Chapter 6 Bella's POV

"Help... please..." cried Maria.

The words sent chills down my spine. It wasn't the guttural growl or the mindless groans I'd come to associate with zombies that I saw in movies. It was a plea, a human-sounding plea. Her eyes locked with Edward's, and he seemed just as startled as I was.

Jasper, still uneasy, looked at the restrained Maria. "So, you think she's still in there? She's not just a monster?" Maria's eyes rolled back, and her body jerked violently in the restraints, as if the infection had suddenly taken hold again.

"She's fighting it," Edward said, his eyes narrowing. "She's not fully lost."

"What do we do?" Rose asked, her voice trembling.

"We sedate her," Carlisle said, pulling a syringe from his bag. "It might give us more time to figure this out."

"That's risky," Jasper warned. "What if the sedative makes her stronger? Or accelerates the infection?"

"We don't have a choice," Carlisle said firmly. "If we let fear stop us, we'll never find a solution."

I stepped back, lowering my weapon completely. "Do it," I said, my voice steady.

Carlisle moved quickly, injecting Maria with the sedative. She thrashed violently for a few seconds, then her body began to relax, her breathing evening out.

Edward stood, looking at me. "This is our chance," he said. "If Maria's still fighting, there might be a way to reverse this—or at least slow it down. But we need answers, and those answers are at the facility."

"Then we take her with us," I said. "What?" Jasper exclaimed. "You want to drag her along? Are you insane?"

"If she's the key to understanding this, we can't leave her behind," Bella insisted. "We keep her restrained, we keep her sedated, but we take her. She might be the only clue we have."

Edward looked at Maria, then back at Bella. "She's right. This might be our only shot."

I look to my group, Alice, you are staying here. "What" my sister screamed.
"You are not leaving me, are you crazy."

I felt my heart tighten at Alice's reaction. I didn't want to do this—didn't want to break my sister's heart for the second time in a day—but this was the only way. I held my ground, with a calm but firm voice.

"Alice, you have to stay here." My words were final, but I could feel the weight of them as if they were a thousand pounds. I needed Alice to understand that it would be more dangerous for me if she came along, I would be worried about protecting her over myself.

"Alice, I know this isn't what you want to hear. And I'm not leaving you behind because I don't trust you—I need you to trust me." Bella looked over at the rest of the group, her eyes pleading with them to understand her choice. "I can't risk all of us. If anything happens to me, there got to be someone left to lead.. I know you don't want to be separated, but I need you here, helping keep everyone safe." I looked at Jasper and Emmett, "what about you two? "

Jasper stepped forward, his brow furrowed in quiet defiance. "If Alice is staying, then I'm staying too," he said, his voice calm but resolute. "I'm not leaving her here without backup."

Emmett, who had been leaning against the wall, finally spoke up, his deep voice breaking the tension. "I'm going with you," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Bella raised an eyebrow at him. "You're sure about that?"

Emmett gave a lopsided grin. "You're heading straight into the lion's den, aren't you? Someone's got to have your back. Plus, I'm not exactly the 'sit around and wait' type."

Edward nodded in agreement. "We'll need his strength if we run into trouble," he said. "It's a good call."

I gave Alice a look, one filled with gratitude and trust. "You're my anchor, Alice. I need you to keep things steady here while we're gone."

Alice nodded, though her face still carried the weight of worry. "Just... be careful, Bella. All of you."

"Always," I said, giving her sister a quick, fierce hug before turning to the door.

As the group prepared to leave, Carlisle handed me a small pouch filled with medical supplies. "Take this," he said, his tone calm but serious.

I opened it, finding a few syringes, vials of liquid, and other basic medical tools. "What's this?" I asked.

"Sedatives," Carlisle explained. "They're strong enough to temporarily subdue someone, even if they're infected. It won't stop the transformation, but it might buy you time if Maria—or anyone else—becomes too dangerous."

Edward glanced at the vials, his jaw tightening. "Good call. We can't predict what we'll face at the facility. Having options could save lives."

I nodded, tucking the pouch into my bag. "Thank you, Carlisle. We'll use them only if we have no other choice."

"We need to move quickly," Edward said softly, his hand gently resting on Bella's back as he guided her toward the door. "Let's go."

Alice watched us leave, her face a mixture of anguish and quiet determination. She wasn't happy with this decision, but she would stay behind to help protect the others, just like I had asked.