The Cure for Death

Chapter 2 - Infected

I was in total shock.  How could this happen?  Lilly was so little.  Even younger than me!  And what did the doctors do that made her scream like that.

I shuddered when the doctors moved away to reveal her body.  The welts were gone, and her wounds were bleeding.  They had popped her blisters? Why? That could only kill her.

"What did you do?" I demanded.

"Emilie-" My mom started.

"No, mom.  They killed her." I said. "They killed her."  I then glared and lunged at the doctors. "You killed her you evil brats!  You filthy cockroaches!  You foul little bitches!!" my mom gasped.  "You just killed someone!  You killed her!  You killed Lilly!  You killed an innocent young girl! You..."  My mom held me back.  It's probably a good thing she did that, or I would go wacko on the doctors.  "You-you idiots!  You stupid little..."  I felt something poke into my arm.  It was the nurse with a sedative. "No! Don't make me sleep!  You deserve this!  You deserve to die! You..." My mind went foggy and then I blacked out.

I woke up in my room at home, and immediately broke down in tears as I remembered what happened.  I tried to stay quiet, but I think the entire neighborhood could hear me.  Lilly was dead, the doctors weren't. This was so unfair.  I was stuck, friendless and without revenge, alone in the world.  My mom prevented me from killing the doctors.  My own mother.  I started crying even harder as I realized this.

Dad never would've done this.  But Dad was dead.  He had died 11 years ago, when I was just 2.  I missed him.  He was my favorite parent.  Sure I loved my mom, but she just wasn't the same.  Dad was more like a kid.  I could relate to him more. Mom was like an adult.  She was strict and perfect, everything was in order around her.

I heard a knock at my door.  "Go away." I mumbled.  My mom came in anyway and put her arm around my shoulder.  "No mom, leave.  I need to shower anyway."  I removed her arm and headed into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

I stood in the shower, listening to my favorite music on my phone.  I let the tears I had been holding in fall down my face.  I sang along quietly to the songs.  When I was done, I wrapped myself with a towel and wrung out my hair.  I paused the music on my phone and crept into my room.  My mom wasn't there so I started the music again and changed into a dark green t-shirt and black leggings.  I took my socks and was about to put them on when I notice that the tip of my toes were blackened.  I tried to calm down but fear ripped through me as I looked at the tips of my fingers, and they too were blackened.

I sat on my bed and researched what blackened body parts could be.  Just as the search went through, I got a text from my mom.

The doctors asked us to come to the hospital, they figured out what Lilly got.

I went downstairs and silently got in the car.  When my mom got in, she started driving towards the hospital, and I waited in anticipation.  When we got there a nurse wearing an odd shaped bird mask and gloves grabbed me by the arms and escorted me to a room.  I was alone and there was only a cheap bed in the room.

"I have been told to inform you that Lillian Setson had caught the Bubonic Plague.  I also have to inform you that you have been quarantined because we fear you may have caught it through physical contact."  With that the nurse walked out, leaving me alone and shell-shocked.

When I finally reclaimed my senses, I ran over to the door and pounded on it.  "You can't leave me here!" I screamed.  "I didn't say you could do this!  I didn't give you permission!  This is kidnapping!"  I suddenly heard a voice from the other side of the door.

"But your mom did."  

"What did my mom do?  And who are you?"

"My identity is irrelevant.  Your mom said you could be quarantined to save to town from the plague."

"You mean I'm a human sacrifice?" I asked.

"No.  You are the person who sacrificed herself for the greater good.  And when I say "the greater good," I mean, you're saving the town by agreeing to be quarantined."

"I didn't agree to this!"  I yelled, pounding on the door again.

"And nobody will know that.  You are going to keep quiet and pretend that you agreed to this.  And Lilly told us that she was your only friend, so no one will come to visit you, right?  And technically speaking, your guardian allowed this to happen, so we are not kidnapping."  Then his footsteps fell away and I was left in alone in the darkness.

I cried and hugged my knees to my chest.  Just as I was about to wipe my face, I noticed something on my arm.  It was small, but I could tell what it was.  It was a purple welt.  Then I suddenly remembered my blackened toes and fingertips and realized this could only mean one thing. 

I had caught Lilly's disease.

I was infected with a terrible sickness.

The bubonic plague.