"Who told you my middle name?" Vincent questions, his right eyebrow twitching as a dark cloud forms over the green in his eyes. "It was on your -ahem". Tuck pulled out a familiar leather wallet. "State of Connecticut Driver's License.” "Tuck". Vincent warns as he starts opening the wallet. "Let's see. Date of birth -fuck- 2029?? You're like… OLD!". Cole stirred awake as Vincent set down the tray of food nearby and reached for his wallet. "Give me that back you little turd and go find Snow White and the other six dwarves.” “Ha, I think I hear Barbie calling you back to the Dream house.” Tuck smirks, jumping out of his spot when Vincent got close. Causing Cole to fall on the floor with a loud thump. "OWw". Went Cole, lifting her head up after hitting the coffee table. "What's going on?" She croaks out, her gray eyes still hazy with sleep. "Hey, Cola". Tuck smiles mischievously, holding the wallet out. "Guess what? Barbie’s boyfriend was born in-" "Enough". Vincent moved swiftly t
Cole finished her food and licked her fingers. Gulping the last of the orange juice before setting down the glass. Vincent stood in front of her, looking at the tray. "What's wrong?" Cole wondered. Vincent took the tray and answered. "You shouldn't eat so fast… Might get an upset stomach. Then I'll have to give you a shot". "A shot?" Confusion glistened in Cole's gray eyes. Her clear dislike of needles surfaces. "I'd have to get a shot?" "Yes". Vincent sighs, as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders and she just added more. Cole glances down at her lap, then slowly holds her right arm toward him. A nervous habit familiar to Vincent. He gently lifted her chin with his finger, coaxing her gray eyes to reconnect with his green ones. A grin formed on his lips as he spoke. "Kidding". Vincent's green eyes sparkle in the light. Cole blinked, confusion fading as she lowered her arm. Vincent gave her chin a light touch and then retreated with the tray. Cole chewed her lip in
Eris closed the video and began scrolling through others. Most were dated for the first month. He glimpsed the other vids, finding the patients’ unusual symptoms. "Look". Vincent interrupted to pass Eris a written log from March 2062. "Is there a video for this? Cole was given anesthetics. The paper has too much water damage. I want to know why she was given this when her regular treatment doesn't require it". Eris quickly pulled up the video files for the month. The first video was grainy, and the audio was unclear. After waiting a bit, a fifteen-year-old Cole could be seen removing her bed sheets. The video timestamp showed it was 2:21 am, and the hall outside of her unit was dark. Meaning the staff was gone. From Cole's room, there was not only a view of the hall, but of neighboring rooms as well. With patients similar in age and circumstances. "Are you really going to go through with that, Cole?" A boy not much younger stood close to the window. His room is mostly dark, apart
"I… I need a break" is all Eris says as he moves to leave. Tuck looked to Vincent for answers. "He's fine". Vincent spoke, not sounding too sure. "What was that scream just now" Tuck probed as he glanced around the room in confusion. "It was the video". Vincent pointed, glancing at the image of the paused video. Nurse Len stood over Cole's unconscious body. Vincent quickly shut off the screen before Tuck could see, then began to clear up the mess. Doing his best to remain calm on the surface. Tuck helped to clear it, after, he grabbed some pencils and plain paper. Retreating from the room without a word. Right away Vincent had a feeling the stuff he took was for Cole. Once Tuck left, Vincent returned to his desk. Watching the rest of the footage in silence. -- Nurse Len was in a rage. "Cole! Look at this! Look at what you fucking did to me!" He shouts at the unconscious Cole on the floor. Eventually, she woke again to his endless cuss words. Lifting her head, Cole could see hi
In a narrow hallway, crowded with over ten soldiers, Vincent spots a weary red-haired First Lieutenant. She breaks from the group and approaches the doctor. Her red hair is fastened in a tight bun on top of her head, and a fresh uniform fit her well. "Doctor Lance, we need to talk." She speaks, gesturing for Vincent to follow her into another room. She dismissed the other soldiers, telling them to take lunch. "Eris should be here any moment." Natalie starts to say when they're alone. Finally allowing her feigned calm demeanor to fade as an uneasiness took its place. "I know you have your priorities with Patient Five, so I won't keep you long. We've had four weeks without any problems… and now…" Natalie took a deep breath, letting it out again as she addressed the problem at hand. "Eight of my soldiers are showing symptoms of the contagion." She reveals. "It was reported two days ago. I didn't tell you because I wanted to be sure. If it were the common cold going around, I would be les
As far as his eyes can see, Tuck observes the old and forgotten buildings. Where creeping growths consume the heights of them. Rusted corpses of vehicles crowd the streets and parking lots. Glass and debris are littered everywhere. Leaning or torn street signs are barely readable. Though, Tuck didn't need the signs to know where he was going. After observing the streets, Tuck carefully made his way through them. Until he found an old market in similar condition to the other buildings. He pulled up his mask and clicked on a flashlight. Tuck pulls the door partially open. Peeking, before he slips inside the store. Inside, there's a barricade of shopping carts. Tuck made his way around them, eyeing the checkout lanes that are empty. Old registers emptied, computers torn and loose wires bleeding out of them. The rest of the store had similar damage. Some shelves were plucked clean, while others remained. Tuck shone his flashlight, looking for useful items. Or fun ones… "Oh, this is gol
With a final twist of a flathead, Vincent finished installing the new lock and secured the door to their shared bedroom. Adding extra supplies to the bathroom and hall closet, Vincent took one last look at everything. Mentally counting each item. He checks each spot where weapons were hidden around the room. Ensuring they were loaded before putting them back. A content sigh escaped him as he left the bedroom. Locking the door behind him to be safe. Doctor Lance felt a sudden vibration coming from his left wrist. He glanced at the alert on his tech wristlet. Which shows his patient's real time blood pressure. Rushing upstairs, Vincent quickly slipped on protection and entered Cole's bedroom. "Cole?" He calls out, his heart hammering hard within his chest. His green eyes scan the bedroom, finding there were things tossed everywhere, scratches and prints marking the white bedroom walls. In the far-right corner, Cole was curled up and hiding her face with a blanket. As she rocked on he
"My little girl…" A gruff voice draws Cole's gaze away from the sandbox full of sand and toys. Her innocent gray eyes find a tall man dressed in a business suit. The top of his head was bald, and he has round ears, a pair of thick brown eyebrows, and dark eyelashes surrounding his gentle brown eyes. A large nose, and dark lips that spread into a bright smile above his pointy chin. "DAD!" Cole dashes toward him, leaving behind the toys and the crowded school playground. "Baby". He coos, holding out his arms as she runs into them. "Oh god, people are staring". A tall teenage girl nears with a nervous look. Clutching the straps of her backpack. "Rosey!" Cole's infant voice echoes as she peeks over her dad's shoulder. After he picks her up for a hug. "Ro-sa-lie baby…" Their dad tries to correct. Rosalie shifted uncomfortably, glancing around to find the other kids and parents looking their way. "Let's go. Please. Dad?" Went Rosalie, her similar gentle brown eyes shift down. She decid