Desolation ✔️

Chapter 31: Dead End

It's been a couple weeks since Carter first found me. Or I found him. We haven't quite decided who found who, but I guess it doesn't matter either way.

Ostford is the refuge they promised. We welcome all, we offer everything. It's a well-established camp that holds hundreds of survivors. They treat the wounded and put down the infected, but since we've got a new cure (with HUMANE experimental testing) on the way, they've been keeping the infected in another location just North of here. Although, they only keep those whom have relatives stationed in Ostford. Unfortunately, all the others get put down to avoid unnecessary and harmful accumulation of infected outside these walls.

Since Carter injected me with the blue liquid that cooled my veins, I've been healthier than ever. My yellow eyes are back to being boring and brown, and my reddening hair has returned to a faint auburn. The cut in my arm from the glass was stitched and healed, and all other cuts and bruises have faded. No more physical aches. But the mental and emotional ones have yet to subside. No amount of medicine could heal even a small fraction of those.

Carter is apparently one of the recruits who goes searching for survivors. Ostford has a schedule: some people go one day, others the next. Carter just happened to be out the day Dr. S's "cure" nearly killed me.

Carter explained how he memorized all the chemicals and mixtures necessary for making the VK-12, and from there he managed to make his own version (the blue liquid) to reverse the effects of the new unnamed drug Dr. S injected me with. After the Hazmats beat Carter to death's doorstep and left him for dead, he still kept his memory and replicated both concoctions. While I'd assumed he died after Dr. S "discarded his battered body," Carter recounted what actually happened:

"Yeah, I wrecked everything they owned. Destroyed the samples after taking a few of my own. So sad what happened to Lucy. You know she used to like me? Anyway, I was as good as dead. Dr. S reversed the immunity in me, too. But I garnered my remaining strength-maybe it was pure adrenaline, maybe I'm just that good-and traveled down the only road I saw. I'm surprised more people don't stumble across Ostford. The road goes straight to it. They took me in instantly, and I shared the samples and info with them. I actually got them to establish a safe experimental lab for creating the samples. Easy-peasy."

He explained everything with smug assurance, but when his eyes met mine, the smile faltered. I couldn't share his joy; couldn't celebrate the accomplishment. And I should've, because Carter broke the rules for once! Resisted authority! That should've been a milestone in my book.

But it was too soon. Hearing all that the day I joined Ostford? Too much.

I'm still reeling from all that's happened.

"Scarlett." A knock accompanies the voice. I look over my shoulder from the spot on my bed, fingers tightening over the small notebook in my hands. Carter watches me with serious concern.

"Yeah?"

"How are you feeling?"

I shrug. "Fine." I offer a smile and look back down at the notebook. A sharp pang in my chest pulses, but it's died down quite a bit the past few weeks.

Footsteps shuffle along the carpet before the mattress sinks in next to me. Carter keeps his distance but nods at the notebook. "Where'd you get it?"

I run my fingers along the spiral, my fingers tingling and aching to open it. "It belonged to a friend of mine."

"Ellis?"