So sorry for the long hiatus! Life happens! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and leave your thoughts in a review, also, I cannot guarantee consistency with future updates. I am so sorry I've been lagging like crazy, and it's been a while so my writing has been a bit weak. Again, I'll be switching from 1st to 3rd occasionally, if it gets confusing let me know everyone. I love you all!
Please be forgiving of any inconsistencies/plot holes, I haven't reread my story and it's been a really long while since I read it last.
"Jenner requests that you all meet in the lab." Vi's voice echoed throughout the dining hall and Rick immediately could sense something was wrong, considering this request was made after Isabelle had left the table. He didn't try to think much of it though.
Andrea looked at him suspiciously, "Think it's anything bad?"
He shook his head in response, "Can't really think of anything." He turned his attention back to the group, "Well, you all heard her. Let's finish up and get going." He hurriedly took another sip of his wine and led the group to the lab, where Jenner awaited them.
Well, this was it. I couldn't imagine any other scenario in which I'd be locked in here. I must be infected, in fact I'd sort of already accepted that. What I just couldn't seem to process was how, how the hell did I get infected? I always made sure to keep my distance from walkers, hell I don't think I'd ever really been up close and personal with all of them.
Should I even try talking to Vi again? Is it even worth it?
"Vi…" I began, only to receive silence in response. It wouldn't hurt to try though, "Vi…am I infected?"
Who am I kidding, she wasn't about to answer that kind of question. If I get out of here I could at least say that I tried, right?
"Can I get a hot shower at least?" I chuckled to myself, hoping I could maybe get Vi to lighten up a bit, but hey, that wasn't happening. I'm probably slowly losing it.
"I've received permission to inform you of the situation." Ah ha! She finally spoke. She, he, it, whatever, Vi finally spoke. I didn't interrupt her, I just waited for her to continue speaking, whatever I had to do to get out of here or at least learn what was going on.
"Doctor Jenner has discovered an anomaly in your results, it reads as…unknown." I was surprised to hear it nearly hesitate. I was even more dumbfounded at the whole "unknown" thing, I mean, what was that supposed to even mean?
"Wha- unknown? I thought it was just…just infected or not." I crinkled my eyebrows together but remained sulked on the bathroom floor, nothing was coming to mind. Nothing made sense. "Is there anything else you can tell me?" I asked, hoping I could get the most out of her as possible.
"The only way I can give you more is that you answer a series of questions for Doctor Jenner. Help me help you, Isabelle."
I sighed, more questions. Great. "I think I can do that."
"Doctor Jenner noticed a small scar on your forearm, do you recall when and where you received that scar?" Ugh, please stop saying Doctor Jenner. And what's with everyone feeling the need to point out that scar?
"I don't recall." I muttered, taking a closer look at my forearm, it didn't look all that weird, it didn't look like a fresh scar, hell it felt like it's been there my whole life. But I had to admit something felt a little off about it…
"But then again, I don't-" I hesitated for a moment, "I don't really recall getting it before the outbreak. I know I suffered from some memory loss about a month back or so…." I trailed off trying to recollect my thoughts, but some memories were just coming up blank. Again.
Vi remained silent for several minutes, I assumed she was looking through the research databases and was just coming up short. Just my luck.
"How long am I going to be in here?"
"It's hard to determine, Isabelle."
"I really wish you'd stop saying that."
"What do you mean you 'quarantined' her?" Rick asked, his patience quickly fading.
"Rick…" Shane kept his eye on Rick, hoping he could keep his cool. For once, he was the one keeping a cool head.
"It's too early to explain the circumstances, Rick…" Jenner began cautiously, "I want to run some tests before giving you a certain answer."
Rick was trying to keep his cool but the whole idea of not knowing anything until the tests were done was beginning to drive him nuts, "And how long will that take? You expect me to just sit here and wait for you to be done with that?"
Andrea cut in, "Is she infected?"
"I didn't say that." Jenner quickly replied, being careful not to incite any sort of panic in the group.
"Then why can't you give us a straight answer?" Rick asked again.
"It's a complicated situation everyone." Jenner himself was starting to lose his patience, how was he supposed to answer their questions without everyone freaking out? "I can't give anything away yet until I know what's happening-"
"You're damn right it's complicated. You got one of our own locked up in your bathroom and you ain't telling us what's going on." Shane continued, "You think we're gonna just wait around till your tests are done?"
"He's right, Jenner. You can't just lock up one of our own and then just keep us in the dark." Dale agreed, hoping the situation would come to a close soon.
Jenner was beginning to grow frustrated as well, "I'm trying my best to keep the situation under control and make sure-"
Vi interrupted, "Jenner, Isabelle requests your presence immediately."
Jenner sighed and looked back to the group, knowing they wouldn't like what he would have to say, "If you'll excuse me." He walked past the group, leaving them in the now silence but highly tense lab.
Andrea sighed, "What a load of shit."
Rick nodded in agreement, "Let's just all go back to dinner. I'll talk to him myself." He looked to Shane to lead the group back while he went to follow Jenner. He was wanting answers, not excuses. Rick couldn't stand to have any more time wasted.
"I'm not going to answer anything until I can speak to Jenner." I insisted. Usually my stubbornness helped me get what I want but it's a totally different story when speaking to a robot or whatever. "Come on, just tell him I want to speak with him and I'll give you everything you want."
Silence, yet again. She's good at this – I'm better.
"I have requested Jenner's presence. He should be arriving shortly." I wasn't too surprised. I still wasn't about to speak though, it could be a trick to get me to speak for all I know. I just wasn't about to speak until I could hear, no not even hear, until I could see Jenner my damn self.
Well we can't always get what we want, so I had to settle for the monitor in the upper corner of the bathroom. Why they had one there in the first place was beyond me, but hey it was my only option at the time.
His face appeared on the monitor, I didn't think I'd be so happy to see him.
"Isabelle? Vi said you needed to talk to me."
"Well yeah, you see Jenner I'm in a bit of a predicament. I'm kind of locked inside of a bathroom with a crazy VI who likes to play both good and bad cop." I said sarcastically, I mean, of course I needed to talk to him.
He chuckled but went straight to business, "I'm sure Vi has told you what's up, right?"
"Correct." I answered short and sweet. Believe me, I wanted to cooperate. But not until I knew everything about the situation, especially about what this "unknown" diagnosis meant.
"So why do you need to talk to me?" He asked.
"I just…" I trailed off before picking up again, "I think I should be given all the information regarding the diagnosis Vi's been telling me about. I want to know everything so I can help you better." He seemed to understand, as he nodded over the monitor. "That and I never was a big fan of talking to Vis." I added, and he chuckled softly. It made me feel a little better about everything.
"I understand where you're coming from, Isabelle," he began, and I was already expecting an answer I wouldn't like, "But I don't know any more than you do. I tried searching the database for any information – any hint – as to what 'unknown' means but nothing came up." He paused thoughtfully, "The only way I can really get an answer is through you."
I nodded my head in response. Although it was more or less the same answer I would have gotten from Vi it was much more reassuring for it to come from another human being. Another thing was that there wasn't much reason not to help Jenner. If I didn't I would only set back his research, and honestly, what good would that do?
I made eye contact with him once again through the monitor, "What do you need?"
"Okay, I get that I have to cooperate, but if I told Vi that I don't remember what makes you think that answer will be any different with you?" I was starting to grow slightly frustrated. The two of them were making me remember something that just wasn't coming to me.
It was apparent that Jenner was growing slightly frustrated as well. But it wasn't that we were getting annoyed with each other, it was more of the situation that was the real pain in the ass.
He tried a different approach, "Where were you before the outbreak?"
I sorted through the little memories I had before all of this, "I- I'm sorry…"
Jenner remained patient, "Tell me as much as you know, Isabelle." He spoke in a both patient and affirmative tone.
"After basic…I stayed here. I remember that. I remember staying with Jane, my best friend. I remember she was bit and-"
He cut me off immediately, "Where were you when she was bit? What happened?"
Again with the sorting through my memories. Where was I? I remember her being bit. I remember her being sick. I recollected the night before, we went out and had a girls night. I remember something about a note, for someone. Her boyfriend, it was. Larry, no it was Lu- it was Luke.
I felt my heart sank a bit in my chest. How could I have forgotten him? Was he even alive?
"Well?" Jenner prodded, he probably could tell I was getting closer to the answer he needed.
"I – I remember a night out with Jane. The next morning, we were hungover and…and she wanted food." I smiled at the memory, "I think, no – I know that we went to get coffee…" It was coming back to me, albeit slowly.
But the thing was that there was nothing much of relevance at the coffee shop.
"I just remember her being sick. I just remember me being sick, Jenner. I don't fuckin' know…my head hurts," The dull ache in both my arm and head was beginning to severely detract me from the conversation. Why did he have to ask so many questions? I didn't want to talk anymore. Too tired.
"Come on, Isabelle, you're so close..." His voice began to fade. He began to fade.
He pushed me, just kept pushing me. But he didn't know me. He didn't know my god damn situation. How could he just sit there, all comfortable in his office, and act like he's the one suffering?! I'm the one locked in here. I have no one. Nowhere to go after this. The whole group will probably abandon me after this. They probably think I'm infected, a threat...
…worthless.
It became dark suddenly. I felt nothing. I was at peace.
Jenner quietly returned to the group. Immediately it became tense, there were so many questions that needed to be answered and simply not enough time. He waited for everyone's attention before speaking. He could feel the intensity of their stares, and could they be blamed? One of them had been locked up, without explanation whatsoever.
"Well?" Rick's jaw tightened. He was sick of waiting.
"You're all clean." Jenner was aware that this wasn't the news they'd been wanting to hear, but he wanted to start with something good."
There was a slight sigh of relief in the room, yet still so many unanswered questions.
"All of us?" Andrea chimed in, unsure of how the answer would change the future of the group and its survival.
Jenner thought carefully before speaking. He was well aware of the uproar it would cause if he shares Isabelle's "diagnosis", or lack thereof.
Is she infected?
Is she contagious?
When will she turn, if she does?
Why didn't you tell us?
"Spill it, doc." Shane said sternly, with a slight hint of a warning in his tone.
The doctor kept his head down, there was nothing worse than not knowing what was wrong with a patient. "I'm not sure about Isabelle," he sighed and continued, "Her blood came back as 'unknown'."
He quickly cut off anyone and spoke again, "I'm trying – believe me – to piece it all together. I had her quarantined briefly as a precaution." The group nodded in understanding, although he could tell they still were not happy with that decision.
"Where is she now?" Rick asked, hoping to be able to see her soon.
"I moved her to a room by my lab after it was determined that she is not contagious." The doctor made sure to place emphasis on the "not contagious" part; the last thing he needed was for misunderstandings. He continued, "But until I figure out what this all means I think it would be best for her to be alone." He made sure to leave out the fact that she passed out.
"What if that's not what she wants, doc?" Rick interjected, slowly growing irritated with not knowing what was wrong.
"I just need time." Jenner's patience was beginning to wear off. He needed to not only figure out what the hell was wrong with Isabelle, but keep the group at bay. But it wasn't something he couldn't handle, he only needed time. "I have to get back to work." And with that he turned on his heel and returned to his lab, leaving the group in the now somber dining hall.
It was going to be hard to give the doctor the time he needed, but it was something that needed to be done.
I am aware that this is a filler chapter, and I apologize for that. I just need to get back on the hang of things. I haven't had much time lately and I finally was able to get some inspiration and time recently, so I figured why the fuck not. I hope my readers are still around~! Please do share your thoughts!
