She had planned to sleep, to not speak again of the conversation she had with Jaxton, but in the moment something came over her, the doctor was always one to tell the full truth never holding anything back.
“I remind him of her,” she said rolling over to face the doctor.
“Who?”
“Adaline.”
“He… told you about her?” he asked, obvious shock registering in his voice.
“Yes, he said that I reminded him of her which is the reason that he saved me back in the city.”
“I suppose you do look like her,” the doctor said, tilting his head to the side. “But, I think you would have to squint really hard. Perhaps our dear Jaxton just has very bad eyesight,”
“That’s not funny,” Gemi said.
“Well the truth of the matter is that I can see where he would say that. When he met her she was still chipped. She had the same demeanor that you do now. He had nothing but the best intentions when he rescued you. Besides you should take it as a compliment.”
“I don’t think reminding him of his painful past or someone who lost it is a good thing.”
“It is good because he was a different person then. Maybe you can help him get back to that point. Then again I stand by what I said, don’t get attached.”
They both fell silent. Gemi flopped her arm over her eyes, half wanting to force sleep, but mostly wanting to block out Doctor Asker’s speculative stare.
She felt something changing in her, something that terrified her. The Doctor said it was her that could help Jaxton to be the person he once was. But deep down she knew that they were all, along with the rest of the world, helping to change her into someone else. Someone she didn’t recognize.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The next few days passed uneventfully. Gemi and the doctor held up in their tent, the doctor not well enough to leave yet, and Gemi not daring to. There had been no sign of Jaxton or anyone else really. The one person who came to visit her was Sann and he only came when it was mealtime.
It was probably for the best. Gave the others a chance to calm down and forget about her. Forget the things that Kai blamed her for. Forget her not so subtle breakdown on the beach with someone who in many ways was still a complete stranger.
By the third day Doctor Askel had become antsy. His wounds were pretty much healed, and he was aching to get up and go rejoin the rest of the group. He would be welcomed back with open arms and wide smiles. Of course he would. He was like them. A small fire welled in her stomach at the thought.
Gemi had been fine for over a day now, but had yet to muster the courage to go face Jaxton and the others, so instead she played as if she were still in pain.
“It’s odd you’re not feeling better yet,” the doctor said to her as he pulled his shoes on.
“Yes… maybe it was just a combination of all the injuries, you know?”
“Well, if you are not better by tomorrow, we may need to dose you with more medication. I hope that is not the case as we are starting to run low on supplies.” The doctor eyed her suspiciously. “I think that for me at least, it’s time to rejoin the living.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” said Gemi faking a smile.
It felt like a stab at her. Maybe she was death. Or perhaps it simply meant she brought death. She was probably overreacting, over analyzing.
“Yes well, I think that you should try to join us for at least dinner,” he continued. “Maybe your body just needs a good stretch to get it back on the healing path.”
He left before she could object. There was no way she was going back out there. She knew she would need to eventually. Now that the doctor was mended they would be back on the road again, but that just meant being able to hide out in a cargo van.
“Well, well,” called a voice from the entrance. “Still hiding out?” Sann stepped into the room and strode towards her. “I can’t imagine after everything, falling down a hill took you out. What gives?”
He sat down next to her.
“Come on little bird, it’s time you pulled yourself out of this cave.”
Sann grabbed her arm and stood pulling her with him.
“Stop!” she screamed ripping her hand away. “And stop calling me that! I am not some delicate creature, everyone just needs to stop treating me like I am!”
“Damn, duly noted. You might want to get grasp of that temper before Kai gets ahold of you. She has been itching for you to slip up.”
He left without another word. Gemi stood there her head spinning. Her hands clenched into fists at her side. Temper? Oh God she was losing it. She had to get out of there.
Gemi ran from the tent, heading up towards the path she had taken to go fishing. Her muscles cramped, aching from fatigue and lack of mobility the past few days. Her breath came in quick bursts. She ignored them instead pushing faster.
The trees flew by her face in a haze. Spots of green and brown that didn’t quite take shape. She wasn’t exactly sure when it had happened, but out of nowhere tears streamed down her face. They blocked her vision making it hard to see where she was going. They said that all the chips had shut off. It was possible that her emotions had been building since that day, slowing growing and eating at her until she found herself swinging by a noose.
She stopped when she reached the hill that lead to the stream and clutched at a nearby tree using it for support as she tried to catch her breath. Her whole body shook from exertion and fear. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, annoyed at their very presence.
“What are you doing out here?”
Gemi looked up to see Kai and Callum walking towards her. Both of them had a look of pure hatred painted across their faces obviously not too happy to have her anywhere near them. Gemi stood upright leaving one hand gripping onto the tree for support.
“I um… just needed some air,” she stammered.
“So happy you had to come all the way out here to get it.” Kai snarled back at her and wrapped her arm around Callum pulling him in closer.
“I am glad to see you’re better Callum,” Gemi said ignoring Kai.
He said nothing in return, just glared at her as he passed. Kai stopped in front of her and dropped fishing gear at their feet.
“Don’t speak to him. Better yet just stay the hell away from both of us.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Gemi took a step back. She was unpredictable and with no one else around to intervene there was no telling what she was capable of.
“I don’t care what you meant by it.” Kai said before she grabbed Gemi by the back of her neck and forced her to the ground. Kai drew her leg back and delivered a swift kick to Gemi’s side. Not again, she thought as pain flared in her flank.
“Stay away from us and we will be just fine.” She kicked her again. “God, I think that the doctor will be very disappointed in you when he finds out that you have taken another spill down the same hill.”
Kai dropped her foot hard on Gemi’s low back and twisted her heel in deeper. She lay there gasping into the dirt. The fire in her stomach grew. She wanted nothing more than to tackle Kai to the ground and show her what it felt like to be on the receiving end. Maybe grab the knife on her hip and…No. The thought was pushed away hastily. Gemi closed her eyes tighter wishing Kai would leave before the fire consumed her.
“Let’s go Kai I’m starving,” Callum called from the distance.
“Not a word about this,” Kai said.
She removed her foot from her back and turned to leave without another word. Gemi lay still until she could no longer hear their feet crunching on the leaves that covered most of the ground. When she was sure that they had left she rolled onto her back, taking note of the dull pain that came along with it.
Gemi lost track of how long she laid like that, watching the trees blow in the wind that had picked up over the last few days. The leaves had begun to brown, the unharvested fruit falling to the ground to rot where they lay. Gemi breathed in
deep. In four, out four. Little by little the fire subsided until she felt like herself again. Of course she would never hurt anyone. Her mind was just overthinking, taking pieces of things that had happened to her and forcing them on other people. That was the only way to explain it.
When she realized that the sun had started to dip low in the sky she decided that it was time to head back. She was a bit in shock that no one had come looking for her, but seeing as the doctor was still in no shape to walk long distances yet and she had yelled at the two other people that would speak to her, she really shouldn’t have been too surprised.
The sun was setting when she arrived back at camp. It was dead quiet without a soul in sight. Something was wrong. Fear tightened her chest at the thought that something may have happened while she was gone like the last time.
She crept through the camp resisting the urge to call out, just in case there were affected present. As she neared the medical tent she started to hear voices. They were coming from a small tent she hadn’t noticed before, tucked behind the kitchen.
Gemi snuck up close to the opening to where she could partially see inside, but not in direct eyesight of anyone else. Jaxton, Allon, and Sann stood in a circle with the doctor who sat at a nearby desk. They all wore the concerned expression.
“When was the last time anyone had any communication with them?” Jaxton asked.
“The day we set up camp here, so a few days ago,” said Allon.
“They may have just temporarily lost connection what with everything that is going on,” Jaxton replied.
“It’s been days, we have never lost contact for that long. Something must have happened. The last I heard the cities were worse, the numbers of those affected had almost tripled.”
“They could have broken connection with us to hide our location,” said Jaxton.
“I don’t think that they would do that. The affected don’t seem to be that inept to electronics. They appear to have one thing on their mind,” the doctor interjected.
“Whatever this is, it’s not good,” said Allon.
“Spying are we?” a voice called from behind Gemi.
A hand was on her, pushing her full force through the opening of the tent. Gemi lost balance and fell sprawling on the ground at the groups’ feet.
“What the hell?” Jaxton asked. He bent down and lifted her to her feet “Are you ok?”
“Yes, I think so,” she replied.
“What was that Callum?” he said turning to face her assailant.
“She was spying on your conversation. No doubt reporting back to her crazies. I told you we should never trust her.”
“I think Kai has gotten into your head. She isn’t working for anyone,” Sann interjected.
“Explain how everything went to shit the moment we picked her sorry ass up,” Callum was yelling now.
“The world went to shit, that’s what happened,” Sann said.
“You need to calm down right now,” Jaxton said stepping forward.
“I don’t have to listen to a damn thing you say.”
“As your commanding officer you –”
“Commanding officer of what? For all we know we are all that’s left!”
“Even more reason for you to calm the hell down. We need to formulate a plan,” Jaxton replied as composed as ever.
“I have a plan for you. We kill that liability,” Callum said, pointing a thick finger at Gemi. “Then we can try and make it back to base to find what the fuck happened.”
“You’re not going to lay a finger on her,” Jaxton’s tone was warning now. “You need to go cool off before you do something stupid.”
“Come on Callum you know that she is to be protected at all cost until –”
“Until she loses it?” Callum snarled interrupting Sann. “Well I would say she already has. She ambushed Kai in the woods when we were headed back to camp. I had to pull her off of her.”
“Is that true?” Jaxton asked turning to Gemi.
“What? No I didn’t attack anyone, she was the one –”
“You lying bitch! Kai has bruises all over her body.” Callum said glaring at Gemi the entire time.
“Why didn’t she come to me?” Doctor Askel asked.
“Why would she? She knew you would come up with a reason to defend your little chipped pet.”
All eyes turned to Gemi, not one of them were reassuring.
“I didn’t attack anyone. I was walking to the stream when I ran into them. Kai attacked me, pushed me onto the ground and kicked me a few times. Here look,” Gemi said as she lifted her shirt up to expose her tender back. Purple bruises had appeared where Kai’s shoe had made contact.
“You see, see how her crazy brain is twisting things? Kai didn’t touch her. I kicked her in an effort to get her off of Kai. She had her hands wrapped around her throat. If you don’t believe me go have a look at her yourself.” Callum backed out of the tent, his arms raised in a defeated posture. It was almost as if all the fight had suddenly left his body. It was odd, making Gemi feel uneasy.
“Sann you stay with Gemi. The doc and I will go take a look at Kai and get her side of the story,” Jaxton said. He shot one quick glance in her direction before he stepped outside to follow Callum.
The group left together, leaving her standing there in the middle of the tent completely confused. She replayed the afternoon over and over in her head trying to think if she actually had laid a hand on Kai. She had wanted to. For the first time in her twenty-five years she truly did want to lay her hands on someone when the fire in her stomach was at its hottest. But she hadn’t. She couldn’t have…
“No one wouldn’t blame you if you did,” Sann said from beside her as if reading her mind.
“I wouldn’t…”
“I know I have wanted to.” Sann sat in the chair and kicked his feet up on the desk, relaxed as ever.
***
Jaxton and the doctor arrived back at the tent some time later. Both looked wore out.
“So what’s the verdict?” Sann asked, sitting back up straight.
“Inconclusive,” the doctor replied.
“Gemi you’re going to be sleeping in my tent tonight,” said Jaxton.
“Was she injured?” Gemi asked.
“We will talk about it in the morning.”
“What does that mean –”
“I said we will talk about it in the morning.” Jaxton met her gaze holding it for a beat as a sad emotion passed through his face before returning to his normal stoic expression. “Do you need to grab anything?” he asked.
Gemi shook her head.
“Good, let’s go.”
Her bed had already been moved into the tent, pushed all the way to one side allowing a good distance between it and Jaxton’s bed. Gemi went straight towards it, too tired to think about anything else. She lay there in a ball not even bothering to remove her shoes.
Jaxton draped a blanket over her and tucked in the corners before retreating to his bed. He pulled a raggedy book out of his bag and began to read it in the dim light of the lantern. The cover had been so worn she could no longer make out the title. Books, she was good at books. She closed her eyes and pictured herself back in her office on the tenth floor back before the madness, back when the world made sense and murder and violence were something you read about in history books. Not something that surrounded you. Not something that threatened to consume you.
***
Gemi bolted upright, her skin so hot it felt as if it might melt right off. The bed was damp where she had been laying. She could still feel beads of sweat rolling down her neck. She tried to focus on her surroundings, the silence of the camp letting her know that it must be the middle of the night. There was no recollection of falling asleep. Jaxton was out cold, his peaceful face pointed in her direction with his book draped across his chest.
Gemi pulled herself out of bed and walked towards one of his gear bags in search of water. She rummaged around trying her best to be as q
uiet as she could so that she did not wake him. Finally she found a half full bottle, they really were running low on supplies. Gemi downed its contents in two large gulps despite her conscience nagging at her that she probably should have left some for later.
While putting the contents of the bag back a silver glint caught her eye. One of Jaxton’s knives had come loose from its sheath and now glowed in the dim light. Gemi stared at it transfixed for a few moments before reaching out and grasping the hilt in her hand. Her other hand found the edge of the blade, ever so slowly she slid it across her palm. A trail of red followed as blood oozed from the wound and pooled in the center before overflowing the sides and falling to the ground.
Gemi brought her hand close to her face to examine it. She extended her fingers out and then brought them in to form a fist, all the while watching the wound take on different shapes as it opened and closed. The red of her blood intrigued her the most, urging her to see more.
In one swift motion she laid her hand on the floor of the tent and brought the blade down hard, the tip piercing all the way through to the other side pinning it to the earth. Giddiness ripped through her, more, she needed to see more.
Gemi pulled the blade from her hand and stood. She walked to where Jaxton slept, a trial of blood following her. He had turned his face from her leaving his neck now exposed to the point where the soft beat of his heart was visible in his artery. She climbed onto the bed and straddled him doing her best to not rouse him. With one hand she pushed on his forehead pinning it to the bed, the other hand brought the red glistening blade to his throat and pressed down hard before sliding it across to the other side.
Blood sprayed violently from his now severed artery. Jaxton’s eyes flew opened to survey the room before resting on Gemi’s face. He pushed on her chest in a feeble effort to unseat her from on top of him, but the blade being brought swiftly to his chest rewarded each attempt.
Finally he stopped struggling resigning himself to his fate. Blood foamed out of his mouth with each ragged breath as he tried desperately to bring air into his ruptured lungs.
Paroxysm Effect Page 9
