Chapter 26 [Radioactive]

Pisces 12/2261 15:28

Blood poured off my skin. Jefferson chuckled somewhere in the dark. I felt the blade bite into my collar bone. I stared at the darkness, not making a sound. Every part of my body burned. A fire raging. Threatening to get out of control. Silence. Blood dripped on the floor. Such a soft sound. Like rain. I loved listening to the rain. I focused on the sound. Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. Drip, Drop. Drip Drop.

I woke to rain hitting the hull of the ship. How did we get to Lexi so fast? I sat up, winching as molten rock flooded my system. My vision turned white. I fell back. My hand clamped on my side. Ow. Ow. Ow! Damnit. I took a few deep breaths before rolling to my feet. I braced myself on the wall and stood. Then I realized someone was knocking at the door. Loudly.

"What!" I shouted. I limped to the door. It slid open to reveal my Legend standing there. He relaxed when he saw me. "Are we home?"

He nodded. I frowned at the floor.

"Did I just sleep for six days?" I asked. Another nod. How? I brushed past him and headed up the stairs. I limped down the opened ramp.

"Oh, my gods." Jermia breathed when he saw me. "Medi—"

I ignored him. I walked past him without a glance. I disregarded everyone as I walked to the emergency floor.

"Holy gods." Isabelle breathed. She stared at me for a minute, her eyes locking on all my injuries. I didn't answer. I just walked into one of the rooms and sat down. She followed me once she got over her shock.

"You're not going to like this," I said. Isabelle paled. I never said that. Never made anything out to be bad. "I don't... I don't even understand it."

"'Kay?" She asked. I winched as I pulled off my sweater, then my shirt. Isabelle covered her mouth when she saw the wounds on my shoulder and side. "Holy fucking shit. How are you alive?"

"I should be dead," I stated. She nodded and sighed. "I was sliced in half by a Zerain. By all accounts, I should be dead."

"So... what changed. I've seen you with some serious bad injuries. You never healed this fast before." Isabelle asked. The new serum? Maybe. The HCDS improved my healing. Perhaps this new one enhanced that.

"I made another serum, like my mother's," I said. I gritted my teeth and sighed. "I didn't run all the tests on it."

"And you took it?" Isabelle asked. Her eyes flew wide open. I swallowed and nodded. "Why?"

I kept silent. My right hand twitched. She looked at my hand and stared for a moment. Realization flickered across her face when she realized I could use it.

"You made it to fix your wrist." She said. I looked away. "That was stupid. The most stupid thing you've ever done. And you have done a lot."

"This might not be a bad thing," I said. "I didn't die. Maybe this will fix the HCDS."

"Or it could make it worse." Isabelle sighed. She bowed her head as she thought. "I'm not my mother, Storm. I don't know much about genetic alteration. You need to speak to her."

"Never," I answered. Isabelle sighed. "I'm sorry, your mother had to have been insane."

"Your mother did the same to you," Isabelle said.

"And I hate her," I added. "I was sentenced to fighting by her. She never... she never asked what I wanted. I never thought about what I could be."

"You spoke to Greflin again," Isabelle noted. "You thought about what he said."

"Maybe." I sighed. "He's really good at getting to you."

"Yeah, he is." Isabelle chuckled. "He's smart too."

"Can he protect people?" I asked. Isabelle tilted her head and nodded. "Good."

"What happened on that mission?" She asked. I shook my head and covered my eyes.

"Just patch me up as best you can. I'm exhausted." I whispered. Isabelle nodded. She worked quickly and silently. After a while, she stepped back.

"Go, rest." She said softly. I nodded my agreement. No protests this time. I was too tired to try. I pulled my ruined shirt back on.

"Thank you," I whispered. I stood and walked out. I stumbled to the lift, took it up to my lab. I couldn't make it back to the room, it was too far. I stumbled into the lab and collapsed on the floor.