Twisted Condemnation

Revelations

September 11, 2026

"I got guns in my head and they won't go. Spirits in my head and they won't go. I got guns in my head and they won't go, but the gun still rattles..." -The Strumbellas

I rolled over in the bed, my eyes flew open realizing neither Ezra nor Jenna were beside me any longer. I sat up surveying the room, that was empty as well. My heart painfully thumped against my chest, as I pushed myself off of the bed.

My socks pressed on against the wood floor in the now clean hallway-well as clean as I could possibly get it. I released a small sigh of relief seeing Ezra leaned back against the camo recliner with Jenna sitting in his lap, both digging into bowls of oatmeal. Ezra's eyes caught with mine, and he gave me a small smile.

"Why'd you let me sleep so long?" I whispered down to him, noticing Finn sound asleep on the couch.

"Seemed like you needed it," he shrugged, keeping his voice low. "There's a pot of oatmeal on the kitchen, it's still hot."

I crept past the couch, glancing at Finn whose face was still pale with lines of sweat beading around his forehead and cheeks. 

I peeked into the kitchen, momentarily catching Lorelai and Nick deep in a hushed argument. They both awkwardly shifted, glancing back at me. I averted my gaze from them to the pot sitting on the small circular table.

"You are not going out there," she fumingly whispered, starting the argument back up.

"The meds aren't working. If he doesn't get the correct ones he will die," Nick spat back.

I paused holding the ladle full of oatmeal above my plastic bowl. Peering back up at the couple.

"He looks better today than he did yesterday, maybe they are just slowly working," Lorelai countered.

"Go take a look at his wound, tell me if that looks any fucking better," Nick returned.

"It's infected isn't it?" I spoke up.

Nick turned back with a dejected expression, slowly nodding his head.

"The antibiotics aren't working?" I questioned, setting my bowl against the table.

"I didn't look closely at the bottle, those weren't antibiotics," Nick answered, making his way to the table, Lorelai on his tail.

"Please, I don't want to lose you both," Lorelai croaked, staring up at Nick.

"I'll go with you," I whispered, hoping Ezra wouldn't hear just yet.

"No, you don't have to," Nick shook his head.

"You didn't have to go with me, back to the truck either, but you did," I retorted. "I'm going."

Nick took a deep breath, "Fine, we will leave after breakfast. I'd suggest you tell your boyfriend sooner than later. I have a feeling he isn't going to like this."

I nodded, snatching my bowl from the table along with a plastic spoon. Dodging the glare Lorelai was shooting my way. As soon as I turned back I felt the suspense of telling Ezra surge through me. Nick was correct in fact, Ezra was not going to like this.

Passing through the living room, I gestured with my head at Ezra to follow. I led him into the bedroom, shutting the door behind us. He stood in the middle of the room with a puzzled expression.

"Finn's wound is infected," I began.

"I was worried about that, at Compound C I wasn't sure if I was grabbing the right things," he sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.