side, trying to gain some sort of balance. Her eyes were watering. Her face flushed. “I can ride in the bed of the truck. As long as I can lie down, I’ll be fine.”
“Key, let me help you.” Ryder stepped closer to her.
“No! Don’t come close. We have to minimize your exposure.” After grabbing Cricket’s water bottle, she limped weakly outside, and was barely able to lift herself into the back of the truck before she collapsed.
I scooped up Cricket’s backpack, and Ryder and I climbed into the cab.
At the hospital, we found an underground garage and parked the truck. The hospital looked to be in even worse shape than most of the rest of the buildings: windows shattered, doors busted open. I figured the hospital must have been ravaged by desperate looters during the outbreak. The odds that there were any supplies left weren’t good.
I carried Cricket to an exam room and lay her on a bed. It wasn’t the cleanest spot, but it would have to do for now. I checked her pulse; it was slow. Too slow. Why hadn’t she just turned around and left when I’d told her to?
I had never intended to hurt her. But the longer she’d stood there, the more I’d wondered if she, too, knew something about Christina. I was already sure that Caine was hiding something; was this girl in on it? She looked to be the same age as Ryder and me, and therefore she was the same age as Christina. Could they have been friends?
She moaned; she was waking up. I began sorting through her bag. I found the bottle of pills, a jacket, some binoculars, and a PulsePoint. I paused, staring at the device carried by all residents of New Caelum.
I moved to stand over her. “What the hell are you doing with a PulsePoint?” I asked her, even though she wasn’t really conscious yet. It didn’t make sense.
I searched the room for supplies. Nothing, as expected. I’d have to venture deeper into the hospital. Maybe we’d get lucky.
Two exam rooms over, I discovered some padded hand and ankle restraints. I returned to Cricket and strapped her to the gurney. She moved her head from side to side, her hair falling away from her face to reveal the scars on her right cheek and neck.
Unable to stop myself, I traced my fingers along the textured skin. Her eyes popped open, and I stepped away.
“What are you doing?” She jerked her head left, then right. “Where are we?” She took in her surroundings. “We’re at the hospital. Where’s Key? You need to move her to the infectious disease wing. It’s locked, but Caine has a key. We can help her, West.” Only after her ramblings did she finally try to move—and discovered her restraints. She tugged at them before turning her shocked gaze on me.
I had stooped to new depths. I reached in her backpack and pulled out the PulsePoint again. “Where did you get this?” I asked calmly.
She looked from the PulsePoint to me, and her eyes widened further. I could almost see her mind racing through a hundred possible answers, none of them the truth. She leaned her head back and stared up at the stained ceiling, and her breathing quickened.
Ryder entered the room. “Key’s all set up in a bed down the hall.”
Cricket remained silent. Her blue eyes pointed to the ceiling while I inwardly berated myself. I glanced over my shoulder at Ryder. “Cricket says there’s an infectious disease wing, but that it’s locked. Caine has a key.” That’s where they must have stored all the supplies.
Ryder walked over to Cricket and looked down into her face. “Is this true? Why would you need such a place? It’s not like you people on the outside have any real doctors, or any idea how to treat the sick.”
Cricket laughed under her breath. Ever since I had met her, she’d seemed quiet, shy even, except with the GI Jane gate guard. But this time when she spoke, she seemed confident, self-aware. “You two are a couple of real heroes, aren’t you? Why did you leave the city? You obviously didn’t do it
“Key, let me help you.” Ryder stepped closer to her.
“No! Don’t come close. We have to minimize your exposure.” After grabbing Cricket’s water bottle, she limped weakly outside, and was barely able to lift herself into the back of the truck before she collapsed.
I scooped up Cricket’s backpack, and Ryder and I climbed into the cab.
At the hospital, we found an underground garage and parked the truck. The hospital looked to be in even worse shape than most of the rest of the buildings: windows shattered, doors busted open. I figured the hospital must have been ravaged by desperate looters during the outbreak. The odds that there were any supplies left weren’t good.
I carried Cricket to an exam room and lay her on a bed. It wasn’t the cleanest spot, but it would have to do for now. I checked her pulse; it was slow. Too slow. Why hadn’t she just turned around and left when I’d told her to?
I had never intended to hurt her. But the longer she’d stood there, the more I’d wondered if she, too, knew something about Christina. I was already sure that Caine was hiding something; was this girl in on it? She looked to be the same age as Ryder and me, and therefore she was the same age as Christina. Could they have been friends?
She moaned; she was waking up. I began sorting through her bag. I found the bottle of pills, a jacket, some binoculars, and a PulsePoint. I paused, staring at the device carried by all residents of New Caelum.
I moved to stand over her. “What the hell are you doing with a PulsePoint?” I asked her, even though she wasn’t really conscious yet. It didn’t make sense.
I searched the room for supplies. Nothing, as expected. I’d have to venture deeper into the hospital. Maybe we’d get lucky.
Two exam rooms over, I discovered some padded hand and ankle restraints. I returned to Cricket and strapped her to the gurney. She moved her head from side to side, her hair falling away from her face to reveal the scars on her right cheek and neck.
Unable to stop myself, I traced my fingers along the textured skin. Her eyes popped open, and I stepped away.
“What are you doing?” She jerked her head left, then right. “Where are we?” She took in her surroundings. “We’re at the hospital. Where’s Key? You need to move her to the infectious disease wing. It’s locked, but Caine has a key. We can help her, West.” Only after her ramblings did she finally try to move—and discovered her restraints. She tugged at them before turning her shocked gaze on me.
I had stooped to new depths. I reached in her backpack and pulled out the PulsePoint again. “Where did you get this?” I asked calmly.
She looked from the PulsePoint to me, and her eyes widened further. I could almost see her mind racing through a hundred possible answers, none of them the truth. She leaned her head back and stared up at the stained ceiling, and her breathing quickened.
Ryder entered the room. “Key’s all set up in a bed down the hall.”
Cricket remained silent. Her blue eyes pointed to the ceiling while I inwardly berated myself. I glanced over my shoulder at Ryder. “Cricket says there’s an infectious disease wing, but that it’s locked. Caine has a key.” That’s where they must have stored all the supplies.
Ryder walked over to Cricket and looked down into her face. “Is this true? Why would you need such a place? It’s not like you people on the outside have any real doctors, or any idea how to treat the sick.”
Cricket laughed under her breath. Ever since I had met her, she’d seemed quiet, shy even, except with the GI Jane gate guard. But this time when she spoke, she seemed confident, self-aware. “You two are a couple of real heroes, aren’t you? Why did you leave the city? You obviously didn’t do it
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