Disclaimer: The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Jondy, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me. No money is being made off of this fic. I only own the original characters (Elle/X5-164, etc.).

Notes: Spoiler-ish stuff for "Cold Comfort."

Chapter 10: X6-367

I lay down in my bunk and waited patiently for the guard to walk a safe distance away from the barracks. When he was finally away, I slipped out of my bunk and arranged everything to look like I was still in my bunk and sleeping. I can't wait until I'm thirteen and I can leave my barracks at night to go to the gym or somewhere else in the building like the older X-series who also have shark DNA can. I looked around to make sure that everybody else was sleeping and then I crept over to the door. I paused, and held my breath and waited for 405 to ask me where I was going, but I didn't hear anything so I opened the door and let my breath out after I'd shut it closed.

"I can't believe that she didn't wake up," I said to myself as I walked down the hallway. I shrugged and continued on my way. I hoped that 887 was still awake in the infirmary. We'd had Escape and Evade against Unit 2 this morning and when 887 had run into one of their members, he'd been injured badly enough to need surgery. I hadn't had time to give 887 a quick visit earlier so I'd decided earlier to sneak out to see him.

I made it to one of the entrances to the infirmary and slipped inside. I hid behind some equipment and waited for some nurses to pass by before I made my way over to where 115, who had visited 887 earlier, had said his bed was. I finally pushed aside the curtain and stood next to 887. "Hey, it's me. Are you awake?"

"Yeah, I'm awake," 887 said. "You didn't wake me up or anything. I'm really bored."

"And you don't feel like getting something to make you sleep?" I guessed.

"No," 887 said. "I don't like whatever medication they use. I feel so groggy when I finally do wake up." He smiled. "Speaking of waking up, did 405 wake up when you were sneaking out of the barracks or did you actually managed to sneak over here under her radar?"

I giggled. "She didn't wake up when I left to come over here. I don't think she would have said anything other that 'try not to get caught' if I told her where I was going."

"Yeah, she's usually understanding," 887 said.

"How are you feeling?" I asked. "Does your arm hurt or has your pain medication not worn off yet?"

"It's starting to ache again," 887 said. "I guess I'll probably have to pretend that I just woke up and ask a nurse or a doctor for something after all so you might have to leave pretty soon. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I said. "I understand." I looked over at him. "Hey, since you've been here, have you heard anything about that X5 who'd collapsed in the cafeteria this afternoon at lunch?"

887 shook his head. "I haven't heard anything. I guess the X5 must be over in a different area of the infirmary." He grimaced. "I'm really sorry, 367, but I'm in a lot of pain again."

"Don't worry," I said. "I should get going now, anyway. I'll see you later."

"See you later," 887 said.

I snuck back out of 887's area of the infirmary and started to head back out when I paused and turned around. I couldn't help myself. "Don't let 405 kill me for this if she ever finds out," I said to myself as I slid behind a corner and listened and waited. After a moment, I heard something and I smiled and I continued on. I finally reached another curtained off area, only I could hear more machines. I frowned and pulled aside just enough for me to get a peek inside and I looked at X5-355 and my jaw dropped.

"That…that can't be," I whispered. That couldn't be 355…could it? That was an old woman laying on the bed, a very old woman! She looked like 355, but she couldn't be her! It wasn't possible. 355 was in her mid-teens. This woman looked like she was in her seventies or eighties. She had ice packs on her forehead and arms and she was hooked up to an oxygen tube and IVs and other machines. I began to tremble. I was getting really scared. I took a deep breath to try to calm myself down and I looked at the wristband that the woman was wearing and I zoomed in on it and my eyes widened. It was 355! I turned around and got out of there. I don't know how I did it without getting caught by somebody. I left the infirmary and turned around the corner and ran into somebody. Oh, no!

"Slow down. What's going on? Are you okay?"

I looked up and bit my lip, not sure whether to feel relieved or frightened. I'd bumped into 210 from X5 Unit 2 and next to her was 452. I didn't know if they'd report me or what. "I…I…"

"It's okay, take your time," 452 said gently. "You're shaking and you're as white as a sheet. Are you okay? Tell us what's wrong."

I took a deep breath. I guess they weren't going to report me so I should tell them what I'd seen. "I…I snuck out of my barracks to see my unit mate 887 who's in the infirmary because he was injured during Escape and Evade and I reached the infirmary and I saw him and he'll be okay and all and then I got curious about what happened to X5-355 so I found out where she was and…and…it…" I tried to take another deep breath. "She was old!"

"What do you mean?" 210 asked. "How was she old?"

"She looked like she had aged," I explained. "She looked like she was eighty years old and she had ice packs on her and she was hooked up to machines and oxygen and I thought that I was wrong and that it wasn't 355 but then I saw the bracelet that was on her wrist and it was her and I got scared and I got out of there."

"Whoa," 452 said.

I nodded, feeling much calmer now. "Do you want me to show you?"

"Only if you're up to it," 210 said. "That's actually what we were going to do when we bumped into you…"

"367," I said. "I'm sure." I led them back into the infirmary and we snuck over to where 355 was and I pulled the curtain back enough for 452 and 210 to have a look. I didn't take another look myself, though.

"Holy shit," 452 whispered. She sounded as shocked as I'd been. She saw me out of the corner of her eye and winced. "Sorry, 367."

"It's okay," I said.

"I can't believe that's her," 210 whispered. She and 452 looked up and a split second later, so did I. 452 gestured to me and 210 and we hid behind equipment as two doctors entered 355's curtained off area. We kept hidden and listened to them.

"It's a good thing that we got the ice on her in time," one of the doctors said. "She was developing the symptoms faster than the two X5s from the facility in Syracuse who'd come down with this disease."

"Same symptoms, though, right?" the second doctor asked.

"Exactly the same," the first doctor said. "Fever, coughs, other flu-like symptoms followed by the rapid physical aging." I heard the sound of a clipboard opening and then shutting. "Let's prep her for the treatment. Exactly like it's outlined."

"Good thing it received the final okay yesterday, huh?" the second doctor said.

"Especially for this X5," the first doctor agreed. "She'll be the first X5 to actually undergo this therapy. If everybody's lucky, she'll be the only one."

452, 210, and I snuck back out of the infirmary and went back towards my barracks. "I wish we knew what made her so sick," I said. I shuddered.

"Maybe W—369 will have an idea after he hears what 355's symptoms were," 210 said helpfully. "He's the field med in our unit and he's pretty advanced in his med training and he usually likes to read those medical books in the library. If anybody other than those doctors would know or have an idea, he would."

We reached my barracks and I opened the door. "Thank you for not reporting me," I said.

"Not reporting her for what?"

I winced. "Sorry, 405."

"We ran into her outside of the infirmary," 452 said.

"Oh," 405 said. "I guessed that you'd gone to see 887." She looked at us and frowned. "What's wrong?"

452, 210, and I explained what had happened. "…we're going to ask 369 later what he thinks," 210 said. "He should know."

"Okay," 405 said. She still looked calm, though I saw 452 and 210 exchange a look after glancing at her. I shrugged it off.

"Well, thanks again," I said.

"You're welcome, 367," 452 said.

"You should get to bed," 405 said.

"But I slept last night," I protested. I turned back to 452 and 210. "I have shark DNA. I barely sleep."

210 smiled. "452 and I also have shark DNA. We understand."

"Pretend to sleep at least," 405 said, but she smiled a little. "Thank you, you guys." 452 and 210 also smiled and they left and 405 and I went inside the barracks, shutting the door behind us. I went back over to my bunk and got inside and 405 got back into her own bunk.

"Good-night, 405," I said.

"Good-night, 367," 405 said. "Are you okay or are you sick of people asking you that by now?"

I giggled. She's really serious most of the time, but once in awhile 405 can be pretty funny. "I'll be fine in the morning."

"Okay," 405 said. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up."

"I promise," I said. I lay down and sighed and stared at the ceiling.

TBC

More notes: Thank you so much to angelofdarkness78 for your review and support!