Pip's Ophidian Book 1: Beatlebug & The Provider

Chapter 13: Lil

Pip was grateful his Ma didn't come to visit the next day. He knew he wouldn't have been able to maintain eye contact. Instead, quite early, Lil came by with the twins following. Viv and Bib prattled on about something or other, and he and Lil stared each other down. Lil looked like she was going to be sick.

Then, class was starting, and the twins were gone as noisily as they'd come. Pip stared at Lil, who looked away. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know how else to tell you."

Pip didn't know what to say.

There was silence for a moment. And then, quite abruptly, Lil was on him, hugging him tightly. He stiffened, and she backed up, hugging herself. "I'm so sorry, Pip. You needed to know, I knew you did, but I wasn't sure I should..."

"So," he said quietly, "Sharp-"

"I think so," she whispered.

"And Jesse is Jessica."

"It sounds like it."

"And Mel..." his chest hurt.

Lil was silent, and he wordlessly reached out. She took his hand immediately, and he squeezed hers, hard. Shut his eyes. "She knew. She knew when she saw that it was the Beatlebug. That's why... why she raided it to begin with, maybe even. Why she left the gas in the vents. Why she took the egg, when she couldn't take them. There is an egg, isn't there?"

"There's an egg in a biochamber in the Sustainability lab. In the big incubator. It's under guard, and I'm not supposed to know about it."

Pip breathed. Stared at her. Stood up quickly and the whole world spun for an instant.

"I'll take you there, Pip. I'll take you tonight. I-" she faltered, looked away. "I love you, brother. I want to help. No matter what the consequences are. There's been a lot of shady stuff happening here since you came back. There's something happening. Something no one will talk about. And there's been a plague of new dementia cases, recently. Your Doc was affected right after working on you. Soldiers, too. Anyone that touches this whole situation seems to get sick, right away. Soon as they learn anything. Anything your Ma doesn't want them to know. And then, of course, they need to be treated. They're given the 'medicine.' Like Father takes." Her voice had gotten bitter. "Your Ma told us not to tell you about it. But I think something's happening. Happening again, maybe. And I think you're in... in danger."

"Where are they?" he whispered. "The brig? Is that true?"

Lil looked down. Her eyes shone. "The Orange one–everyone says tried to kill you. I'm not sure what happened, I wasn't there. But. The... the big one, with the red on it was interrogated. They say 'interrogated,' but it looked bad when it came out with your Ma. She left it in the brig. I saw it. It... he broke out a while after that, caused a big stir. They shot him. More than once, before he went down."

Pip shut his eyes. Sharp. Sharp, who had killed his Da in an instant, slashed his throat in the midst of madness. Sharp, who had watched his Da kill his mate. Sharp, who Mel worried about. "Is he dead?"

"I don't know, Pip. I think they brought him back to the brig. They headed that way."

"Lil," Pip said, and this time he grabbed her shoulders, and she raised her face to his and he looked her directly in her eyes. "Please. Please help me. Take me to them. Or wait," he remembered Mel, pleading with him, Little Bean, "take me to the egg, first. Tonight. Please."

Lil bit her lip. Looked down.

Nodded.