To Be A Killer

Chapter 27: Blackout

"I told you, I'm fine," I groan, glaring at the I.V. that was once connected to my arm before I convinced Veronica to take it out. "I was only out for like, three hours."

"Eight," Sam hisses. "You were out for eight hours. It's three in the morning."

"Oh." I cringe as I look out the window. Darkness stares back at me. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"Do you really think I'd be able to sleep knowing one of my runners was sick?"

I shrug. "Good point. But I'm not sick. I was just... tired."

"Tired, my arse. Veronica, do you know anything?"

"I've been running some tests, and I should get the results on her blood work in a few hours, but she appears to be fine," She answers, looking slightly puzzled. "But, I'm a scientist, not a doctor. There might be something I'm not seeing simply because I've spent most of my time in the apocalypse studying dead bodies, not live ones. Do you have someone who I might be able to talk to? Someone who might have an educated guess on what might be wrong?"

"You could ask Dr. Lobatse," Nadia suggests with a yawn, and I roll my eyes.

"It's three A.M. She's asleep right now, and there's nothing wrong with me. I don't get sick anymore. I haven't become ill since..."

My voice trails off.

"Since what, Runner Five?" Veronica asks curiously. She tips her head to the side. She'd almost look cute if her eyes weren't staring into my soul.

I squirm, my hand reaching up to grab an invisible backpack strap. I can't keep eye contact, as my eyes are staring down at the floor. Still, I can feel them watching me.

"Since... Since Van Ark gave me those treatments."

I hear Sam choke over the headset.

This is the first time I've actually brought it up. No one really has wanted to ask me about it, especially people like Sam or Janine who heard me being tortured-heard me trying not to scream in pain, heard me trying to stay strong. They never asked so I never said anything.

And there was no reason to, since they found nothing had changed within my body. Nothing they could see anyway. I mean, I still looked about the same. I still had certain vitamin and iron deficiencies like I did before, and seeing that I had no major health problems in the first place, there was no reason to think that first set of treatments actually did anything to me.

So we didn't speak about it. They didn't want to; I didn't want to. It's already bad enough that I flinch every time I see a needle. So we just didn't talk about it. They felt pity for me and for once I let them feel so.

"Ah, yes, I heard about that," Veronica mumbles, her brows furrowing together. "He only gave you one set of treatments, yes?"

I nod. "Fortunately. There's not been any drastic change like... like wounds healing rapidly or me suddenly getting the ability to punch through walls or anything... that would actually be pretty cool. I'd be like-like the Hulk or something.

"Anyway, I just... I don't get sick anymore, which is why I know nothing's wrong." I give her a sarcastic smile and a tense 'what can ya do' type shrug. "You can run as many tests as you like, but you're not gonna find anything."

Neither of them really look convinced. Veronica hums, clearly intrigued. "If you've become immune to most diseases and illnesses, would that mean you're immune to the zombie virus as well?"

I don't answer at first. "I don't know, but I'm not going to let myself get bit to find out."

The lie works well enough.