Battle of Ash

Chapter 1

"I have heard the languages of apocalypse, and now I shall embrace the silence."

Neil Gaiman

21xx.07.26 10:03

Samantha sighed as her eyes scanned the page again. Reading each inked letter, the fancy signature, the sympathetic after thought. 

It was paltry, pale to the loss she had felt. The rage that had followed. And somehow the flimsy piece of paper was now her lifeline, her drive. Her reason for staying, for continuing.

"Sam?"

Guilty she folded the letter up, gingerly tucking it into the pocket of her lab coat; just as worn and battle weary as she was. Samantha leaned her head back against the wall rubbing her forehead vigorously, peaking one amber eye up at Jim as he hovered over her, looking just as ragged as the rest of them.

Three months in lock down would do that to a person she supposed. Itched, frowned.

Three months of infection with no cure... Stopping the train of thought before it turned for the negative. The hopeless.

Her rash had spread further up from her side and now covered her face. Despite that she stayed out of quarantine along with the rest of the crew. They couldn't stop now, not when they were so close to a break through.

"Samantha?" Jim repeated, hand hovering before her.

She nodded, pressing against the cool of his palm. Eyes closed. "So what say you, Dr. Holland?" She teased, pushing a loc behind her ear as she fell back against the bullet proof Plexiglas wall.

"Still all clear." Though a frown touched the corners of his still too-pale complexion. "I-" A deep breath. "I am sorry."

"James." Samantha's voice stern as she stood, moving past to the lab, ignoring the chill clenching her heart at the sight of their specimens.

Only three of the original twenty animals still remaining. No more funding. No more animals coming in. She sighed heavily, gazing at the monitor above the bat.

They were alone.

"But if I hadn't brought it here none of this-"

"James!" She snapped, refusing to face him, palms slapping on the stainless steel of the table. "We can't dwell on that now-"

"Lover's quarrel?"

"O-oh, sorry John." James took a step back as John shrugged, opening the hatch to the cats caged, scooping in the food.

"You're fine." He shook his head. "How's the husband?" A suggestive eyebrow rose at James blush.

"We spoke last night." James fell back against the table arms rising, dropping. "Nothing much to say with-" He looked away, pushed his glasses up to rub at the bridge of his nose. "So do we know anything new?"

John shrugged, moving to the next specimen. "Ask Riley."

James growled low in his throat, stalking out of the room.

"Jeez." John set the animal food down, glancing at Samantha with a heavy eye roll, just as tired as all of them. "What's his deal?"

"You know." Samantha moved to the computer, "It is his fault after all."

John was silent, still. "Yeah." He responded finally. "Yeah I guess so."

21xx.07.30 17:00