London Bridge Is Falling
Domestication
My head is spinning for awhile after the blood transfusion. I wobble to the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. I look at the jagged scars then at my nappy, scruffy beard and my messy hair. I take a razor from my bag and make my beard look presentable, I then cut my hair. It all looks clean and proper now. I don't feel as disgusting. I open up the bathroom door and run into Cosima.
"You shouldn't be up" I say. "Let's get you back to bed"
"It worked?" She asks.
"Yeah. Doc says you're special"
She laughs. "Mom used to tell me that too"
I make sure she's snugged back in bed. She just looks up at the ceiling, smiling.
"It feels good" She says. "Not feeling like I'm about to die"
"I'm glad I could help" I smile and turn to walk out.
"Dylan...Why do you care so much?" She asks.
"I had a friend, Her name was Lucy. She was a scientist too. You remind me of her and I don't want you to die"
"Thank you"
"Don't thank me. You're family now"
I walk to the lunch room where Emily and Jill sit, eating their food. I want to avoid all conversation right now, my brain is hurting but they wave me to their table. I pull out the chair and sit down slowly, grabbing my head in agony.
"You okay?" Emily asks.
"Just a headache" I say. "They had to take a lot of blood out of me"
"It's been a long time since I've had chocolate" A girl says, she has dark skin an gorgeous eyes. She's beautiful. "Mind if I sit here?" She asks.
"Not at all" Jill says.
"My names Rachel" She smiles and shakes our hands one at a time.
We chat for a little bit and once we're done with lunch, I head back down the hall, to my small room. I hear a voice just outside an office, it sounds like Lara. I press my head against the door and listen.
"We can't take a risk, we have to let them go. They're infected" He's talking about Cosima and I.
"That's not your bloody decision is it?!" Lara yells.
"They could put all of us at risk"
"They can't infect anyone" Another man says, it sounds like the handsome man from earlier. Jason. "We have to at least give them a chance"
"Fine. But this is under protest" The man says.
I run back to my room and slam the door shut behind me. I fall onto the bed, tears running down my face. I can't believe we're not welcomed here. The two possible cures are not welcomed. Then there's a knock on my door and I quickly wipe my tears.
"Come in" I say. It's Jason.
"I know you were listening"
"You know what sucks? None of them are going through this, they don't know what it feels like to be bitten" I pull up my sleeve and show him the bite mark.
"I don't know what it's like, Dylan. But, just know that I'm not the one calling the shots. I'm not sending you away" He says.
"I know, Jason"
He sits down next to me. "This will all be over soon...I promise"
"Don't promise that. You don't know"
"Well, I have a good feeling" He smiles. "Come with me"
He leads me down a long hallway and up a few flights of stairs that eventually let out onto the roof. The sun is almost behind the horizon and the sky is a beautiful pink color. I can see buildings in the distance.
"You can't see it from here" He says. "But nature has taken back LA. Vines surround the skyscrapers and the ocean seeps into the roadways. It's quite beautiful. Not everything is fine...but we are"
"Jake used to say that to me" I say softly.
"Who?"
"Oh...my boyfriend. He died in London"
"I'm sorry" He touches my shoulder. "We've all lost something out there. My mother died"
"Mine did too" I say. I grab his hand and look towards him. "I can't let anymore people die"
"Then don't" He says. "Let's fight this battle and end it"
"You shouldn't be up" I say. "Let's get you back to bed"
"It worked?" She asks.
"Yeah. Doc says you're special"
She laughs. "Mom used to tell me that too"
I make sure she's snugged back in bed. She just looks up at the ceiling, smiling.
"It feels good" She says. "Not feeling like I'm about to die"
"I'm glad I could help" I smile and turn to walk out.
"Dylan...Why do you care so much?" She asks.
"I had a friend, Her name was Lucy. She was a scientist too. You remind me of her and I don't want you to die"
"Thank you"
"Don't thank me. You're family now"
I walk to the lunch room where Emily and Jill sit, eating their food. I want to avoid all conversation right now, my brain is hurting but they wave me to their table. I pull out the chair and sit down slowly, grabbing my head in agony.
"You okay?" Emily asks.
"Just a headache" I say. "They had to take a lot of blood out of me"
"It's been a long time since I've had chocolate" A girl says, she has dark skin an gorgeous eyes. She's beautiful. "Mind if I sit here?" She asks.
"Not at all" Jill says.
"My names Rachel" She smiles and shakes our hands one at a time.
We chat for a little bit and once we're done with lunch, I head back down the hall, to my small room. I hear a voice just outside an office, it sounds like Lara. I press my head against the door and listen.
"We can't take a risk, we have to let them go. They're infected" He's talking about Cosima and I.
"That's not your bloody decision is it?!" Lara yells.
"They could put all of us at risk"
"They can't infect anyone" Another man says, it sounds like the handsome man from earlier. Jason. "We have to at least give them a chance"
"Fine. But this is under protest" The man says.
I run back to my room and slam the door shut behind me. I fall onto the bed, tears running down my face. I can't believe we're not welcomed here. The two possible cures are not welcomed. Then there's a knock on my door and I quickly wipe my tears.
"Come in" I say. It's Jason.
"I know you were listening"
"You know what sucks? None of them are going through this, they don't know what it feels like to be bitten" I pull up my sleeve and show him the bite mark.
"I don't know what it's like, Dylan. But, just know that I'm not the one calling the shots. I'm not sending you away" He says.
"I know, Jason"
He sits down next to me. "This will all be over soon...I promise"
"Don't promise that. You don't know"
"Well, I have a good feeling" He smiles. "Come with me"
He leads me down a long hallway and up a few flights of stairs that eventually let out onto the roof. The sun is almost behind the horizon and the sky is a beautiful pink color. I can see buildings in the distance.
"You can't see it from here" He says. "But nature has taken back LA. Vines surround the skyscrapers and the ocean seeps into the roadways. It's quite beautiful. Not everything is fine...but we are"
"Jake used to say that to me" I say softly.
"Who?"
"Oh...my boyfriend. He died in London"
"I'm sorry" He touches my shoulder. "We've all lost something out there. My mother died"
"Mine did too" I say. I grab his hand and look towards him. "I can't let anymore people die"
"Then don't" He says. "Let's fight this battle and end it"