Before the sun rose on the horizon, Eris was up. He sat in his office chair, eyes glued to the current document he was reading. With his free hand he took notes on a pad. Listing all of Cole's past symptoms and the recurrences of them. After, Eris researched the incident reports written by Rue. He listed those by date and a brief description of the incident. Next, Eris began sifting through the patient's lab results. And finally, he reviewed Cole's cognitive tests. Which were performed daily as Cole never seemed to suffer the more severe symptoms. "She's strong, she wants to live." Doctor Isla says on a recorded log. Which Eris played out of curiosity. The conference video showed Doctor Isla in plain clothes. She was sitting in her own living room, while talking to an interviewer. Other unnamed individuals were a part of the virtual conference, but only their names appeared below. "What was going through your head when you took her in as a child?" An interviewer asks. "She needs m
Vincent slipped outside. The morning breeze cooled his skin as he finally placed the dog bowl. Sitting on the porch while Audi gobbled his food. Vincent let his gaze drift over the many vehicles parked on the lawn. Some of them were in poor shape. Though, it’s still a better option than walking. Beyond the collection of vehicles, a long dirt driveway curves into the distance. Surrounded by trees, and poorly maintained grass. "Oh my god.” Vincent lifted his head as voices echoed, followed by the sound of laughter. "Again?" "Hahaha, Tuck you're so bad at this game". A small smile stretched on Vincent's lips when he realized they were up. Not only that but playing their card games. "Come on. Rematch." Cole spoke. "But this time, if I win, you have to get me some of Doctor Blonde's secret stash." What? Vincent could hardly believe his ears. "Deal." Tuck quickly agrees. This time Vincent stood up. Stepping off of the porch, he looked up at the open bedroom window. Placing one hand
"Who told you my middle name?" Vincent questions, his right eyebrow twitching as a dark cloud forms over the green in his eyes. "It was on your -ahem". Tuck pulled out a familiar leather wallet. "State of Connecticut Driver's License.” "Tuck". Vincent warns as he starts opening the wallet. "Let's see. Date of birth -fuck- 2029?? You're like… OLD!". Cole stirred awake as Vincent set down the tray of food nearby and reached for his wallet. "Give me that back you little turd and go find Snow White and the other six dwarves.” “Ha, I think I hear Barbie calling you back to the Dream house.” Tuck smirks, jumping out of his spot when Vincent got close. Causing Cole to fall on the floor with a loud thump. "OWw". Went Cole, lifting her head up after hitting the coffee table. "What's going on?" She croaks out, her gray eyes still hazy with sleep. "Hey, Cola". Tuck smiles mischievously, holding the wallet out. "Guess what? Barbie’s boyfriend was born in-" "Enough". Vincent moved swiftly t
Cole finished her food and licked her fingers. Gulping the last of the orange juice before setting down the glass. Vincent stood in front of her, looking at the tray. "What's wrong?" Cole wondered. Vincent took the tray and answered. "You shouldn't eat so fast… Might get an upset stomach. Then I'll have to give you a shot". "A shot?" Confusion glistened in Cole's gray eyes. Her clear dislike of needles surfaces. "I'd have to get a shot?" "Yes". Vincent sighs, as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders and she just added more. Cole glances down at her lap, then slowly holds her right arm toward him. A nervous habit familiar to Vincent. He gently lifted her chin with his finger, coaxing her gray eyes to reconnect with his green ones. A grin formed on his lips as he spoke. "Kidding". Vincent's green eyes sparkle in the light. Cole blinked, confusion fading as she lowered her arm. Vincent gave her chin a light touch and then retreated with the tray. Cole chewed her lip in
Eris closed the video and began scrolling through others. Most were dated for the first month. He glimpsed the other vids, finding the patients’ unusual symptoms. "Look". Vincent interrupted to pass Eris a written log from March 2062. "Is there a video for this? Cole was given anesthetics. The paper has too much water damage. I want to know why she was given this when her regular treatment doesn't require it". Eris quickly pulled up the video files for the month. The first video was grainy, and the audio was unclear. After waiting a bit, a fifteen-year-old Cole could be seen removing her bed sheets. The video timestamp showed it was 2:21 am, and the hall outside of her unit was dark. Meaning the staff was gone. From Cole's room, there was not only a view of the hall, but of neighboring rooms as well. With patients similar in age and circumstances. "Are you really going to go through with that, Cole?" A boy not much younger stood close to the window. His room is mostly dark, apart
"I… I need a break" is all Eris says as he moves to leave. Tuck looked to Vincent for answers. "He's fine". Vincent spoke, not sounding too sure. "What was that scream just now" Tuck probed as he glanced around the room in confusion. "It was the video". Vincent pointed, glancing at the image of the paused video. Nurse Len stood over Cole's unconscious body. Vincent quickly shut off the screen before Tuck could see, then began to clear up the mess. Doing his best to remain calm on the surface. Tuck helped to clear it, after, he grabbed some pencils and plain paper. Retreating from the room without a word. Right away Vincent had a feeling the stuff he took was for Cole. Once Tuck left, Vincent returned to his desk. Watching the rest of the footage in silence. -- Nurse Len was in a rage. "Cole! Look at this! Look at what you fucking did to me!" He shouts at the unconscious Cole on the floor. Eventually, she woke again to his endless cuss words. Lifting her head, Cole could see hi
In a narrow hallway, crowded with over ten soldiers, Vincent spots a weary red-haired First Lieutenant. She breaks from the group and approaches the doctor. Her red hair is fastened in a tight bun on top of her head, and a fresh uniform fit her well. "Doctor Lance, we need to talk." She speaks, gesturing for Vincent to follow her into another room. She dismissed the other soldiers, telling them to take lunch. "Eris should be here any moment." Natalie starts to say when they're alone. Finally allowing her feigned calm demeanor to fade as an uneasiness took its place. "I know you have your priorities with Patient Five, so I won't keep you long. We've had four weeks without any problems… and now…" Natalie took a deep breath, letting it out again as she addressed the problem at hand. "Eight of my soldiers are showing symptoms of the contagion." She reveals. "It was reported two days ago. I didn't tell you because I wanted to be sure. If it were the common cold going around, I would be les
As far as his eyes can see, Tuck observes the old and forgotten buildings. Where creeping growths consume the heights of them. Rusted corpses of vehicles crowd the streets and parking lots. Glass and debris are littered everywhere. Leaning or torn street signs are barely readable. Though, Tuck didn't need the signs to know where he was going. After observing the streets, Tuck carefully made his way through them. Until he found an old market in similar condition to the other buildings. He pulled up his mask and clicked on a flashlight. Tuck pulls the door partially open. Peeking, before he slips inside the store. Inside, there's a barricade of shopping carts. Tuck made his way around them, eyeing the checkout lanes that are empty. Old registers emptied, computers torn and loose wires bleeding out of them. The rest of the store had similar damage. Some shelves were plucked clean, while others remained. Tuck shone his flashlight, looking for useful items. Or fun ones… "Oh, this is gol