Broken Dreams(116)

“With the virus in our system, it changed us a lot. Our eyes, our body temperature, our entire physical and mental state was affected. If we go too long without clean blood for the virus to feed on, we start deteriorating, much like a true dead person does. Our joints stiffen, we get these horrible headaches, and we start to downward spiral. It’s not pretty when one of us does not get the blood that we need. We, essentially, rot from the inside out.” Again, Sophie tried to stifle her cries.

Henry whispered, “I’ve seen it happen more times than I want to even talk about.” Then I realized that this must be what happened to those who didn’t meet the standards for the program. I imagined it was the recruits that were continuing on that handed out a true death. It sounded like pure torture. My body shuddered.

I was finding it difficult to look at Sophie and Henry. My anger with them was subsiding, and was being replaced with empathy.

“So the virus starts wreaking havoc in our body and brain, looking for that clean source of food. If we do not get clean blood into our systems, we will become completely undead.”

“So the cure for someone who has been bit is clean blood?” Claire said.

“No. There’s no magic pill that I’m aware of. It’s immune to everything. As far I understand, once the virus is in your system, there’s no getting rid of it.” Claire seemed intrigued, but skeptical.

“Well, isn’t this just fucking perfect?!” Nick snapped.

“Then why aren’t you like the others?”

“They injected us with a very small amount.”

Claire glanced over at Nick. “Oh. Then why is Nick like you now, and not like one of the other freaks out there?”

Henry glossed over her freak comment after he gave her a healthy glare. “Because the amount of virus that’s in us is much smaller than what is out there. Low amounts leave you in a constant state of reanimation, unless you don’t feed the virus. Then you will turn. It’s a much longer, drawn out process, unlike those who have been exposed to a full dose. Minutes for them; a week or so for us.”

“So what you’re saying is that, essentially, I’m dead?” Nick chuckled again. “This is fucking epic.” Nobody was seeing the humor in the situation.

“Essentially. I guess you can look at it that way.” Claire backed up from everyone a bit. The punk ass kid still stood in shock, with his jaw hanging open.

The only thing I could think of was that I had been fucking a dead person. Does that make me a necrophiliac? I shuddered. Henry looked at me with concern. His eyes were full of sorrow.

“So…I’m talking to a dead person?” I whispered.

“Sort of, I guess,” Henry replied. Claire seemed oddly calm with all the information that was pouring in, but not me. I had been fucking a dead guy!

But then she narrowed her eyes at Henry and Sophie. “How did it get out there? Did you bite a lot of people?”

“I have my suspicions, and no. Who would admit to it? I suspect a full amount of the virus was injected into someone. It had to be. It’s the only way the full-fledged virus would be out there. This virus can annihilate us as a population. It already has.”

“So…Nick is in a state of reanimation, like you?” Claire asked. Nick grumbled something, but I was too focused on my necrophilia.

“Correct.”

“How were you getting clean blood from people before?”

“I ran the blood bank. I stole bags and vials all the time. It was a steady supply of clean blood so I never had to worry.”

“Hence all the shortages you hear about in the media?” Claire’s words were sharp.

“Yeah, I suppose.” I could see he felt ashamed for taking advantage of a system for people in need. Claire’s anger had returned. It was the epitome of an emotional roller coaster. I couldn’t decide what emotion I was. I was still trying to process that I had been fucking a dead guy.

“Oh, my god. You were taking blood from dying people? Sick,” Claire growled.

“I can understand why you feel that way. I would collect extra vials and say I was taking a sampling of blood for research purposes before a donation. I told them it was a new process. Since I ran the bank, no one questioned it. I had official-looking documentation ready if I was questioned. I have also done some things that I’m not proud of. Some really bad shit,” he muttered, and scrubbed his face with his hand. I wondered what he meant by that, but at that point, it didn’t fucking matter.

“This is so sick and twisted!” Claire raged.

“We are sick, too, damn it!” Henry’s fists clenched.