12. Decisions

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He could still hear the ringing in his ears. The gun had fired as he had tried to stop Frankie from pulling the trigger.

He had managed to get Frankie into a car and drive off from the shop. Locating a house on a neighborhood nearby. He was lying on the floor in the living room and Frankie was lying on the couch. They were still alive, still breathing. Remembering back to the conversation on the car ride over.

"I told you to leave!" He heard Frankie yell at him from beside him.

"You are going to run out of oxygen.." Hearing from the tone of his voice that Frankie had given up. He had then stopped the car on the side of the road and taken in a deep breath.

Thinking of it all. What had happened in the last week. Thinking of Kara.. Thinking about their first night together. Smiling at the memory. Memories were the only thing he had of her right now..

As he was drying himself after the shower, he felt a sting of sadness that their trip was becoming to an end as they would leave tomorrow. He got his boxers on and exited the bathroom and went towards the bed. Noticing that she was lying on her side under the covers. As he came closer he could see she wasn't wearing her shirt from the night before, a little startled what she was doing lying in the bed without a shirt. He felt his heart beat raise as he laid down on his side of the bed watching her as her eyes were suddenly following his every move. What was she doing?

"Too warm tonight or..?" He smiled and gave her a look as she was lying on her side towards him. Seeing her smile at him, he was puzzled by her. He saw her blush a little, wondering what was going on in her mind as she then got a little more closer to him, he could feel her place her arm on his chest. Tensing by this sudden action he turned more towards her and she reached to kiss him.

He was moving his hands around her back as they kissed. Feeling the excitement in the touch that he had missed. It hadn't changed a bit. He could feel he was getting turned on by her and wondered how far would she go. She didn't have shirt on or a bra. And then she suddenly broke off the kiss and looked at him a little startled. "It was you." She met his eyes and he realized what she meant. She knew it had been him in the storage room.

He nodded to her and wasn't sure what he could say in his defense. He was half expecting her to bail or yell at him. But instead she placed herself on top of him and he quickly learned she wasn't wearing a thing under the covers. The covers that were not covering her anymore. She was looking at him and he was most definitely looking at her. Feeling his erection grow and touch her, only his boxers keeping them apart. He sat more up to embrace her and to kiss her soft lips as she embraced him.

Coming back from his thoughts..

"There's no cure." He had said out loud looking at Frankie as he pulled of his mask.

"Are you crazy? Put the mask back on!" Frankie yelled at him, trying to push the mask back to his face, but he had taken it off already.

"It doesn't matter when or where I die! I'm not leaving you behind!" He yelled at his friend. His best friend. He had known Frankie for years. He trusted him. Frankie always had his back while on a mission. He wasn't going to turn his back on him now.

As he was lying on the floor his thoughts still went to Kara. Even though they had gotten close to each other over the last few days. There was still no stopping of the virus. How long would they survive hiding in a safe zone or at a base in Norfolk? How long could they evade the people after them? It seemed there was a new order rising and the future was uncertain. And just because he felt the connection between them, didn't mean there was deeper feelings at play, he thought. But he had seen the look on her face back in the car as he had ordered her and Ravit out of the car.

He only had wanted her to be safe.

Two weeks later..

The virus had spread quickly over the last two weeks. Despite of their best efforts to maintain order around the safe zones around town, one safe zone had been compromised. And the remaining survivors had started to talk, whether the Navy was really invested in saving them as they thought the Navy had more tighter security around the hotel where their own family members were staying. Where her own mother was staying. She could see the frustration on Chandler's face.

Dr. Scott had thought she made a breakthrough with discovering a vaccine prototype, but as she had witnessed the death of all the monkeys they had taken from the Virginia Zoo, she seemed pretty hopeless for their cause as well. Didn't seem there was light in the end of the tunnel. Was it all worth it? What was the point?

Looking herself in the mirror as she washed up before heading for the morning meeting. She saw the bags under her eyes. She wasn't sleeping enough. The long days at the base, on the James. Teaching some new recruits, more like volunteers, how the CIC works. It was tough and it was taking a toll on her. And they still hadn't heard a word from Danny or Frankie. She still felt this ache inside of her when she thought of him. Puzzled by her reactions to him being missing, even though she had admitted to herself that she might feel more than just fondness for him. Her thoughts went back to the evening she had met his family.

They had confirmed dinner plans with the Green family in a restaurant near the hotel. She was walking beside Danny to the restaurant, feeling butterflies in her stomach, because she was going to meet his family for the first time. They were suppose to seem like dating and even though they weren't actually dating, she did wonder if they some day might actually date for real. He did seem like an alright guy to her after the short time she had spend with him.

As they made the introductions by the table, they had sat down to enjoy their meal. She felt a little too much in the spotlight as Danny's mother was asking a lot of questions from both Danny and her. "So how did you guys meet?" She heard his mother ask. Before she could say anything Danny was answering for her. Thank god he was a quick thinker. So she listened what he came up with.

"Well we were on the ship while in the Arctic and on the first day when I walked into the wardroom I saw her. Sitting by the table and looking stunning in her uniform and her hair tied at the back. Talking with a friend and when I saw her smile, it was mesmerizing." He said as he gave a short glance towards her. She was completely out of words and she thought she saw him blush a little. Was the story true? Perhaps he was more into her than he had told her. She was a little restless at the thought, but the excitement of his affection was more thrilling. She gave him a smile which probably was a little too much, because he added "Exactly like the smile now."

And then the conversation went on to various themes about Kara's previous life. It seemed that they were liking her and Danny was out of "trouble". But when her mother had asked what she would do with her career if they were to start a family, he was empty for words what to reply. They weren't even dating and she was going to have to come up with a reply to a question that she didn't even know the real answer to. What would she do? She would have to be on shore duty during the pregnancy, but would she stay at home the rest of her life? "We haven't discussed that far yet. I guess I would be stationed on a base if I were to stay in the Navy." She said, hoping it was a reasonable answer. "Mom, I think it's too early for questions like that." He had then said taking a sip of his wine. "Well, you aren't getting any younger." She heard his mother say and give a look to his firstborn son.

Suddenly feeling even sadder of the memory of meeting his family. They had seemed so nice and they might not have survived.

"So you need more monkey's?" She heard Chandler's voice as they were sitting in a meeting room at the base. Lieutenant Burk, Master Chief Jeter, Commanders Slattery and Garnett were attending as well. Along with the two scientists, Dr. Rachel Scott and Dr. Quincy Tophet.

"It's not that easy. I haven't figured out why the prototype failed." Rachel stated a tone of desperation in her voice.

"Even so, I gather you are going to need more monkey's." Chandler continued.

"So we try another a zoo?" She suggested glancing around the room.

"Salisbury was empty." Slattery stated the cold hard fact.

"Then we go further inland." Burk was hopeful.

"Not every zoo has the type of monkeys we need for our research and there's no guarantee to find them alive." Rachel explained.

"What do you suggest then?" Hearing the voice of Chandler tighten up.

"The closest place to have the type of monkeys I need is either Puerto Rico or Nicaragua. But Puerto Rico is a hot zone for the Red Flu." Rachel made the suggestion, knowing what was at stake.

Glancing at Chandler, she could see he was thinking about it. But they needed a crew.

"Slattery, Jeter. Inform everyone that we need a skeleton crew and that the mission is voluntary." Chandler said sighing quietly to himself and meeting Rachel's eyes.

It was a risky move, but what else was there to do? Should they just give up and wait for the virus to take them out? Or was it worth fighting to the bitter end?

As she was walking away from the meeting room she saw one of the guards that was usually by the gates waiting for someone. Waiting for her?

"Commander. Come with me." She heard his words and she was slightly puzzled over the situation.

She felt her hands shake a little when she was putting the hazmat suit on. Had someone specifically asked for her at the gate? Was it Danny? Suddenly feeling a little hopeful that they had indeed survived after all, but sighing to herself that it was best to not hope anymore.

She was standing at the gate, glancing at the car in front of her. Noticing a dog sitting on the passenger seat and seeing a man on his knees on the ground, hands behind his head.