27
Kathy exited the shower, still shaking as she pulled on warm clothing. She sat on the toilet staring into space, then the door to the bathroom opened and Douglas entered with a candle in his hand to add to hers burning on the vanity unit.
"Hey."
She nodded silently in response, still numb to what had happened.
"You OK love? That little one not upset?" he asked concerned for the baby as she had suffered a terrible shock. Not to mention the struggle and he was still shocky as well, the thought that he could have lost her from a danger within.
"I … I don't know" she admitted "What was the scuttlebutt?"
"General consensus is that whatever created the Biters was airborne for a while, while we were racing through London to get out we breathed it in. Right? It didn't turn us like it did the first Biters. Probably already dissipating but enough to infect us on a cellular level. To that end… we are in loose agreement that those of us that were in the city that night are likely carriers or something. When we die… we will turn." He motioned "come on love. Come into the bed, you are frozen."
She settled in the blankets, letting him fuss as he clambered in fully clothed as well, pulling her into his arms to hold tightly.
"So what about the baby" she said after considering "Is the baby infected? Will it be born infected? A Carrier? Or … worse? IS that why Sally's baby turned?"
Douglas froze, this something they had not discussed or even considered, now hanging there in the air. "I … I don't know love. Does this mean Dean is not infected like us? Or are all of us? I don't know. Is it just us? If so ... if this was a man made smart bomb thing … where is the rest of the world?"
"Or did it travel the entirety of the world, moving at light speed and infecting all it found" she shivered "But only humans."
"Ghost thinks it was manmade. Makes sense, some sort of germ warfare that escaped from the lab … we killed ourselves." He rubbed her back to encourage her to relax "Either way… the cause is not the problem. The effect is what we must focus on darling. I think we are right. Deep down… I think Dean is infected too."
"There is no escape" she stated to weep silently, closing her eyes as she gave in. Hormones right?
"And no surrender" he added firmly, holding her tighter as he ignored the tears, letting her have that at least.
.
.
.
.
Dwight was moving slowly, bruised from the meeting with the floor and her hands had left terrible bruises on his wrist and ankle. He sat at the table staring at the kids who were still unaware that their Mama was gone.
For the third time he opened his mouth to speak… but nothing came out and he slumped back in defeat.
Kathy slid into the chair next to him and placed her hand over his, leaning forward "Guys… we need to talk. A big thing happened last night and I need you to be grownups for a moment and listen."
The kids grew still, tiring to her with their innocent faces. She swallowed and took a deep breath.
"You know how Mama has had a bad head for a little while, been poorly like?"
Nods.
"Well … last night… last night … whatever was making her feel poorly got really bad and … guys. Mama passed away. She died."
Silence.
Henry and Harry clung to one another, both starting to cry as the little boys grieved for their respective mothers. Now more connected than ever, both little baby motherless orphans. The other twins, the real ones simply sat staring at Kathy like she was insane.
Beryl took another slice of toast and kept eating, seeming to not understand the conversation at all. It was Manny who finally spoke. "So … she is dead."
"Yes love" Kathy sighed "She… she had to go. The pain was so bad and… she is in heaven now."
Manny stared at her long and hard then said to her in a most adult way "Don't bullshit. She is gone."
Kathy nodded shocked by the anger as Dwight reached out to grip the back of his oldest child's neck. Squeezing gently as he looked at his son "Manfred … she's … mama…."
He looked at his father then his eyes slid to the bruising on the wrist, then back to his father's face and he knew. It broke Kathy's heart to see the little ten … almost eleven as he points out … year old child understood the entirety of the story not being told.
"Right" he finally said to his father "We burry her?"
"Yes. Yes, we do" Dwight sobbed, then got himself together "We … we will do right by her son."
Manny placed his little hand gently over his father's bruised wrist and nodded.
What more could they do?