Virus V Recap:
Andie and Kaid are two friends/more than friends that were living together in the Duskie infested world. One day they came across Jamie and Finn, twins who living on a Duskie protected island. But, there was something off about Jamie. Later, we find out that Jamie has been bitten and infected by a Duskie but somehow survived the attack. However there are side effects. Jamie needs a ration of human blood, is sensitive to sunlight, and stronger/ more powerful than humans, but he still ahs humanity. In the last chapter the island was mysteriously attacked by Duskies. Kaid and Finn helped people onto boats to get off the island. Jamie went to look for Doc and found that Doc had been bitten. Doc told Jamie to get his journal that held important information. When Jamie went into Doc's office he had to fight off a Duskie, but the Duskie was strong and bit him. Jamie was just about to pass out when he noticed the Duskie… changing…
...
Chapter 14 – Kaid
"Where's Jamie? He should be here by now." Finn asked. Since the attack on the hospital, Finn and Kaid were helping people escape into boats. Their pant legs were soaked up to their knees from sending people off in boats. They were instructed to stay on the shoreline until everyone had gotten on a boat. There was no way to tell if there were more Duskies waiting at the mainland so they took the safer route and instructed everyone to stay on the water until sunrise.
"Let's get everyone safe and then you and I can go back in and look for him." Kaid offered. He never thought he would offer to save Jamie, but he could see the stress radiating off of Finn. Finn had taken Kaid and Andie in so Kaid felt like he always owed Finn. Saving Jamie must be his from of returning the favor.
It took a while for Andie to make it to the beach so Kaid understood what Finn was feeling. The uncertainty was what sucked the most. Were they okay? Were they dead? But Finn had to worry about something else: did Jamie have anything to do with this? Did he lose control?
Finally, Andie came to the boat chauffeuring a group of people, some were limping, but none seemed to be bleeding. "That's the last of them," she said. She glanced quickly at Finn. She had noticed Jamie hadn't come out yet either.
"Andie you're going on that boat with them and we'll meet up with you as soon as we are sure the building is clear." Kaid told her.
"You're kidding right? I'm going with you." She argued. "I'm not playing babysitter. You know me better than that. Let met help."
"No. It's too dangerous in there to risk it and there's only one more boat left. We don't know how many people are left in there. We might need that space."
Andie bit her lip in anger but agreed. She squeezed Kaid tight. "You better come back, or I'm gonna kill you."
Kaid laughed. "We'll see each other soon. Don't worry. This isn't goodbye." Kaid whispered back.
As soon as Andie climbed into the boat they sent it off to meet the others. Kaid watched the boat until it disappeared into the sunset. He couldn't help but wonder if that was the last time he'd see her. He wouldn't show that, that was what he was feeling though.
"We've got an hour until sunrise. We can always just wait it out and search the place in the morning. It'd be safer for everyone involved." Kaid suggested. Kaid and Finn were the last two people on the beach. It felt incredibly lonely all of the sudden.
"It takes less than a second for a Duskie to make a kill. We don't have an hour to wait. If there's anyone left in there, they don't have an hour." Finn loaded a clip into his gun.
. . .
Finn took the lead while Kaid covered his back. They worked in sync, as one turned the other checked the other way. Never was there a moment when their backs were unprotected.
It was dark in the hallways and only the beam from their flashlight shone through the darkness. It was quieter now. The sound of their footsteps seemed louder than normal and they tried their best to silence them.
Then Finn stopped in his tracks. There was no sound, no light, nothing that Kaid saw that would make him stop, until he looked down.
There, leaning against the wall, was a body. There was a gun in a hand and blood splattered on the wall. There was a large gash on his neck, which meant he had been bit and shot himself before he turned.
Finn used the butt of his gun to move the head so he could see the face.
"God-dammit." Finn was kneeling down next to the body and he hung his head.
Kaid stepped around Finn so he could see the face too. It was Doc. He'd never talked to Doc much. Doc liked to stay from himself, but he was always with Jamie which meant Finn was close to Doc too.
Maybe Jamie did do this. Maybe he was with Doc, did this, and then went on a killing spree. Kaid thought it was only a matter of time before Jamie snapped. He knew Finn held out hope, but Kaid knew the reality of the situation.
"Come on," Finn spoke quietly as he stood up. "We'll collect bodies later. We've got to keep moving."
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Kaid asked.
"Of course it is. I have to find my brother."
"You care too much about him so you don't see it. What if Jamie did this? What if all the blood got to him and he attacked along side with the Duskies—"
"Shut up!"
"Open your eyes, dude. Your brother is no different than those monsters. Some how he's kept it boiling just under the surface, but look at the evidence. He cracked."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Jamie's nothing like those monsters. He's human."
"Fine. But, if not now, then when? If this wasn't him now it's only a matter of time before he attacks someone. You can't keep a wolf in a herd of sheep."
"I'm not giving up on him." That was that last thing Finn said about the subject. He turned and continued down the dark hallway.
As they searched the hallways they kept seeing the same thing -bodies ripped apart, bloodstained walls, and people infected. They did what they had to and killed them before they had a chance to turn. They didn't want anyone to go through the turning process.
To Kaid, it felt like they were going in circles, but Finn knew his way around the hospital. They were about to head down to the next level when they heard a cry for help.
"Hello!?" They stopped dead in their tracks. "Is anyone there? Please… help!"
"That sounded like it was coming from the lab." Finn said and immediately took off running. Kaid followed closely behind.
They made it to the lab and it seemed relatively unharmed. It was still a mess like Doc kept it.
"In here!" The voice called.
"Doc's office." Finn confirmed and ran over.
Inside they found two bodies, one was the source of the yelling and the other was Jamie.
Kaid could hear Finn breathe a sigh of relief. But something wasn't right. The stranger's clothing was too worn and dirty for someone who was living in the hospital. There were dark stains down his chin and front of his shirt and there was fresh blood around his mouth. Jamie was lying on the floor gasping for air. His eyes were shut tight like he was in pain. He was sweating. There was fresh blood on his neck, but no wound.
"Finn…?" Kaid started, but it was cut off but a howl from a nearby Duskie.
"It can wait. We need to get out of here. Now!"
Finn grabbed Jamie and Kaid helped the stranger to his feet. "Can you keep up?" Kaid asked. The stranger nodded meekly and they all headed to the beach.
. . .
The sky was starting to get lighter. Kaid couldn't say how long they had been floating out in the middle of the lake. The soft swaying of the boat made it hard to keep his eyes open. He found himself drifting in and out of sleep, but his body was too alert and wouldn't allow itself to get its much needed rest. He had been up all night.
The howls and screeches from the Duskies that were left on the island had started to quiet down. By now they could probably sense that the sun was coming up and they were finding places to hide away for the day. All Kaid could think about was going back to the island and making sure every last Duskie was dead.
Andie was sleeping in a boat floating a few feet away. They had anchored out in the middle of the lake and attached to each other so no one drifted away.
Kaid shared a boat with Finn, Jamie and the mystery person. He was sure that he had never seen this person before. Sure, there were a lot of people on the island, but Kaid was good with faces and he didn't recognize this stranger. So, where did he come from?
Right now the stranger was asleep like the rest. Kaid didn't think of him as an immediate threat, but there was something obviously off about this stranger. The tattered clothing, the blood…someone from the island wouldn't look like that. The stranger had blood on his face. If that wasn't a red flag, he didn't know what was.
Finn was holding Jamie at the bow of the boat. Jamie was still unconscious. He seemed less in pain now. He was sweating less, but his skin still looked slick. He mumbled nonsense in his sleep. Even in his sleep Jamie held on tight to some old looking journal.
Find held Jamie's head in his lap. He kept dipping a rag into the lake and placing it on Jamie's head as if to keep him cool.
"Was it like this last time?" Kaid spoke. No one had said anything for a long time. His voice was scratchy as it came out.
"Last time?" Finn answered quietly, but didn't lift his head. He kept his eyes on his brother.
"Was it like this when Jamie was bitten, when he turned?"
Finn looked up, his eyes tired and accusing. "He didn't turn. He's still human."
Kaid didn't argue with it anymore, neither of them had the energy to fight about it, "What do you think happened?"
Finn glanced at the stranger, Jamie, and then back at Kaid. "I have no idea. I guess we'll find out once they wake up. But I have to get him to shore before sunrise."
Kaid gave Finn a look.
Finn read Kaid's mind and continued, "He's not a Duskie, but the sun will burn his skin faster than it would a human's."
"Okay." Kaid said softer than he planned. He cleared his throat. "Let's have everyone start waking up and heading to the mainland. It should be safe now."
. . .
The boats were now empty and beached along the shoreline. There was nowhere to go. People sat in groups along the shoreline until they were instructed to do otherwise. Some slept, some talked, some looked to Finn and even Kaid for guidance.
Their numbers had gone down by about a third. There were less old and sick people. Those people were the easiest prey for the Duskies.
Kaid looked for Andie again, making sure she was still okay. She was all he could think about during the attack.
She was making her way around the pods of people, making sure they had everything they needed. They didn't have many supplies, but the escape boats had just enough food and water to hold people over for now. They would either have to clear the island or find a new safe place. They'd have to find a place fast. Kaid would be fine living off the land, but these people couldn't do it.
Kaid finally allowed himself sit down and lean against a tree. He tilted his head back and shut his eyes. His gun rested on his lap. He knew it was safe in the daylight but he couldn't force his body to relax. It was still too alert.
A pair of soft lips kissed him on the forehead. He opened his eyes and as he did Andie curled up next to him. Having her next to him actually allowed him to calm down a bit. Now that he relaxed a little he could see the sunrise over the lake.
"It's strange…" she began, "how there's beauty after tragedy." She rested her head on Kaid's shoulder.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know." She shifted. "One time, before all of this, there was this huge storm in my hometown. It was unlike anything I'd seen before. The sky turned green then black. The winds were so strong that trees were down everywhere." She laughed to herself. "I thought three days without power was bad then. But even after all that destruction I saw the most beautiful sunset in my life that night."
Kaid took a moment to look at the colors as Andie told her story. Purples, pinks, and oranges looked like they were painted across the sky. It truly was amazing.
"What happens now that the island is gone?" Andie asked.
"I wish I knew." Kaid answered. "We could go back to how we lived."
"And leave everyone? These people can't live the way we did. They can't defend themselves."
"Then where do you recommend they go?"
"I don't know. We just can't abandon them." Andie's voice was quiet. "Was Jamie okay? He looked sick."
Kaid sat up a bit. "We don't really know what happened, but he hasn't woken up yet."
Andie looked worried.
"He'll be okay." Kaid said, but didn't believe.
He felt her snuggle against him again. Kaid was just about to settle down again, but he saw the stranger walk past, looking lost.
"HEY!" Kaid got up and chased after him. By the time that Kaid reached him the strangers eyes were wide with fear and confusion. Kaid rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you. Relax."
Andie had caught up to them by then.
"Where did you come from?" Kaid asked.
"I—I don't know." The stranger glanced between Kaid and Andie.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Andie asked.
"I—"
"Kaid! Andie!" It was Finn.
Andie glanced in the direction that Finn's voice came from, but Kaid kept interrogating the stranger. "Come on spit it out."
"I don't remember. All I remember is biting that guy—"
"Biting?" Kaid murmered. That would explain the blood.
The stranger kept talking, "the one that was on the boat… and I remember having this searing pain, like I'd swallowed fire, and then… It's like I was asleep up until then and now… I'm awake."
Biting?
"KAID! ANDIE! Jamie's awake!"
"Come on!" Andie pulled Kaid away from the stranger, but Kaid needed to stay back to figure this out. What the hell was going on?
"You're coming with us." Kaid grabbed the stranger the same way Andie had grabbed Kaid and pulled him along.