Outbreak
14. The Change
Inside the mansion, they were engulfed in silence, having watched the girl who'd saved them and shattered their emotions walk out of their lives. Sharpay had barely been gone five minutes, but her absence was already so evident.
With a sigh, Gabriella turned around in her chair to face her best friend. Taylor had been present in the room the entire time but, too caught up in her own thoughts, she'd paid no attention to the conversation and hadn't bothered to input any of her own views.
"How's he doing?" Gabriella asked, tentatively placing a hand on Taylor's visibly tense shoulder.
Since arriving at their home, Taylor had been seeing to Chad's horrible bullet wound as the boy lay unconscious on the costly, velvet-cushioned settee. So far, she had silently cleaned the small and neat hole, removed the bullet and stitched him up. Currently, she dabbed at the raw and swollen skin around the injury with a damp cloth, taking thorough care and being unnecessarily sensitive. She was in such a daze of close attention that Gabriella's unexpected touch caused her breath to catch in her throat.
She blinked back the surprise and turned her head to the side slightly, not looking completely at Gabriella for fear of tearing her gaze too far from Chad. "The bullet didn't go too deep." She said, giving in to the temptation to turn back to Chad and glancing back down at his tarnished abdomen.
Taking in the sight of the scar that sat uncomfortably on his side beneath his ribcage, Taylor grimaced but could not look elsewhere. She'd sewn it as best she could but the tangled and fraying thread just looked awful where it weaved through his skin.
"It was just a flesh wound." She continued without encouragement, uttering reassurances if only for her own sake. "No organs were damaged. He didn't lose a lot of blood." She nodded to herself before taking a pad of gauze from the polished, glass coffee table and gently placing it over the stitched gash. "He should be fine." She added with an exhausted sigh. "I just wish he'd wake up."
She didn't like seeing Chad like this. All unmoving and silent. She wanted his cheeky grin and the excited glimmer that he almost always had in his eyes. The way he was now was so unfamiliar. She could only hope that things would go back to normal. And sooner rather than later.
Troy stepped closer and glanced over the back of the settee at his best-friend. "He will." He told Taylor confidently as he gave Chad a quick pat on the head. "I mean, he's Chad." Which meant he was never down for long, never one to miss any kind of opportunity and never one to dwell on trivial things such as gunshot wounds. "He can't--…"
Troy stopped then as a sudden thought fazed him. Chad didn't look hurt. That could be seen in a good way because, of course, pain etched on his lifeless face would suggest suffering. However, at least that would be evidence of him feeling something. What concerned Troy was that his best friend didn't seem to be able to feel the certain agony that a bullet to the abdomen should cause. In fact, the look on his face was so peaceful that he sort of appeared to be dead.
That idea struck Troy like a bolt of lightning. Chad obviously wasn't dead because his chest was rising and falling as he breathed. But what if he didn't wake up? Troy had always had Chad. Since kindergarten. But, what if…?
"He will wake up, right?" He asked, his voice suddenly shaky and uncertain.
"Do I have to?" Chad groaned tiredly.
At first, it took a second for them to notice that he had spoken; his hoarse whisper had been so unexpected that it took a while to register. Then, their relief came as a rush of smiles and joyful gasps. All three of them crowded closer to him and peered into his open eyes with glee at his awakening. The breathless words they spoke came out together in a muddle of conflicting speech but they didn't care and continued to talk over each other, telling him how glad they were that he was okay.
Chad grinned back at them, albeit weakly, with an equal amount of happiness. Their vibrant faces were the only thing he could see, their eager voices the only thing he could hear and a sense of optimism floated in the air. He had no idea what was going on- the last thing he remembered was removing the dead Savage from on top of him- but he had their undivided attention and they certainly looked happy to see him.
When the initial wave of delight had died down and they had realised that talking at the same time was getting them nowhere, Taylor was the first to make a clear and uninterrupted sentence. "How do you feel?" She worried.
Thinking it an odd question, Chad simply shrugged. It was the first time he had moved since waking and the stretching of the unused muscles sent a flash of white agony through his midsection. He clenched his teeth together to suppress the yelp that was at the back of his throat and squeezed his eyes shut and kept them that way until the pain subsided to a just-about-bearable, incessant throb.
Gabriella's apologetic face was the first thing he saw upon reopening his eyes. She gave him a sympathetic smile before explaining; "Of all the medicines we got at the hospital, none of them were painkillers." She took his hand from where it lay at his side and gave it a comforting squeeze. He squeezed back and smiled with gratitude but his visible puzzlement didn't go unnoticed.
"You got shot." Troy stated, taking a seat on the settee by Chad's head. The unfamiliar pensive look in Chad's eyes prompted Troy to go on. "The bullet that killed the Savage," he continued. "Went right through him and into you. Sharpay shot you."
A brief thought went to Sharpay as Chad realised she wasn't there but his concerns about an unheard apology became the last of his worries as panic made his blood run cold. If the bullet had been in both him and the Savage, then surely he'd been exposed to the virus. It would have been carried via the bullet into his body from the Savage. The infected blood would be in his blood. And he'd become one of them. Like Troy, he'd lose all hope.
Chad was a simple boy. Almost transparent. His thoughts read in his facial expression and his emotions were never well-hidden. That's how both Gabriella and Troy had each managed to answer his questions without him having to ask them. They could just tell what he was wondering. And now, it was Taylor's turn. She knew that he was considering his exposure to infection and decided to quash his worries before he had a panic attack.
"You can only be infected by saliva." She reminded him. "Saliva in the blood. Mixing blood makes no difference."
Chad relaxed and sank further into the comfortable, soft cushions. He was treated to the view of a plainly patterned ceiling above him with gold detail. He followed the sparse painted swirls to the centre of the ceiling where a grand, shiny, glass chandelier glinted down at him.
"Where am I?" He asked, the question barely out when Taylor began to answer.
"This is Turpin Manor." She said proudly. "Our house."
Eye-brows raised and clearly impressed, Chad looked with disbelief from Taylor to Gabriella to Troy. "Manor?"
"Dude," Troy cut in eagerly. "It's huge."
'Huge' didn't even begin to describe it. Turpin Manor was an old-fashioned mansion with an uncountable amount of rooms; including a library, an indoor swimming pool and a nursery. Every piece of furniture was elegant and clearly expensive, most things embroidered with silk or plated with gold. When you entered through the huge, sturdy wooden doors, you would first find yourself in an enormous, shiny foyer with one door on each side to lead to other rooms and two flights of velvet-carpeted stairs that spiralled up to a second-floor landing. In the basement was a large pantry, a walk-in fridge and all sorts of storage facilities. Further upstairs was a labyrinth of wide hallway networks that led to grand rooms and spiral staircases. Outside, safely gated from the street, were miles of green land, an empty stable, an outdoor pool and an overgrown maze.
It was like a palace from a fairytale. The type of place you'd never believe that people could live in. The type of place you never really thought existed but always dreamed of owning when you were a child.
Since arriving, Troy hadn't had a chance to have a proper look around, though he was sure it would take more than a few hours to discover the entire place. "D'you think you could give me a tour?" He asked now, having ascertained that Chad was okay and no longer needed his attention. He looked at Gabriella excitedly, keen to become familiar with his new home.
Gabriella shook her head. She too was ready to go elsewhere now that Chad was awake but had no time to show Troy around. "I've got my radio to work on." She told him, already enthusiastic to get back to her project.
For months, Gabriella had been working on the radio. After many fruitless searches for battery-powered communication devices, she had finally stumbled upon this walkie-talkie. It was in poor condition, trampled and a bit burnt, and she'd been working hard to repair it. Thankfully, being freaky-smart came in handy for the often tricky and complicated equations and formulas behind the mechanics of it all. Her aim was to customise it enough so that it would be able to send and receive signals of different frequencies. What she hoped was that, eventually, they'd be able to contact the outside world.
"But there's a map of the grounds in the library if you can find it." She finished, making her way to the door. She beckoned Troy with her, sensing that Chad and Taylor wanted some time alone, and pointed him in the direction of the library. Then, she set off to her personal office.
Finally alone, Taylor tuned back to Chad who lay staring back at her. He raised a hand and gently brushed her hair away from her bruised and scratched face. She winced slightly as his fingers grazed her sore jaw and he retracted his hand instantly, remorseful for causing her pain. She gave him an affectionate and reassuring smile before taking his hand in hers and placing it back onto the side of her head.
"Does it hurt?" He asked as she leant her cheek into his palm and he slowly traced his fingers through her hair.
Without noticing, she tongued her split lip and nodded slightly. "I'm fine." She muttered, looking at the ground. It stung a little but she knew she'd recover quickly and it was nothing she couldn't handle. It was her emotions that were in poor condition. The last couple of days had been a whirlwind; a terrifying ride full of angst, hurt and new discoveries. She hated the unpredictability of it all. And Chad getting shot had come as an unwanted reminder that they were never safe.
"Are you sure?" Chad asked. Taylor couldn't hide her feelings from him. He knew her too well to believe that she was 'fine'. But he also knew that if she didn't feel like talking about it, then he'd hear nothing more on the matter. And it seemed that that was the case as she nodded and continued to avert her sombre and quiet gaze.
With all the effort he had, Chad pushed himself up onto his elbows and attempted to sit. The movement sent shivers of agony through his body but he didn't stop. Nor did he falter when Taylor told him it was best if he stayed still for a while. Determination was enough for him to overcome the constant, sharp throb that reverberated throughout his entire body. His determination to see her smile.
By the time he was seated fully upright, a light sweat had broken out on his forehead and his stomach felt like it was on fire. His desire to take her head in his hands and pull her face to his could not be fulfilled as he required his hands to be at his side if he wanted to keep his balance. Instead, he opted to just pucker his lips expectantly and wait for her to answer his unspoken request for a kiss.
When she looked at him, Chad could see that Taylor was trying to fight the smile that threatened to break onto her lips. She was trying to stay solemn and pensive because that's what she thought the situation needed. It was a serious matter and laughing would be inappropriate. However, in the way he always had, Chad had a talent for breaking down the barriers of should-be's. And the childishly desperate look in his eyes mixed with his eager pout and feigned innocence all merged together to create an undeniably hilarious facial expression.
She surrendered to the grin and touched her smiling lips to his. Pulling away soon after, she gently pushed him back down to lie on his back. "Now rest." She ordered. He seemed to ignore and simply continued to stare longingly up at her. "Shut your eyes." She chuckled, feeling like a mother putting a stubborn child to bed. "I'll still be here when you open them."
Her final pledge seemed to be enough for him as he slowly let his eyelids close over his loving gaze. He fell asleep instantly. And, true to her promise, Taylor remained where she sat, watching him slumber.
Meanwhile, Troy had long since abandoned his pointless, lone tour of the house, having gotten lost a few too many times. He hadn't even managed to find the library where he would have at least been able to locate a map. Now, he traipsed aimlessly through a complicated system of identical corridors, not entirely sure where he was or if he'd ever find his friends again.
While wandering, he used the time to delve into some much needed thought. The bite on his hand tingled beneath the bandage, a constant reminder of what had happened. A constant reminder that everything was going to change. This had always been his biggest fear. But when it was just a fear, he'd been sure of what he'd do. When it was nothing but a fear, he had planned to take his life before becoming one of them. Now that it was more than just a fear, now that it was reality, his plan was clouded with doubt and apprehension. He knew full well that if he didn't do anything, he'd eventually transform and probably kill his friends. But, for now, ignoring it was working out just fine.
Turning what felt like the hundredth corner, he found himself on the second-floor landing, overlooking the foyer. Gratitude ran through his veins for his luck at finally figuring out his location and he considered going to check on Taylor and Chad. He was making his way to the stairs when another thought came to mind and he turned on his heel and walked in the direction he had last seen Gabriella go.
It wasn't long before he had found an open door, leading to a spacious and dimly lit office. The floor was littered with paper and open books with complicated diagrams and ridiculously long words. One of the large windows was open, letting in a cooling breeze that rippled the luxurious drapes. Gabriella sat hunched over a desk in the corner with her back to him. A bright torch lit up the multitude of random bits and pieces that she leant over; metal chunks, wires and all sorts of tools. She must have been so deeply submerged in her intricate work that she didn't notice Troy's presence until he placed his hand on the back of her swivel chair and spun her around to face him.
She jumped slightly at the surprise but her tension eased as soon as she realised who she was looking at. "Hey." She greeted, looking up at his semi-silhouette. She took his hand and tugged it downwards so he bent at the hips and bowed into the light. He looked slightly different; his skin somewhat paler then usual, and she was certain that his eyes were a dimmer shade of blue. She was going to mention this but he spoke before she could and she put her worries down to the lighting in the room.
"You're tense." He said slowly. His gazed pored over her with both concern and something else.
She nodded and ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah," She sighed. "It's just so much work, you know. And I can't figure out where I'm going wrong." She added sadly. "It should work."
She'd barely gotten the final word out before he quickly and impulsively kissed her on the lips and then pulled away. With an awkward and confused half-smile, she tilted her head to the side inquisitively.
"What was that for?" She asked, pleasantly surprised.
Troy shrugged as if the action had not been planned. Then, as quickly as he had before, he pressed his lips to hers again, this time not pulling away. He placed one hand on the back of her head and the other on the back of her neck and used them to push her closer to him. She melted into his touch, having longed for this for longer than he could imagine. Her arms snaked around his neck and she held him where he was as their tongues danced around their lips.
His tender touch intensified as he grasped her almost desperately. She shut her now throbbing mouth to signal to Troy that, as much as she was enjoying this- and she really was- she needed a brief break for air. Troy was accustomed to this sign to stop. However, his actions did not cease. If anything, he simply kissed her harder.
Thinking he must not have realised that she was no longer enjoying herself, Gabriella released her arms from around him and gently attempted to pull away. Their lips were detached for only a moment before Troy had pounced back onto her. Growing uncomfortable and frustrated at his incompliance, Gabriella placed both of her hands on his chest and began to softly push him backwards. He must have known now that she wanted to stop. But rather than obey, he leaned further into her, crushing her already swollen lips into her teeth and rolling the desk chair backwards.
She had to reach her arms out to steady herself from tipping clean off the back of the chair. Her hands gripped the desk behind her on each side as she moaned wordlessly and she heard the clatter and smash of her work being knocked off the surface and onto the floor. Troy's strong hands stopped her from turning her head away, and his frighteningly rapid breathing and occasional quiet growls made her heartbeat hasten.
"Troy!" She mumbled incoherently against his face. "Stop!"
They weren't even kissing anymore. He just had his face pressed painfully to hers as his tongue lashed over her skin. Sometimes, his teeth would pinch her lips though never hard enough to draw blood.
Whimpering, she planted her hands back onto his chest and shoved him as hard as she could. He staggered backwards, releasing her head from his hands and emitting a disgruntled groan. He stood a few feet from her, panting to get his breath back and glaring at her with a look in his eyes she had never seen before.
Gabriella got to her feet with her fists clenched. She was certain he was going to come back at her and watched him closely with fear. Then, he did something completely unexpected. His tense muscles softened and the rhythm of his breathing slowly began to change back to normal.
As if returning from an out-of-body experience, Troy finally became aware of the terror evident on Gabriella's face. Terror that he had caused. What he had just done finally dawned on him. He'd scared her. He'd hurt her.
"Gabriella…" He started timidly, though completely unsure of what he was supposed to say. How do you excuse yourself from something like that?
Her bottom lip quivered. Her eyes full of tears, she hurried straight past him and out of the room. Even as she walked, he could see she was shaking.
Troy went after her to the corridor. "Gabi!" He called out. Her back to him, she began to jog lightly away without turning back. "I'm sorry." He stopped following her, unable to do anything more than watch her leave with remorse.
Standing alone in the narrow hallway, Troy looked at his feet with shame, as he tried to register the jumble of emotions in his brain. He didn't understand. He was sorry for what he'd done. But he wanted to do it again. He wanted more. But he hated himself for it.
The bite on his hand tingled beneath the bandage. A constant reminder that everything was already starting to change.
A/N: Oh dear…
So there were some (hopefully) nice Chaylor and Troyella moments in there. Clearly, things are about to take a turn and I just wanted to get some loving in before… well, I think you know what's coming. I'm evil, aren't I? Pure evil.
Hugsies and thanksies for my favourite people in the world;chaylorXtraylorlover101, ChaylorBabyx3, ChaylorTwilightQueen10, MaxRideRox, bex-sharpay tisdale-evans, HisDelilah, mzwendy85, 2pinkstar and 7blackberry, xGabriellaxBoltonx, PerfectxSweetheartxandILuvZacEfron.
Oh, and don't worry, we haven't heard the last of Sharpay!
Coming Up…Chad thought he had prepared himself for this. He'd known it was coming. He always knew what he would have to do about it. But now that it was real, it all seemed so daunting. Considering his best-friend as one of those creatures was something he could not quite come to terms with.
xX M Xx
