Chp. 45 “The Lab”
Stepping quietly into the elevator, I stood in between Roger and Avery, all the while holding Avery’s clammy hand. I knew she was scared, and I knew she was nervous, but I wanted her to know I was here for her. I just needed to make sure she didn’t come into contact with anyone, you know, just in case.
Roger pushed the button labeled Lab, and I watched silently as it lit up. I checked my phone for the time, realizing it was now a little past nine, and suddenly I was exhausted. It had been an extremely long day, and with everything that had happened I was about ready to crash. Of course upon thinking this I felt like a grandma, considering it was summer time and it was only nine at night. Any other ordinary teenager would be up late, going out, going to the movies, and just enjoying themselves.
And then there was me.
Then again, I’m sure we all agree I’m anything but normal.
The elevator doors opened quietly, and we stepped out, allowing me to take in the scene around me. Although it was late, there were at least 20 doctors in white gowns hustling around the open area that was visible. Some were filing paperwork, some were looking through a microscope, and some were simply just running around looking like a chicken with their head cut off.
But once we appeared they all stopped, focusing their attention immediately on us.
“Agent Boyd, what brings you here this late? I thought you were going to come by with the new Healer tomorrow?”
I didn’t recognize the man but I was hoping I would see the familiar Doctor Henson. At least then I would feel a little better in knowing someone on this floor besides Roger. Roger sighed, “There was a change of plans tonight,” he looked at Avery and pointed, “She needs to be tested right now.”
Then everything happened in fast motion. People were putting on gloves and surrounding Avery and I, putting a mask over Avery’s mouth and nose, along with mine. Before they could I stopped them, “No, I don’t need one, I’m the Healer.”
I heard a couple of excited whoops and cheers that made me feel slightly famous, and they hustled Avery over to a chair. One of the two doctors who remained with us questioned Avery, “Which arm?”
She held her arm out, rolling up her sleeve and exposing the infected area that seemed to be getting worse. One of the doctors squinted and shook his head, “This doesn’t look good.”
Then other was preparing a syringe, and she spoke in the cliché gentle tone of a doctor. “Sweetie, we’re going to take some blood okay?”
Avery just nodded, feeling too nervous to do anything but sit there like a statue. I watched as the female doctor began extracting Avery’s blood after finding her vain, and Avery didn’t even flinch. It made me wonder if she was still here mentally, or if she was just choosing to block everything out. I took her other hand in mine, squeezing it for reassurance, which seemed to pull her out of her trance like state.
She smiled weakly up at me, and I knew exactly how she was feeling for some reason. The look in her eyes that she was giving me was easy to read, and I knew she was scared. Hell, I was probably more scared than her, and she was the one that was sick. What would I do if she ended up with the disease? How would I continue going through with this mission if all I could think about was Avery’s health? And if she had it, how long would it take the doctors to finally find a cure now that I was here?
Then it was finished, and the doctor spoke, “Ok, we’re going to run it through tonight and let you know if you’re infected first thing tomorrow.” I heard sympathy in her voice, as if she already knew the answer but didn’t want to scare Avery even more. She continued, “You two should get some rest, meanwhile don’t come into contact with anyone.”
Avery and I stood, following Roger out and to the elevator, and he punched the Living Quarters and then floor 5, which was labeled Office Sector. I looked at him, “What’s Office Sector?”
He shrugged, “That’s where I work, it’s where all of the Agents work, superhuman and human. I have a lot of paperwork to get done before tomorrow morning.”
The elevator shifted upwards first, opening on an office setting where Agent Boyd exited and looked back at us. “Tell Max and Gage they have a day off tomorrow. You two need to meet me in the Lab at 8:00 AM. We have a lot to get done.”
Then the doors closed, allowing Roger to disappear from our view, leaving Avery and I alone. She was still holding my hand, and she was squeezing it a little tighter than usual. I looked at her, feeling the shift of the elevator bring us back down to our floor. We walked out and banged on Gage and Max’s doors, and soon they were both out in the hall with us.
“What?” Max’s deep voice held concern, but looking into his eyes I saw genuine concern for Avery.
“Roger told me to let you two know you have the day off tomorrow, but Avery and I have to be in the Lab by eight.”
Max and Gage nodded, and I could tell that being around Avery was making them uncomfortable. In all honesty, I couldn’t blame them. We all knew somewhere deep down that Avery wasn’t looking good, but our hearts couldn’t fully accept it.
My heart couldn’t full accept it.
“See you two tomorrow.”
They seemed to linger a bit, and this made me sadder than I already was. “Night girls,” Max spoke before disappearing into his room again, along with Gage, leaving Avery and I alone.
I looked at her, “I want to sleep with you tonight.”
She smiled, but I saw pain in it. I could genuinely do nothing until tomorrow, but I just wanted to make her feel better. I didn’t know how, but I knew I wanted to, I just wanted her to be the carefree, happy Avery she really was.
My hand slipped into hers and she responded, “I want that too. I need that…”
She led me into her room and I questioned, “How do you exactly feel?”
She shrugged, picking out clothes for her shower while looking for an answer. “Right now, perfectly normal, except for the ache in my arm, but the nausea went away several minutes ago. I’m sure it’ll get worse-”
“Stop, don’t…” I cut her sentence off short, not wanting to hear her get negative about this situation. I was trying to stay positive, trying not to frighten her more than she already was, but her getting negative was too much.
Especially if she began to accept the fact that she might be infected.
She turned to go into the bathroom and I grabbed her wrist lightly, pulling her soft, petite body back into mine. One of my hands snaked around her waist while the other grazed through her soft hair, “Hurry back,” then I kissed her lightly on her lips.
I felt her heart beat pick up against my chest as she looked up at me, nodding, “Ok.”
I sat on her bed listening to her shuffle around in the bathroom. God, how did this happen? I was pretty sure Avery was dying from this disease, but it was still in its early phases. She had three weeks, according to the average person, but Avery was anything but average. Three weeks until the host of the disease would most likely die.
Three weeks to possibly save Avery Ryan.
I hated thinking like this, but I knew I had to prepare myself for the worst, and I knew Avery was already doing it. She had begun accepting the fact that she might have the BD3, and if she did she knew she didn’t have long. I also knew she had about a week and a half till she would no longer be able to move without difficulty due to muscle spasms and aches. She would slowly begin to die in two and a half weeks, and three weeks she would be nearly paralyzed.
I rubbed my temples, attempting to rid my brain of these toxic thoughts. The images that were forming in my mind of Avery’s sick body were terrifying, and I couldn’t take it any longer. I couldn’t watch her wither away, I just couldn’t.
I heard the door to the bathroom creek open then, and to my surprise Avery was wrapped in a white towel. Her hair was wet, falling around her face and over her chest in damp waves. She didn’t say anything to me, but she didn’t have to, I already knew what she wanted me to hear.
I stood, walking over to her and gripping the ends of the towels in my hands. I needed her, I needed to feel her soft skin against mine, and I needed to show her how much I loved her. I smiled weakly, feeling a sense of emotion wash over me as I leaned in to kiss her soft, warm lips. She invited me in immediately, tasting like mint toothpaste and smelling faintly of shampoo and soap. I smiled, realizing that I needed to make love to her, because that was the only way I could make her feel better, even if it was for a short amount of time.
I released her towel, allowing it to fall to the ground while I pressed one of my hands against the small of her back. I guided her slowly to her bed, laying her gently over the soft comforter and holding my body up to look down at her. She smiled weakly, “You don’t have to if-”
“I want to.”
I watched her blush, and I leaned down to kiss her lips gently, continuing the trail of kisses over her jaw and down her collar bone. As much as I was afraid for her life, and not knowing what exactly was going on inside her, at this moment everything began to disappear. I felt her heart beat quicken as one of my hands traveled down the side of her smooth body. Touching her skin was like touching a light electric current; the sensation of exhilaration filling my nerves.
Her arms wrapped gently around the back of my neck, pulling me closer to her as we locked lips once again. The happiness I was feeling was laced with pain and worry, but the way I felt right now was unexplainable. Every time I was in Avery’s arms like this nothing else really existed, it was just her and I in this perfect moment.
We continued to kiss, and during this time I was completely lost in my own world. Time seemed to stop even though I knew in the back of my head it was still going on. The world was still turning, but with Avery our world was the same, and we controlled the time.
Her hands cupped my face then, kissing me with a little more hunger than she had before. She was getting hot, and I knew it would be soon that I would give her what she wanted. I wanted her to feel some sort of release, because I knew tomorrow would be more stressful than ever for her. I would begin testing and she would find out if she in fact did have the BD3 disease, but that was tomorrow.
Then I heard her whisper, “Andy, please…”
I couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her voice whispering my name. I looked at her and kissed her one last time before traveling south on her body. I let my lips graze her chest, and then I stopped at her breasts, claiming one in my mouth. This caused her to arch her back and gasp from the sudden contact and she whimpered slightly. My hand gave attention to her other breast as I continued to pleasure her, hearing her panting begin to deepen.
My free hand gripped her hip, making sure to apply pressure to one of her hot spots that always made her squirm. I heard her whisper again, asking me to continue, but I wanted to enjoy her perfect body, and show her how much I actually loved her. Her body was something magnificent, and I swore to myself that I could look at it forever. I wanted to memorize every contour, curve, and edge of her, and I wanted to be able to picture it in my mind every time I thought about her that way.
“Andy…”
I was then directly between her thighs, feeling her heat radiate as I smelt her sexy musk. She smelt amazing, and my lips were aching to be on her other lips. I looked up at her, her head was back on the pillow and she had anticipation written all over her face. I knew she could feel my breath on her, but her face was practically begging me even though she vocally was not.
Then I claimed her in my mouth, feeling her body jerk in my grip as I tasted her. She moaned then, and I swore it was the sexiest sound I had ever heard, exit her mouth. She shivered under my touch as I continued to swirl my tongue around her, and allowing two of my fingers to enter her. This drove her up the wall, and I knew that because she had told me, but feeling her body react to me was beyond amazing.
I continued to pleasure her, hearing low profanities and mumbles come from Avery’s beautiful mouth. I loved sending her over the edge, and I really loved teasing her, but I wouldn’t do that tonight because it was her night.
I noticed one of her hands were gripping the sheets, the other soon tangled itself in my blonde hair. She was gripping me tight, but not to where there was a great amount of pain. I continued giving her what she wanted and soon I felt her tightening around my fingers.
“Andy…!”
I realized I loved the way she said my name, and I loved how easily she did so. I loved how she sounded, not only sexually, but in her normal voice too. I loved the way she was so comfortable with me, and how she wasn’t afraid to allow me to love her. She opened up to me immediately, and I knew I would never find someone with this much connection ever again.
I then felt the ripple of pleasure course through her body as she jerked against my mouth and fingers, and I smiled in victory. She released my hair as she found her own release, and I listened to the steady panting of her trying to regain her breath. I looked up at her, resting my head on the inside of her leg, “That was amazing.”
She didn’t say anything, she just pulled me up to her and kissed me, and I felt something I had never felt before. I felt love, but I also felt in love in that very moment. It was the way she held my face, and the way she kissed me, taking her time. It was all so… amazing.
She whispered, “I love you, and I want you to know if-”
“I love you,” I cut her off; not allowing her to finish that sentence, because I knew what she was going to say. I shook my head, “Let’s sleep.”
She nodded, hugging me close as I wrapped both of our bodies in the soft sheets after setting an alarm. I kissed her forehead, tightening my grip around her fragile body before finally drifting off into a dreamless sleep.