Maybe Homer had been right and it had been foolish to visit the injured man before she had cleaned herself up. She probably still had to learn those things.
Would he recognize that she had changed? She stopped the water, went back to the dressing room and opened her new mirror… No it was impossible to not recognize it!
She had relaxed in the hot water and all her doubts had been silenced. What the bold one had said about the beast hadn’t been destined for her, but had been part of a heavy struggle in his dream.
He hadn’t said no to her. She just had to wait until he woke up again. If she was with him at that point he would understand. And then? Why should she think about it now? She knew enough that she could trust herself with him.
Again she thought how the bold one had turned from side to the other in his fever. Without knowing why she knew that he had been searching for her. She could bring him rest, peace and bring him into balance again. She felt warm when she thought about him.
They had taken the dirty overall from her and had promised to wash it. Instead she got bright blue jeans and a sweater with a few holes in it. The new clothes were too small for her and when she went back to the guard post she could feel the looks of all men on her, so that Sasha felt like she had to take another shower before she got back to her bed.
The old man wasn’t in his room but she wasn’t alone for long. After a few minutes the door was opened and the doctor stepped in.
“You can now visit him.” He said, “He’s awake.”
“What’s the date?”
The brigadier put his weight on his elbow, put his head back and forth and starred at homer. He reached at for wrist immediately, even though he hadn’t had a watch in years. Then he spread his arms and shrugged his shoulders.
The nurse intervened. “The second. November”
“Three days”. Hunter fell back down onto his pillar.
“I’ve been laying here for three days. We got to go or we’ll be too late.”
“You won’t get far.” Said the nurse. “You almost had no more blood in you.”
“We got to go.” Repeated the brigadier. “Time is running out… The bandits…” Suddenly he stopped. “Why do you need a respirator?”
Homer knew the question had to come sooner or later. He had had three days to build his defenses and organize to fight back. Hunter being unconscious had kept him from realizing; now he had a well thought-out lie ready.
He lowered his head over the bed of the injured man and whispered: “There are no bandits. While you were fevering… You have been talking the entire time. I know everything.”
“What do you know?” Hunter grabbed him by his collar and dragged him to him.
“From the epidemic at the
Homer waved at the nurse who had wanted to come to his aid. “I can do this. I have to talk to him. Would you be so kind…”
Only reluctantly the nurse gave up, put the cover back on the needle and left them alone.
“About the
“Nothing else?”
“Only that some kind unknown infection has broken out at the station. That it is transferred over the air. And that our guys have put up quarantine and wait for help.”
“If you say so. Ok…” The brigadier let go of him.
“Yes it is an epidemic. And you’re afraid to infect yourself?”
“Be on your guard then god helps you.” Answered homer carefully.
“Yes, Yes. It’s alright… I wasn’t close and the air was moving in the other direction… Nothing should have happened.”
Homer found his courage again. “Why that story with the bandits? What’s your plan?”
“First to the
“Burn down the entire station? What’s with our guys?”
Homer hoped that his words were just another try to get him away from the truth like he had lead the commanding officers of the
“They are already walking corpses. There’s no way out. All who have contact with the infected infect themselves. The entire air is infected. I’ve heard of this disease…” Hunter closed his eyes and licked over his bloody lips with his tongue. “There is no cure. A few years ago we had a similar outbreak. Two thousand deaths”
“But then it stopped?”
“There was a siege. Flamethrower.” The brigadier turned his scared face to him. “There is no other way. If there’s an outbreak and only one human gets through… That’s it for us. Yes that with the bandits was a lie. Otherwise Istomin would’ve never agreed to kill all of them. He is too soft. I am going to get people that don’t ask any questions.”
“But what if there are still people that are immune against it? What if there are still healthy people there? I… You’ve said… Maybe there is still somebody with who we can talk…”
“There is no immunity.” cut the brigadier him off.
“All that got in contact get infected. There are no more healthy ones there, only those that last longer. And it is going to be worse for them. They will have to suffer longer. Believe me it’s better for them if I… If they are killed.”
“What is going to bring you that?” Homer stepped back from Hunters stretcher and again he realized that the eye on his scarred side of the face didn’t fully close. Hunter waited so long with his answer that the old man already wanted to call the doctor again.
But then the brigadier spoke slowly, stretched, with closed teeth, as if I was under hypnosis and was looking for lost memories in his past: “I have. To defend humanity. Eliminate all threats. I am only there for that.”
Had he found the knife? Had he understood that it was from her?” What if he wouldn’t guess it and see no promise in it? She flew along the hallway and chased away those angry thoughts. She had no idea what she would say to him… To bad that she hadn’t been able to stand at his bed when he had awoken…
Sasha had almost heard the entire conversation.
Silently she had listened on the doorstep and had winched when he had talked about the killing.
Of course she hadn’t understood everything but she didn’t have to. She had heard the most important parts, there was no more use in waiting. So she knocked on the door.
When the old man turned around she could see the despair in his face. He almost didn’t move as if this time they had given him the injection to calm him down and had extinguished the flame in his eyes. He nodded at Sasha weak willed, it looked like a death candidates rope had been raised up.
The girl sat onto the edge of the chair, bit on her lip and held her breath before she entered this new and unexplored tunnel. “Do you like my knife?”
“What knife?” The bold one locked around and saw the black blade. His face didn’t move but looked at Sasha distrusting. “What is that supposed to mean?”
It was like somebody had punched her right in the face. “That is for you. Yours broke. As you… Thank…”
A few moments uncomfortable silence hung in the room. Than the bold one said: “Strange gift. Wouldn’t accept it from anybody.” She believed to hear something like a clue in his words, something with a second meaning and left unspoken. She accepted the game without knowing its rules and started to reach for fitting words. What emerged was clumsy, not making any sense, but Sasha’s tongue wasn’t used to describing what was going on inside of her.”
“Don’t you feel that you carry a part of me inside of you? That piece that they have ripped out of you… That you were searching for… That I have given back to you?”
“What are you talking about?”
