chapter 26

"Look over Riley right now and do some test now!" I said. "Whoa, Jackie what's up where have you been people are worried sick about you," said Tori. "And what test are you talking about Jackie?" asked her sister Toni. "A blood test and compare it to mine now," I said in a rush. They look at me like I was crazy. I was covered in blood and had a look in my eyes that said I was but I really wasn't. I was just in a rush. "Riley got bit and today is the third day she isn't showing any signs!" I said and that's what got them moving. The took a new blood sample from me and one from Riley to compare it to. They said the test could take a few hours to a few days but they were going to work overtime for it. I thank them and finally let my body relax. I drop to the fall leaning up against a wall for support. The last two now going on three days were crazy as hell. After saving Ken's team we killed a lot of growlers and then ran into a gang and a few freaks along the way. Then Riley gets shot and bitten while I go through another change and beat the life out of a man for hurting the person I love and all the growlers coming out of nowhere. It was just a rush of things.

I didn't get a moment's rest and even still I am on guard and ready to fight anyone and anything that dares harm Riley and the people I care about. Even with the seven and everyone focus, I couldn't calm down. My body was still burning but I felt like I was still human. My body wasn't burning to the point where I was stronger and where my eyes change color. I needed to relax and regain control over myself not just for me but for everyone else around me. I needed to do what Claire taught me and that was to breathe and relax. So I did just that and after a few minutes my body was starting to cool down and I was started to feel like myself again. I continue doing this until I was fully in control. Then that when my body slightly shut down on me. After two days of non-stop action and rush and fully calming down my body was starting to break down a bit. I started to feel the pain of the last two days and the tiredness of it as well. I needed to rest but I also wanted to there for Riley, I wasn't going to leave her with the seven because we still didn't know what was going to happen to her yet.

I wanted to think that this was all some kind of sick dream but it wasn't. It wasn't some kind of dream or nightmare because this was all too fucking real. I just wanted to buy some books and continue my life but then the dead decided to come back and kill everyone. And now I am here with the person I love but would have never met if it wasn't for this damn outbreak. I needed to radio Claire and tell her to come over and leave the brothers in charge but I think Tabi is going to try to have her way and come but I won't allow that. She is too young to go outside the walls. I needed to know if Riley was going to be okay but before I could get up I felt a pair of hands push me back down. I look up and saw Riley pushing me back down to the floor. "Don't get up you loser you need to rest and you also have a stab wound." She told me and I look down and see that she is in fact right. I didn't even know I got stabbed. I wanted to ask if she was OK but she put her finger on my mouth to keep me quite. I look at her and ask the question I wanted to ask in my eyes. She just smiles and sat down next to me. "I'll tell you later first rest, we both need it." She said and I agreed with her.

We both woke up to Tori and Stacey yelling at each other. Their accents were coming out strong until Tori started yelling in Spanish. I groan but woke up anyway. Riley was facing the wall and started to stir awake as well. She mutters what's going and I didn't know. "Tori and Stacy are fighting," I told her and got up. I walked over to where they were fighting and pick up Stacy and she stops talking. "What the fuck Jackie," she said to me and I didn't say anything. I didn't ask what's going on but I just look at them until one of them answer. "Ugh, I hate it when you do that look! And we were talking about the tests we were going to do on Riley today and we got some results back but we didn't know if we should tell you until we are all done" said Stacy. I was about to say something until Riley said "do you test and when your finish tell me what you know" and left it at that. I wanted to know but it wasn't my choice or right to ask for answers it was all Riley's choice and so I will sit and wait.

Riley went through four more tests that took up most of the day. Then I radio Claire to let her know that we were still with the seven and safe but to tired to move. I didn't want to tell Claire over the radio what happens to Riley. I wanted to tell her in person and also it wasn't right for me to tell, it was all on Riley if she wanted to tell anyone or not. After talking to Claire I talked to Tabi for a bit and told her we will be home in a day or two. She was still mad at us but she understands why we were back yet. She does know that Riley is hurt but she doesn't know that I am or that Riley was bitten. After Riley spoke to Tabi all the tests were done and over with and now we just needed to wait a bit more for the test results. After a while, we went back to sleep and didn't wake up until the next day.

We didn't wake up until noon and we waited for the seven to finish whatever it was there were doing so they could give us the test results. Five minutes later everyone was here. Riley had to take six tests in the last two days and she was happy to be done with it. "OK we got some news," said Iris. "So Riley, well she is immune like you Jackie however she isn't the cure. The test we took shows the same characteristics but in some areas not all. When we compare her blood to your blood you had an extra protein that makes you stronger when in a freak mode well Riley doesn't have that protein which we are calling SS20 don't ask why we are just calling it that. Anyway, Riley is fine nothing wrong with her but we don't know how much she will change but if she is anything like you Jackie she will be all good" said Iris.

I didn't hear anything else that Iris said when she said Riley was immune like me. I just looked at Riley and try to understand how that was even possible. They told Jackie that she was a one and a billion chance and now Riley is the second and a billion chances what's the next a third. I still couldn't believe that this was even happening. Riley and I were both immune but were the cures. "Why isn't she a cure and why aren't I," I ask. "Well this virus keeps changing and mutated and so it is hard for us to actually study it. It changes fast and nothing we throw at it makes a difference" said Tony. That was a simple answer but I understand what she was telling me. The only way Riley and I can adapt to the viruses was because it is always changing and when I got bit it was in one form while Riley got another form.

After the talk and giving more samples to the seven we finally left them. It was late in the afternoon when I felt a sharp pain hit my left leg. I almost fell to the ground holding my left. "What the fuck!" I said. And Riley pulled me from the open to cover. I was bleeding and mad as all hell. Then I felt my skin burn but not as bad when I feel a freak. I didn't know why my skin was burning until I looked up and saw Riley's eyes. Her eyes were like mine but not as red or black. Beautiful was what I thought until she applied pressure to my leg and I growl in pain.

We stay hidden until we heard voices. "I knew I shot that zombie where is it" it, said. They thought we were fucking growlers. "Look a blood trail they couldn't have gone far," said another. They were going to find us but we couldn't do anything about it. There were people and I wanted to shoot the one that shot and beat them up but I was in pain. "Whoa hey Jed you ain't shoot no zombie it was a person, see" and point to me. "You god damn ass licking fucking I should shoot you!" I yelled at him. "I'm sorry I thought you were a zombie," said Jed. "We don't call them zombies but growlers and fuck you now help us now," I said while anger running through me. And he helps me up. We were that far from the school maybe five blocks away but I told Riley to call for Kelly so she could look at my wounds.

We were in front of the school now when I saw Luck and Sara on watch while Hallie came out with Kelly to help lay me down on a stretcher. I protest to this and I got hit by Kelly telling me to shut up and stop moving. I hated it when they worried too much over me, it was my job to worry about them but then again I guess we are all some type of family now. I notice that Kelly had a TS tattoo on her hand. When did she get that? I would have to ask. "Check out Riley to she got shot," I said and felt Riley glared at me. I just smirk while Kelly went to go and fuss over her. Both Riley and I were in the nurse's office and look over. The bullet was a trough and trough and a clean shot. Kelly said I was lucky and handed me two MREs to eat then went to look at Riley's arm. When Kelly when to look at her arm she pulls away. "OK don't freak out I got bit and I am exactly like that lazy fucker Jackie," she said. "Hey I'm not lazy I got shot twice and stabbed," I said in my defense. "Yes love I know but still you're lazy," she said with a smile.

Kelly just seems to shrug it off and looked at Riley's arm. "While the bullet is still in they and I needed to take it out before the wound closes and heals the wounded way. Kelly took her knife and just cut right into Riley. She yells in pain while Kelly dug the bullet out of the now fresh wound. I laugh then got in the head by her. She glares at me and I just smile at her and watch at Kelly cover the wound and give her one MREs to eat. We just stay there and ate. When Riley was done she said she was going to go find Claire and Tabi to tell them that she got bit but is OK. I just sat there and ate my second MREs when I saw Cameron come in. "hey kid" I said and she smiles at me. "I want to be Tabi's friend and I like her" was all she said to me and left. I was confused as to why she told me this but I guess Tabi has a new friend and I think that would be good for her. After I finish I try to get up to put some pressure on it to see if I can walk but that was a mistake as pain shot through my leg and I yelp. I lie back down and sign. I didn't want to stay here but I was healing slowly.

As I continue to heal I saw Tabi and Claire. Claire wanted to talk to me about being a reckless fool and Tabi was mad at me but she still wanted to be with me. I just lie there and took it. I did make them worry and I promise Tabi I would never leave her again and I wasn't. Even if I had lost Riley she would want me to stay and help Tabi. I think that would have been painful but I would have to keep going until I couldn't. But that wasn't cased with this. I have both of my girls and they had me and they weren't going to get rid of me that fast. All I know was that I was glad I was home again even if was getting yelled at by two different people and in pain.