Who We Were | Book One

33. A Lot To Learn

"He almost didn't," Jake answered from the front.

"I thought you might say that..." Chris said as the flicker of a proud smirk crossed his lips. "I didn't let him off lightly."

Tom's narrowed eyes softened as his gaze fell away from Josh and he pulled out two small black boxes from his pocket. A screen covered most of the surface and a circular green button was displayed below it.

"Fingers out," he urged.

"How many of those we got left?" Jake asked out the driver's window, pointing to the box. "Got to be on our last batch, surely?"

Tom nodded. "We're running low. Hospitals around here are all cleaned out as well..."

"What is that?" I asked, eyeing up the device.

He beamed at the toys in his hand, "JCR-23 detector," he said. "If it's green, you're good. If it's red... Well, I'll let you guess what happens."

"JCR-23?" I questioned. "That was the vaccine, wasn't it? How did you get those?"

"Sounds like you've got a lot to learn around here. How about we deal with this first?"

"I'll go first," Chris announced, holding out his index finger. He winced as the device pressed against his skin. It beeped for a few seconds before the screen was illuminated a bright shade of green. He turned to me and gestured for my finger, as he cleaned it with a wipe.

"I'm not Infected-" I began.

"It's nothing, honestly," Tom nodded.

I paused before holding out my palm to him. He took it and pressed the device into the tip of my index finger. I flinched as the needle pushed into my skin, sending a sharp pain through my hand. The beeps followed, pulsing each second before it decided on its response.

The screen flickered to green and I felt a flush of relief.

"Him too," Tom gestured to Josh.

"I can vouch for him," Chris stated.

"It's the protocol," Tom warned, his eyes narrowing. "New visitors and extended periods-"

"I know the rules," Chris interjected, cocking his head. "I can take the fall-out."

"Fine," he sighed. He tapped loudly on the side of the truck before stepping backwards. "Welcome to Carnelian," he exhaled as the truck rumbled to a start.

Tom and another guard pulled the gate open, waving us through with one swoop of their guns. I looked over to Josh who still sat slumped and unconscious, unaware of the people he'd returned to. The black truck growled through the gates and I exhaled as I took in the surroundings.

All around was the remnants of a small town, now surrounded by a ten-foot-tall wooden fence and newly inhabited by people who wandered around care-free. The town wasn't perfect, the small semi-detached houses showed clear signs of the hoarding phase of the outbreak. Flaking paint and crumbling brickwork was just the start, boards and panels were patched over numerous doors and windows, shielding any weaknesses.

Carnelian had been smarter than Dawn Hill. Instead of building from the ground, they had built from what already existed and in turn, they had managed to build a surrounding that people wanted to live in. A road lined the centre of the town, unfolding itself out like a tarmac ribbon.

The truck took a left turn into a small driveway of the only detached house. The brick still crumbled like the others but stood in one piece as ivy climbed its walls, trying to reach safety at the top.

Josh had begun to stir as the truck lurched to a stop and the rumbling of the engine cut to silence. Chris was the first to jump out before Jake emerged from the driver's seat.