“They didn’t flip out when they saw the scratch on your shoulder?” Jason’s eyes bore into the young woman sitting across from him in the bleak candlelight.
She shook her head slightly, her eyes downcast. “No.” Her voice was so soft it could barely be heard in the darkness. She pulled a small corner from the piece of bread she held and slipped it into her mouth.
“Well, what did they say? I couldn’t hear from where I was, and I was trying to listen.”
She shook her head again and shrugged. “She just asked how I got it.”
Jason leaned forward and grabbed her hands. “What did you tell them?” His voice was a whisper, but he may as well have yelled by the way she jumped. “Seriously, Bren. What did you tell them?”
She jerked her head up and stared at him. “The truth.”
He fell back onto his cot and stared at her. “You shouldn’t have done that.” He slowly got to his feet and paced the small area. “If they think you were scratched by one of the crazies, they’ll throw us both out.”
She shook her head again. “I told her it happened nearly a week ago. She seemed satisfied with that.” She reached for his hand and stopped his pacing. “If I were infected, I would have turned by now. It had to be a tree branch.”
Jason shook his head. “Bren, I saw it happen. I told you what scratched you.”
“And you still didn’t put me down, did you?” She came to her feet and laid her head against his chest. “What did you tell me then?”
He stroked her hair and pulled her tight into his arms. “That I’d always take care of you.”
“Whatever it was, they know that it’s an old scratch and that I’m not infected.” Her voice was muffled against the rough material of his shirt. “We’re safe. They’re not going to throw us out. They don’t suspect anything.”
He continued to rub her hair and nodded in the darkness. “I pray you’re right.”
“I am.” She held him tightly and snuggled in closer. “We’re going to be fine.”
“Don’t get me wrong.” Jason sighed. “I’m damned glad they were here to pull our fat out of the fire, but…”
She pulled away and stared at him in the dim light. “What?”
Jason shook his head in the darkness and looked away. “We don’t know anything about them. They could be bad people.”
She nodded and snuggled close again. “Bad people don’t allow you a bath and give you clothes. They don’t feed you and let you stay together.”
“In quarantine.” He didn’t mean for the bitterness to come out in his voice, but it did.
“Regardless, if they had bad intentions, don’t you think they would have separated us? Maybe tried something? Or put you in chains or…worse?”
“I don’t know. Call me paranoid, but I don’t trust many people these days.”
“I don’t blame you. Not a bit. But for now? Tonight? We have a safe place to sleep, food in our stomachs, and we don’t have to take turns keeping watch.” She pulled away and cupped his face in her hand. “Can’t we just try to relax and enjoy what we have for however long we have it?”
Jason sighed heavily and pulled her closer. “I don’t like it, but you’re right. For tonight, we can at least pretend the world hasn’t gone to shit and let ourselves relax a little.”
She leaned up and kissed him gently on the chin. “Thank you.”
“Meh, don’t thank me.” He pulled the two cots close together and sat down, pulling her to him. “We’re liable to wake up tomorrow and find ourselves slave labor for a bunch of pirates or something.”
She chuckled lightly as she settled in next to him. “It beats being eaten by the crazies, don’t you think?”
He shrugged and wrapped an around her. “Sometimes I wonder.”
Larry pulled Vicky aside after his inspection of the newcomers. “I told them I wanted to make sure the scratch wasn’t infected. I smeared some triple antibiotic on it and applied a bandage.”
Vicky waved him on with her hand. “And?”
“And…” Larry sighed heavily. “It certainly appears to be a deep scratch made by a human.”
“That was my thoughts as well.”
“So, what are you planning to do about it? She obviously hasn’t turned. Maybe it wasn’t an infected that scratched her. You do realize that in the heat of a chase, her boyfriend could have done it and neither of them even realize it.”
Vicky shook her head. “The council has a plan already. All we needed was for you to verify my findings.”
“No, that’s bull!” Larry stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “You can’t pull me in on something like this and then keep me in the dark.”
Vicky blew a breath out as she considered the circumstances. “You’re right.” She pulled him to the side and lowered her voice. “They think she might be immune. That perhaps her antibodies can be used to come up with an antiviral or an immunization.”
“We aren’t set up for something like that. Hell, none of us would have the first clue how to do something like that.”
“I know. That’s why they’re going to make arrangements to move her.” Vicky pulled him closer and stared into his eyes. “You have to promise you’ll keep this under your hat. Don’t even tell your wife. We don’t want any false hope being spread.”
“But…”
“No! Especially considering the odds of them being able to pull this off.” Vicky sighed and shook her
