This Is Where I Want To Be

114. One Person At a Time

Juliet

"Rodrigo. Where are you?"

"In here."

I walked to one of the cubicles with Sammy in my arms. Rodrigo had outfitted it with toys and weird creatures in cages. "What is all this." I chuckled.

"You bring her every month for a check-up and Miné... I have two creature cubs that I have to monitor."

I snorted, but Miné jumped out of Charlene's arms and walked, half run, to the cages... She was almost two, manifesting in and out, and it really was cute. Desperate to lay her little fangs in the things. The changing would soon stop. She would never turn again until she had a reason.

The creatures Ahasuerus brought from Zoreah had helped somewhat to control Sammy's desires. It seemed that she just needed to go home. With Caleb, we never got to that stage.

"I would like to talk to you about something...." I said and sat down on the hospital bed, holding out my arm so he could give me birth control shots.

Rodrigo seemed intrigued. "I can't wait to hear what that brain of yours has come up with."

"I want to know.... Can you reproduce what I have in large quantities?" He eyed me skeptically. "Without killing anything?"

"The baseline is there, but we would need a donor, like an infected. And you, my dear, are the only one."

"Okay, let's talk more about this donor story. What does that entail?" Charlene asked from the side.

His eyes locked with Charlene's. They have become good friends, like Rodrigo and me. "Bone marrow."

"That's what you were doing with the cubs! Rodrigo?!"

"What did you think I was doing?"

"Splicing... biotechnology. That liquid you pumped into us... I don't know?" I turned away from him. I had gotten used to Rodrigo but had forgotten what he had done. "Anyway... How did you create that monster formula for Qadir in large quantities." I was so angry I had to give Sammy to him. It didn't mean I didn't trust him.

"I'm sorry." He said under his breath.

Again and again, I had to remind myself how they grew up in that hell hole. All they went through. I laughed lightly when Sammy started clawing at him. They growled at each other, playing. She was only talking, but it was the weirdest thing any human would ever see.

"How much of my bone marrow do you need for Charlene? And can you separate it to make her infected but not... the leather and the spells?"

"I can do both. I can take away your leather if you don't like it. It's not like I've been doing nothing here day in, day out since I've been back. I kinda have unlimited funds from the government... How are your studies going, Charlene?"

"Still basics... but don't worry, I'll come to get tutored soon."

"And you... did you know one benefit women have of the brandings is that they can make your other half keep quiet?" Rodrigo avoided talking about infecting anybody... I wondered if Charlene would ever get what she wanted. What he had said finally sank in. "They can control you, but you can make them keep quiet!" Rodrigo continued.

Charlene and I both had a burst of laughter. "Shhh! Here they come."

Marcus and Louis came running down the corridor. "Juliet, you really have to stop doing this. I want to be here. She's my child, too."

I checked the corridor out of habit to see if Michael was coming, but he wasn't. He was in his shop and would probably never come down there again. I stepped closer to Rodrigo and asked him in a whisper. He didn't look up to meet Marcus's eye, but a smile played on his mouth. Marcus wanted to say something, but I lifted my finger and pointed it at him. At first, he was quiet because he didn't know what was happening. One side of his mouth lifted. He wanted to say something but couldn't. He tried really hard. I flashed my eyebrows at him. His gaze went from me to Rodrigo. Louis wanted to say something, and I did the same thing. He couldn't speak. Louis wasn't impressed. Charlene and I burst out laughing. "Later, you don't have to use your finger anymore like they don't have to use their voices on you."