Unbeknownst to John and Harley, Edvin and Taylor had traced their way back to the loft and inadvertently thrust themselves into the moment that was only meant for two.
Upon sensing a shift in the air, Harley lifted her head to see the two guys standing awkwardly at the top of the stairs, ready to skulk away as if they had never been there in the first place.
Harley sniffed and leaned away from John, feeling embarrassed at being seen so emotional.
"Sorry," Edvin apologized sheepishly, "Margo," he paused as he stepped further into the loft, "She wanted us to tell you that she'll respect your wishes and take the vaccine out of negotiations with the other islands"
John straightened out and turned toward Edvin and Taylor, "Good. I think a part of her already knew it would be a bad move," he said.
"It was an idea formed out of desperation. It's understandable," Taylor offered as he padded over to his cot.
Pulling herself together, Harley wiped away her remaining tears and took a deep, cleansing breath.
"No one should have that much power," Edvin said, siding with John and Harley's beliefs.
Taylor took a seat on his bed and rested his elbows on his knees, looking worn out, "It'll always be about power. Who has it, who wants it and what they're willing to do to get it. It's human nature. You can't wish away millions of years of evolution. Power and control equals survival, whether it be personal control or more, it's all about surviving. The trick is in making sure the wrong people don't get access to power," Taylor paused, "Margo's intentions are noble, whether her tactics be right or wrong. The way I see it, we got lucky with these people. Could you imagine what communities like Haven would do with the vaccine if they could get their hands on it?"
Harley shuddered at the thought of men like Father Douglas and his brothers wielding control over the vaccine. Taylor was right, there was no wishing away the inherent nature of people. They needed to feel in control. For Harley, control meant being in charge of her own fate, her choices and her body. For some, control meant commanding all that they could. An endless hunt for authority over all commodities. And somewhere in the middle, were those who saught leadership for liberty. Autonomy for themselves and the people under their wing. Margo, from all appearances, was one of those people.
Harley's thoughts were interrupted when from the top of the staircase emerged Frank, drawing eveyone elses attention as well.
"Harley," Frank addressed as he stepped deeper into the loft, "Could I steal you away for a short while? I'd like to gather a few more samples"
Harley slapped her hands onto her thighs and stood from the cot, "Sure, why not," she sighed as she turned toward the stairwell. Looking to John, she asked, "Could you watch Rebel until I'm done?"
John nodded, "Of course," then placed his hand on the back of Harley's neck and gently pulled her close so he could kiss her forehead.
With that, Harley padded toward Frank and the pair descended the stairs, moving onward to the lab.
John took the liberty of rooting through Harley's backpack to find the little red ball she had packed for her pup, then scooped up Rebel into his arms and together they made their way outside to play.
Edvin and Taylor took the free time to relax and get some rest. Both felt like they still hadn't truly slept since they left Wudinna.
But as Taylor drifted off to sleep easily, Edvin struggled, his mind stuck on reliving the events of the past few days.
He thought about Foss, Perez and Robby, wishing they were there with him relaxing in some of the empty cots that filled the loft. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat while he remembered Robby and Robby's unfortunate end. All three of their unfortunate ends.
Edvin knew implicitly that Ben, Robby's dad was in Wuddina thinking about his son, wondering where and how he was, not knowing that Robby's light had been already snuffed out.
Ben wouldn't find out what happened unless and until Edvin, Taylor, John and Harley made their way home with vaccines for everyone and that could easily take months, maybe even a year. It churned Edvin's stomach because he knew Ben wouldn't survive the loss of Robby. He had already lost his wife and daughter, and Edvin knew Robby was the only thing that had kept Ben going the last three years.
Edvin tossed around in his cot, unable to quiet his busy mind.
On top of everything else swirling around in his head, he found himself pining over Harley, as he'd done since the first night he met her.
He would never admit it out loud but there was a very small, selfish part of Edvin that was thankful to be rid of John on the night he and Harley spent in the abandoned pool. He knew it was terrible to think such things but Harley was John's right from the beginning and nothing but death would have severed that connection. That small and selfish part of Edvin hoped that Harley would go to him after she was done mourning the death of John. Edvin would have been there waiting with open arms.
But fate didn't turn out that way and Edvin knew he had to move on, especially after finding Harley and John together in bed the morning after the pair had been reunited.
John was a good man. Edvin knew that, of course he did, but seeing the two of them together like that was a swift kick in the gut for Edvin and his affections. It was like rubbing salt in a wound knowing that he wasn't even on Harley's radar. She had barely even spoken a word to him since John was found alive and well.
Edvin wanted to be the man who protected and loved Harley. He wanted to be the man to kiss her on the forehead and curl up with her at night. But what Edvin wanted he simply wasn't going to get and so he worked hard to put the idea to rest.
○●○
Harley sat eating an oatmeal cookie as she waited for Needle Bitch, as she affectionately coined the poke happy assistant, to finish taking the last of four vials of blood from Harley's arm.
"Thank you, Harley. Your samples are very much needed and very much appreciated," said Frank as he sat at the table opposite Harley, also enjoying a cookie.
"What do you need all this blood for anyway?" She questioned curiously, unaware of the processes that needed to take place in order to create a vaccine.
Frank leaned forward in his chair and swallowed the last bite of his last cookie, "Gene identification. If your mother was a carrier of the virus and you're immune, it would stand to reason that a specific and unique gene is responsible. I just need to find it"
"All done," smiled NB, giving Harley a cotton ball to press against the puncture site.
"Great," Harley said as she stood from the chair, "Can I have the last cookie?" She asked, pointing to the plate in front of her.
"Of course," Frank smiled, "Thanks again, Harley.
Grabbing the cookie, Harley nodded and gave Frank a weak smile, then swiftly exited the lab.
Caleb met her at the gate to let her back into Plateau but he barely even acknowledged her as she passed by him. Harley assumed he was displeased about her unwillingness to use the vaccine as a bargaining chip but she couldn't have cared less about what he thought and simply sauntered past him into the compound.
As Harley walked toward the mould loft, she saw John sitting on a small patch of grass next to the building with his back turned away from her. As she approached from behind, she couldn't help but to smile at seeing John as he played gently with Rebel, turning him onto his back and tickling his round tummy. Rebel writhed around with a smile on his face and kicked at John's hands with his feet.
Harley crept up behind John and quickly plopped down next to where he sat, surprising John and making him jump just a little bit.
"Brought you a cookie," Harley said as she offered the treat.
John smiled, "Thanks"
Curious, Rebel rolled back onto his feet and simply had to sniff and lick at the cookie as he climbed up John's legs, desperate for a taste.
"You little porker, this is mine," John said as he lifted the treat up where Rebel couldn't reach.
Harley smirked at the interaction, and watched while John gave in and broke off a bit of the cookie to give to the pup.
○●○
Supper at the mess hall was far less dramatic than the breakfast fiasco had been and Harley was grateful for it. She still had to deal with the hundreds of pairs of eyes on her as everyone was curious and in awe of the girl who beat the virus that killed the world. Her unusual appearance only added to her mystery and no one could resist taking a long, meticulous look at the young woman who would, soon enough, change all of their lives.
Harley felt terribly exposed and absolutely hated being the center of attention. So much so that she dished up her plate and hightailed it out of the building, opting to eat her meal of smoked fish and yam outside under a tree.
John, Edvin and Taylor followed her out with their plates soon after and the foursome ate away from prying eyes in relative peace.
By the time nightfall had arrived, everyone had already retired to the mould loft, having had a long, strange day. Each of their worlds had shifted overnight it seemed, and it felt almost as if they had landed on an alien planet.
The feeling was especially strong for John and Harley who had scarcely encountered anything resembling a community before arriving in Wuddina. But this place was more than an isolated community. It was a complex network with communication and trade and politics. It was a city within the city itself. After living life outside the safety of walls and community, where the real world existed, harsh and deadly and decaying, this place simply felt strange.
Taylor and Edvin rested in their respective cots, while John and Harley curled up together in their makeshift double cot, safely and affectionately coiled around one another.
It was silent in the large space for some time before Harley quietly spoke, "Fuck it"
John was confused by her seemingly random statement, "Hmm?"
Harley sighed, "Let them have the cure. Let them go to war over it, I don't care. I don't care about any of it. I just want you to get the vaccine and then we can leave this place. You, me and Rebel"
Breathing in a deep breath, John pulled Harley closer to him and kissed her head. The pair fell asleep soon after.