Bite

27

Stefan was angry. He'd been betrayed by everyone again. At this point, he wanted to give up on trusting people again. But he sat down to think. Everyone was just as surprised by the news as he was. Even Ashara. He'd alienated her when she needed him the most.

"I'm a fucking asshole, aren't I?" He thought to himself. He took a deep breath. He needed to go back, if nothing, at least for her. Stefan turned around and ran back to the house. It seemed like if everyone was waiting on something. Lauren was drawing blood samples from Janelle's arm. Monica was pressing blood samples from a lancelet tube into slides and labeling them with the correct name and birthday.

"Stefan." Ashara looked weak.

"Ashara, I'm sorry. I was a dick to you." Stefan kneeled and placed his head on Ashara's lap. She looked a bit surprised but she gently stroked his hair.

"It's fine. You were just mad." Ashara gently lifted his head to look at her. "Your mother and Lauren are going to work on a cure for the others but we'll get cured by Monica after giving her the samples."

"That sounds fair.." Stefan sighed.

"It's your turn, Ashara." Lauren responded. Stefan got up and moved. Lauren switched out her gloves. Ashara sat down on the chair and Lauren felt the inside of her elbow. Then she tied her arm up with a lime green band and got a syringe with an attached tube ready. She then drew blood from her arm.

"That kind of hurts." Ashara sighed.

"It's for the good of humanity." Lauren took the syringe out of her arm, placed a cotton ball on the area with one hand, threw the syringe in a red plastic box with a biohazard symbol on it, let go of Ashara's arm, and then closed the tube with the other. . She then removed the band from Ashara's arm and wrapped it with gauze. Then she proceeded to open a box with tiny pinkish purple lancelets and take out a small alcohol wipe envelope and a band-aid.

Lauren pressed the box against her finger and Ashara hissed. She then drew blood from her finger with a small tube before handing it off to Monica. Monica put some of the blood on a slide and pressed it, discarding the tube into a biowaste box and then labeling the slide with the initials "A.R DOB 2/3/99."

"Alright, you're next, Terrence." Lauren sighed. She looked exhausted.

"Want to switch?" Monica asked Lauren.

"Sure." The women switched seats. Ashara laid her head against his shoulder. He almost lost her over his own stupidity. He rubbed her shoulder, pressing her closer to him. She felt very warm. Fever warm. He closed his eyes.

He had barely woken up from the field when he had collapsed again. Katalina was holding a rag to his forehead. He could barely speak as his throat and mouth felt dry.

"It's okay, you're safe now." She was stroking his hair. He wanted to say something but he couldn't. Back then, he had no memory of who he was or why he ended up on the shores of the Susquehanna River.

He then stared at Ashara, who had her hair in two buns.

"I'm going to get my hair done as soon as I start feeling better." Ashara sighed, almost inaudible.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?" Stefan hoped she'd get better. After everything she had gone through, he wanted her to be happy and healthy. After Ellisyn got her blood drawn, Monica and Lauren carted the samples away to their makeshift lab. Lauren sat on the couch as Monica gathered everyone who was sick into the couch.

She extended her hands and started to sing in a language that Stefan sort of recognized. He felt warm air in the room, she slowly rose up from the ground and her hands and eyes were glowing white. The room started to spin more and more as her singing became more like a siren's call. Everyone saved for Monica and he started to glow. All of a sudden, the light stopped and everything dimmed down. Everyone looked like they were back to normal.

Ellisyn looked at her skin.

"Oh, I feel brand new." Ellisyn was stretching. "I think you even fixed my back."

"Right, I feel like I spent a weekend in the Bahamas or something." Janelle was leaning back against the couch.

"What about you, Ashara?" Stefan looked at her.

"I feel great. I'm definitely getting my hair done now." Ashara was smiling, her dark circles gone. She was radiant. Monica then looked at Stefan.

"It's the least I could do for you." She sighed. "I know that doesn't even us out."

"Thank you." Stefan couldn't find it in him to insult her or to praise her. That would suffice for now. He then went to hug Ashara. She hugged him back.

"I'm glad you're okay." Stefan spoke to Ashara. He could feel her smoothing his back.

"I'm glad you're okay too." She smiled, holding him gently. They eventually split off.

"Well, I'm going to go make myself that delicious cold brew I was planning on making myself a week ago." Ellisyn headed off to the kitchen. Janelle and Alan looked at each other.

"We're ordering pizza. Did any of you want some?" Alan looked at both of them.

"Sure, Emilia and I will take our usual." Ashara was smiling at her father.

"And what about Lauren, Terrence, Stefan, Monica and Ellisyn."

"If they have cauliflower crust, get me a Hawaiian!" Ellisyn hollered.

"Worst taste." Lauren shakes her head. "I'll split a pepperoni and jalapeno with Monica."

"I think I'm good on what Ash and Em are getting." Terrence responded.

"Alright, pepperoni and jalapeno, Hawaiian cauliflower crust, two the works, and you getting anything, Stefan?" Janelle looked at him.

"I'll share with Monica and Lauren." Stefan wasn't too fond of pizza but he was hungry.

"You sure?" Janelle asked. He nodded. He was kind of excited to have a normal night, actually.