The Virus Within: The Road Ahead (Book 1 - SERIES COMPLETED!)

Chapter 53

I skipped breakfast and headed straight to the kitchen to peel or dice whatever vegetables were on the table. The place was already bustling as people tried to get everything ready for breakfast, while also preparing for lunch and dinner.

Someone stepped back with a large bowl of porridge and bumped into me. I instinctively growled at the contact, detesting the invasion of my personal space, even if it was by accident.

"Sorry!"

I sidestepped past her, impatient to get out of the crowded section of the kitchen. Others gave me more space, now realizing I was here. I made it to the vacant side room without any further incidents and sat down in my usual seat. Five big baskets of potatoes, an empty bowl for the peels, and a potato peeler were already waiting for me.

With an eye on the people in the main kitchen, I began peeling the potatoes. All of their discussions revolved around cooking and food at the moment, so there was no chance of me hearing any gossip until things slowed down.

The morning passed slowly, possibly because my mind was focused on my plans for tonight. Much to my exasperation, none of the people within earshot were talking about anything that even remotely interested me.

At lunch, I grabbed two dinner buns and took them to the table where Nicky was sitting. I sat down, wrapped them in a couple of napkins, and passed them to her.

"Hide them. They'll be your breakfast tomorrow."

"Good thinking." She slipped them under the table.

"What are you doing after lunch?"

"The side-by-side is still waiting for the part, so I'm stuck in here. I'll probably end up weeding again. They may not want to see a bow or sword in my hands, but they have no problem handing me a gardening hoe."

"It isn't as if you didn't give them a good reason to worry."

"That might explain why the mechanics have become so much better at putting their tools away."

"Do I want to know?"

"Probably not."

This lady was trouble with a capital T and an exclamation mark.

"But I'll tell you anyway," she cheerfully continued. "They may or may not have caught me pretending I was fighting an invisible enemy with the handle from a hydraulic jack." She sighed. "They took it away from me. And it made such a great staff!"

To think Ben had been scared of a mere stick when Nicky had found a metal replacement.

"The mechanics probably needed that piece intact."

"I guess, although they weren't using it at the time, and it was really solid. Oh, look. There's Marissa and Liz. She didn't even let Liz out of her sight yesterday. I overheard someone complaining about how hard they tried to sneak Liz away from her."

I glanced over to see them entering the dining area. "In that case, Marissa will be much happier tomorrow."

Nicky smirked and teased me, "I don't know. I think you'll miss Liz. You were showing some teeth toward Marissa the last two times."

"The teeth were more for her attitude than anything else. I don't know Liz well enough to miss her. She's a cute kid, but I'm not particularly fond of kids."

"What? How could you not love high-pitched screaming matches and temper tantrums? Wait. Has Liz ever done that around you?"

"Not yet. And if she ever does, I'm leaving the area."

"I'll tag along if that happens. My attempts to calm kids down usually have the opposite effect."

Somehow, I wasn't too surprised. Her usual personality wasn't the sort that was well-suited to calming someone. Annoying the hell out of them, yes; insulting their shoes, yes; chasing them like a feral zombie, yes. If I ever saw her sit down and murmur soothing reassurances to someone, I'd have to check her scent to ensure it wasn't an imposter.