Remembering You

Alive and Well

The food was gross but better than nothing. I myself was feeling exceptionally nauseous running around like this on an empty stomach.

"Nonsense. You are not fine and are not going to touch any of our work before eating. One mistake can ruin a whole batch," I said, grabbing the coat from him when he tried to grab some of the ingredients right out of his hands for the vaccine to get started mixing. His light mood darkened in an instant at being told what to do, and I took an instinctive step back, realizing my error.

"OOH, trouble in paradise?" Cole asked, soaking up the drama, just waiting for Jason to lay into me for disrespecting him. He was still pissed about the blood incident and would get the pleasure of watching me die a slow and painful death.

"You guys always were so...like a tornado and volcano. It's so fun to watch but slightly terrifying, too. I always wondered which of you would be the first to kill the other," Cole said, amused, watching the exchange with the excitement of a T.V. drama. I swallowed thickly, remembering my stray thought about him being responsible for the car wreck. Was it possible he had been actually trying to kill me? Everyone had talked about how in love we were, but clearly, it wasn't all butterflies, considering I had a boyfriend on the side and Cole's comments.

Jason looked down at me, towering over me, contemplating what to do with me, and I feared he would hit me. Instead, he breathed out a deep breath, seeming to calm himself, and sat down, waiting for the food before stepping in. He gave in just like that. He had no problem giving me control as much as he seemed to enjoy taking it from me. It was bewildering, but I had no time to dwell on it since the first batch of vaccines was done.

"I'm taking these to the kids," I said after giving everyone in the room a shot. We needed to make sure we were protected so we could make more vaccines for everyone else.

"I'll come with you," Cole offered, surprising me. I would rather it have been Lotus, but I nodded, knowing I would need help getting the kids to stay still. I grabbed the box of vials, and we headed down to the kids' area, walking slowly since I was still a bit woozy myself. Cole kept pace beside me, not rushing me, thankfully.

"I'm sorry about my previous attitude. You just have to realize Jason doesn't let anyone take over his lab. I'm surprised he didn't kill you, honestly," he said, only sounding slightly less bitchy than his normal self. I shrugged, not caring since, in my view, giving him the virus was quite a bitchy thing to do also. We were even.

"It's whatever. I'm sure before the crash, I just knew better than to mess with his stuff," I said dismissively.

"Oh girl, you were always in his lab before the crash. I didn't know you remembered all the technical details, though. I assumed we would make a mud pie or something with how frazzled your brain is. I'm actually impressed," he said, yawning widely, exhausted from the long day.

"He was fine with me being in his work?" I asked, surprised.

"Of course. Some of his greatest achievements wouldn't have been possible if not for you. You were a brilliant doctor. Such a shame about the crash," he said, complimenting me, or rather complimenting old me.

"You don't think...he was...never mind," I stuttered, not wanting to accuse him but still just skeptical of Jason's innocence.

"Think he was behind the crash?" he asked, somehow reading my mind. He smiled genuinely, finally losing his attitude for the first time that day.

"I don't think we will ever know for sure. One thing I do know is it wasn't an accident," he said, stopping at the glass wall for the kids' area. The kids weren't out playing for the first time ever; all of them had been quarantined in their own rooms.