Withering World [MCSM Fanfiction]

INFLAMMATION: Chapter 18

Lukas

I stare at all the busy bees bustling past the bridges and stairwells through the glass elevator. Specks of people rush wildly about, speeding to get to their pods after another day of work. For us, it's a different story.

It's just begun.

Stopping at the fourth floor, Jesse, Petra and I walk out of the elevator, seeing Axel, Olivia, and Stella waving merrily to greet us.

"Aw man, you guys are back!" Axel says, giving Jesse a playful slap on the back. This makes her almost drop the sample case and I have to lunge forward to stabilize it.

The three of us were able to maintain a low profile on our demeanor, treating Petra's injury like nothing, her lack of symptoms contributing to that. There's no bruising and her skin isn't clammy. She hasn't coughed once after getting the skull and it's been ages. I had actually forgotten about it until Olivia catches the small detail that reveals the terrible possibility. "Are you okay, Petra? What happened to your eye?" For now, her voice remains calm, just a grain of curiosity added to the mix.

Our pause is long enough to break the mirthful atmosphere as the others blink at us in suspense.

"Lukas thinks I'm gonna die." Petra lets it slip ever so smoothly.

It's funny how the mood in the vicinity can change in a lightning flash. Stella's eye twitches, Olivia frowns, and Axel's mouth opens up as wide as a gaping quarry. Thanks, Petra. I thought we were over this.

"What she means," Jesse says, silently pleading to keep the tension down, "is that a skeleton got her in the head. But it was the fingernail, not a bite. She still could be infected, but ultimately, we don't know yet."

Stella rakes a hand through her dirty blonde hair, readjusting the way it sits on her scalp. "You're not really sick though... right?"

"Nothing's happened to me."

"Yet," Olivia remarks before walking up to Petra to feel the temperature of her forehead. "What if infection takes longer with the nail? We need to get you diagnosed. It's better to be safe than sorry."

The rest agree, nagging her until she reluctantly accepts the mandatory invitation to the hospital, which makes me believe that I'm the only one who sees Ivor sneak past us, heading towards the research wing. He tightly clutches a cardboard envelope, one that looks identical to the pack my test results were in.

My hands reach out to tap Jesse's shoulder, my eyes still glued to the fleeing alchemist. "You guys should take Petra to the hospital. I'll give our finds to Ivor."

Axel is already ushering Petra away, closely followed by the two girls. Ahead of them's a birch direction signpost and a short balcony they have to cross to get to the hospital's entrance.

"You sure?" Jesse asks, handing over the silver sample case.

"Of course. Let me know how she does."

"Will do. Take care, Lukas."

"You too, Jesse."

With the briefcase in my hands, I turn away, chasing after the bearded man bolting to the research wing. I risk a glance back at Jesse, not expecting her to have stayed where she was, viewing me the entire time I've been walking. Her pretty complexion brightens. Then, her smile grows larger before she waves goodbye and whirls around toward the hospital.

----

Doors of iron glide open as the sensor addresses me coming. I proceed down the long passages of quartz and catch Ivor shutting the door to his office far off. Volunteers, most in fabulous, knee-length laboratory coats nod at me welcomingly.