Free Contagion: The Rising by John Carter Page A

suddenly.
    “Be
careful, your wound isn’t completely closed yet,” Jeremiah looked over to Emma.
    “I’m
fine,” she said sharply, which caused Jeremiah to suddenly get up.
    “Well,
I might as well get back to the lab,” he left the room quickly as Emma covered
her face.
    “Oh
god, what did I do?” Emma looked down as Rory patted her on her back. “I didn’t
mean that. I’m just tired of being told that.”
    Sarah
looked as Emma rubbed her eyes, “Well, explain yourself to him. I’m sure he’ll
understand.”
    “What
can I tell him? ‘Oh, I’m sorry that I’m such a bitch’.”
               
“That’s a start,” Rory said as Mark smacked his arm. “Ouch. I mean, he’ll
understand.”
    Sarah
shook her head at him, “Remember, I’m exactly like her, so watch yourself.”
    “Emma,
I’m sorry,” Rory attempted to apologize.
    “Don’t
worry about it,” Emma got up from the table and walked over to the door. “I
hope he does understand.” She walked out of the kitchen area and towards the
lab. She heard a huge slap as Rory yelped in pain. “Damn, Sarah,” Mark laughed.
    Emma walked
over to the lab and took a deep breath. She finally walked into the lab and
found Jeremiah working on the console.
    He
stopped her from talking, “Don’t worry, I won’t be bothering you at all. At
least, for the rest of the day. The console took it’s last command and we may
be out of a computer.”
    She sat
on the stool near the console and watched as he attempted to bring up the
prompt to get into the program. “I’m sorry.”
    He
stopped and looked at her, “No, I should be the one saying I’m sorry. I’m just
worried about you.” He looked down and typed in a command. “Got it!” He
celebrated quietly as she shook her head.
    “You
don’t have to be worried about me. I should be fine in a few weeks, and then
I’ll be out of your hair.”
    “Why do
you feel like you’re such a burden? I’m here to help you get better,” he sat
down on the stool next to her.
    “I’m
holding them back from leaving to the coastline,” she said as tears ran down
her face. “I’m trying really hard to get better quick, so I don’t take too much
of yours or Tony and Kayla’s. I feel like I’ve leeched too much already.”
    “Look,
we’re here to help people. Regardless of them paying us back, we help them,” he
wiped away her tears with his handkerchief, and handed it to her. “I’m sorry
that I’m being overbearing, but I just want to make sure you’re doing okay. I
really care…about you.” He tried to stop the words as they came out of his
mouth.
    She
looked at him as his face reddened. Jeremiah got up and stood over the console,
attempting to ignore what he just said. She got up and nervously stood there
for a few seconds before grabbing Jeremiah’s face and kissing him. He stood
still as she let go of him and smiled. Emma wiped the excess tears off of her
face and handed back his handkerchief. She plainly said, “Thanks.”
    “No
problem,” he said automatically.
    She
grabbed his shoulder and smiled, “not for that.” Jeremiah awkwardly stood
straight up as she walked away and out of the lab. He finally exhaled and his
face stayed reddish.
     
    Trevor
sat in the makeshift outpost waiting for the bandits to return. “I’m thinking
they’ll be back pretty soon.”
    “That’s
what I’m worried about,” Chloe shifted her feet and sat near the entrance to
keep an eye out.
    “You
don’t have to do that,” he grinned. “I’ll be able to “sniff” them out before
they get here.”
    She
looked at him like he was going crazy. The bloody red eye he had wasn’t helping
the appearance of looking normal. His suspenders dragged on the ground and his
clothes were dirty with blood and soil. He smelled like a rotting corpse but
his skin didn’t look infected or the sickly pale color like the Risers. She was
thinking the gunshot may be leaking out some of the rank smell he’s