Fibre Mortem: Rhesus Factor

9

I wake sometime later, groggy and a little frustrated. I had no recollection of dozing off. In fact, I remember sitting on my bed and finally relenting to my tears. Then it hits me all over again, why I'm in my room and crying in the first place.

Though I'm still severely angry with Mary and Nora, I know that my anger is unwarranted. They were just following orders and they had no knowledge of Nathan's current condition. We all have forgotten that he's a test subject himself. It's easy to forget when the subject is lively and not at all what we expected this late in the stages. I've even forgotten myself because I've let my emotions interfere with my job.

It sucks, but I start bracing myself and trying to reverse the damage that I've put on myself. I need to start acting like a scientist again, Reese has brought out the humanity in me and it makes me question whether our friendship is something I need right now.

I shake that thought off immediately. It's not Reese's fault that I'm feeling this way either. It's not even Nathan's. This is all on me and I'll handle it. I have to, I don't have a choice. So I gather myself and open my door. Prepared to take on whatever I'm about to walk into but something hits my feet when I open the door.

Reese groans, obviously I was not the only one who needed a power nap. "Five more minutes Ma." He says.

"Oh, get your ass up." I slightly kick him to move him over and he groans all over again but he rolls over. I step over him and mumble, "And you say I have trouble waking up."

An idea hits me because I can't just leave him laying here in the hallway, well, I mean I probably could. I am evil after all, or I was. I get down on his level and pause. He looks so innocent asleep. So much younger, at peace. I'll try and keep this image of him in my mind the next time I want to strangle him for doing something stupid.

Back to the task at hand, I lean in and whisper, "Reese. Reese, sweety." I'm laying it on thick because I could really use this distraction, and really, because I need payback anyway.

He snuggles in closer to me and smiles. God, why does he have to look adorable? I shake it off, I'm on a mission here. "Reese, it's time to wake up."

He lets out a sigh and wraps his arm around me, great. This isn't what I imagined. Just as I'm trying to extricate myself from his embrace he says something that gives me pause. "Lively, I could wake up to you like this every morning. You don't know what you do to me."

"Oh for fuck's sake. Jesus Reese, get your horny ass up!" I slap him for good measure and that does it. He's awake and pretty pissed.

"The fuck was that for!?" He rubs his cheek, unaware of what I heard.

"For being a horny jerk, you nasty ass. Now get up. You're lucky I don't leave you out in the hall!" I shoot up and take off. All of this is confusing and uncomfortable.

He juts up after me, "I'd prefer that you had! I was having a good dream until you so rudely interrupted."

"Oh I heard part of it. If you could keep me out of your dreams, I'd be eternally grateful. What were you doing out there anyway?"

He grabs my arm and forces me to stop. I glare at him, waiting for an answer. His eyes soften, "You were crying."

Instead of confiding in him, though I know I probably should, I resort to snarky rhetoric, "Yes, genius. Women tend to cry."

He doesn't release me, instead he softly shakes his head, his onyx hair falling over his eyes. "Not you. You never cry." He uses his thumb to trace my cheek and even though it feels nice. I shake him off. I don't want to be touched. I don't know what I want.

"I had a really bad night Reese."

"I know, I heard about Nathan. After I left the lab, I found you or rather heard you in your room and sat outside, trying to talk to you. Calm you down. You had me worried."

I remember now, He was there. I try to remember his words but all I remember is that I fell asleep, being lulled by them. It's in this moment that I realize maybe Reese and I mean a little more to each other than I originally thought and it scares me. I don't want whatever is happening. This type of stuff is never good for friendships. I want his friendship above all else.

"Reese. Whatever you think this--"I try to shut it down. I try. Instead, Reese reaches out and pulls me to him.

"I know exactly what this is Lively. It's been this way for as long as I can remember. Except we stopped fighting it. We stopped. You're important to me, don't you understand that?" He growls and I think he's got something more to say but instead, he releases me.

I'm stunned. I mean, I shouldn't be. I knew this was what it was, but I'm stunned. We stand there, in a stare off. Both urging the other to say something but neither of us does. I suppose we're both afraid of what the other is going to say.

I know I should shut this down. That was my intention to begin with, but I'm afraid that if I do, I'm going to lose his friendship. It's a little messed up, I shouldn't have to choose what type of relationship I have with him but I know that with him, figuring this out is going to take longer than just this moment.

"Reese, can we table this just for now? I'm so confused, and I'm already emotional. I can't handle all of this today either." It's the truth. I can't. Not with everything else on my plate. I hope that he's understanding.

He stares at me intensely, but I can't read him. Then he steps towards me again, his lips crashing into mine.

Butterflies. Butterflies are what I feel when his lips touch mine. I've never felt this before. Before I know what's going on my hands are gripping his tousled hair and I'm wanting more of whatever this is, it's electric. It's addictive.

Reese groans into our kiss and just as quickly as it happened, it's over and he's racing away from me. I feel empty once more and probably more alone now than ever.

I slowly make my way back to the lab, absorbing the aftershocks of what I just experienced. My hands trembling and completely unaware of what's about to happen to me, for the second time in my life.

I'm tackled to the ground, my head hitting with a thud. I'm seeing stars and, "Oh my god Nora, no!"

She's much stronger than the last one, but to be fair the last one was emaciated and decaying but I'm also stronger too. Nora is freshly changed, how, I don't know. This is the fastest I think I've ever seen someone turn into a zombie.

Her white teeth are coated with a film of coagulated blood and even though she's freshly dead, dear god she smells like shit and piss. As I fight her off, I gag. "Oh come on, Life, really?" I manage to get my leg between us and kick her off. She slides across the floor but doesn't even stop.

I get my ass in gear. It's me or her and I don't plan on dying today, so I grab--once again-- the dissecting scissor and lunge toward her. No one's coming to save me but me. The scissors embed themselves into her left temple and she crumples to the floor in a heap.

"Well damn Lively," He pauses to cough, "I didn't think you had it in you Doll. Tell me, when I finally turn into a bloodthirsty ghoul, you'll give me a better send off."

I'm trying to catch my breath, so I don't realize that he's up and walking until I'm calm and no longer in survival mode. "What in the fuck happened Nathan?"is all I can mutter out because I really don't know how to explain this one. Raggedy Anne is still chilling in the holding cell next to Nathan, seemingly more disgruntled now than ever but otherwise, there's no indication that she got ahold of Nora.

"You might want to sit down for this one. You're not going to like what I'm about to say," He coughs again, this time with more fervor and brings up phlegm. I notice it looks bloody but I don't say anything. Instead, I do exactly as he suggests, I sit my ass down and prepare for one hell of a story.