The Infected, a PODs Novel

by Michelle K. Pickett

  “Will you do that for the rest of our lives, Eva?”

  “I already said I’d marry you.” I brushed my fingertips across his cheek.

  “I know you did, but I…” he stopped and shook his head.

  My hands framed his face. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve learned that lesson. I don’t want to live without you, David. So, yes, I’ll fix your messy hair every day for the rest of our lives.”

  He laughed. “That isn’t exactly what I meant.”

  “I know, but the answer is still the same. I’m not going anywhere.” I stretched up and gave him a soft kiss. “At least not for three weeks. I’m locked in, remember?”

  “Funny. Way to build my confidence.” He winked at me and pulled me with him into the hall. “Let’s go look at the supplies they left us.”

  They brought us enough supplies that we could eat until our bellies were full, and still have enough for a midnight snack if we wanted one. After traveling for so long and living off whatever we could kill hunting, or scavenge from houses, we weren’t used to seeing so much food. Most of us ate so much we were miserable with stomach aches. But what thrilled me were the packets of seeds and small seedlings they included with the food.

  Tomorrow I’ll start in the gardens. It’ll keep me busy and pass the time.

  Day Three.

  Three weeks can be such a long time… or a short time. It’s all relative. If you’re a kid waiting for Christmas morning, three weeks can seem like forever. If you’re a couple on your honeymoon in the Caribbean, three weeks flies by.

  Three weeks in quarantine was not like being on a honeymoon. The time dragged by. Minutes felt like hours, hours like days and days like weeks.

  It sucked.

  Day Four

  We’d had a meeting and everyone signed up for the jobs they’d like to do in the POD.

  “Keep in mind,” Devlin said, “this is a job you’ll most likely have after quarantine, too. We’ll need to keep the POD running, the community functioning, so pick something that you’ll enjoy, or at least can tolerate.”

  When it was my turn to sign up for a job I was surprised to find my name already listed next to a position.

  “I didn’t sign-up for that.” I tapped my fingernail on my name scrawled in unfamiliar handwriting. “What’s it for?”

  “It’s a teaching position. You were a teacher in Rosewood. We’ll need teachers here so you’ve been nominated for the job,” the woman sitting behind the desk said. She pushed her large frame, tortoiseshell glasses up with her middle finger; her fingernail was dirty and chipped.

  A POD full of showers and she can’t wash her hands. Gads, I hope her job isn’t in the kitchen around the food we’ll be eating.

  “And who nominated me?”

  David if it was you…

  “I did.” She folded her arms on the table and looked at me.

  You did? Other than knowing your name is Madelyn, I don’t even know you. What makes you think you’ve have the right to sign me up for anything?

  “Ah.” I nodded. “Can I have the pencil so I can write my name next to the other jobs I’d like, please?” I held out my hand and smiled.

  She tipped the pencil toward me. I plucked it from her pudgy fingers and printed my name next to greenhouse duties. Then I flipped it over and erased it from the line next to teaching responsibilities before I tossed it on the desk. “Next time, please ask before you sign me up for something.” I turned and walked away.

  “You know you’re gonna do it.”

  I looked up into his amused face and my breath hitched. How was it that I could love someone so completely and as thoroughly as I did David, but get so damn flustered just by the sound of Devlin’s voice or the sight of his lips twitching into a half-grin?

  “I know I’m going to do it, Devlin. That wasn’t the point. I just don’t like people assuming that I will without asking me. It’s rude. When it’s time for us to set-up a school, I’ll sign-up for it then. Right now we have other things to worry about.”

  “Like?” He stepped in front of me, cutting me off.

  I stopped and sighed. “Like getting out of here alive,” I said, looking around for David. Devlin watched me before he moved out of my way and walked beside me. I let out the breath I was holding.

  “He’s in one of the sub-PODs.”

  “Who?”

  “David. That’s who you’re looking for isn’t it?” Devlin looked over at me.

  “You know it is.”

  Our boots clanged against the metal corridor as we made our way to the greenhouse. The suspended floor wobbled and swayed and I grabbed the railing to steady myself. Without thinking I grabbed Devlin’s arm with my other hand. He wrapped his arm around my waist and held me to him until we’d made it to the entrance of the greenhouse.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, and stepped away.

  Devlin dropped his arm and looked at me. “Don’t worry, Eva. I’m happy for you and David. I’m not going to do anything that will jeopardize our friendship again. And I’m trying like hell to rebuild some semblance of the friendship I had with David. But, I hope he knows what a lucky son-of-a-bitch he is.”

  “Thanks.” I gave him a quick smile.

  “Besides,” he continued, “there’s this cute redhead I’ve had my eye on.”

  “Oh really?” Jealousy twisted my stomach. Not that I was jealous now, but I wondered if he had his eye on her while he’d had his lips on me.

  “Yeah.” He stared down one of the side corridors leading to the maintenance areas.

  I followed his gaze, slapping my hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle.

  “What?” he looked at me, one eyebrow quirked.

  I shook my head.

  “What’s funny?” David asked, as he passed.

  I moved my hand far enough to say, “See the redhead down the hall? Devlin thinks he might ask her out.” I bit my bottom lip.

  David looked at Devlin. “Really?”

  “Yeah? Why?” Devlin asked, looking between the two of us.

  David shrugged. “Good luck with that. Eva, play nice.” He kissed me on the forehead and wandered off to finish whatever it was he was doing.

  “Okay, Eva. What’s wrong with the redhead? Does she have webbed feet or a goiter or something hideous like that?”

  “You think webbed feet are hideous?” I teased. He glared at me. “Okay, fine. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Misty. That’s her name, by the way, Misty, not the redhead. Let’s just say… she isn’t your type.”

  “How do you know? We could be perfect for each other—”

  Ugh, I have to stop him before he starts saying things like they’re made for each other like peanut butter and jelly. Or bacon and eggs or whatever.

  “Devlin, you don’t have the right package.” He gave me a blank stare. “You know, the right equipment? You don’t have it. She likes the other kind.”

  “She’s gay?” I nodded. “Oh, okay. The brunette she’s always with is kind of cute maybe I’ll—”

  I cleared my throat and arched an eyebrow at him.

  “They’re together, huh?”

  “Yup.”

  “Bummer. That just reduced the dating pool around here.”

  Day Ten

  I spent my days in the greenhouse trying to get the beds weeded and the seedlings planted. I gathered dead plants and rotten fruit for composting. It took up most of my days. I enjoyed the work. It passed the time, and it calmed me. For someone more high-strung than a terrier on crack, that was saying something. When I wasn’t in the gardens I was helping Judy in the kitchen.

  Every night before bed I’d mark off that day on a calendar I’d drawn on the wall of my small room.

  Ten days down. Eleven to go. If they keep their word and open the hatch.

  “What are you staring at?” David wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and pulled me against his chest.

  “The calendar.”

  “We’re almost halfway done.
” He put his hands on my hips and turned me around to face him.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “It hasn’t been too bad. Of course, I have the best neighbors. This really hot girl lives right across from me.”

  I laughed. “Oh, really?”

  “A blonde haired beauty. I’ve never seen anyone as stunning as she is,” He murmured against my lips.

  David pulled me to the bed and lay down, scooting over to give me space next to him. We lay on our sides, looking at each other, David’s hand on my hip, mine on his chest, his heart beating against it.

  “Eva.”

  “Hmm?” I opened my eyes and David’s face filled my vision. “Did I fall asleep?”

  He smiled. “Mm-hmm.” He ran a finger down the side of my face before kissing my forehead. “I’m going to go to my room so you can rest. You’re working too hard in those damn gardens.”

  “Wait!” I grabbed his arms. He stilled. His body half over mine, he braced himself on his forearms. “Um, I was thinking, I mean,” I gave a short laugh, “I should have figured out what to say before I started talking.” I bit my lower lip.

  David dipped his head and gave me a slow, deep kiss. When he lifted his head his gaze locked on mine, his thumb caressing my cheek. “Just say it. It’s me. I want you to be able to say anything to me.”

  “Okay, um, I think you should move your things in here and stay. With me. All the time.” The air felt thick when I tried to take a breath. Like I was in a sauna.

  I tensed waiting for David to say something—anything. He just looked at me. Even his thumb stopped moving like it waited to hear his answer, too. When I couldn’t stand it any longer I shook my head and tried to sit up.

  “Um, sorry. I shouldn’t have… it’s, well, I don’t know. I just thought… Well, I don’t know what I thought exactly, except that I love you and even though we’re just across the hall from each other, it’s still too far. But, I… It’s okay. Just forget I said anything and maybe things won’t be too weird,” I said, all in one breath. When I’d finished I inhaled a deep breath and tried to force myself away from David before the waterworks started. “Yeah, you know, I think I am tired. That must be it. I just need to rest. I’ll um, I’ll see you at dinner. Okay? Dinner. We’ll see each other then.”

  David was silent, watching me have my mini-psychotic melt down. I’m not even sure if he blinked. All I could think of was getting him out of my room before I lost it completely. I could feel the panic attack growing deep in my belly like a snow ball rolling over and over in the snow, building layer upon layer until it’s too big to pick up. That’s what was happening. It was growing, layer upon layer and when it blew it was going to be worse than Mount Krakatau.

  “Are you asking me to live with you? In your POD?” David finally whispered

  I went still and pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “Yes,” I said quietly.

  David moved his hands to my head and cupped it, holding it in place.

  His eyes were a different shade of silver. I could usually read his emotions in his eyes. Such a strange shade of gray, I’d never seen anything like them before. They were beautiful, but they held a look I wasn’t able to decipher, and that scared me.

  “David, if you don’t want to that’s okay. Maybe it’s too soon.” I tried to turn my head away from his gaze.

  He looked at me a few moments—seconds, minutes, hours, days—longer. It seemed like forever. I wanted to melt into the floor or become invisible so I could escape his stare. My stomach was filled with butterflies, but it was a new sensation. They weren’t the type of butterflies I wanted. They whispered, “You really screwed up this time,” with every beat of their wings.

  Faced with the knowledge that I wasn’t going to develop any superpower that would allow me to turn myself invisible, nor would I be melting like the wicked witch in the Wizard Of Oz, and David wouldn’t let go of me so I could leave and lick my wounds in private. I did the only thing I could think of—I closed my eyes.

  When I was small I thought if I couldn’t see my parents, they couldn’t see me. So when I was scolded for something naughty I’d done, I’d close my eyes. I guess, that was my silly way of turning invisible. Too bad life really didn’t work that way. Especially since David’s next words to me were, “Evangelina, look at me.”

  I opened my eyes and a tear rolled down my cheek. David smiled and leaned in for a kiss. It was soft and loving and everything a girl wants a boy to give her. I kissed him back, fisting my hands in his hair and pulling him to me.

  When David broke our kiss he looked at me, his eyes still the same unreadable color. He cleared his throat and ran a hand along his jaw. “Um, so, should I get my things and bring them over now? Or wait until tomorrow?”

  It took a second for his words to sink in. When they did, I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him close. “Now, silly, of course now.”

  In one swift move David pulled me under him and his mouth was on mine. It started soft, but quickly became a frenzy of hands and mouths and tongues. It was exciting and exhilarating, and it felt right. It felt so damn right.

  David was my home. Without him the world didn’t make sense. So I let myself get lost in him, his kiss, his touch, his very being.

  A loud rap sounded against the door. David and I both jumped like we were two teenagers who’d just been caught making-out in their parent’s car. “What?” he barked.

  “Get out here. Something’s up,” Devlin called.

  “I’m busy.”

  Devlin chuckled. “I’m sure you were, Casanova, but you’re not anymore. You need to get out here.”

  Geez, of all people it has to be Devlin to knock on the door. And now, right now… really? It couldn’t have waited an hour? Or two?

  I refastened my bra and fixed my shirt.

  I watched David pull his shirt over his head, the muscles in his back flexing and constricting. I ran my hands over them. He looked over his shoulder and smiled, and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss the back of his neck.

  “I guess we should go and see what the big deal is, huh?”

  “Yeah, I guess we should,” He murmured.

  I wrapped my fingers around his and sighed. “Let’s get it over with so we can come back and finish what we started.”

  He gave me a slow grin. “Oh, absolutely.”

  David and I walked around the corner to the main room of the POD. Five armed men stood next to the elevator shaft. More lined the emergency ladder leading to the hatch.

  “What’s going on?” David asked, scanning each of the men’s faces.

  “You’re being summoned for the vote early,” Braided-Beard-Man answered.

  “What vote? Not one person said nothin’ ‘bout votin’,” Roy said, his face blotchy from anger, or worry. Maybe both.

  “We vote on all newcomers. Period. Majority rules. If the majority votes you can stay, you’re welcomed like you’ve always been one of us. If the majority votes no, you’ll be expected to clear out immediately,” Bearded-Man said. I really needed to learn his name.

  “Your vote was scheduled after your quarantine period, but some new developments have forced us to move it up. You’ll move one at a time up the ladder and out the hatch where you’ll wait until everyone is safely up top. Then we’ll escort you to the court.”

  The five armed men directed us up the ladder, one at a time. When it was my turn, I gave David a look over my shoulder and slowly started to ascend the metal ladder, encased in a fence-like, circular chute. It wasn’t very wide—just enough for a person to fit through with a few supplies. When I reached the top, a man grabbed me under the arm and pulled me up, and out of the POD.

  “Stand over there.” He nodded his head toward the rest of our group.

  Surrounded by five armed men, we stood like a herd of cattle. The only sound was the shuffling of our feet or the occasional cough. Two men stood at the POD opening. With the five men in the POD, there was a total of at least twelve men.

>   Whatever was going on, judging by the guns, these guys meant business.

  The courthouse was located in POD eighty-one, a thirty minute hike from our POD. The men walked in a circle around us, their guns ready.

  “Any of your people sick?” one of the men—just a boy, really—asked Devlin.

  “No.”

  “No coughs, open sores, unexplained headaches?”

  “No, nothing. We’re exhausted from our trip, but that’s it,” Devlin answered.

  Oh! They think we’re infected. That’s why they’ve cut our quarantine short.

  “David,” I whispered and squeezed his hand.

  “I know,” he answered, looking straight ahead.

  “Well, that’s just great. What a crock of crap.” I kicked a rock in the path.

  “Shh, Eva, be quiet.”

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, forcing myself to relax and not yell when I said, “If they think we’re infected, we’re dead.”

  “Maybe.”

  “David, those aren’t squirt guns they’re carrying.”

  His lips twitched. Almost a grin, but not quite. “Be serious.”

  “I am! And if they eliminate the Infected, that means us. Which means…”

  When I didn’t finish, he looked at me and raised his eyebrow in question. “What?”

  “I’m gonna die a virgin!”

  He belted out a burst of laughter. Everyone around us jumped and the men swung their guns toward us. David quickly contained himself. “That’s what you’re thinking about right now?”

  “Well not just that. I’m thinking of other things, too. I don’t want to die, particularly.”

  “Gee, that’s good to hear.” He teased.

  Yeah, whatever. Either way, this whole thing sucks. There are a hundred PODs. We just need one. They can keep the rest.

  It became very clear early in the court proceedings that residents of the new community were not in favor of us staying.

  “They need to leave. They brought infected animals with them!” a woman yelled. She balanced a toddler on one side, and hit her thigh with her fist on the other.