Chapter 2. The whims of the youth break all the rules

A/N Here is chapter 2 hope you enjoy!


DAY 7

''Is mom taking me to school today?'' Clarke asks pleadingly, swinging her little legs under the table.

Grimacing, Jake looks at his daughter.

''Not today honey, mommy got held up at work. Helping people like Wells' mommy.'' Jake says smiling.

His daughter of only six replies with a disappointed smile and a small nod.

''I hope you don't mind if daddy brings you again?'' He adds gaining just another nod, ''How about we pick up Wells on the way?''

''Yes please!'' finally a genuine smile.

''Now remember Wells' mommy is still in the hospital so you be extra nice to him okay?''

''Yes daddy, I'll grab my bag!'' Clarke screams excitedly as she hops towards her room.

Jake stays seated staring ahead into fast space, Abigail said it was serious when she came home to shower and change but he didn't like the way she kept her distance. Under any other circumstance he would've assumed an affair, but he knew Abby and the fact that she didn't even go into Clarke's room worries him.

The door closes quietly.

Rubbing his eyes he comes out of the bedroom still dazed from sleep. ''Abby? What time is it?''

''Ssshh, you'll wake Clarke.'' Abigail whispers back still at the door.

''Well come over here, I haven't seen you in what… 4 days?'' Jake approaches her but she holds her hand up to stop him. ''What's wrong?''

''Don't come near Jake. I can't say much but it's serious and I don't want you or Clarke to catch it.'' Abby says gravely.

''How serious Abby? I thought it was just a few isolated cases, last council meeting you said it was nothing to worry about?''

''Things have changed Jake.'' She answers with a tone of finality in it.

''Changed how? It can't be that bad, can it?'' Jake questions.

''The council will be updated about the situation this afternoon but Jake it's bad.''

That's all she said before showering, changing and leaving again.

''Daddy are you coming?'' Clarke asks standing in front of her daddy, he must be thinking about important grown up stuff cuz he only just looked at her after she'd called him lots of times.

''Yeah baby, let's go.''

''Ruuunnnnn!'' Jasper yells dragging his unwitting best friend beside him, running from the proverbial enemy.

''Just out of curiosity, why are we running?'' Monty asks when they finally slow down a bit.

Gasping for air Jasper gives the most Jasper answer he could've imagined. ''Practice. duh.''

''Practice for?...'' Monty asks exasperated, well as exasperated as a 6 year old can get.

''I don't know, just in case you know?''

''No I… no I don't Jas, I really don't.'' Monty responds.

''That's why you have me Monty! So you're prepared for anything, you're welcome.'' Jasper nods satisfied. What would his best friend do without him to guide him.


''What did you just say?'' Thelonious Jaha says tightly, clenching his jaw as denial set in.

''So far we have determent that of the infected most subjects die upon reaching the 5th day of infection and we have estimated that if things progress like they are now that all will die by the 10th day.'' Abigail said trying to hold her composure, sounding panicked would only make the council panic and bad things happen when the council panics.

''All of them?'' Jake asks overwhelmed at the prospect.

''The young ones hold out a little longer, ten and under seem to survive a day or two longer than their adult counterparts. But in the end they perish none the less.'' Abby says trying to keep the images of the children out of her head.

''My wife is infected, she is well above the age of ten trust me and she's getting better as we speak. She has surpassed the 5th day by now and only has a bad cough and small fever, what do you have to say to that doctor Griffin?''

''Theo, I speak to you as a friend when I say that you should go put on a safety suit and be by her side as much as you can.'' She looks at him trying to convey her message as gently and pressingly as possible.

''We're in an important meeting doctor Griffin and even though my wife is ill she wouldn't want me to sit by her bedside for something so mundane.'' Thelonious answers confidently.

''Thelonious… Veronica isn't getting better.'' Abby says shaking her head frowning a bit. ''Her condition will continue to deteriorate, within days if not hours her fever will spike and just like all the others we will be unable to lower it. The continuous fever will dehydrate her faster than we can administer fluids, not to mention the fact that every patient is only allowed 5 bags of fluids by law-''

''So we change the law, problem fixed.'' Another council member said, no doubt trying to carry favor with Thelonious.

''I wish that were the problem. The real problem is that the fever holds no matter what we do, ultimately frying her organs including her brain. We do not know what causes it but aside from discomfort from the fever the patients all seem to be in severe pain, only relaxing a bit after we heavily sedate them…''

Getting up Thelonious excuses himself from the council before sprinting through the corridors.

Meanwhile back at the council meeting.

''So what is your recommendation? How should we proceed?'' A council member asks.

''As much as I want to avoid it, I suggest we keep the infected quarantined and lock down the ark for a period of 7 days to let the disease finish its lifespan.''

''You mean lock down for seven days and only come out when all the infected people have died taking the contagion with them.'' Marcus Kane says bluntly.

''Seven days locked in my apartments with my wife and child for a small outbreak? I don't think so.'' A snobbish man laughs.

''It seems a little outrages to me too.'' A council women adds.

''It may sound indelicate but yes, it's the only way we can kill the virus before it kills us.'' Abby answers tightly, again trying to convey the gravity of the situation.

''Did you find a reason why children seem to be holding out longer?'' Kane asks.

''Not yet, the orphans got symptoms before any of the carers did. Yet all of the carers died before any of the children did.'' Abby answers feeling ill as she sees flashes of their treatment, their small faces scrunched up in pain engraved in her mind. It's part of the job she knows but this amount of death in such a small span of time shakes her to the core.

''The orphans?'' A council woman asks sounding disgusted by the thought of them.

The council members started discussing amongst each other, most didn't seem to take it seriously that over 40 children had died in the span of a week. As if them being orphans made them less worthy of life. Nor did they seem to care that the chancellors wife was dying even though they had all met or at least seen her on occasion. Only her husband and surprisingly Kane seemed to care, though Kane might just be dreaming about Thelonious catching it so he can take over the position of chancellor.

Abby couldn't tell whether it was their intent to sound so blaise about it but it cracked open the dam she was holding together with patch work. She'd worked for four days straight and all that had happened was death… all around her people and children had died, one after the other begging for the pain to end.

''The last orphan died early this morning, Lilith young, 5 years old, loved drawing and dancing. She was in the process of being adopted by her late mothers best friend Melody Atkins and her husband Cedric Atkins. Both of whom contracted the disease and passed away after just four days. Tragic but also a small blessing because it let them die with hope that Lilly would survive and it ultimately spared them from having to watch Lillith die which was the true blessing if you ask me. The end stage is excruciating to witness, let alone suffer through.'' Abby says, seeing as the implication hits every council member.

Melody and Cedric Atkins were well known in the social circles… on phoenix station. Melody was the daughter of a prominent Guard and Cedric was the son of the late chancellor Atkins.

The message was crystal clear: status doesn't protect you nor your family. Maybe a little panic isn't so bad after all.


DAY 10

''…'' beathing, '' …'' How long has been since he sat here holding his wife's favorite dress, it smells like her. He smells it and for a few minutes as the smell permeates he can pretend like she's right there next to him, healthy and happy.

''Theo, please let us in. We know you're in there.'' Abby feels for her friend but it's been 12 hours since Veronica passed and he hasn't opened the door for anyone not even for his son.

''Please Thelonious, what do we tell Wells?'' Jake asks.

No answer.

DAY 11

''Theo you need to eat something. Come on, open the door for me.'' Abby knocks on the door.

No answer.

''Thelonious, I know this is difficult but we need you to vote on how to proceed and we can't do that without you.'' Jake adds, ''Kane is gunning for your seat and you know how ruthless he can be.''

DAY 12

''Thelonious I know you miss her, I do too, so does Abby but please the ark needs you. Your son needs you!'' Ceci pleads.

''Jake is a good man he can take care of Wells. And Kane is probably sitting in my seat as we speak.'' A croaky voice responds from behind the steel door.

''Theo… no matter how much Jake cares for Wells, he needs you his own father. And while I admit that my husband is a very accomplished man we both know he is not yet ready for the chancellor seat.'' Ceci answers.

The steel door creaks as it opens slowly revealing a grieving husband steeling himself for the fight ahead.


A/N

For those who don't remember; Ceci was a main character in the pilot episode for some reason they scrapped her character and she was floated off screen. But I remember her and she seemed to have a romantic something with Kane, I assumed it was a passed marriage or relationship. Hope you guys are enjoying the story!