I shrugged. “I may have gotten a little carried away with my entrance,” I admitted, gesturing to the broken half of the door on the floor.
“Move your blood a little,” the doctor hissed then, prompting me to return my attention to her. She had a new set of gloves on, pulled over the gloves she had been wearing, and was creating an incision with a scalpel, making the gash in Jordyn’s leg bigger.
“What are you doing?!” I exclaimed in disbelief.
“I have to stitch her femoral artery,” she snapped. “If I just stitch up the skin, then she’ll still bleed to death. Now move your blood a little so I can see what I’m doing!”
I did as she asked, readjusting it as she gave me further directions. She then used some kind of metal clamp to pull apart the tissue, along with another clamp to pinch the artery, all before she began inserting a curved threaded needle in and out of Jordyn’s leg. I was technically not doing anything at that point, but I kept my blood on her leg just in case the wound started gushing again.
“I’m not even supposed to be doing this,” she mumbled to herself in passing, working the needle into her leg again, her gloves covered in a thin layer of blood. Once she was finished with the artery, she stitched up the larger wound, sighing heavily once she was done.
“Well,” she exclaimed finally, “now we just need to worry about infection, because this procedure was definitely not sterile, even though I used sterile gloves and equipment.” She met my gaze. “Infection for her and you. However, for now, I think she’ll be okay at least.”
I sighed heavily in relief, not at all worried about myself.
I’d done all I could at this point, so now I just had to try to mitigate the amount of trouble I was in. I pulled all my blood back into my body, releasing the soldiers while sticking my hands up in the air. I gave Jordyn’s exposed limp form one last glance, before turning my head fully to hold the leader’s gaze.
Chapter 13: Manipulation
Much to my surprise, the soldiers didn’t try to arrest me. And not just because they were hesitant to put me in handcuffs after discovering they were completely out of their depth with someone like me.
Oh no.
Ms. Doctor wouldn’t allow that. I was now case number two for this lethal virus, with Jordyn being who they consider patient zero for the new strain, and I needed to be quarantined under hospital regulations. Bloodborne or not, they weren’t taking any chances with it. Because the only reason they had been able to keep Jordyn alive was because she was already a metahuman – she had already survived having her genetics modified once, which was determined to be a genetic trait that allowed her to survive again.
But a normal person wouldn’t stand a chance. They would die long before they began having Jordyn’s medical problems.
Quarantine wasn’t exactly what I expected though.
I supposed I thought I’d be stuck in a bare room with no furniture, like a makeshift prison cell essentially. However, while the windowless room was mostly just bare walls, it did have a bed, chair, and small cabinet for clothing, as well as a clock on the wall. There was a small bathroom as well.
I sat in the chair the whole time, not having any use for the normal necessities.
It also wasn’t a quarantine that involved airtight suits and masks, which I supposed made sense. The medical staff who entered my room used the same precautions I had been required to use in Jordyn’s room, including full-body gowns, gloves, and regular masks that covered the nose and mouth.
The female doctor wasn’t one of those medical staff members though. I didn’t see her again, since she was in quarantine too, due to the impromptu surgery she had done without the proper protection.
I was told that Jordyn’s body was packed full of the virus, with a viral load of four million copies per milliliter – eight times higher than what they considered to be ‘very high,’ so all it would have taken was a speck of blood in the doctor’s unprotected eyes and that would be it. Basically a death sentence for her, worse than getting any of the other known bloodborne diseases.
No one bothered me for the first hour, leaving me to my thoughts. Thus, when a male nurse came in to draw my blood for testing, I barked out a humorless laugh when he attempted to get a needle in my arm unsuccessfully. I should have realized he wouldn’t be able to do it, but I was so focused on wondering what was going to happen now, that I didn’t stop him. His eyes were as wide as saucers when I proceeded to pull out a thread of blood to fill the thirteen tubes manually.
The man had brought labels with him, but after seeing my blood move at my will, he gathered all his supplies and made a beeline straight for the door, likely having changed his mind about labeling the tubes in the room.
I was then alone again for the rest of the evening, followed by most of the night as well. They came to take my blood twice more in the middle of the night, with it being a different person each time, almost as if no one was brave enough to risk their life twice.
I began to wonder if that was really the case as a new face appeared every time, with me never seeing the same person more than once. Which meant there was no point in trying to build rapport with anyone. Thus, when a girl not much older than Ava came in with a bag of blood in the early morning, I unexpectedly found myself feeling a little mischievous.
“Umm,” she began hesitantly, her eyes a little panicked. “I know this might seem weird, but I was told to give this to you.” She then motioned to give me the blood bag, her hand trembling.
I wasn’t feeling chilly yet, but I also wasn’t warm anymore either – like I was to the point where I could eat, but I wasn’t exactly hungry. Still, I felt like messing with her knowing we’d probably never meet again, so I reached out with my hand facing downward, setting my palm on the bag as if I might pull it out of her grasp.
Instead, I punctured a small hole in the bag, and sucked up the blood in an instant, leaving behind just the plastic with a clear fluid inside.
She had been looking at my face, so when the weight of the bag disappeared, her gaze snapped downward only for her expression to shift from a mild panic to straight horror. It looked like she was about to pass out as she carefully began backing up with shaky legs. Her voice trembled as she spoke, sounding like she was out of breath.
“Umm, I guess I’ll throw this away for you then.”
I nodded with an emotionless expression, just staring at her as she backed up. She bumped into the door, and then proceeded to rush out of it.
Her reaction gave me a small amount of dark amusement, a mild break from my night of boredom, but it was bittersweet. I already felt like a monster, more so at certain times than others, but everyone’s reaction was only reinforcing that truth.
That fact.
I really was a monster now. I had been for a week and a half.
Part of me wondered what would have happened if I had never been triggered. Would it have happened on its own eventually? As far as I knew, most metahumans didn’t appear to have latent powers like mine. Granted, I had never asked Zane when he first transformed, but I felt confident that someone like Blair had looked that way her entire life, especially considering that Trinity had always been blue-haired and red-eyed. And from what Ava had told me, it sounded like she discovered she could turn into a shadow when she was really young. Yet for me, my body had functioned like a normal person until a catalyst transformed me permanently.
And now there was no going back. I would be a blood-drinking monster for the rest of my life.
I did like never feeling fatigued. And I liked being strong and fast. But was the steep cost worth it? Trinity had the best of both worlds in a way, being able to live like a normal person if she wanted to, whereas I couldn’t escape what I was. I could never live a normal life again. I could never go to sleep again, to escape my new reality even for a short time.
And while Trinity would never be a danger to those she cared about, somehow having control over her ability even while unconscious, that wasn’t
the case for me. If I got hungry enough, I couldn’t control myself, and I had already lost it on several occasions, such as when Blair used her eye-ability on me.
On the one hand, it was great for self-preservation, but that put everyone around me at risk, even if they were an ally. Even if they were someone I loved…
My body didn’t care.
If my body was hungry or threatened, it just didn’t care. And that was terrifying. And depressing.
By the time it was in the afternoon, I was so thoroughly lost in my own dark thoughts that I barely reacted to sensing a presence I recognized. I was still sitting in the chair, but I had pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping them tightly in my arms as I contemplated my bleak future as a monster.
However, even though I didn’t react outwardly, I was a little surprised when Ava walked into the room without putting on gloves and a gown like everyone else. She was wearing normal clothing, including jean shorts that revealed most of her smooth tan legs, coupled with a black tank top that likewise exposed most of her shoulders and upper chest. Her black hair was done in two braids that both tapered off in the back. Her simple outfit was coupled with her military boots, which somehow worked for her even though I wouldn’t have anticipated it looking so good.
She paused in the doorway when she saw me.
“Hi, Jake,” she whispered.
I glanced at her, my arms still around my knees, and then stared at the floor again. A small part of me was happy to see her, but most of me just wanted to push everyone away. To keep them safe.
When I didn’t respond, she hesitated before coming closer, sitting across from me on the vacant bed.
“I was really worried about you,” she admitted quietly after a moment. “When you didn’t come back last night, I thought for sure something bad had happened.”
In response to her comment, I felt an automatic ‘sorry’ on the tip of my tongue, but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to open my mouth to say it. Instead, I sighed, turning my head away.
She continued. “When I found out what happened, I wanted to come see you right away, but they wouldn’t let me.”
“You shouldn’t be in here without a gown,” I finally whispered. “You might get sick.”
I saw her perk up at that in the corner of my vision.
“Actually,” she said excitedly, “your blood shows no signs of being infected – this virus replicates quickly, so it should show by now. And I was just told that Jordyn isn’t infected anymore either!”
My head snapped in her direction as I gawked at her, surprised by the news about Jordyn, but also realizing a lot of things weren’t adding up. “Wait. They actually told you information on another patient?”
Her expression immediately became reserved. “No, not exactly. The medical staff didn’t tell me,” she admitted.
“Then who? And how do you even know about Jordyn?” I asked seriously. Robert made it sound like he was one of the few people who knew she was alive.
She didn’t respond, her deep brown eyes looking pained.
“The General?” I guessed quietly.
“Robert shouldn’t have said anything,” she replied in a firm tone. “Even though he didn’t mention names, I could get him removed from his position for what he said.”
I scoffed. “Maybe you should,” I suggested.
Her expression became pained again, and she fell silent.
I sighed. “Who are you really, Ava? What’s your connection to the General? And did you know Jordyn was alive all this time?”
“I can’t tell you that,” she whispered.
I took another deep breath, and looked away, keeping my chin on my knees.
“I can’t tell you that,” she repeated more loudly.
I looked at her in confusion, wondering why she had said it twice.
Unexpectedly, she got up and took a step towards me, before bending forward. Suddenly, her lips were right at my ear. I was so shocked to be unexpectedly staring down her tank-top, coupled with the surge of warmth from her physical touch, that I almost didn’t pay attention to what she began whispering.
“Yes, I knew Jordyn was alive,” she admitted. “It was difficult to keep a secret, but I had to. And the General is David’s grandfather, which makes him my step-grandfather.” She paused, lingering there for a moment before continuing. “When I got caught, he was also the only one who believed me about my father, and who got him thrown into a military prison for me. He knew me well enough to know I wouldn’t have kidnapped my siblings without a really good reason. He also knew there had to be a reason why his daughter, one of my step-mothers, would try committing suicide…” She paused a second time, as if debating whether or not she was done sharing, before she pulled away entirely and sat back down on the bed.
I immediately tucked my chin, hiding my eyes from her against my knees, doing everything in my power to focus on what she had just told me rather than how she had just made me feel. My body was burning up – the lingering heat of her presence, the smoothness of her lips on my ear, combined with a view I probably shouldn’t have seen, was all overwhelming me.
“Are you alright?” she asked seriously.
I scoffed internally. Of course she would be clueless as to how she had just affected me. Why were women like that? How could she get so close, even put her lips on me, and not feel like there was anything intimate about it? I just didn’t get it.
Unless…
Unless she knew exactly what she was doing.
My breathing caught in my chest.
Why had Ava been allowed to come here? Why was she speaking to me now? Why did she get special privileges? Why was she dressed in so little clothing, instead of her military uniform? I mean, I knew it was hot outside, but was it really all as innocent as it seemed?
No, something was going on here.
Dammit, was I really so stupid?
I did believe her when she said the General was her step-grandfather. And I did believe her story that she worked for the military in exchange for her siblings’ safety. But then that meant she could be forced to do anything she was told to do. Even betray her friends by letting them believe someone they cared about had died.
Even tell me a lie about Trinity for my own good.
And despite the fact it had been a lie, Zayden had still made a good point – I was stupid for trusting people I barely knew. That included Ava, who had been open about the fact that she was compromised.
She was compromised.
I could never know for sure whether she was doing something on her own, or if there were orders behind it. She and Zayden had claimed Trinity flirted with me to keep me in line, but what if that lie was coming true now with Ava? I mean, if I was being completely honest, Ava was damn sexy right now. And this hot twenty-year-old was here to see me, pretending to disclose information she shouldn’t, pressing her lips against my ear and letting me see her cleavage?
Dammit, I was stupid.
She couldn’t be loyal to me or anyone else, because protecting her family came first.
“Jake,” Ava whispered again when I didn’t respond to her.
I sighed heavily, keeping my eyes hidden. “Are there any bugs in here?” I wondered.
She replied in another whisper. “N-No, there aren’t – they didn’t have time to place any before you were quarantined – but I didn’t want to take the chance of someone overhearing me…”
I sighed. “Ava, I want to trust you,” I finally admitted. “But you have a lot of secrets. And I know your family’s safety will always come first.” I paused. “And there’s nothing wrong with that,” I clarified. “But it makes it difficult to know your true intentions.”
She didn’t respond.
I took a deep breath. “Just…what do you want? Why did they send you here?”
“To come get you,” she replied quietly. “To bring you back to base.”
“And why you?” I asked seriously. “Why not Robert?”
She wa
s quiet again.
After a minute of silence, I looked up at her to see a tear silently roll down her cheek. I took a deep breath. “They must finally realize they can’t control me, huh?” I considered out loud.
She nodded once, not bothering to wipe the tear away.
“But they still need me,” I added slowly. “I’m too valuable to get rid of, especially given this new development with the terrorists. They’re too desperate.” I paused. “And…they realize you might be able to keep me in line…” I lowered my voice. “Much like someone else hypothetically might have tried to do,” I continued, referring to her lie.
Her face contorted in guilt and she looked away.
I scoffed. “Pimping out his granddaughter. What an ass.”
Ava barked out a humorless laugh then, wiping her eyes, but keeping her head turned away. “He’s a very callous man,” she admitted. “While I think there’s a small part of him that cares about me, at the end of the day I’m just a tool like everyone else. A weapon of war, an instrument of deceit.”
I took another deep breath. “How about I make you a deal?” I offered, prompting her to glance at me. “I’ll do what they want…” I paused. “And, I’ll do whatever you ask of me too – that was the plan anyway. Just please be real with me. Don’t mess with me. Don’t lie to me. Don’t deceive me.” I lowered my voice, putting more meaning into it. “Don’t betray me.”
She looked away again.
“Or is that too much to ask of you?” I wondered quietly.
She still didn’t respond.
After a few long moments, she turned to look at me fully again. “In an ideal world, I would be able to make that promise. And in a world where I always obey orders, I wouldn’t hesitate to make that promise to deceive you. But this isn’t an ideal world, nor is it a world where everything is black and white. So, because of the situation I’m in, the best I can do is be honest with you by telling you I can’t make that promise.”
“So, I can’t trust you then, is that what you’re saying?” I clarified.
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