I reached over, not able to wonder any longer, and felt his forehead. Cool as a cucumber. That was a good sign. There was no fever at least. “You’re going to be fine,” I told him, refusing to hear otherwise. “Now see if you can get ahold of anyone at the CDC.”
He smirked at me, which was always a good thing when it came to Jake, before pulling out his cell phone. I watched as he scrolled through his contacts, then slowly pushed the one he needed. Placing the phone to his ear, he waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, he pressed the button ending the call. “Nothing.”
I couldn’t help it, but I sighed heavily. Some part of me had wanted him to get an answer. The other part of me knew it wouldn’t happen though. “Maybe they’ll call back.”
“That’s always a possibility, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. If things got too bad, I’m sure the doctors and staff there decided to get home to their families. It’s what they did at our hospital. It’s the smart decision.”
Hearing him talk about people going to their families made me realize he hadn’t asked me about Norene. I knew how much she meant to him, but knowing something bad must be a bit too hard for him. Still, him and Norene both deserved acknowledgements. “You haven’t asked about Norene.”
“You showed up in her car without her. I just assumed she went mad like the others.”
“No, that’s not how it happened,” I told him as I pulled my knees up to my chest and cuddled back on the sofa. “I was running away from the house. I couldn’t stay there any longer. With Dad and Keith lying there, dead, it was just too much. I hid for a bit, waiting.”
“Why? Were the infected everywhere?”
“No. Deputy Raymond Lee was.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“Nope. He was still patrolling, calling over the car’s speaker and reading the statement about staying inside and all that. When he was gone and I could hear him a block or two over, I started moving again. That’s when I heard Norene. Camilla Jolene. You know that voice.”
“Most definitely.”
“She had the boils, Jake, but she hadn’t gone insane. I didn’t see the guy she married. I don’t know where he was, but she still had her mind to her. She’s the one that sent me to you. She told me where you were and that my best option of surviving was to get to you. She said you would know what to do.”
“That was a mistake. I have no idea.”
I laughed, then laughed harder at the look he gave me. “Do you seriously believe that? I would’ve died at that hospital if not for you. I wouldn’t have been brave enough to go on. I would have stayed right there, or maybe driven around in Norene’s car until one of the infected took a bite out of me or my exposure finally took me. You’re the reason I’m still going. She was right.”
I could see easily that he wasn’t wanting to hear what I was saying, but he couldn’t argue with me either. That was a good thing.
“By now, she’s gone.”
“Yeah, she is. It sucks. They’re all gone,” I told him then reached over and took his gloved hand. “But we’re not. You gotta remember that. You have a scratch. That doesn’t mean you should give up. I need you, Jake. I’m not up for doing this alone.” I said the words but had no idea if they would mean anything to him. We both knew what it could mean if he was infected. I could close my eyes and wake up to him attacking me. It was a chance I was willing to take though. “Get some rest, Jake. There’s no telling what we’ll face tomorrow.”
I laid down on the sofa, watching him as he did the same on his. I didn’t know why, but something inside me wanted me to be closer to him. If something came crashing through the garage door, I wanted to be near him so we could protect each other. I scooted over just a bit, then saw him lean away.
“Cammy, I don’t trust myself until I see what happens with this scratch.”
“I get that,” I told him then closed my eyes. “I guess it’s a good thing I trust you enough for both of us.”
CHAPTER NINE
I was floating outside of my body watching it all happen. Standing over Cammy, sweat dripped off my forehead and landed loudly in huge puddles on her ivory skin. Pus oozed out of the cut on my hand and saliva ran down my chin. A hunger sat in my gut that pulled so strong, nothing I did could have stopped what came next.
Bending down closer, I took in a deep breath of her hair and closed my eyes. Licking the side of her face, starting at her chin and going up to her ear, she tasted like the sweetest peach I had ever eaten.
My tooth grazed her by her lip as I licked again. Blood trickled slowly down her face and I needed to taste it. I licked her again and the metallic delicacy filled my tongue with joy. I needed more. One taste, one lick, it wasn’t enough.
With a grunt, I put my body on top of hers to pin her down.
That was when she woke up and screamed. It was music to my ears and my stomach talked back singing its own melody of hunger. Unable to fight it off anymore, I put my face on hers and bit. My teeth sunk into the side of her cheek like it was made of jello. Pulling it back, a thick chunk slowly separated from her and the blood, muscles, and flesh slowly ripped away from the bone.
I chewed it holding her gaze the whole time. When the first piece was in my belly, I went in for a better chunk.
Taking her tit in my mouth, I did the same thing. It wasn’t as soft as her face had been, but it tasted so much sweeter. I rolled the detached nipple around in my mouth as I chewed the rest. Her screams egged me on the whole time.
Pus began to ooze out of her fresh cut and mix with the blood pouring out. They landed on the off-white sofa in a pool of foamy pink bubbles. Looking back at her, I watched as her face melted and ran from the bone folding like a ribbon to the ground.
She sat up and began to bite me with her bare teeth, and I watched as pieces of me slid down her exposed throat.
“Jake, wake up,” she said over and over with pieces of me dangling from her mouth. “Jake, get up. You are having a nightmare.”
“Jake.”
“What?” I asked slowly, trying to get my bearings.
“You were having a bad dream. You were screaming and punching the air. Are you alright?”
“I think so. Are you?” I asked, remembering vividly what had happened. I grabbed her, pulling her into me, and started to look her over for any sign I had really hurt her.
“I’m fine. What was that all about?” she asked, ripping her arm out of my hand and sitting on the couch next to me.
“I got it and was coming after you.”
“Jesus, Jake. Well, you didn’t, and you look fine. A little sweaty, but you were fighting in your sleep. I don’t feel a fever.” She had her soft hand on my forehead, and I wanted her to leave it there forever.
She didn’t.
Once she was happy I wasn’t burning up, she put her hand back in her lap and sat a little further away on the same couch. Neither of us would say it, but it was only a matter of time before what I dreamt would become a reality. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to go first so I could make sure she was protected the whole time or if I wanted to go first in hopes she would make it alone until they found a cure – if they found a cure.