. Jodi had made up her mind. She couldn't, didn't want to live in a world encased in a dome, nor did she want to start her life over.

"I don't know what Dr. Leo would say about it. A promise is a promise." She thought of the alternative. "What if you don't turn at all?"

"Then I'm getting out of this dome."

Shahnaz shook her head. "But you'll be targeted by the Vega Amy. They're the reason why I'm here. They're always looking for someone who can breathe the air."