Infection

Chapter 30 - Knuckles

I awoke to the sound of gravely coughing. It was deep and wheezy followed by a rapid intake of breath before refraining back into a concerto of convulsions. Concerned, I wandered into the moonlight, the silhouette of Knuckles clearly defined.

"You alright?"

Turning round sharply he burst into a whooping fit before managing to spit, "I'm fine."

"And I'm the Queen of England." His slimy skin alone made it obvious he wasn't okay. The moonlight giving him a sickly glow.

"Your majesty," he jeered bowing slightly.

I laughed half heartily. "Come, let's go inside and see if we can find you some pills?"
He replied with a choking laugh, making me cringe. "Pills gonna do me no good and you know it."

"It's just a..." I faulted. "No..."

"Yes." He managed. I could see him shaking slightly as he gripped firmly onto the railing.

All at once it hit me, the emotion spilling out. "No, no you can't be, Knuckles please tell me your joking."

"I only wish..." He shakily unbutton the top of his shirt, peeling it off the weeping wound, the coughing subsiding for now.

I took a step back, on the brink of tears. Sure enough, engraved into his neck was a deep pulsing bite mark.

"Does Will know?" I whispered.

"Yes, he does," came a gruff voice from the shadows making me jump.

"How long have you know..."

"The moment you brought Eve back."

"Wait, when did this happen."

"Saving you," Will replied coldly.

I tried saying something, anything but no words would come, only tears.

"I'd rather her live then me."

"But you don't even know me!" I shot back.

"And yet you're crying. We've lived our lives, I'm 42, you're what 19?"

"17!"

"You have your whole life ahead of you, I've wasted mine in jail." His voice was starting to crack. "It's okay. Plus, it's too late for me now." His hand started wondering to his arm, itching the already bleeding rash.

I heard an all too familiar click echo behind me making me flitch. I resisted the urge to turn round.

Knuckles shook his head fervently. "I'll do it, don't worry, it's why I was out here originally. Now go!"

"Is there nothing we can do, anything at all!"

"You know well enough, you can't, now go!"

We both silently moved to the stairway, Will briefly hanging back to offer Knuckles his pistol before wordlessly moving into the cabin. I sat back on my narrow bed, curling up into a ball, awaiting the inevitable. I still couldn't believe this was happening, it had been what, 3 days and they already felt like...

BANG!

I jumped, dragging my legs in closer, a large splash shortly following. It was my fault, it was all my fault.

There came a mighty roar from next door, the sound of numerous objects being flung mercilessly against the hull wall. With every crash I flinched, keeping my eyes tightly shut, only the tears escaping. I was brought back to the first night at home after my mother died, I was 11 and I still remember it to this day. My father emotionless, ignoring my existence, breaking everything he got his hands on. I just stayed in my room: hungry, cold and utterly alone.