Hey everyone! Sorry for the long delay- some unexpected health issues made me unavailable for some time. So you can imagine my surprise when I come back to all of this amazing feedback! Heartful thanks to all of you- truly and deeply. Corny, but I was in a bad place and your kind words made it better. This chapter isn't much, just a matter of pushing the plot. I'll try to upload again soon because this one is so short. Thank you again.
Warning: Explicit language, sexual language ahead.
"Honestly, I don't understand your obsession with that creature."
"Then don't try to."
"Really though," Nancy tuts as she folds a towel then places it on Josie's bed, "there are plenty of other things to keep your mind occupied. "Why don't you go make some friends?"
Josie sighs gustily and leans against the tiny dresser in her room. Ever since she'd shown the nurse a thread of kindness, Nancy has taken to treating her as if she were her child. And that included lectures of the more irritating sort.
"Listen, Nancy. I don't need friends. I don't want them. All I want is to take Jacs and leave. That's all."
Nancy's lips purse and she pauses in her folding of the stark white linens that were given to Josie to wear. The old woman raises her eyes and leans her hand on her hip. "Well, that isn't going to happen. Abe needs him for his research."
Josie doesn't deign that with a response, instead turning to observe the pristine ceiling above. They had this conversation innumerable times. This was becoming exhausting. Two weeks spent in this place. Mind-numbing time that crept slowly by. When she'd been outside, surviving, she'd used to dream of places like this. Safe havens, with food and people and warmth. But, for whatever reason in her unstable mind, this place only left her on edge, panicky, seeking for escape. She hasn't seen Jacs since that eventful day when she'd awoken. Nor had she seen Stuart or Abe since then, though Jason was a very prominent figure around here, constantly seen patrolling the halls with a menacing scowl.
In the weeks she's been here, she's managed to surmise that she was in a large hospital, filled almost to the brim with other survivors. Twelve floors full. Although the floor she stayed on, and the one below containing Jacs, were kept isolated from the others, the hospital's dirty secret. For food, they'd managed to plant gardens on the hospital's flat roof, and for water, they collected rainfall. As far as she knows, Abe is head honcho here. A self-sufficient ecosystem, a stifling prison.
Nancy suddenly approaches Josie, her wrinkled face puckered. Josie flinches and fights the instinctive lash out when Nancy grabs her chin and squeezes. "Listen here, sweet girl," Nancy whispers, "there's nothing you can do to get him out. You can't leave this place. You never will. And why would you want to? The best thing you can do is to integrate yourself with the others as quickly and smoothly as possible and to forget that creature immediately. Understood?"
Josie stares into her wizened eyes for a long moment, then sneers and pushes the old nurse's hand away. "You're not my mother," she growls and leaves her little room as quickly as possible, ignoring the hurt look that spreads across Nancy's face.
The hallways are kept clean, remarkably so. As always, Josie trails the air vents with a practiced eye, memorizes the near maze of twists and turns. She has to learn if she is going to get her hunter out of here. A rational part of her mind cringes. Why is she doing this to herself? Why is she risking a safe, happy life for the sake of a sick man? Why, why, why? She doesn't know.
"Hey! Jo Jo!" Josie sighs and turns around. A young man is trotting up to her, a genuine smile plastered on his face. Cody. He'd introduced himself the moment she'd walked into the small cafeteria, as eager as a puppy, as he invited her to sit with him. She hadn't said a word, instead choosing to turn around and skip a meal for that day. Cody has taken to following her whenever she spots her, trailing and yapping like a dog, eager to introduce her to everyone in the facility. "How's it hangin'?" he asks, pushing his pair of thick-rimmed glasses up his nose. Josie doesn't answer, instead walking faster. Maybe if she ignored him…
"Cat got your tongue?"
She sighs and turns around, uncomfortably running her hands over her white sleeved shirt. She's not used to this kind of attention. It makes her skin crawl and makes her wish only for the clear blue sky of the outside world. "What do you want?" She doesn't mean to sound so rude, but when her nerves take a hold of her so thoroughly, there's nothing to be done.
Cody raises his hands and chuckles, again pushing his glasses up his nose. "Easy tiger. Just wanted to ask you if you wanted to have lunch together?" Josie steps away from his leering presence and he unconsciously follows her.
Him following her around was bad enough. He'd talk about anything and everything that flitted through his mind. To actually have to sit down with him, no distraction, only his unending stream of words? She already has a headache just thinking about it. Nervously, she says, "No… no, thanks. I have, Nancy, um, needs me." Better the old woman than the foolish boy. She whirls on her heel and makes for her room.
"Hey!" He reaches out and grabs her elbow, jerking her until she falls back into his small chest. Her heart soars into her throat and she reacts without thought.
Twisting away, she ducks under his arm and delivers a fist into his throat while sweeping his legs out from underneath him, an easy task given his short and narrow stature. She scurries away from him, her heart racing as she trembles.
Cody gasps on the floor, holding a hand to his mouth where a thin line of blood runs. "Jesus fuck! What is wrong with you?" he squeals, curling into himself as the pain hits. Josie hurries away, her face burning in shame.
The overhead lights in this place buzz like a mass of upset flies. Bzzzzzz, a constant vibrating droning hum has nurtured a throbbing ache between her ears.
Josie begins to hum along with the lights as she stares at the locks for what must have been the third hour. Just beyond this lock lay the passage to the floor below and consequently Jacs. She tilts her head and peers into the slit. Could she picklock it? Probably not. She'd only ever seen the skill used in movies.
For the fifteenth time, she reaches out and jiggles the handle, then tugs at it, then finally heaves against it, her teeth bared. Finally, she leans back against the wall, sliding down it, to finally rest her head on her raised knees as she thinks through everything. Even if she did manage to get past this door, there was still the matter of his cell door, as well as the glass between them. She didn't know where the entrance into his cell was. But he'd cracked the glass, hadn't he? Only a minor crack, though… more thought was required. Josie continues to hum with the lights.
"God, she's fucking crazy…"
"Shh! She can hear you!"
"Like I care. I heard she fucked Subject 9. That's why she's so eager to get back to him. Is that right, crazy?"
Josie lifts her head. Two women are standing at the end of the hall. One looks uncomfortable, scratching at her arm and looking away. The other, however, has a sneer on her face. "Do you miss its diseased cock in you?! Hm?"
Josie turns back to staring at the lock.
"Chloe, don't!" Josie glances back to see 'Chloe' now approaching her, a haughty expression on her face, her friend shifting uncertainly behind her and checking the hallway for others. She stops a few paces from her. "So? What was it like? Rough? I imagine it would be, in the arms of a cannibal. How romantic! I bet your crazy ass just lapped it up." Chloe leans in and squints at Josie. "Does he growl when he cums?"
Josie scratches her cheek and looks away.
"Well?"
"Actually, he's very gentle. Holds me close, takes it slow, minds his weight and the claws. But other times, he can be rough, like you said." Josie lets a nasty grin take over her face and glares up at Chloe. "Best fuck I've ever had." Chloe steps back as if she'd been slapped, her eyes wide.
"You really are insane…" she mutters, stepping away. Josie giggles and lifts her hips in a rocking motion as she moans softly. Chloe disgustedly grunts and begins to hurry away. Just as she's about to turn the corner, Josie calls for her. "And Chloe?" Despite herself, Chloe turns around.
"He bites when he cums!"
Chloe's face blanches and she hastens away. Josie immediately loses her grin and resumes inspecting the lock. It wouldn't hurt to at least try to pick it, would it? What were they doing to him in there? Torturing him? Hurting him?
"Um…" Josie startles and looks up to find the other girl standing a few feet away, twirling her thumbs together. "Sorry about Chloe. She'd always been a little… um, brash."
Josie takes in the girls genuine expression then slowly nods.
The girl shifts again and her face begins to turn a bright red. "Um… you didn't actually…"
Josie stares up at the girl with a blank expression.
"…um… make lo-… that is, uh…"
Josie blinks.
The girl stares for a moment then giggles. "Of course not! Sorry I even asked. And um… I heard what happened between you and Cody and I just wanted to say…"
Josie sighs and pointedly looks at the girl. She sure is a chatterbox, isn't she? The girl blanches for a moment but hurries on. "Um… thank you. He's always hitting on the new girls. He thinks he's all that ever since he was promoted to security guard. And you tossed him on his butt!" The girl giggles. "Anyways! I'll- um, see you later, ok? And, uh, sorry again." The girl smiles timidly before giving one last uncomfortable glance at the door and Josie, then hurries away,
Josie relaxes back into the wall, sagging. All of this social interaction is wearing her out. She'd take an infected any day over a long winded talk. Funny, how wrong she'd been about what she wanted.
Now that she has some peace to think…
Josie blanches and sits up quickly. Security guard. She's such an idiot! With trembling hands, she rakes her hands through her hair and quickly stands. Stupid, stupid!
Security guard! Security guard equals keys. And she just punched those keys right in the throat…
Crap.