To Be A Killer

Chapter 24: Battle Scars

My eyes gaze up at the ceiling, my hands resting on my stomach as I listen to the clinking of bottles and vials. The floor is cold on my skin, but I don't move. My hands move to my side so I can drum my fingers on the floor in boredom. I only stop when I hear Veronica sigh from a nearby table.

"I've already given you your medicine and checked on your stitches. You can go to your room now and go to bed," She says, but I shake my head.

"No thanks. I'm used to sharing a room with at least one other person. I'm so used to it that sleeping alone is kind of uncomfortable." I wave my hand around randomly. "Plus, I know sitting up is gonna hurt like a bitch so I'm gonna wait awhile. How long until this is healed?"

"You'll keep the stitches in another two weeks, then I'll take them out. After that, you'll be fine. "

"Will it hurt as bad taking them out as it did when you put them in last week?" I question.

"It's only been five days," Nadia corrects, her eyes not leaving the notes on the desk. "But yeah, it's gonna hurt... a lot."

"Even with the medicine?"

"The medicine is to prevent infection. That's what we really need to watch out for."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's true." My eyes turn over to Veronica, who's busy doing... something. I can't exactly see what she's looking at from where I am on the floor. She's probably studying over notes or looking at some sort of vial. How is she not tired? She's been up since early this morning.

Over the last few days, I've gotten to know Veronica a bit more. We're not friends by any means, but she's not cold to me or Nadia now that we're helping her conduct experiments. Although my way of helping is running around and getting things she needs. She doesn't want me around her lab and I don't want to be around any of that either, since I honestly have no idea what any of that stuff is.

The only reason I'm in here now is because she keeps the medicine in a cabinet in here. And I don't want to leave, not just yet anyway. It's odd, having my own room. I don't know how to feel about it, since the last time I had a place that was mine and mine alone was I was given that dinky tent before Abel built sleeping quarters.

But the quiet is nice, and I don't have to worry about curfew. Although I still miss company. I miss people...

That is something I never thought I'd think. Not after I lost my voice.

Abel really has changed me.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back to your room?" Veronica asks as she steps over me to get to the other desk on the far side of the room.

"Nah, I'm good. There's nothing I can do in there anyway, and you might need me for something."

"I highly doubt I'll need you to do anything for me tonight, Runner Five."

"You never know. You might need a snack or some extra paper or someone to annoy you. Oh, wait. That last thing's already here... It's me."

She cracks the smallest of smiles, and I grin. While Veronica is very serious natured and a genius, she's still fourteen. She, of course, doesn't like most things regular fourteen-year-olds like, such as makeup and... cartoons? Is that what regular fourteen-year-olds enjoy? I wouldn't know. When I was fourteen, I was at Mullins learning ALS from Anna and Josh, running missions, and generally hating life.

I don't know exactly know what regular teenagers enjoy, but I know Veronica is different. But that is not a bad thing. She still laughs and jokes around, but not very often. She doesn't like to distract herself too much from her work. Now that she's reviewed some of Chris's audio notes, she's been working doubly hard to learn more about zombies and how the calming plant might help us get into that Comansys base.