After The Trials

Chapter 22

It was a short night without any dreams. I did and didn't like the fact that it ended so fast. I really want to find the cure, but on the other side, I'm tired as hell. If the light wouldn't wake me up, I could sleep for days.

I hear the door unlocking and try to wipe away any sign that I was still sleeping. "Morning, enjoyed your night?" Isaac asks me. A wide smile appears on his face and somehow convinces me not to slap him right now.

"You really have the guts to talk. Guess I'm not the only one who doesn't know when to shut up."

"Say what you want, but those hours of sleep caught you well."

"Whatever, just give me that pencil and don't bother me." I snatch it as soon as Isaac takes it out of his pocket and sit back to my place. "In fact, don't even breathe in my direction or I'll test every single cure on you and we'll see which one is good. I just need to be focused." I add with a fake, but sweet smile.

"I know it's more than being focused, so I choose to keep the distance. It's not because you told me to."

I don't have the time, energy, mood or nerves to deal with Isaac right now. This is the only time I let it slip, but I guarantee I won't let it happen next time. I have less than 10 more possibilities, so I should finish in a couple hours.

After I ran out of ideas, I picked the one with the highest success rate and mixed the ingredients again. "Are you ready?" I ask Isaac. He just nods and pulls up his sleeve. I don't understand how and why, but I'm more nervous than him. "More things could go wrong than numbers I can count, so if there's anything you need to get off your chest-"

Isaac interrupted me by placing his lips on my. The surprise almost made me drop the syringe, but I tighten my grip on it and put it on the nightstand next to us, so I wouldn't sting anyone by mistake. He wasn't holding me, so I could've break the kiss whenever I wanted. Something made me not. I would lie if I'd say I didn't feel anything more than platonic love for Isaac for the past few weeks. I even tried to invalidate it at some point, I don't know why. Maybe I thought it's pointless because I didn't have any chance with him or that it's distracting me from the main purpose.

Isaac pulled away after a few seconds. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." I honestly expected anything other than those words. An impulse almost made me laugh, but I covered it with a smile. "What's so funny?"

"What took you so long?" I ask him instead of answering his question. It actually is some kind of response, I laughed because I didn't know why didn't he do it earlier.

"I thought you hated me." I know I might be a little distancing sometimes, but that's just my personality. I grew up with Thomas, sarcasm and pushing away is automatically given.

"Actually, I love you."

"You have a weird way of showing it, but... I love you too." Isaac takes a deep breath and looks at the syringe. "That's all I had to say, I'm ready now."

If it was hard for me to do it earlier, now it's even harder. But it's too late to give up. I pick it up and align the needle with one of Isaac's most prominent vein. At least I know which ones are good because it's easier too see them once they're a darker shade of blue. 

I press the plunger and the grey substance flows in Isaac's body, emptying the syringe. I feel his muscles tense. The serum is made of infected water and Flare, of course it doesn't feel good.

"I think it's time for you to leave the room." Isaac says. We talked about this. We don't know how he will react to the cure, he might get aggressive or a full-blown Crank, so it's safer for me to not be in the same room as him.

I didn't agree with it the first time Isaac brought it up. I could've prevented him from hurting himself. But he convinced me by remembering me how Cranks fight and that I couldn't kill him. He didn't have to read my mind to get that, I can barely kill strangers or attackers, imagine how hard would it be to kill Isaac.

I nod and get out, double checking I locked the door behind me. It's now or never. If the cure doesn't work or makes Isaac's situation worse, I won't have anyone to test the cure on and he'll either be dead or I'll have to kill him. A very optimistic image of the near future, I absolutely love it. Why does my brain pick the worst moments to show off?

I don't hear anything within the first minutes and I started thinking that maybe it doesn't hurt. A loud buff proved me wrong. Isaac probably fell off the bed. I had to control myself to not get in the room, I promised him. I don't think I'll ever understand why people choose to be alone when they're in pain, especially when there are many chances that they'll die. I could've been helping him now, but no, I have to keep myself safe.

"I think it worked." I hear from behind the door. I don't wait another second and unlock it. Isaac was laying on the floor next to a puddle of Flare, visibly exhausted. Before I get to ask Isaac what happened, he explains it. "I threw up the Flare." he said laughing. "Very unpleasant thing to do, by the way. I've never been more uncomfortable in my life."

I relief from the stress. Isaac is alive and most probably cured. "You get a new life and the first thing you say is 'I threw up'?" I ask him. I hold out my hand to help him get up, which he accepts.

"You're right, I'm sorry." he pulls me closer and hugs me. "Thank you for curing me and saving my life. I owe you a debt I will never be able to pay."

"You owe me nothing. I would've never discovered the water if you didn't drink it and not even in my darkest thoughts I didn't think about curing the Flare with Flare."

"So you're giving me credit for being stupid? Fine, no debts. But I'll make sure your name will be the one that children will learn in the future. Yours and Thomas'."

"Before we get to that, we have to make sure you're actually cured and it's not just an adverse effect."

Isaac holds out his arm to me and, with another clean syringe, I take some of his blood. I put it on a slide and look at it through the microscope. Everything looks normal so far. I still have a little Flare from that Crank, so I add a drop to Isaac's blood to see how it reacts. No matter how hard I'd try to stir the two substances, they won't mix, which means Isaac's body refuses the Flare and it can't enter his body. I didn't only cure him, but also made him immune.

Isaac comes into the room. I didn't even notice when he left. He probably washed from the Flare that gushed out of his mouth, his blonde curls were wet in the front. "So, am I going to live?" he asks me.

"Yup. And you're also immune now." I reply, proud of my achievement, which was actually made by mistake, but it doesn't matter.

Isaac's mouth drops and the happiness on his face doesn't compare with anything I've seen in my life. He sits down in front of me, taking my hand in his gently and kissing it. I feel my cheeks burning, but can't do anything to help the blushing. "I don't know how to thank you."

I see Isaac's eyes twinkle filled with tears, hopefully of happiness. "I do." I say and regret the fact that I didn't think twice. It's too late to withdraw and I don't want to do it anyway.

I lean forward and grab his shirt, pulling him towards me. I don't hesitate a second and kiss him. I took him by surprise, but he didn't take much to answer. It's only the second kiss in my life and Isaac is probably more experienced, so I let him take control. It was more intense than the first one. Passionate, but not eager.

After a few seconds, I pulled away because I was running out of air. "Was that a 'thank you' or 'you're welcome'?" Isaac asks me.

"Both."