Chapter 28: Cold

Daniel opened his eyes. He could feel the cold beads of sweat rolling across his forehead. He gripped at his hairline, blinding his peripheral vision with his arms. He stared at a single point on the ceiling, eyes wide open, as a familiar pressure pushed down on him from his bedside. He felt as though his body was being pushed into his bed. His hands began to tremble and his breathing grew more and more shallow. He considered closing his eyes, but determined that doing so would make it worse. All he could do was grit his teeth and ignore the ringing in his ears. A knock on the door broke him out of his fit. After a moment of complete stillness, another knock rang through his room. He dropped his arms onto his chest and looked toward the door. His floor and bulletin board were coated with the light from Miyako's gaudy lamp on his desk.

"It's open," he called out.

The door snapped open and revealed Roy's face.

"You feelin' any better?" he asked in a rather cheery voice as he entered the room.

"Just a bit of a headache."

"Never thought I'd see the day you get sick."

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you touch a rat…"

"Huh?"

Daniel hid his grimace.

"It's nothing. Just complaining. You're in a good mood, though."

Roy puffed out his chest.

"My old man's letting me buy my own gun. He's gonna teach me how to clean it later today too."

"Is that right?"

"That's right! Any advice?"

"A Carbine and a good forty-five. Nine mil' is only good for killing people, which I pray to God you never have to do."

"I was thinking of getting two revolvers, so I don't have to worry about running out of bullets in a pinch."

"Some Stalkers do that and it can help. I never liked to because I hated having to remember to reload and keep track of too many guns."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind. I'm gonna take off now, but you forgot this at Ross' office."

Roy put the Tabby tooth on Daniel's desk beside his dismantled pistol.

"Thanks, I didn't even realize I'd left it."

Roy signaled his departure with his usual salute and headed out the door. Daniel relaxed in his bed. After a short time, he began to doze. In his foggy stupor, he thought he heard more knocking. The thought was pushed aside as he felt a tickle in the back of his nose. The tickle quickly, but gradually swelled. Just before the feeling reached its peak, it withdrew momentarily, then bubbled up once again. This pattern held for a few seconds before Daniel closed his eyes. He could only imagine how silly he looked with his mouth wide open, his arm in front of his face, and his head cocked back. In one swift motion, he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at the lamp. When the light flooded his eyes, whatever force that had overtaken his naval cavity suddenly exploded. He wrapped his arm around his face, planting his mouth and nose against his forearm. He drenched his sleeve with spittle before letting out a satisfied grunt. His door cracked open and Dave poked his head into Daniel's room.

"Thought you were asleep, since you didn't answer," he said with a smirk on his face, "but it's a good thing I showed up when I did."

He held out a box of tissues where Daniel could see. Daniel pulled his blanket off his legs as he began to get up. Dave held his other arm out as he entered the room.

"No, no, no, don't get up! I don't have time to stay and chat. Just came to drop these off."

He walked to Daniel's bed and placed the tissue box beside him.

"Mejórate, amigo."

"Thanks," Daniel replied as Dave closed the door.

Daniel pulled a couple of the tissues out of the box and used them to clear out his nose. He dropped them onto the floor beside his bed before placing the box beside them. He looked at them for a moment, trying to decide whether to get up and throw them away or leave them for later.

"I'm sick," he convinced himself, "I'll take care of it later."

Daniel heard another knock on his door.

"It's open."

The door swung open to reveal Stick's round belly. He stopped a moment before looking at something beside the doorframe outside.

"Come on in," Stick said, "just tell him to get well and you can go."

Daniel heard the meek whispers of a woman's voice and surmised whose they were. Eventually Stick stopped talking and just stared outside. He shrugged his shoulders with a sigh and stepped into Daniel's room, closing the door behind him.

"You don't have to push her so much to like me," Daniel said as Stick walked to his desk, "I never expected her to."

"She doesn't hate you," Stick sighed, "She was old enough to know that her parents were evil. I'm sure she'll be able to get past it eventually."

"I wonder if that makes it right."

"You've always been such a pessimist…"

"My glass was always half empty."

"Then why don't you fill it up? Maybe it's time you settled down with that girl that's been hanging around you, adopted one of the kids."

Daniel scoffed, which threw him into a coughing fit.

"Yeah, laugh it off all you want, but Ross would jump for joy if you hung up your gun."

"You know I can't do that."

"Yeah, but I keep telling myself that you'll be able to get past it eventually, too."

Daniel didn't respond. He furled his brow and looked toward his feet.

"You seen Roy around at all?"

"Yeah, he came by earlier and asked me for advice on a gun to get."

"Alright, thanks. I'll swing by later to see how you're doin'. The boy'll be happy to show off his new gun, too."

Daniel waved his hand as Stick walked out of the room. Once again, Daniel was left to the eerie comfort of silence. He rolled over onto his side and stared at the door. The apathetic bustle of the voices and footsteps outside massaged his shoulders, causing him to tense up. The white noise he used to fall asleep to began to grow louder and louder, almost like a ringing in his ears. He reached down and pulled a couple of tissues from the box on the floor, blew his nose again, and dropped them beside the ones already on the ground.

He heard his doorknob turn. It rattled and shook wildly for a moment before suddenly stopping. After another moment of muffled static, the door knob turned again. This time the door swung open, revealing familiar voices.

"You know you could have just put one on the floor first," Ross bellowed.

"Have you seen how grimy the floor is here?" Miyako quipped.

"Don't let any of the janitors hear you say that. They'd throw a fit."

He laughed before turning to meet eyes with Daniel.

"Danny!" he shouted as he placed a bowl leaking steam onto Daniel's desk, "You're awake!"

"You could wake the dead, Ross," Daniel grumbled as he sat up.

"It's a good thing zombies died in the war, then, isn't it?"

"You know, I heard a guy's been working on a novel about Grand Square being overrun by zombies. I think he's just about done with it."

Daniel could practically see the chill run up Ross' spine.

"I don't want it! I don't wanna know about it! I don't wanna hear about it!"

Daniel heard Miyako laugh as she closed the door.

"You're the only person I've ever known to actually be afraid of zombies."

"Just people eating other people is terrifying, man!"

"Come to think of it, you absolutely refused to go into Yankee Stadium back then too."

"Yeah, fuck that noise! That's why those Jersey guys spook me too!"

"I haven't heard anything about them being cannibals."

"They probably are! They're crazy enough to be!"

Daniel rolled his eyes and shook his head. Miyako placed a hand on Ross' shoulder and gently pushed him aside. She lowered a wooden bowl in front of Daniel. Steam carrying the salty scent of chicken broth swayed off the surface of the soup and stroked Daniel's nostrils.

"No," Daniel said as the soup was slowly lowered into his lap, "I appreciate it, but I don't need it."

Miyako didn't reply. She continued to lower the soup onto Daniel until he grasped it on his own. She then stood up straight, gave Daniel the most non-committal smile he'd ever seen, and shrugged her shoulders before walking behind Ross and picking up the other bowl.

"Well," Daniel sighed, "Thanks, I guess."

Ross failed to hide his laughter, "With how often I hear people call you a mean, old Tabby, I never thought I'd see the day someone turned you into a little kitty cat."

"Again with people calling me old…"

"Well, you are almost forty. Most Stalkers don't make it past twenty-five."

Daniel shrugged his shoulders and raised his brow.

"Well, anyway," Ross said as he folded his arms together and shifted his weight onto one leg, "That life expectancy might get shorter after tomorrow, especially for our Hunters."

Daniel nodded and sipped a puddle of the pleasantly salty water out of his spoon.

"On the books, I'm keeping Stalkers on logistics to try and throw off any spies the colonel might have about. Their jobs shouldn't change, much, but Dave's friend – that Victoria woman – agreed to train them."

"Never thought you'd be one for the spy game."

"The Black Cats had people all over the place. Can you blame me for thinking the Army might too?"

Daniel shook his head and slurped up another spoonful of his meal.

"Anyway, figured I'd let you know, since you're technically still a Stalker too. I want you to be at the lobby tomorrow, so get better quick."

Daniel nodded and waved his spoon at Ross. Ross turned around and started toward the door. As he walked past her, he and Miyako exchanged a smile.

"Take care of him for me, will ya?"

They exchanged a wave before Ross left the room. Daniel finished his meal and placed the bowl on the floor beside the tissue box. He grabbed a couple of tissues and blew his nose before dropping the used tissues onto the growing pile and rolling onto his back.

"Geez," Miyako nagged, "You shouldn't just drop them on the floor like that."

"What am I supposed to do with them?" Daniel whined back.

"Throw them away?"

"You see a trash bin around here?"

"Right outside your door, actually."

Daniel sighed and flopped onto his back.

"Cut me some slack. I'm sick."

Miyako glanced at the desk and lifted one corner of her mouth along with an eyebrow.

"Not too sick to clean your guns, though, huh?"

From the look on her face, Daniel knew that anything he said would only further goad her. He decided to close his eyes and keep his mouth closed. After a moment of quiet, Daniel heard Miyako pick the gun up off the desk. He opened his eyes slightly and peeked at what she was doing. She held the skeletonized weapon in her hands and gazed at it for a few moments.

"I hope you stay sick for a while…"

"It's just a cold, so I doubt I will."

"Then I wish you'd hang these guns up for good."

Daniel closed his eyes again.

"Stick said the same thing just a little while ago."

"He managed to do it, so, you can too, right?"

"Stick's always been tougher than me, though."

Miyako let out a heavy sigh as she relaxed her arms and let her hands drop into her lap. The loosened bits of the gun Daniel hadn't removed to clean clacked together quietly as it plopped against her legs.

"You don't have to worry so much. You heard Ross, Stalker jobs won't change."

"That might make me feel better if you were a regular Stalker."

Daniel opened his eyes and looked at Miyako, who was still gazing down at the gun in her lap. Her furled brow and slight scowl made Daniel's stomach tighten up and his own lips droop. He narrowed his eyes and scratched his head.

"I'm not really good at reassuring people, but I can promise you I won't get killed by any Howlers or anything. If I was going to, I would have already, right?"

Miyako didn't answer. She looked at the Tabby tooth on the desk, which caused her face to grow even more sullen.

"I'm trying to cheer you up; work with me here."

Miyako took a deep breath.

"Then tell me something funny."

"What, like a knock-knock joke or something?"

"Whatever you can think of."

Daniel thought for a moment about something that might make Miyako laugh. He thought to himself that his only real experience with jokes came from his father. Then he realized that his only experience with jokes came from his father.

"What do you call a dinosaur with no eyes?"

Miyako cocked her head to the side, half-rolled her eyes, and looked past her brow at Daniel. Daniel could tell from her unamused smirk that she already knew the punchline.

"A Do-ya-think-he-saurus."

She didn't laugh, but her expression had brightened a bit.

"Ross was right. You really are old."

"Why does everybody keep saying that?"

"How many chicks have you picked up with that smooth sense of humor of yours?"

"I can't even get out of bed without stepping on someone's toes."

Miyako's chuckle made Daniel's shoulders sink into his bed and his lips relax.

"Even if my jokes were funny, the only person I have to tell them to is Ross, and he's heard them all already."

"Then, tell me something funny you haven't told Ross."

Daniel thought for a moment, staring at the ceiling, as he wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"Stick told me I should settle down."

"Oh, yeah? With who?"

"You. Then he said I should adopt one of the kids from the orphanage."

Daniel didn't hear the laugh he was expecting. He didn't hear anything from Miyako for a few moments.

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?"

Her words trembled quietly, just barely reaching Daniel ears. He turned his head to meet her expectant gaze.

"I can hardly take care of myself. I don't think I could raise a kid."

She looked at her knees and fidgeted, before pursing her lips and looking back up at Daniel.

"That's not what I meant…"

Daniel expected her to laugh, but she didn't. The quiet words and her gentle expression made an unfamiliar feeling well up inside his chest. It was uncomfortable, but pleasant and made him aware of his own heartbeat. He turned his head away and rolled onto his side.

"I wonder about that."

Miayko scoffed.

"Oh yeah? Why is that?"

"Because you're mean to me."

"How am I mean to you?"

"You mean before or after you wished I stay sick?"

She laughed and playfully slapped him on the back.

"Oh, don't be such a baby!"

Daniel argued with Miyako until the sounds outside his room drifted away.