"Look what you did! Look what you did!"
"I can't breathe."
The security girl sitting on Beth's back who apprehended her won't stop forcing her to look at Gerald, ignoring Beth's pleas.
"We're here, what's going on?" Says a voice. "Oh my god, Bethany!" Screams a panicked, Slate running into the room who's stopped by Mikey and Grayson who hold him back.
"Slate, Slate, stop. Solayo will handle it." Grayson tells him. "Chloe, off." Solayo tells the security member I'm Beth. She climbs off, and Solayo rolls a handcuffed Bethany onto her back while Ester attends to Gerald.
"Beth, what happened?" Solayo asks her, bending down to her level.
"He- I-"
"Take a deep breathe. And then tell me what happened."
"He was harassing me, wouldn't leave me alone. I was scared."
"And what about him or he did scared you-" But them Solayo stops midsetence, eyeing Beth's 'bitten wrist' that the bandage is unravelled on. The handcuffs are digging into her wrists, digging into the bite mark.
"Chloe, keys. I want the handcuffs removed."
Chloe hands him the key and he has Bethany rolls onto her side, so he can undo the handcuffs. He has her sit up, but tells her not to move as he wraps up her bitten wrist, covering the bite mark and examines the other wrist briefly for any lasting injuries.
"Is she bitten?"
"She's going to turn!"
A bunch of whispering rumors circulate around the room. "Relax, everyone! She's not infected." Solayo calls out. "It's a superficial wound. We examined it when she was bought in."
"Clearly you guys don't do as thorough a job as you're claiming." Beth says sarcastically.
"What do you mean?" Solayo snaps, his gentle image gone, his grabs Beth's chin forcing her to look at him.
"Ah!" Ester squeals, quickly standing up and backing away from Gerald. "Grayson." She says quickly, choosing him over trigger happy Mikey.
Grayson stands beside her, eyeing Gerald. They see his zombie bite mark, everyone sees it. "Great scott." Solayo says, eyes narrowing in.
"It looks old, but severly infected." Grayson states.
"Ten days." Bethany says nervously. "What did you say?" Solayo says.
"He was bitten 10 days ago."
"How long did you know?"
His rough with her, gripping the back of her neck.
"I didn't! He just told me now, don't hurt me, please!"
"Oh, I see what's going on. He thinks she was like him, got the wrong impression and opened up to her. Right, take him downstairs to... the medical bay." Solayo orders, but Beth sees him mouth, 'Labs' under his breath where he said bay."
"And uh, you know what, give me a sedative please, Ester. Mikey, fetch a wheelchair. Grayson." And Solayo clicks his fingers.
Bethany sees Security pick up Gerald, half dragging him out the recreational hall. Then she feels Grayson pulls her arms behind her back, preventing her from going anywhere.
"No, no, no! Slate!" She screams, looking at Slate in the corner of the room. "Don't you dare move." Solayo orders him. She watches Ester in the corner filling up a small syringe from a un-labelled vial, handing it to Solayo.
"No, please. No." Bethany pleads, tears spilling down her face as Ester slips her sleeve, cleaning her an area of her shoulder, holding it as Solayo positions the syringe, injecting it.
She let's out a small scream. "It won't hurt long. Relax, this will relax you." Solayo tells her. She immediately feels tired and yawns, unable to resist the urge to yawn.
Grayson continues restraining her as Solayo and Ester watch the drug take effect. "Solayo." Slate utters, trying not to cry. "You can come over." Solayo responds and Slate falls to his knees, beside Beth.
It's getting harder and harder for Beth to stay awake till her eyes finally close and she's out.
---
Everything is dark, silent and cold. She struggles to open her eyes, but manages after a few minutes. A darkened room coming into view.
A modern kitchen, dining set, couch and bookshelf with desk nearby and two sets of doors opposite from each other. She's in-front of a window that looks out, a huge one. She can see a farm below, parked tractors and some vans.
No one is out there except a few security personal patrolling with flashlights. Bethany draws a shaky breath and exhales, trying to move, but can't.
Straps have her tied down to a wheelchair, she can barely move. She's been parked in front of this window to look out. It's almost night-time.
How long has she been out? What happened to Gerald? Where's Slate and the leaders? Where even is she? No one where in the compound looks this cozy and furnished.
"Hello? Someone?" She calls out, but earns no response. She tries calling out louder, managing to manuever the buckle on her waist to slacken and a metal hand on it make a clinking sound.
"Someone!" She yells, and then she hears a door open, a slight yellow light pouring into the room briefly for just a moment. She blinks heavily, still feeling the effect of the drugs even though they are wearing off.
"Bethany?"
She looks infront of her to see Grayson there, bending down to her level. "How do you feel?" He asks, voice soft and gentle. He takes her 'bitten' hand, holding it in his.
"Can you let me out? Please." She whispers. He nods, and starts unfastening the straps. She falls out the wheelchair falling forward, unable to stand properly, limbs either weak or numb.
"Woah, I got you. You're okay, it's okay."
He holds her close to him, her face resting in the nook of his shoulder and neck. "Where am I?" She whispers. "What time is it?"
"Early evening. You've... been sleeping a while."
And he picks her up, standing up himself. She weakly wraps her arms around his neck she feels like she isn't falling. He carries her into an adjacent room, pushing the door open that leads further into this fancy modern area.
It reveals four double beds in a row, some cupboards and there is another door which proably leads to an ensuite bathroom.
She sees Slate sitting in the corner of the room, facing the wall. Ester is laying down on her bed, asleep. Mikey playing with a yoyo, laying down on his bed. And Solayo is on his bed, typing awake on a laptop.
Solayo looks up, acknowledging Grayson with Beth and closes the lid of the laptop. Mikey sits up, and nudges Ester, waking her.
She looks confused, but quickly gains composure, sitting up, wiping her eyes. Slate briefly looks over his shoulder, but quickly turns back to face the wall again.
"How is she?" Solayo asks Grayson.
"Awake, but can't walk." He tells him.
Grayson gently places Beth on the ground, but continues holding her, showing that she's not placing weight on her legs.
"I see." Grayson says.
Bethany is scared to say or do anything. "Slate, up." Solayo demands, standing himself. Slate slowly gets up from the corner, inching over to everyone, but his looking down at the floor.
"So." Solayo says. But then realizes neither Slate or Bethany are actually looking up. "Look at me, both of you. Now." He demands.
Bethany and Slate look up slowly at Solayo. "Better. So, Gerald's been taken down to the medical bay. We're... going to make him comfortable. Help him if we can, but I make no guarentees.
As for you, Beth. Fighting isn't tolerated here. If you have a problem from now on with a member of the community, report it to a member of security or one of us and/or walk away.
This is the only free pass, and only warning you get and you used it, today.
And Slate, you're supposed to keep an eye on her, you're her childhood best friend after all."
"I'm sorry, Solayo. It won't happen again, I promise." Slate appolgizes.
Solayo looks to Beth for her apology. But she doesn't say anything. 'Say sorry.' Ester mouths silently, pleading with Beth.
"Fine, have it your way." Solayo says angrily, turning away from Beth and heading back to his laptop. Slate takes Bethany from Grayson, and prepares to leave and take her back to their dormitory when Beth drags her heels, stopping him.
"I know who you guys are, you're the government party that was in, The Tomorrow Party. And the Military is here too, working on your behalf-"
But she doesn't get to finish, feeling Solayo turn around and slap her hard across the face.
"Shut up, Beth." Solayo hisses. Ester slaps her hand to her own face. She tried to warn her... Mikey rubs Ester's back, comforting her while Grayson shy's away from Beth and Slate.
"Get out, both of you. Don't let me see you again."
And Slate with Bethany hurry out the room, Bethany struggling to walk. They head down a corridor, passing through several doors, and passing several doors as well. They come to an elevator, this place has one?
Slate helps her inside, and press the button for main floor. She looks at all the buttons and it goes down as far as -13
She presses it, but Slate lightly slaps her hand away. She sees Access Restricted, swipe keypass appear on the display above. Slate looks away from her and presses the button for main floor and the elevator ascends.
He takes her back to their dorm room, saying nothing. When they get in, they see the lights are off just like in the darkened hallway, no one around.
Gayle, Marcia and Murphy are all asleep in their beds. Slate lies Bethany down in her bed, tucking her in without saying a word, going to climb up to his when she grips onto his shirt, pulling him back.
He climbs back down and bends down to her, silently asking what's wrong with his eyes. She lifts her blanket up and moves back a little, making room for him.
He doesn't say anything and lies down beside her, pulling the blanket back over them. It's a tight squeeze, but they manage. Bethany falls asleep rather quickly as she's still got the drugs in her system while Slate on the other hand can't sleep and lies awake all night, having not had any medication to help him sleep.
ns 18.68.41.147da2
