Chapter 17
The open flames of the campfire were spreading warmth and comfort, letting almost forget the raging storm outside.
The two women had found shelter in some sort of rundown museum that was showing exhibitions about native Americans. Ellie didn't know much about the Natives, only that there used to be tribes and that they had been murdered and caged in by the first settlers. Maybe this used to be a scandal before the Cordyceps fungus, but nowadays, this knowledge is almost forgotten and Ellie was simply glad that they used to live in strange big tents where you could keep the cold outside and light a fire without suffocating, like the one they had set up camp.
The young girl knew that they were somewhere in Wyoming and definitely not heading to Salt Lake City. Right after they had left Omaha behind, Sarah had told her that they needed to make a detour. A detour that would lead them away from the routes of the Fireflies and therefore away from their Safehouses.
Their car had run out of fuel miles away, forcing the two companions to continue their journey by foot. A circumstance Ellie wasn't very fond of since she had to carry her stuff by herself. Another downside was that they were now unprotected from the elements, like the storm that's raging outside. Additionally, Sarah was behaving differently since Omaha. Either she was caught in deep thoughts or kept her distance towards the young girl. And whenever she wanted to talk about what was wrong, the blond woman refused to tell her.
It was simply annoying and hard to bear since Ellie began to think that she was the reason. She used to like Sarah a lot. And not just like, but even more. And now being caught in this confined space, her legs and feet hurting from miles of walking, plus this heavy silence while Sarah was constantly ogling the pistol in her hands instead of her, Ellie could control herself anymore.
"Okay, I'm tired of this shit!" the young girl blurted and jumped up. "What the fuck's goin' on?! Did I… did I do something wrong? Are you blaming me that I trusted Sabine? Are you just tired of savin' my sorry ass all the time, huh?! What the fuckin' hell is it?"
Instead of answering right away, Sarah remained silent for a while, her sight still fixed on the pistol.
"What did they tell you about your mom's death?" the blonde asked calmly, taking Ellie by surprise since this question came out nowhere.
"Uh, they, uh… Marlene told me that she died while operating in the outskirts. Got surprised by a pack of runners. They said that there wasn't much left to bury."
From one moment to another, Ellie's anger dissipated into nothingness and changed into sadness. Slowly, she returned to her seat and reminisced about the past.
"I…I still remember the last time I'd spoken with her. She told me that she had an important mission and needed to leave for a day or two. She also wanted me to pack my stuff. Lookin' back, I think she was probably just too yellow to tell me that she wants to stuff me into this fuckin' academy. Gosh, I'm still so mad at her!"
Quietness settled in for another minute and it almost seemed like that the conversation was over until Sarah scoffed, catching Ellie's attention.
"Marlene's such a lying piece of shit!" she mentioned, now shifting her teary gaze towards the young girl. "It wasn't your mom's plan to stuff you into the academy, but hers. Anna actually planned to get you outta there. The night she left, she was meeting with me and asked me to smuggle you both out of the zone and away from Marlene and the Fireflies. But…"
Her voice dropped as well as her sight.
"Marlene found out about what your mom was planning and followed her. We were caught and she saw only one last option…"
She then raised her pistol and stared at it again.
"Like Sabine, she used the weapon in my hand to end her life, forcing me to do something I never wanted…"
The gun dropped out of her hand and hit the, with old, dusty furrs covered ground, where it came to a rest while first tears started to flow down Sarah's cheeks.
"Maybe this was my punishment…" she said with a brittle voice. "Instead of behaving like a whiny, butt-hurt teenage-bitch, I should've stayed with her… I should've stayed with her and you and be a family, but I… I…"
Once again Sarah's voice broke as she buried her face in her cupped hand and began to cry.
"I'm so sorry, Ellie! So, so sorry!" she sobbed as she was crying even more.
Ellie, however, stayed silent and stared into the fire in the middle of the tent, watching the tiny flames as they consumed the pieces of wood they had taken from some furniture. She actually didn't know what to feel or to think about this, because her entire world had been turned upside down.
What should she believe? Who should she trust? Everybody was just lying and deceiving.
She needed to know more. She needed to know everything. Therefore, she glimpsed deeply at her guardian and demanded "I wanna know everything that happened between you 'n' my mom. No more bullshit! No more lies!"
Sniffling deeply and wiping the wetness in her face away with the back of her hand, Sarah nodded in agreement and began to tell the tale from the start to the very end. How her dad had died at the beginning of the outbreak, how she had met Anna at the Austin Quarantine Zone, how they had become friends and lovers, how they had joined the Fireflies' cause, their time at the university, how they had parted way upon the pregnancy with Ellie and the aftermath. Though, she left out a few details regarding her own life.
"Then why did you hate me so much at first?"
Sarah's first response to that question was a simple shrug of her shoulders, which was immediately underlined with an answer.
"The day your mom died, my entire world broke down. I parted with everything and searched refuge in solitude and alcohol, blaming everyone but myself for this pile of shit that was my life. Your mom, you, Marlene, my uncle, and even my dad… Everyone was responsible for my misery, although we're our own fate's maker. We weave our own life thread. Not those around us."
"But those around us have an influence as well," countered Ellie, got up and walked over to Sarah, where she sat down beside her and flung one arm around her shoulder. "I don't blame you, y'know. My mom made her own decision and sadly, you had to pay the price for it. Sure, you fucked up at some point, but you're not a bad person. I mean, you tried to help my mom and saved me so many times. You could've left me behind on several occasions, but… You stayed with me. A-and all those other people you helped along the way… You're…you're just awesome!"
Another sob escaped the blonde's mouth, yet this time it was a joyful one. As well as Ellie, she flung her arm around the petite girl's shoulder and pulled her closer into a tight embrace.
Closing her eyes, Ellie enjoyed the comforting warmth and closeness while her mind started to wander. She needed to process what she had just heard. Nobody had ever told her the entire story, neither her mother nor Marlene. Since today, it had all been nothing more than pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that were now finally complete and put into place.
She couldn't decide if she should hate or love her mom. In her eyes, she had messed up at least as much as Sarah. All she knew, at this point, is that she despised Marlene and the Fireflies and that Sarah was now the only person she trusted with every fiber of her being. She would follow her wherever she would lead her. But where would that be anyway?
"So…where are we heading now?" she asked sleepily as drowsiness began to cloud her mind upon the comforting atmosphere.
"Jackson," Sarah replied calmly, her voice sounding relaxed as well. "It's a community west of here. My uncle lives there. It's quiet and peaceful. No Fireflies, no FEDRA, not many infected since it's far enough away from the bigger cities. A real paradise."
Ellie began to imagine a beautiful town in the middle of nowhere, where the sun was constantly shining and the people were happy. Flowers were growing everywhere and birds were chirping in the green trees. A paradise in hell.
"Sounds…sounds cool…" was everything she managed to mumble before her imagination became a dream as she fell asleep.
In the dim light of an old lamp, Tommy was reading the latest reports. Standard patrols, sightings of infected and hunters, damage and medical reports, plus complaints and suggestions for improvement.
Being the head of security and part of the community's council, his task consisted mainly of keeping the town of Jackson and its inhabitants safe. A hard job, considering that the settlement had grown constantly over the years, and with it, the problems.
The once homogeneous population of domestic townsfolk had soon been added with foreigners from other states or cities. Outcasts, refugees, nomadic travelers… A colorful agglomeration of different curriculums, which could easily lead to arguments and small conflicts. So far, the common will to survive had outmatched the discords. Though this fragile balance could easily tip at any moment if the peacekeeping would become too lax. Therefore, Tommy regarded any report as a serious matter and punished even small violations right away.
Another, always present, threat were hunters and the infected. Every sighting was immediately documented and a reconnaissance troop sent to face and extinguish the danger before it could become an issue. Yet, the few guards of Jackson weren't soldiers or combat units, since such personnel weren't necessarily needed. Hunters mostly had their lairs close to the cities and avoided the wilds, unless they were hunting animals for food.
The infected, however, had some nests close by. Tommy knew of an old sawmill and a mining building, where probably some poor souls had tried to find temporary refuge and somehow had gotten infected by the Cordyceps. Those areas were marked as red zones and everybody was ordered to avoid them at any costs. Additionally, regular patrols were making sure that nobody got in or out.
"Jesus Christ, not again…" Tommy muttered as he read another damage report. Nearby the town was a dam, which's generators were supplying it with electricity. One of the two generators was probably broken again, limiting the usage of power.
Even before the outbreak, the technology had already been outdated and held together by constant maintenance. But since spare parts had become even more scarce, keeping them running had become a real challenge.
"Matt?!" the blond man called out and a moment later a mediocre man with short brown hair and a trimmed beard entered, already a smug smile on his face. He was the head engineer of Jackson and responsible for all technical issues.
"Lemme guess, generator two?" he asked rhetorically, which got answered with a deep sigh.
"Yeah, this fuckin' thing keeps on failing. Reduce the power usage after dark. Important infrastructure only."
"You got it, Tommy!" Matt returned and was about to leave as he spun around one last time and said "Oh, by the way, Maggie called and said that you should turn on your freakin' radio. She's got some situation at the south gate and asks for your presence."
Once again, he sighed deeply as he got up from his desk and followed his friend out of his office and the administration building onto the muddy streets of the town, where they walked side-by-side, talking about the latest news. The weather was already chilly and wet, the foreshadowing of the incoming winter, yet the sun was still giving enough warmth to make it bearable without a thick jacket.
"I tell ya, Matt, sooner or later, we need more personnel. If the generators keep on breaking, we'll run out of spare parts in no time. We need better replacements, not that junk that we pulled outta ol' cars. But to find those, we need an entire team that's willing to push further. Plus, we need more guards for the dam."
"And our townsfolk have gotten too lazy," Matt concurred with a nod. "Most of 'em feel very comfy behind our walls, understandably."
"None of 'em knows how to survive out there anymore," kept on complaining, stopping in the middle of a crossroad, "and the council is against conscripting some peeps for basic training and put 'em on duty for some time. If I could, I'd lead a party myself and…"
"Yeah, no, Tommy. There're three reasons that speak against it," Matt countered, his hands resting on his hips. "Firstly, you're head of security, secondly, you're a member of the council, and thirdly, you're gonna be a dad, soon. Besides, there's only one person that comes into my mind, who would be the perfect fit for the job, and she's walking right at us."
At first, Tommy gazed at his friend with a quizzical frown, only to follow his sight a moment later. His jaw literally dropped as he saw his niece approaching, who was accompanied by a female guard and a red-haired girl. It took him a moment until his legs finally started to move and he walked towards her at a fast pace. Both then met midway and embraced each other tightly.
"Good gosh, where've you been, kiddo?" he asked, slowly breaking the contact and so did Sarah, who was gazing sheepishly at the ground.
"Kinda busy. Can we talk somewhere private?"
"Sure," replied Tommy, giving her a quizzical frown nonetheless before gazing at the young girl beside her. "And who are you?"
"Ellie," the young red-head returned, reaching him a hand for a handshake.
"Nice to meet ya, Ellie! Now c'mon! Thanks, Maggie!"
While Maggie and Matt went back to their duties, Tommy guided his niece and Ellie through the town and towards the administration building, where his office was situated. Townspeople were constantly ogling them, a few even frowning as they spotted the group.
"A lotta has changed since last time I was here," Sarah mentioned as they walked along the street, her sight wandering around. Once, she even looked one last time over her shoulder, where her sight met with Matt for a brief moment before she focused back on her uncle.
"Well, a lot has happened since you've just vanished overnight," he responded with a chiding undertone, causing his niece once again to feel uncomfortable. "Our population has grown. Scouts have found more and more people. Others have found their way here on their own. We've managed to fortify the dam and repair a second generator. Sightings of Cordys have dropped. So, yeah, we're blooming."
The trio eventually reached the administration and entered the security office.
"Wow, head of security, huh?!" Sarah mentioned with a wolf whistle as she read the sign at the door before she entered and sat down on a chair, as well as her uncle and Ellie.
But Tommy wasn't in the mood to feel praised at all, yet instead his response was cynically.
"Well, could've been your job, if you hadn't bailed without a word…"
"Tommy…" she sighed heavily in return, not getting any break from her uncle who then yelled at her.
"Don't 'Tommy' me, Sarah! You disappointed a lot of people that were counting on you, including me and Maria as you left your own son behind."
A heavy silence settled in, which everyone experienced differently. Tommy was furious, Sarah intimidated and sad, while Ellie was taken aback and stared at her guardian in unbelief.
"You have a son?!" the young red-head blurted out, breaking the quietness, whereas no one answered her. Instead, Tommy continued the rant on his niece.
"And what's up with that girl? Is she the new generation of a Firefly soldier and your protege?"
Anyone could see Sarah's breaking point, when her sad demeanor turned angry and she began to shoot back, her teary eyes emitting a deathly glare.
"You have no idea what I went through or what has happened outside those walls these last seven years, Tommy! For starters, I ditched the fuckin' Fireflies two years ago. And if you'd just shut the fuck up and let me talk, I'll explain the rest."
For a moment, Tommy was surprised by the sudden outbreak, but as soon as he had gathered his wits, he concurred and listened to his niece, who told him about the last years, what had happened and how they ended up here. Yet she left out a few details.
"So the Fireflies are gone for good and you lived the last two years in solitude instead of coming back here…" he summarized calmly, pinching his chin as his brain worked through the bunch of information. "But where's the part Ellie comes in? Who is she and where are you going? Or did it become your hobby to pick up young teenagers and travel aimlessly through the country?"
Both, Sarah and Ellie, shared one last glimpse before the blonde replied "She's Anna's kid…"
"Anna?! Like Anna Williams?" Tommy interrupted, his sight switching between the two women. "I knew that I've seen this face somewhere before. You really look like your mom, kid."
Being told again that she had the same look as her mother, Ellie blushed with a shy smile.
"So, I guess you two finally made up and you adopted her?"
"Well…kinda…" Sarah returned, her sad gaze dropping. "Anna's gone, Tommy, and…there's something else."
"Dammit!" the blond man cursed, his fist hitting the top of his desk. He used to know Anna, and though she had brought Sarah more than once into trouble - joining the Fireflies being the top of it - he still had fond memories of her. But there was more to come.
Sarah looked at Ellie, telling her "Show him!"
After some first hesitation, Ellie rolled back the right sleeve of her hoodie, showing the bite on her arm. At first, Tommy gazed at it with suspicion before realization struck him, whereas Sarah immediately continued to speak before her uncle might draw the wrong conclusions.
"She has gotten bitten months ago without any signs of an infection. Marlene approached me three weeks after it, asking me to bring her to Salt Lake City for further medical exams. After being chased by FEDRA, I forcefully agreed and…now we're here."
Heavily, Tommy sighed and leaned back in his seat, pondering about the given situation for a moment.
"This doesn't add up, Sarah. If you came from Boston, Salt Lake City is the opposite direction. You're wasting weeks…"
"I don't plan to get there," Sarah threw in, surprising not only Tommy, but also Ellie, who gave her guardian a quizzical gaze. "I dunno what Marlene plans to do, but sure as hell I don't trust her."
"But what about the vaccine?" Ellie blurted out as she could not believe that Sarah would throw away such an opportunity to finally defeat the Cordyceps fungus. And Tommy saw it the same way.
"Sarah, I totally get that after everything that happened, you don't trust that sneaky witch even a second. But the girl's right. Getting a vaccine is way more important than your private feelings towards her. And if Marlene has the opportunity…"
But Sarah just scoffed and shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Last time I was at Salt Lake, most of the equipment was already worth shit 'n' not working, and that was years ago. Unless the Fireflies don't have any secret facility to mass-produce a vaccine up their sleeves, a cure won't happen any time soon."
"So, you think she's bluffing? But why then go through all the trouble bringing her to Salt Lake?"
"Do you even know the potential of a vaccine?!" Sarah blurted back, talking herself into a rage. "With a vaccine, FEDRA would lose all its legitimation in a whiff. She's the ultimate weapon, Tommy. A weapon that she just doesn't want to fall into FEDRA's hands, plain and simple. For her, Ellie's nothing more than a pawn in her game. A gun that needs to be locked away. Marlene doesn't care for her, but only her politics. Sooner or later, word will get to the wrong people and Ellie would be in grave danger. I…I don't want that! I want her to be safe. Here."
Suddenly, Ellie jumped up, hissing "Thanks for talkin' 'bout me like I'm not here!" and stormed out of the room, leaving Sarah and her uncle alone.
"You never told her, didn't you? Your thoughts, I mean," he mentioned, seeing that her sight was dropping again. "I can give you shelter for a few days…a week, tops. But for a permanent stay, the council has to decide."
"A week won't do it, Tommy. We need at least a shelter for the winter before we can move on. Anything else would be suicide. Isn't there anything you can do? You're the chief of security."
It was obvious that the blonde woman had hoped that her uncle would have a high weight in such a decision, being the head of security. But sadly, he had to shake his head as he replied "Sarah, the girl has been bitten. I mean, I trust your word so far, but the council… What proof can you bring 'em that Ellie won't turn or spread the fungus?"
"A full medical examination," was Sarah's answer as she got up as well. "I only need access to the town's hospital. The equipment there should be sufficient enough."
"Alright," Tommy concurred after a minute of consideration, getting up as well. "I'll keep it a secret for the moment. You can use the guest rooms above the tavern for the time being. I'll spread word that you'll need a room. Though, the medical exam is up to you, 'cause I don't have any words to say 'bout the hospital. That's Maria's territory, and she won't be happy to see you, trust me."
Sighing a quiet "Fuck!", Sarah then turned around and left, her last words being "Thanks anyway, Tommy!"
Sarah had barely left the building, the cold wind whipping into her face, as Ellie already confronted her.
"When did you plan to tell me, huh?!" she blurted, giving Sarah a push. "I thought that we're just getting some rest and supplies here, not to stay forever!"
"Ellie…"
"Have you been for reals in there?" she continued to yell. "Is all this shit about a vaccine just bullshit? Am I nothin' mor than a fuckin' playball?"
"I don't know!" Sarah blurted back, taking a deep breath and took a look around, realizing that multiple people were already staring at them. Not wanting to carry this fight out on the open street, she grabbed Ellie by her arm and dragged her into an alley beside the administration building before she continued to talk in a lower volume. "Listen, Ellie, I don't know if it's possible or not, but for sure, neither does Marlene."
Huffing out a big chunk of air, Ellie calmed down enough to also speak a bit quieter.
"So, what now? Are we just gonna pretend that there's nothing special about me? Even your uncle supports the idea of a vaccine. What if the Fireflies…"
"I won't deliver you to the Fireflies, Ellie!" Sarah countered, crossing her arms. "Not as long as it can be helped. The biggest problem right now is that Tommy will tell the town's council about your condition and we have to convince 'em that you're not contagious."
"And how do we do that?" Ellie scoffed back and in return, Sarah flung one arm around her shoulder and began to guide her along the street.
"Well, first we're gonna get rid of our stuff, and then I'll show you the town's hospital, where we'll do some tests."
Jackon's hospital was small, merely a larger wooden one-story building in the center of town. Enough for the small population. However, until seven years ago, it had been nothing more than another building with a few more beds and scarce medical supplies. But over the years, more and more equipment and supplies had been looted from the old hospital in the city, making this medical station with the electrical power from the dam to one of the few remaining modern intact ones in the country.
It was run by Tommy's wife, Maria. A former nurse from the city of Jackson. A blonde woman in her mid-forties, who Sarah had taught a lot about biology and medical analytics. Valuable knowledge in these times.
After having stored their belongings in the small guest room above the town's tavern, Ellie and Sarah had immediately headed for the hospital and were now standing in front of its entrance. Above it, artfully red painted letters were reading 'New Jackson Hospital'.
"C'mon, kiddo!" Sarah said right before she entered the building, Ellie following on her heels.
The first part was a separate room with a counter and a bunch of chairs. The reception with the waiting area, whereas a larger door led probably to the main area with the beds while a smaller one behind the counter probably was the access to the nurse's office.
"Well, that's new," mentioned the blonde woman as she stepped closer to the counter and pushed a bell that was on its top. "Last time I was here, this was just one large room with beds."
"Guess people weren't so hot about sitting beside the really sick and injured while waiting for the doctor to fix their tiny sneeze," replied Ellie, who was looking around the room for something interesting.
After waiting an entire minute without some personal arriving, Sarah hit the bell again, yet this time a bit stronger, and after waiting a bit more, she hit it multiple times.
"Gee-zus fuckin' Christ!" it suddenly called from behind the smaller door before a blonde woman in a white coat stepped through it and kept on complaining. "This is a fuckin' hospital and not a darn hotel! So, I hope this is an emer-...gency…"
The last word literally dropped out of Maria's mouth as she spotted Sarah and immediately froze.
"No…fuckin'...way!"
"Hi, Maria," Sarah replied to the obviously upset woman, trying to sound as friendly as possible, but this gesture only met deaf ears and in defiance crossed arms.
"Well, well, well…look, who shows up after 7 fuckin' years. What's up, Sarah, did your Firefly-buddies knock you up again? Or have you finally found a freakin' conscience?"
"Maria, listen…" Sarah tried to begin some soothing words to calm the situation, but got cut off by blurted words right away.
"Oh fuck you, Sarah! You abandoned all of us! You fucked us over! Especially your uncle and your own son! And now you just turn up and…"
"Would you finally shut up and listen!?" Sarah then shouted back, going into the offensive. "Yes, I made a mistake, okay?! I just left without a word and I'm sorry, but I did it for a reason. Maybe I shouldn't have, but…" Suddenly, her outburst vaned and her demeanor dropped. "I did, and I'm regretting it. But…I made this choice in order to protect Joel… From me. And now…"
"Lemme guess, you wanna come back, tail between your legs 'n' beggin' for forgiveness, huh?"
Maria's words were harsh and in no way hinting that she was about to forgive Sarah. No. In addition, Tommy's wife even scoffed and shook her head, adding "You know what, fuck you! You need a green light from me to become a citizenship and you won't get it. Not from me and not from any nurse under me. Joel thinks you're dead and it should stay that way!"
At this moment, Ellie, who had just been standing by and not intervened in this conversation, gasped loudly, not believing what she just heard and that Sarah didn't even give any protest, yet seemed to accept it as she rested her hands on the counter and returned "Maybe you're right, maybe I don't deserve a second chance, but Ellie, here, shouldn't be effected by my mistakes."
Just at this moment, Maria became aware of the red-headed girl in the background, giving her a frown.
"Who's she? Some stray you picked up on the side of the road?"
"Hey, fuck you, asshole!" Ellie then blurted back, not being able to hold back anymore. "I'm not a fuckin' bum!"
"ELLIE!" came the chiding voice from Sarah, causing the young girl to sit into one of the chairs with crossed arms and pout.
"She clearly has your manners," Maria mentioned dryly, before focusing back onto the other woman. "So, what's her deal?"
"She's the daughter of a friend. I wanna give her a safe place, where she can stay and grow up, without all the shit from outside those walls. With or without me."
"The fuck I'm stayin' here without you!" Ellie chimed in again, earning a pair of stern glares by the two grow-ups, which caused her to silently pout again.
"Fine…" Maria eventually sighed in defeat, nodding as she agreed to Sarah's proposal. "Bring her in and I'll do a check-up on her."
Without another comment, Maria vanished through the larger door, Sarah and Ellie following her right away and entered a corridor from which several doors were leading to different rooms, whereas Maria vanished in one of them.
"When was the last time you two had a bath?" she asked right after the other others had entered the examination room, which was filled with several equipment for medical examinations. A cabinet with various medications and chemical substances, a desk with a microscope, a stretcher and even a gynecologic chair.
"Me, two days," Sarah answered, before glimpsing at the young girl. "She, maybe a week ago."
Being a bit embarrassed upon the lack of hygiene and earning a raised eyebrow by the other woman, Ellie sighed loudly and averted her gaze.
Rolling with her eyes, Maria brought two trays and said "But your dirty clothes in one and your valuables in the other. There's a shower and fresh clothes in the next room, now off ya go!"
Huffing out some air, Ellie eventually obliged and began to take off her clothes, whereas she put her concealed-carried gun and knife on the second tray at first.
"Giving a child a gun…very responsible," Maria mentioned dryly with a head shake as she saw the gun, causing Sarah to scoff.
"Try to survive out there without one, chair jockey."
Giving the other blonde a piercing glare, Maria eventually hissed "Well, fuck you, jackass. You can leave now!"
"No, I want her to stay!"
Once again, both women looked at the, only in her dirty underwear dressed, teenager, whereas Maria immediately jumped forward and grabbed Ellie's right arm.
"What's that?" she exclaimed in panic, shifting her gaze to Sarah, who stayed unimpressed like she had awaited this reaction. "Is this a bite?!"
"Yes, it's a fuckin' bite, now lemme go!" Ellie blurted in her face, ripping her arm out of her grasp.
"You bring an infected girl into town?! Are you freakin' nuts?" yelled Maria at Sarah, who then walked over to Ellie and cautiously touched her right arm, showing it again to the other woman without any force.
"If the wannabe-nurse would take a closer look, she'd see that the bite's already entirely healed and therefore older than three weeks."
"But that's impossible!" the nurse tried to counter, already doubting her own words. "Most people certainly turn within 24 hours after being infected."
"Well, obviously not."
Once more, Ellie withdrew her arm, though softer since she welcomed Sarah's touch more than Maria's. Yet, she had enough of this talk about the bite and all this verbal fighting, saying "Good gosh, can I now finally take that fuckin' shower? You two can still bitchin' around once I'm gone."
Ellie had barely left for the showers as Maria sat down onto an office chair with a giant huff. "All those years…" she said, staring into empty space. "All those years we thought that there was no cure. No hope to ever defeat the Cordyceps. And now…"
"It's within arm's reach…" concluded Sarah, who was leaning against a table, with a scoff, causing Maria to look at her again.
"So, why are you here? What's the plan? I mean…she's the solution to everything. She's…hope. Why would you bring her here?"
Calmly, Sarah once again told hers and Ellie's story, from the beginning in Boston and how they ended up in Jackson.
"So, you never did this for yourself?" was Maria's first question, which got answered with a head shake.
"No. I actually don't give a damn if you let me in or not. I could find a place in the area and settle down there. No problem, but Ellie… They almost got her twice and I… I can't do this anymore! Immune or not, if something happens to her, I… I couldn't…"
Sarah's voice suddenly broke as her feelings began to overwhelm her. Which got noticed by the other blond woman, who, however, didn't show much empathy, but said "You really seem to care about her. But why her and not Joel? Why not your own son? Why did you bail suddenly and left him behind? How was this supposed to protect him?"
"Just imagine waking up from a nightmare, where you got raped again and again, hearing the grunts and seeing the face of that motherfucker who impregnated you, only to get waken up by your baby. You stand up in the darkness, the dream still lingering in the back of your mind. You feed him and feel joy. Then, without a warning, his cute face changes into that of the rapist. You wanna throw him against the wall and smash his face. You…" Again, her voice stopped its work as salty droplets started to run over her cheeks. "I was afraid, y'know. Afraid that - one day - I wouldn't be able to control myself anymore and… and hurt him. I…I just couldn't do it anymore. And I knew that, if I'd have told you 'bout my plan to leave, you would've tried to stop me, and… You probably would've succeeded. So, I just packed my stuff and…"
A loud bang suddenly chimed through the room as Maria's fist slammed onto the desk.
"Goddammit, Sarah! Why didn't you tell us?! We could've helped you. We…"
"Yeah, you could've tried…" Sarah scoffed back, shaking her head. "No, the risk was too high. And if I'm honest, I spent the first few days in a house in Jackson city, ponderin' if I stick my fuckin' gun into my mouth and just pull the trigger. I was done, Maria. Done with this shit and done with my life. I just… I just was too much of a chicken to do it. Instead, I grabbed my stuff and walked. For days, for weeks. Not lookin' back. Trying to find a reason. I even walked back home and visited my dad's grave, askin' him for advice. I actually dunno how I ended up with the Fireflies again. Probably just to keep my head busy, until…" She inhaled deeply as a giant surge of emotions was rushing through her mind, almost overwhelming her. "It's for the best if Joel thinks that I'm dead. Keep it that way. He has the best parents he could ever wish for."
It was obvious that Maria's anger towards Sarah had evaporated entirely. Instead, it had gotten replaced by sadness and understanding. She was literally shocked by this revelation of the truth. Eventually, she stepped forward and embraced her friend tightly, wishing that she had never shunned her for her doings.
"Fuck!" was the first word that was dropping out of Maria's mouth before she broke the contact again and added "I'm sorry for what I said before. I…I didn't understand, but… Just take a shower, too. I'm gonna give you both the check-up."
The room with the shower wasn't anything special from the rest of the hospital that Ellie had seen so far. Walls, floor and ceiling were made out of wood, the furniture and equipment common. Only the stall with the shower in the corner was different. It was a tiled section with a small basin and a drape. There was also a sink with a mirror right beside it.
Huffing out some air, Ellie took off the rest of her garments and headed for the shower. When the warm water finally hit her body, she let out a big, relaxing sigh. After enjoying it a bit, she then took the soap bar from a small, wooden shelf and washed off the dirt. Not feeling very comfortable in a hospital, she finished the shower rather quickly and was done within 10 minutes. After drying off the wetness and combing her hair with an old brush, she put on some white, rather loose, thin cotton trousers and a long sleeved shirt.
She then opened the door and was caught by surprise as Sarah was standing in front of her, also only wearing her undergarments.
"You took your time, huh?" she said with a wink and a smug smile before squeezing past the young girl and pushing her softly into the examination room, where Maria was already waiting for her.
"Feelin' all freshened up?" she asked with a polite smile and then pointed at a chair beside a small desk. "C'mon, take a seat!"
Reluctantly, Ellie obeyed and sat down while the blond nurse prepared a sheet of paper and a pen.
"Okay, I'm gonna ask you a few questions and I want you to be truthful all the time, even though some of 'em will be very private. You got that?"
Private questions? What are private questions, anyway? Ellie didn't even know what some stupid questions would tell them about her health. Still, she felt like this was important and eventually nodded.
"Alright, then…" began the nurse and continued "Your full name, please."
"Ellie, uh… Ellie Williams."
Quickly, Maria scribbled her name into the document and then asked the next question.
"Your date of birth?"
"Uh, June 14th…2019."
"June, 14th…" mumbled the nurse in repeat while taking the notes. "So, you're 14… Um, any allergies or chronic disease?"
"Besides that I got bitten by a Runner and every FEDRA Cordy-Test literally explodes as soon as I get tested?"
"Wait, the FEDRA tests react?" Maria asked in astonishment with wide open eyes before noting this information as well.
"Yeah, the Fireflies did a few of those before sending me on the way. Told me to stay away from any patrols and checkpoints."
"Yeah, those bozos would've shot you right away," the older woman concluded and once again made some notes. "So, next question: Do you already have your period and when was the last time?"
At first, Ellie was entirely perplexed upon this very intimate question, but eventually answered with a blush.
"Uh, yeah. Maybe two weeks ago."
"And what about intercourse?" Maria kept on continuing the interview while still scribbling onto the paper. And again it caught Ellie off guard, and this time she didn't give an answer right away.
"Why do you need to know that?" the young girl replied suspiciously, yet the head nurse stayed calm and gazed understanding at her. Ellie wasn't the first one who would complain about those questions and would probably not be the last.
"Besides the usual tests, I also wanna perform a gynecologic exam on you. That's the common medical procedure before we let anyone stay in our settlement, because we don't need any epidemic outbreaks of preventable infections, no matter how harmless they seem. So, did you already have intercourse, voluntarily or forced?"
"Uh, no…" Ellie eventually replied, averting her gaze from the nurse before she mumbled "Still don't understand why you need to know this."
"Let me say it this way," she began to explain, laying down her pen for the moment. "As long as nobody sticks something bigger than one finger inside of your…vagina, you're pretty much sealed down there and sexually transmitted diseases have a hard time infecting you. But as soon as your cherry gets popped… Well, let's just say that most people don't take hygiene very seriously these days…"
Feeling very uncomfortable upon this topic, Ellie stayed quiet while Maria picked up the pen again to continue. Just in this moment, Sarah reappeared from the shower, also wearing those white, wide clothes like the young girl. And as she looked at her guardian, her eyes opened wide. She didn't know how or why, but seeing Sarah in those garments caused her heart to skip a beat, and as she imagined that Sarah also didn't wear anything under it, her mind began to paint…
"Ellie?"
Maria's voice brought the young red-head back from her daydream, startling her a bit.
"Uh, yeah?! Um…"
"I just said that I'm gonna need a sample of your blood, your saliva, your urine and your stool," repeated the nurse and Ellie confirmed with a nod that she understood.
Though uncomfortable, the samples were quickly taken, whereas it helped a lot with the first two that Ellie was able to focus on Sarah the whole time, who was giving her a friendly glimpse from time to time before she took the samples and began to prepare them for the analysis.
In the meantime, Maria began to check Ellie from head to toe with the standard check-up by touching and listening with a stethoscope.
"Alright, everything looks dandy so far. Now, take off your clothes and get onto the chair. Have you ever had a gynecologic exam, Ellie?"
"Uh, nope," she replied, still reluctant to take off her h trousers. "Do we really have to do this? I mean, you said it yourself, I'm still a virgin, so no diseases down there."
"Ellie," Maria sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she began to become impatient. "I already told ya, that it's a standard exam. Even toddlers go through the same process. So, just get a grip of yourself and…"
"May I?" Sarah interrupted, stepping between the two before the situation could escalate, whereas she kneeled down in front of the young girl and whispered towards her. "I know those exams suck hard, but we need to go through this or else they throw us out. Their turf, their rules."
"But I don't want her to touch my pussy, okay! R'member what Sabine did to me?" the young girl whisper-yelled defiantly back, crossing her arms. "I don't trust her!"
Sighing deeply and also understanding Ellie's reservation, Sarah thought deeply for a few seconds and then replied "But you trust me, right? So, how 'bout that I go first? Would this make you feel more comfortable?"
And again, Ellie's heart skipped a beat. A giant beat, to be exact. Yet this time it wasn't because of her lewd imagination, but because, once again, Sarah protected her. Threw herself into the line of fire. Yes, it was a small gesture. Yet, a gesture with a great spiritual impact. A real surge of emotions. No wonder that the young girl literally jumped around her neck and embraced her tightly.
It was done. Sarah would go first and everyone was pleased.
"Alright," Maria eventually sighed, shaking her head. "Then get naked and hop on the chair while I get your file and a new questionnaire."
And while the blond nurse went back to her desk, Sarah casually dropped her pants and took off her shirt and sat down onto the chair. Alone from this sight, Ellie had to gulp down hard as an intense warmth formed in her belly and her breathing became a bit shaky.
"Shit, that thing's darn cold!" the blond guardian complained while goosebumps appeared all over her body.
"Oh, stop whining, you ol' softy!" Maria replied as she sat down on a wheeled stool and rolled beside Sarah, a clipboard in her hand. "Okay, I guess your name hasn't changed since our last session. Any new health issues? Allergies? Further pregnancies?"
"Nope!" she responded, watching how her friend made some notes and then began to check her body like she had done with Ellie, whereas now she was additionally touching Sarah's breasts before shifting her attention to her intimate area.
"When was the last time you had sex?"
"Uh, I dunno…" Sarah replied, her demeanor showing discomfort as Maria began to examine her intimacy by using a speculum and a flashlight. "Maybe three years ago with a random guy."
"Not wanna question your sexual activities, but you should be more careful, y'know. But so far everything looks fine. No rashes, no smell."
No, Ellie didn't want to stare. Actually, she even tried to look away, but some invisible force kept her sight on Sarah's body. Her heart was racing and her breathing was so shallow that she almost had the feeling that she was about to suffocate. She tried everything to suppress the need to touch herself with her clammy hands by pressing her thighs together. This wasn't just her hormones, but something way deeper. Something that was inducing a desire inside of her that was almost driving her crazy.
"Ellie, you're up!"
Once more, Maria's voice pulled her out of her stupor. She gulped hard. Her nervousness wasn't gone, yet additionally fueled by her arousal.
"You okay, Ellie?" Sarah asked with a worried expression, almost fearing that the young girl might freak out.
But Ellie was also very courageous. Now that Sarah had shown her that there was nothing to the exam, she took a deep inhale and gathered all her willpower to suppress her emotions and approached the chair, trying to ignore her still naked guardian while pulling down her pants. And only as she climbed on the stool, she realized that her arousal would be on display for everyone, but it was too late. Maria had already positioned herself and wanted to start the exam.
With an arched eyebrow, the nurse frowned at the young girl, who was blushing intensively, shifting her glimpse to Sarah for a second, who was still busy dressing and wasn't paying much attention.
"Well, at least we have enough sample material," she commented dryly with a smirk before starting the examination. And though it felt very uncomfortable, Maria mainly looked and took a sample before releasing Ellie. "Everything looks fine down there. Just remember, once you start foolin' around, visit me regularly. At least once a year. The same counts for you too, Sarah."
"Yeah-yeah, I know," Sarah returned cynically while already checking a sample under the microscope. "Just admit that you only wanna touch my pussy."
"You wish," Maria replied as she walked over to the sink and washed her hands. "And by the way, this is my microscope. So, shoo-shoo!"
"C'mon, don't be such a drama-queen. I'll help ya with my expertise."
"Expertise," Maria scoffed, eventually quietly agreeing before approaching Ellie again.
"C'mon, Ellie, I'll bring you to the quarantine room!" she said and left the room, Ellie following her until they reached a door that led to a way smaller room with one bed, a small table and chair, plus a toilet. Reluctantly, the young girl entered it, already feeling very uncomfortable again as it reminded her of the small bedroom on the farm, where Sabine had locked her in for the first few days.
Realizing this discomfort, Maria touched her shoulder softly, reassuring "Don't worry, it's just for a few hours until we're done with the tests. Why don't you take the time to kick back and try to bring us the last two samples. Dishes and cups are in the drawer of the table. Or you finally take care of your needs. Alright?"
Feeling embarrassed by this repeated hint, regarding her crush on Sarah, underlined with a smirk and a wink, Ellie blushed and averted the woman's amused gaze. Eventually, the door fell into the lock and Ellie was entirely alone, with nobody around. The uncomfortable exam still in her mind, she slumped down on the bed and gazed at the ceiling. Now she could relax, now she was alone with her thoughts. Thoughts about the last hour. Thoughts that made her ponder about how to tell Sarah about her true feelings.
With a sharp focus, Sarah watched the sample of Ellie saliva under the microscope, searching for every small trace of the Cordyceps fungus.
"Nothing…" she eventually said, backing away from the optical device and rubbing her eyes.
"So, we double-checked every sample," Maria concluded and picked up the sample carrier with Ellie's blood. "Apart from her blood, there's no sign of the fungus in her body fluids. That doesn't match up. The fluids of the infected are normally full with contagious spores."
"Only if the infection breaks out," Sarah remarked in addition, leaning back on the chair. "Once the fungus infects the brain, it spreads and releases contagious fluids into the body. But the spores in Ellie's blood…they're inactive, like…like her body refuses to let them go active in her brain."
"But how? How's this possible? We didn't find any antibodies in her blood. Nothing that was fighting the fungus."
For a while, there was silence as Sarah was deep in her thoughts, until she said quietly "There is no cure," which caused Maria to look at her with a puzzled demeanor. "Ellie's unique. A mutation. It must be her brain chemistry and not some antibodies. Her brain's simply immune to the fungus."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I can't," the blond scout responded with a shrug. "The only way to be sure would be to cut her open like a lab rat. Dissecting her brain. And this only happens over my dead body!"
She then got up and wanted to get hers and Ellie's clothes, but got stopped by Maria.
"Sarah, she's the solution! We need to know…"
"We need to know shit!" Sarah hissed back with gritted teeth, pushing Maria away. "I brought her here, because the Fireflies and FEDRA are far away, because they would either lock her away or cut her open in a blink of an eye. I don't want that for her! I want a good life for her, without being treated like a freak or a rat. A normal life. With a family."
"You are her family, Sarah!" Maria replied calmly, approaching the slight taller woman. "Listen, Ellie's not infectious. You two got mine and Tommy's voice in the council. But even if you two stay here, we shouldn't let this chance pass away. Nobody wants to cut her open, but maybe we can do some more tests, and maybe we get lucky, who knows?"
But Sarah simply shook her head again, saying in a grim tone "A cure will only bring death and destruction. If we find something and word gets out into the world, Jackson will be obliterated. Nobody will win. Only the fungus prevails."
Silence settled in between the two women. A heavy silence that got only broken as Sarah began to change back into her regular clothes before taking Ellie's and wanting to leave.
"We're gonna be in our room above the tavern. Just visit, if you…"
"Sarah," Maria said sharply, stopping the other woman right away. "One day, someone will notice the bite on her arm. How do you wanna hide this, and what'll you do if it happens and people start to ask questions?"
But Sarah only turned her head, her demeanor stern and adamant.
"If someone tries to hurt her, I'll kill 'em!"
Evening was settling in and the town of Jackson was preparing itself for the upcoming night. People were on their way back home from work or to the tavern in order to let the day end with a drink and a good conversation.
"So, what did you find out?" Ellie asked as she and Sarah were walking side-by-side along the busy road towards the tavern. The young girl had already noticed that her guardian was rather quiet and in thoughts the whole time. No wonder that she hadn't answered her right away, but waited until they were finally back in their small guest room with a twin bed and some standard furniture.
"The spores are only in your blood, but inactive," Sarah eventually answered, taking off her jacket. "So, you can't really infect someone else, though we don't know yet how the spores in your blood might react to a different body's tissue."
"So, long story short, I could kiss someone and they don't turn into monsters, right?" Ellie returned cheekily, which caused Sarah to chuckle upon this boldness.
"Yeah, you could say that…"
Out of a sudden and to the blond woman's surprise, the young girl jumped forward, tiptoed, embraced her neck to pull her down and gave her a big smooch on the lips.
Sarah froze, not moving. Yes, not even flinching. She was stiff as a wooden board, her eyes wide open and not returning the kiss while Ellie was savoring every second.
A loud knock broke this strange moment, whereas Sarah used the chance to immediately break the contact, leaving Ellie standing with a giant pile of questions and confusing emotions.
Sarah literally ripped the door open, her demeanor stern and blushed as she faced her uncle.
"Sarah, we need to talk!" he said, scanning his niece's expression and then glimpsed over her shoulder, seeing Ellie who was still standing in the middle of the room, looking like her. "Is everything okay?"
"Just…say what you want, Tommy," she eventually sighed, signing him to come in.
"We need your expertise," he mentioned as he stepped in. Meanwhile, Ellie had taken a seat on the bed. "The second generator's givin' us all sorta headaches. Like the first one it's merely a relic from the seventies. Until now, we repaired both with parts from car wracks, but it's just spit 'n' glue. Sooner or later, the first one will fail, then the second one will be just a matter of time, which would throw us back into the stone age. We need original spare parts."
"And lemme guess, I need to find 'em," concluded Sarah, but only received a head shake.
"More like retrieve them. We know where they are, but getting 'em will be a darned dangerous mission, and that's where you come in."
For a moment, Sarah pondered about an answer, knowing that there was no other option. Unlike most of the town's citizens, she was a trained scout and the wastelands and ruins of the old United States her second home. She knew her way around dangerous areas and had already dealt with very difficult situations. If anyone was an retrieving expert, it was her.
"Yeah, okay, gimme the details on the way!" she eventually said, already grabbing her backpack, whereas Ellie wanted to do the same, very much to Sarah's dismay. "No, you're sitting this one out!"
"Why?" the young girl asked with disbelief, dropping her pack again. "You know I can handle myself."
But Sarah stayed adamant, kneeling down in front of her while Tommy had already left the room. "I know that you're a badass. But for this one, I need to focus on the mission and you…" She paused, taking a deep inhale to swallow down a big lump. "Listen, Ellie, a lotta happened during those last months, and I…I need to think…a lot. I think this mission will gimme the time and distance I need to…y'know… To sort through some stuff."
She hadn't mentioned the kiss. Neither how she felt because of it nor what it meant to her. She simply took her stuff and left Ellie alone.
She thought of herself as a fool. Why had she done this?! There were probably a million ways to show your affection to someone, but boldly kissing was obviously one of the stupidest ways to do it. Who knows, Sarah was probably disgusted and embarrassed. No wonder she was eager to just leave.
Feeling the anger rising inside, Ellie threw her bag into the next corner and screamed into the bedsheets to muffle these sounds of anger and frustration.