Where We Go | Book Three

29. A Stupid Joke

Ben's face was a picture of relief as soon as I walked into the room. I wrapped my arms around his neck without saying anything, holding him tighter.

"Are you okay?" he pulled back and his brows furrowed as he tried to read my face.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yeah," I nodded. "Just a lot, but I'm fine."

"You should eat something before you go, Em," Dr Lawson walked behind us. "How does pasta sound?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that would be great. Thanks." I looked around the room. "Where's Will?"

"He had some things to finish up in the lab," Ben replied with a solemn look. "I didn't get much of a chance to talk to him..." As I pulled away from him, he held my arm with the bandage taped to it. "Look, matching!" he grinned, holding up his own. His arm too had a white bandage taped to his skin. "What tests did they do?" he asked, leading me to a table. "You were in there for ages."

"Bloods, MRI-"

"They have an MRI machine here?"

I gave a half shrug. "There weren't many tests they didn't do... It seems like all their focus is on this now."

"I'd be surprised if it weren't," he replied. "Have you noticed there's always one of them looking at you since you got here?"

I paused. "I thought they were looking at you..."

He shook his head slowly. "It's not about me anymore."

I lowered my voice. "Did you tell them you can't become Infected?"

"Didn't seem to change their opinion too much..." he replied, trailing off when Dr Lawson came back with a plate of food.

"Thanks," I said as she placed it on the table and sat down beside us.

"I appreciate you guys coming here," she said. "What you've given us is invaluable. I hope you understand that."

I swallowed a mouthful of tomato pasta and savoured the taste. It had been too long since I'd eaten something that tasted like homecooked food.

"Did this place ever work directly with EDIN?" I asked her out of curiosity. "I mean, was there any research you'd already seen?"

Her head wavered. "There was a partnership of sorts, yes. But this place was never the primary focus. It was only ever a backup plan." She looked at Ben. "That's why the emails between myself and your mother were so few and far between."

"What's the likelihood that this is going to work?" Ben questioned, looking down at the table.

Dr Lawson paused. "It's hard to say..." she replied. "We don't want to make a cure we later find out only works on a certain number of people."

"But you've only got me?" I pointed out, swallowing another mouthful of pasta. "Surely either way there's a chance this isn't going to work."

"Em," she exhaled. "There's a very high chance that this won't work at all... But we're going to give it everything we've got just in case it does."

Ben looked up. "Do you have the notes I spoke about earlier?"

Dr Lawson nodded. "Yes, I've had a quick look... It'll be tough what you're asking but we will do our best."

"Thank you," Ben nodded.

She exhaled and intertwined her fingers on the table. "There's one other thing I wanted to talk to you both about."

Ben narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"We've decided that one of us needs to go back with you..." she trailed off, waiting for the reaction.

"What?" we said together as I almost choked on the pasta.

"That was never part of the deal," Ben added.

Dr Lawson cocked her head. "We can't risk something happening to Em," she tried to explain.

"And we can't risk Land's End finding anything out right now," Ben refused. "Do you want us to try and explain bringing back someone new? Do you want to be the one to answer all those questions?"

She exhaled, remaining calm. "Think about it," she said. "If something happened to Em, that's it... All of this will be over."

"There are enough people that can protect me," I replied. "Believe it or not, I am perfectly capable of protecting myself."

"I guess you can't get Infected twice," one of the scientists muttered from another table.

My stare snapped to him. "Excuse me?"

A few of them were stifling their smiles and hiding their laughs.

"Nothing," the man said quickly, shaking his head.

I scowled and got to my feet. "No, I don't think it was nothing. What did you say?" He suddenly seemed pathetic when I stood in front of him.

I caught Ben smirking with his arms folded, not taking his eyes off the man in front of me.

"It was just a stupid joke," the man muttered.

"A stupid joke..." I repeated, slowly nodding my head.

I don't quite remember the moment before I snapped. I only remember my hand around the man's throat and seeing his eyes widen and his fingers claw at my arm.

"Em-" Ben said, now on his feet and standing behind me.

"Do you really want this cure?" I spat, pushing harder against the man. 

His back was against the wall and there was nowhere else for him to go. He was like an animal, trapped in a dead end. Or a human, trapped in the hands of an Infected. 

He nodded, frantic, as he grabbed at my wrist. 

"Then how the fuck am I supposed to give it to you when there are people like you with that attitude? Huh?" I pushed. "I hope you realise there are going to be more like me after this... More people to make humans like you feel inferior."

"Em, that's enough now," Dr Lawson called from the table. She hadn't moved an inch.

The man's face was a bright shade of red and he nodded again. I loosened my grip just enough for him to answer. 

"I know," he gasped. "I know."

"Then don't make jokes about something you don't understand. Do fucking better," I spat, releasing my grip. "I'm done here."

"Sit down," Dr Lawson spoke. "Both of you."

I stared at the back of her head. "Absolutely not."

"Fine," she replied, turning to face us. "We will provide you with a car to return to Land's End, but in return, there are a few things you must do for us."

"Like what?" Ben scowled.

Dr Lawson's eyes darkened. "Leave us be," she said. "Leave us to do our work in peace. Do not turn up here again until you get a message from us. The location of this lab is now a higher priority than it has ever been, and we will not allow you to compromise that."

I faked a smile. "Happily. Show us the door and we'll be on our way."

The door opened and Will appeared in the doorway, no longer wearing a lab coat. "If you don't mind Sarah," Will began. "I think it's about time I left here and spent some time with my family."

Dr Lawson clicked her tongue, looking him up and down. "Very well."