Page 24 of Omega's Fever

That’s a lie. There’s no way I’m sleeping well. Not with everything that’s happening.

“For what it’s worth,” Kao says quietly, “I think you’re doing the right thing.”

“Yeah?” I manage a weak smile. “Tell that to Anne when she fires me.”

“She won’t fire you. You bill too many hours.” He pauses. “Besides, she was young once too. Probably. Maybe. In the Cretaceous period.”

Despite everything, I laugh.

The rest of the day blurs together. By five o’clock, I’m running on pure stubbornness.

“Go home,” Kao says, not for the first time. “You look like death.”

“I’m almost done.”

“Milo.” His voice gentles. “Go home. Take a shower. Eat something. Work will still be here tomorrow.”

He’s right. I know he’s right. I save my work and shut down my computer.

My phone buzzes one last time.

Omega Match Bureau: Reminder - Suppressant use during active prime match may cause adverse effects. Please consult your physician if you experience: severe nausea, disorientation, fever, or hallucinations.

Great. Add hallucinations to the growing list of things I have to look forward to.

I drive home on autopilot and by the time I stumble through my apartment door, I’m shaking.

I make it to the bathroom just in time. The suppressants come up in a rush, along with what little I managed to eat today. My knees hit the cold tile. When it’s over, I slump against the wall. From this angle, I can see dust bunnies under the cabinet.

I grit my teeth, get up and then wash the taste of vomit out of my mouth. Then I take another three pills to replace the ones that just got flushed down the toilet.

9

Kellen

The courthouse elevator climbs past the second floor where the courtrooms are. I frown. We’re going the wrong way.

“Where are we going?” I direct the question to my security escort. He’s another young one, completely green, and he flinches every time he looks at me.

He either won’t last the week or he’ll harden and turn into a Woods or an Antonini. I hope for his sake that he quits.

“Judge’s chambers.” He says without looking at me. “Special instructions.”

It’s been four weeks. That’s twenty-eight days since I’ve seen Milo Warren. For some inexplicable reason, the case date got put back by four weeks due to additional witnesses. I guess Cobb decided that he didn’t have enough people willing to lie about me and bullied a few more into stepping forward.

It makes no real difference. I’ll be in prison either way.

I also got a letter from the Bureau three weeks ago confirming my match with Milo Warren.

We’re a prime genetic match confirmed at 97.3% compatibility, it said. I’ve been ribbed about that probably every single hour since.

I’d stared at those words until they burned into my retinas. Prime match. It’s the kind of thing that happens to other people. If it weren’t for the sex with Milo in the interview room a month ago, I’d have thought that it was fake. Even so, I find it hard to believe. Four weeks is a long time. The sex feels like a fever dream and obviously I’ve not seen him since. Of course, Ihaven’t. If I were him, I’d be on the other side of the country by now. Who’d want to be matched with me. Maybe that’s what this is about. I’m about to get my next attorney. Let’s hope I don’t match with that one. That’d be hilarious.

The elevator dings as we reach the fourth floor. I’m yanked forward by the elbow as the doors open.

I wonder if I should tell my boy guard that he shouldn’t do that. I’m not going to cause shit with him but there are plenty of my fellow inmates who would. I keep my mouth shut. The kid will learn soon enough, one way or another.

The hallway up here has a nice carpet, a dark blue that muffles our footsteps. Oil paintings of dead judges line the walls, all of them staring down with the same disapproving frown.