Quarantine

Lexi

The closer the ragtag group got to where Kayla and her sister had been living, the nerves in her stomach grew.

Kayla hesitated when she got to the stairwell of her building, she turned around to look at Timothèe and the group of outsiders that looked around them cautiously.

"This isn't some kinda ambush is it girl?" Red snarled when he saw Kayla hesitate.

"No. It's just, my sister in law, when she gets sick like she has been she sleeps a lot. I'm afraid if we all burst into the room it will scare her, and in her current state, I'm worried it will only make her worse."

"You think that's going to stop us from coming with you- what so you can try to escape?" Mag asked loudly- her gravely voice echoing off of the cement walls of the stairwell.

Kayla waved her hands frantically, "No no of course not, I just don't want to scare her, I..."

Yvette cut in her and directed toward the other outsiders, "The girl is right. If her sister has been suffering from a weakened immune system as she claims, the last thing we want to do is put more stress on her. The trip to Canada is already going to be a lot, we need to make this as easy as possible. Keeping that girl up there safe is our top priority- you know your orders."

Being the highest ranking in the group, the rest of the outsiders just nodded in agreement.

"So what do you suggest?" Robin finally asked after a moment of silence.

"I have the most medical training- I will go up with these two insiders," she nodded toward Timothee and Kayla, "to retrieve the girl. The rest of you need to stand guard to make sure they don't try to pull some funny business and escape. You," she pointed at the teen outsider and Robin, "stand guard here at the bottom of this stairwell. Don't let any insiders leave without one of us. And you two," she pointed Mag and Red, "follow us to the right floor and you'll guard their front door- making sure no one tries to sneak out."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and the group of 5 started the walk up three flights of stairs.

Kayla couldn't help the sinking feeling in her gut with each step.

Had she really thought any of this through? She was putting Lexi in danger and for what? A possibility that there may be people who could help her in Canada?

Her thoughts were disrupted when Timothèe's hand was lightly resting on her shoulder, he jumped up a couple stair steps to catch up with her, and then leaned in close to her ear.

"This is the right thing, don't worry. I'll be here with you both the whole time. We will all look out for each other ok?"

She looked into his eyes, he almost seemed, excited? 

Kayla suddenly felt a pang of guilt, she and Timothèe   could have left Lexi out of this all together. Had she put Lexi at risk to save Timothèe and her own skin?

No, she told herself. Going to Canada would help Lexi too, maybe they could help her so she stopped getting so sick all the time. She tried to push the thoughts away, there was nothing to do about it now.

When she got to her front door Yvette nodded at Mag and Red to stay and back, Kayla knocked the secret knock that she and Lexi knew and listened for a sign inside the house that Lexi was still there.

She heard shuffling from the other side of the door- but Lexi didn't open it.

Kayla's heart started racing, Lexi knew not to answer the door, even for her and their knock, but usually Lexi would knock back to signal that she was inside and safe.

Kayla didn't wait, she quickly jiggled their doorknob open and stepped into the dark apartment.

"Lexi- it's me- where are you are you ok?" She felt the panic start to eat away at her lungs as she frantically started searching the apartment. She was so nervous she hardly noticed when Timmy and Yvette followed her into the apartment and closed the door.

It wasn't until Timmy started helping her search that she remembered that they were even there.

"Lexi it's me, please come out, I promise it's safe. Lexi!" She heard the fear in her voice but tried to force it to sound calm.

Suddenly she heard the shower curtain open from the bathroom down the hall, she darted down the hallway as fast as she could and felt the relief flood her system when she saw Lexi step out of the shower.

They ran into each other's arms and hugged as tears stream down their face.

"I thought you were dead Kayla! I heard a bunch of people in the hallway and though that the Outsiders were searching our building so I hid! When I heard your knock I didn't even believe it was you." Lexi quickly explained into Kayla's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry for worrying you. A lot... has happened but I promise we are ok." Kayla pulled away from their hug and looked into her sisters green eyes, "now I have to warn you- there are people with us..."

Then she saw Lexi's eyes go past her to the bathroom doorway and the expression on her face go completely blank.

"Is... is that Timothèe Chalamet?" Lexi asked still grasping onto Kayla with fear.

"Yes," Kayla said carefully, shooting a warning glance back at Timmy, "he's here to help us."

Timothèe then flashed a smile that she had seen in a hundred interviews and movies of his, one that completely won you over without a word.

"Hi Lexi, I'm so glad to meet you." And to Kayla's surprise, Timmy looked at Lexi as if in awe, like she was the key to the worlds problems. He held out his hand to shake hers, and she cautiously, looking to Kayla for approval that he was really safe, shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you." She said, still not sure how she felt about having him in her space.

Then there was a sound in the kitchen.

"Is someone else here?" Lexi's eyes went wide with fear.

"Yes, she has medical training, she is going to check you out and see if she can help you in any way. Ok?"

"Okay..." Lexi didn't seem satisfied with this answer. She had gone months without seeing a person other than Kayla, and now two new people were in her house with no explanation.

When the three joined Yvette in the main living room, Yvette was giving Lexi the same look that Timmy had been giving her in the bathroom.

"Hi you must be Lexi." Yvette said, her voice calm and smooth, a comforting smile crossing her face upon seeing Lexi.

This was a different side to Yvette than Kayla and Timmy had seen since meeting her, it was so different than what they had seen that it almost seemed fake. But everything about her, her eyes, her smile, her voice was genuine.

"Hi, you're here to check me out?" Lexi asked from behind Kayla's shoulder.

"I want to check your vitals and run a couple tests. Administer you some medicine that may help you with some symptoms your sister said you have been having. If that's ok with you?"

Lexi smiled yes, and Yvette started pulling out medical supplies out of her backpack, Kayla stared at everything in awe. She knew that Outsiders raided and stole materials from wherever they could, but she hadn't seen supplies like this since before the outbreak. In that moment, she was happy that she had made the decisions that brought Yvette here. This may be the best medical care Lexi could have gotten in years.

Lexi sat down on the seat by Yvette, warming up to her by the second.

Kayla felt Timmys presence next to her suddenly, watching carefully as Yvette started to examine her and check her blood pressure.

Lexi then looked over at them suspiciously, then said to Kayla, "Ok, now tell me everything."