The Catalyst (GirlXGirl)

Chp. 47 "Deep Conversations"

Chp. 47 “Deep Conversations”

The emotional turmoil was beginning to get to be too much, and as I watched Avery sleep I couldn’t help but feel it grow even more. My chest was aching, and even though it had only been an entire 48 hours, I still felt shocked that this had happened. I didn’t understand, and the doctors tried explaining the possibilities, but the more they explained the more confused and depressed I became.

They blamed it on the vaccine, and that Avery had been sick before that, that she had a weakened immune system. They told me she could’ve come into contact with someone who had it in the mall, and instantly my mind referred back to the two boys.

The photo booth, the bathroom, the food courts… there were just too many possibilities.

We were so close to the Bureau, so close to safety, and then she caught it just days before. I held my head in my hands as I listened to her breathing. Everything she did now made me worry, the weird breathing, the flinches in her sleep, the joint spasms. It had only been two days and I was already losing my mind.

I heard a slight knock on the sealed door on the far end of the room, it had a window but I had currently closed the blinds on it to give us some privacy. Avery was only allowed outside this room when she had a suit on, and she claimed it made her look fat so she refused to put it on. She didn’t want to feel like some manifestation of a walking disease, so she confided in this little room instead.

I typed in the security code to open the door and I saw Max and Gage, who were not allowed inside to see Avery. They both looked extremely worried, but I couldn’t help but notice Max’s electric blue eyes that seemed to hold a bit more sympathy than yesterday, as if this situation was wearing on him.

He sighed, fidgeting with his hands, “How is she doing?”

I shrugged nonchalantly, trying to push the negative thoughts away, “She’s just taking a nap. They’ve been giving her this medicine that makes her sleepy. It’s supposed to kick-start her immune system or something.”

Max peered inside before I let the door shut behind me, hearing the familiar click of the lock and the hum of the room sealing off again. I swallowed, feeling the lump in my throat grow from the looks that these two boys were giving me. I knew they were worried about her, and I knew that they were worried about me.

I was just grateful they hadn’t caught the disease too.

If I had to save not one but three of my friends… I would’ve already lost my mind.

“Roger’s been having us go through training, it’s a good workout, and you could really use a good stress-reliever.”

I was in no mood to deal with working out, plus I had just given more blood to Henson. They hadn’t located the hormone they needed but they seemed more enthusiastic today, which was apparently a good sign.

Maybe they were getting close.

Max rubbed my arm, “C’mon, it’ll feel good. I promise.”