“You were infected, we cleared what we could, but you did it to yourself again.”
“Figures.” I sink into the mattress, feeling embarrassed I was tied up.
As the walls changed colours there was various greetings called out, and I returned some, trying to pretend I was okay. The nurse’s doorway passes over me, and they set me down. Xavier grabs a needle to remove some blood, apologizing when I flinch. He and Jessa test various other things, before Xavier then rushes over to me and kisses me hard, undoing the restraints. He finishes quickly, and I rub my wrists. Jessa helps me sit up, her eyes betraying nothing as she observes the wound.
“Xavier, what do you think?” She asks, and he looks over my shoulder.
“Well…That’s not going to heal well. But we will do our best. For now, we must clean it fully, but I will numb some of the area first then we will see what it needs next.”
They got to it quickly, apologizing when I gasped and cursed. They finished, Xavier applying some soothing cream, they had to place in a skin graft from my leg, which they bandaged.
“Now, who do you want to see first? And will you stop coming here, I see you enough outside of work!” Xavier jokes, and I stick my tongue out.
“Fine, if you want me gone just say.” I respond, and he rolls his eyes. “Kidding love you, handsome man. Sonji, Violet, Lynx and Phoenix.”
“Fantastic foursome, on their way.” He joked, Jessa waving bye and I return the gesture.
He peeks out the door and talks, then five minutes later lets in the girls, slipping out with a wink.
“Eva! Stop landing yourself here!” Violet instructs, attacking me with a hug and apologizing when I wince as she hits my injury.
“So glad to see the formula worked.” Sonji proclaimed, her one arm stuck out as she hugged me.
“Did you figure out an immunity shot?” I ask, settling back.
“Not quite, we think we are close.” Sonji announces, then sits down beside Lynx.
“Man, we keep trying to wipe you back into shape and you end up here.” Lynx tuts and then we laugh together. “Get your ass outta that bed, stat. Also, here.”
She drops a bottle of black nail polish in my left hand. I shakily paint my right, ring finger.
Phoenix smiles at me, giving me a hug for the first time ever. “Good to see you sane. I want to get to know you better.”
“You guys are so sweet.” I smile, and they giggle. “I was so scared when I woke up, but I am so happy you guys figured out the cure. Now we do not have to worry if any of us get infected, once we make more serum.”
“And hopefully a safe immunity shot.” Sonji added, and we all nodded agreeing.
The next few hours were spent chatting with everyone, some who came in individually or as couples. Galexai and Liam were the first after the girls left, then Dainan and Alexander, then James and Rachel, then Idris, Violet, Lee and Quiyl. Slowly they all came to see me and discuss excitedly with Xavier about the cure. Once the sun begins to set he kicks everyone else out and we just spend some time, the two of us.
Through the window the sky becomes a beautiful mix or pinks, yellows and oranges, Xavier watches from the bed with me. He had crawled in beside me on my good shoulder side and we were cuddling, just watching as the world shut down for one more night.
“I love you Evie.” He said to me quietly, and I smile at my boyfriend.
“I love you too Xavi.”
For now, everything was at peace with our friendly colony. They had developed a cure and a resistance to the virus, protecting any new faces who came along and grew stronger as a team. They had begun to work on an immunity shot and fortified their walls. As much of a curveball that the end of the world as they knew it was, they had found a new world with each other. Though even in the sad remembrance, they had each other. Sometimes friends can be the family you chose, and all of them had found a pretty great one.
Friends Against The World (Book 1): Bite Me Page 30
