“I don’t get why they needed you to get the vaccine when tons of kids were living through it,” Cale said with a frown. “Couldn’t they have figured out their immunity?”
“No.” Alice shook her head. “One of the doctors explained it to me once. The children’s bodies are made up differently than ours, there’s any number of differences between a child’s body and an adult’s. To pinpoint what made someone immune, the doctors needed an adult.”
“So what makes him different?” Cale still paced. Alice had the idea he was also planning.
“I’m not sure.” Alice watched Cale as he paced. “It’s something in his liver that doesn’t naturally occur in you or me.”
Cale stopped pacing as he thought it over. The other two were quiet as they watched him, waiting for him to share his thoughts. Cale began to open his mouth, but then closed it. He shook his head and began to pace again. Zero and Alice exchanged a look.
“Well good morning patient Zero.” Markus Smith entered the room with a broad smile plastered across his face. Alice didn’t like him at all. “We look like we’re coping nicely and even making friends.”
“Yeah Doc, I’m feelin’ peachy this morning. I’m thinking of taking a stroll later on.” Zero’s answer made Alice smirk, and the doctor lost his fake smile.
“You two better leave, I’ll be keeping him busy for a while if you don’t mind.” Markus was already pulling out his tools and needles.
“We’ll see you later,” Alice promised Zero, squeezing his hand. “Maybe we’ll bring up some dinner.”
“That sounds great.” Zero squeezed her hand in return. She was surprised at the shiver it gave her and turned away before he could catch her slight blush. Cale didn’t miss her reaction.
“Later on.” Cale clapped hands with Zero a little harder than necessary. “We’ll talk more, plan this all out.”
“Looking forward to it,” Zero said.
Alice pulled the door shut behind them, hoping Zero would still feel up to dinner after whatever the doctors had planned for him.
7
Haven Medical Base
Simon sat staring numbly into the distance as if he could see through the wooden fence that surrounded the yard. Beside him, Tessa worked on the cuts covering the side of his face. She poured water down his cheek to wash away the loose dirt and used tweezers to gently pull out the ground-in pieces of grit. Simon winced as the sharp end of the tweezers dug painfully into his skin.
“Sorry.” Tessa grimaced. “I’m trying to be careful.”
“It’s alright,” Simon said. He deserved worse. Noah was dead. Simon could handle a little pain.
“I’m doing the best I can,” Tessa went on as she squeezed out a small pebble. “But it’s going to scar.”
“I said it’s fine. Are they back yet?” He tried to turn to see if Zeke and Tech had returned.
“Hold still.” Tessa took his jaw and tugged him back to face her. “They aren’t back yet. It’s not going to be easy getting Noah’s body over the wall.” Simon bit his lip at the thought of Dodge and the others hauling Noah’s half eaten body back into the base. Tears welled in his eyes, and though he willed them not to fall, they slid out. His cheek stung as they ran through the fresh lacerations.
Tessa let go and sat back. She handed Simon a white hand towel already spotted with blood. Simon dabbed his face, wincing when he touched the cuts. He handed the towel back to her when he managed to stop crying. He nodded once and turned his cheek to her again. Tessa sighed and took his chin in her hand. Her hand was warm and sweaty, but Simon was glad for the touch.
“You’re both lucky you weren’t pulled over with him.” Tessa shook her head and dropped another small pebble onto the glass table between their chairs. “Honestly I thought you were better than that.”
“Better than what?” Simon asked defensively. Tessa sat back, studying Simon. Simon’s heart hammered under her scrutiny. In that moment, she was more important than everything that had just happened.
“Better than the rest of the guys.” Tessa shrugged. “It seemed like you were above all their chest pounding gorilla actions. Then yesterday you’re fighting with Matt in the gym.”
“He started it,” Simon muttered, looking down at his lap. Her words stung. He hadn’t realized until that moment that he’d hoped standing up to Matt would impress her.
“He always does,” Tessa said. Simon looked up to see her smiling. “Just do me a favor and don’t turn into him, okay? You seem like a good kid.” Tessa reached out to take his face again. Simon winced, not from the pain, but from being called kid.
“I’m thirteen, you know.” It was hard to speak with her holding his chin. Tessa dug out another small pebble and dropped it.
“Yeah, I know.” Tessa leaned back to look at him again. “I just think of you as younger.” She took his chin and tilted his face into the sunlight.
“Is that why you never talk to me?” Simon asked. The question had come out before he could stop himself.
“No,” Tessa frowned. “I talk to you.” Leaning forward, she blew on his wound. Her breath felt cool on his hot skin.
“You didn’t even smile at me yesterday when I saw you in the gym.” Simon wondered if he had somehow damaged his brain out there on the wall. Why was he asking her these things?
“Not everything’s about you, Simon,” Tessa said. The words stung worse than his wounds did. “I’ll rinse this again, but I think I’ve gotten out everything I can.”
Simon watched as she grabbed the bottle of water from the table, unsure how to respond to her words when she was acting like she hadn’t said anything. She stood over him and poured water slowly down his cheek. Most of it ended up soaking his pants, but it didn’t matter. The cool water was a relief to his face, which felt like it was on fire. Tessa sat back down and squeezed a large glob of ointment onto her fingers. Gingerly, she spread it across the cuts; it too was cool on his wounds. Next came a large bandage which she folded in half and taped awkwardly to his face. She sat back and looked at her work.
“Well if you don’t smile it might stay in place,” she mused, which of course made him smile unwillingly. She smiled back at him, reaching over to pat his hand. “It’s going to be okay, Simon. We’re alright in here.”
“Yeah,” he answered thickly, hoping he wouldn’t cry again. Then she really would think he was some crying baby. This time he was able to push the tears back. “It was just surprising, you know?”
“I know.” Tessa turned, looking off toward the wall. The breeze lifted her hair, making red strands dance into her eyes. “I mostly try to forget what’s out there, but I guess that’s no better than you three climbing around on that stupid wall while those things snap at your heels.”
“Safer though,” Simon admitted with a small smile. Tessa turned and smiled. It was a full smile lit up the yard, making everything else seem far away and unimportant. Simon savored the feeling and hoped he could find a reason to see Tessa more often, even if she did think of him as a kid.
“Simon,” Zeke called solemnly from the front of the house. When Simon looked up the walkway, he saw Zeke standing by the sidewalk. “Dodge wants you to come with us.”
Simon nodded. “Okay, I’m coming.” He pushed himself up from the chair and started toward Zeke. He turned back to Tessa, walking backwards a few steps. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Simon turned and hurried toward Zeke. Zeke slung an arm around Simon’s neck, slapping his chest a couple times before glancing back at Tessa. “You look like a screwed up mummy.” Zeke grinned as he turned back to Simon. “Dodge said you sliced yourself up good. Damn that’s a huge bandage.”
“She said it’s going to scar.” Simon shrugged off Zeke’s arm and touched the bandage. “Where are we going?”
“We gotta figure out what to do with the body.” Zeke stopped to light a joint before walking again.
“You mean what to do with Noah,” Simon corrected him.
“It’s easier for me to say the body, if you don’t mind,” Zeke said. “We pulled it over the wall and took it to the closest apartment. Luckily no one was in there. Matt saw us carrying it in though. Him and Dodge were starting to argue when I left.” Zeke glanced at Simon and grinned. “It was like leaving a couple of coked out grizzlies in a room with a pot of honey.”
“Great,” Simon muttered.
“So, Tessa?” Zeke raised an eyebrow at Simon as they walked. “How’d you get her to play nurse with you?”
“Dodge asked her to clean me up.” Simon blushed.
“Guess he wins wing man of the year,” Zeke said.
“She thinks I’m a kid,” Simon said. He kicked a stone on the ground. “Whatever, I don’t like her anyway.”
“You completely like her. She makes your little preteen boy heart beat like a drum.”
“I’m thirteen.” Simon scowled. “Teen as in teenager.”
“I’m sorry, kid,” Zeke teased.
Simon punched him lightly, but smiled. “I don’t like her,” he insisted again. He couldn’t like her, if he liked her something bad would happen. It was irrational, but he felt guilty to even think about liking her.
Zeke shrugged. “She’s cute. And if you don’t start to like her soon, I might find myself liking her. Just giving you fair warning.”
“Thanks.” Simon shook his head.
They hurried down the empty streets toward where Noah had gone over the wall. As they drew closer all the levity drained from Simon. It was late afternoon, but the raspy breath and groan of zombies made its way over the wall. He stopped, staring at the wall.
“Yeah, there’s more of them out there,” Zeke answered without forcing Simon to ask. “They showed up just as we got him over the wall.
Simon nodded absently, imagining the reaching hands and half rotted bodies of the creatures on the other side of the wall. “How many?”
Zeke squinted up into the sun. “A dozen or so when we left the wall. Who knows now.” He smacked Simon’s shoulder. “Come on.”
Zeke pushed open the door of an apartment, holding it for Simon to step inside. Dodge and Matt were both quiet, staring daggers at each other over a rumpled, bloody white sheet. It didn’t look like there was much left of Noah.
“He thinks you get to decide what we do about this,” Matt said bitterly when he saw Simon. “Like you were this scrab’s best friend or some shit.”
Simon shook his head. “I hardly knew him.”
“See? What the hell, Dodge? I say we drop this kid over the back wall and let the hostiles drag him away tonight.”
“They’re zombies,” Simon said quietly.
“The hell they are.” Matt wheeled on Simon. “There ain’t no such thing. They’re just sick.”
“You are in so much denial, dude.” Zeke shook his head as he slumped onto the couch. He motioned for Simon to join him, but Simon remained standing. He felt small enough beside the older boys. Before Matt could answer Zeke, Simon started in on him.
“Noah might not have been a close friend of mine, but he was one of us, and he has close friends here. The two boys he was always with, what are their names?”
“Tyson and Red,” Zeke answered when no one else could. Again Simon wondered how Zeke could be so aware of everyone.
“They deserve to know what happened,” Simon continued, anger building inside him. “I mean we didn’t even know their names. We’ve been with each other for the last month and we don’t know everyone’s names.”
“It’s easier that way,” Matt mumbled, looking at his buddy who nodded.
“Easier how?” Simon asked, filled with anger and on a roll.
“Easier when we all start dying.” Matt’s voice rose with each word until he was yelling. “That’s how, you little scrab.” He took a step closer to Simon so they stood facing each other, both breathing heavily and Matt a good foot taller than Simon.