Page 24 of The Hollowed
“The infection stops their hearts and starts the decaying process. But even after the infection restarts the heart, the rotting doesn’t stop. We’d be dragging them back from the dead. It’s what’s known as the Lazarus rule — doctors aren’t supposed to play god.” Luci’s eyes flicked toward the others then. From the looks of it, they’d finally managed to pull the ignition coil from the engine.
“Besides,” Luci continued, “there’s no guarantee they wouldn’t retain their memories after being cured. Imagine waking up to remember yourself eating people alive or worse.”
A flutter of understanding crossed Myra’s face. “Well…shit. Sounds like you had a lot to think about in that lab of yours.”
For a second, Luci almost thought Myra might be impressed.
“But hey,” Myra added with a sly smirk and wink, “if you ever figure out how to erase memories, put me first on the list.”
Luci laughed softly, shaking her head just as Alex called her name. She left Myra with a faint smile and walked over to where the others were still bickering over the open hood.
“Does this look broken to you?” Alex asked, frustration lacing his voice as he handed her the dusty ignition coil.
Luci turned it over in her hands, brushing away grime with her thumb. “It’s not broken,” she said after only a few seconds. “Just corroded. You’re never going to get it to spark like this.”
Before anyone could question her, she dropped to one knee, dug out the extra toothbrush she’d packed from her bag and a small bottle of rubbing alcohol, and set to work scraping away the oxidation. As soon as the line was clear, she rewrapped a frayed wire and tightened a loose connection.
Less than two minutes later, she handed it back.
“There, it should work fine now.”
The group exchanged glances that were equal parts surpriseand impressed before Paxton said, “Remind me never to underestimate you again.”
Luci smirked and brushed her hands off on her pants. “Noted.”
She let them struggle for a bit and watched as Paxton and Sable fumbled to seat the ignition coil back into place above the spark plugs. But patience had never been her strong suit, especially when she could already see where they were going wrong. With a quiet sigh, she stepped forward, plucked the coil from Paxton’s hands, and snapped it into place.
“Did you at least check if there’s any gas in the tank?” she asked, wiping her hands on her pants again.
Paxton and Sable exchanged a look, the kind of sheepish glance that told her they’d both assumed the other had done it.
“Seriously?” Alex snapped playfully, gesturing for them to move.
When his eyes found Luci’s again, the irritation had melted into something softer.
“Did you learn all of that at the Institute?” he asked as he closed the gap between them.
Luci shook her head. “No, my dad used to drag Noah and I into the garage every weekend. He’d bring home some wreck from the junkyard and make us help him fix it if we wanted our allowance. Back then, it felt like torture, but I guess I would be thanking him if he were still alive.” Her voice softened at the end as a smile passed over her lips. It was easier than letting the grief surface.
Alex’s voice dipped a little lower. “Was he a mechanic?”
“Close,” she said, shaking her head. “Mechanical engineer. Mom was a nurse. I guess I’m a little of both.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Alex said before pausing for a breath. “They’d be proud of you, Luci. I hope you know that.”
Luci’s lips curved into a smile, but no words came. Her parents had drilled one lesson into her and Noah during the duration of their upbringing. No matter what, they had to stick together. And yet, when the outbreak hit, Noah had been at work. And she couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling that she’d failed him and in turn, her parents.
She swallowed the thought, choosing instead to ask, “What about your parents? What did they do before they died?” She crouched to greet Luna as the dog trotted toward her, avoiding Alex’s eyes.
“Oh — my parents aren’t dead,” Alex said. Then, almost reluctantly, he added, “At least, they weren’t before the outbreak.”
Luci’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?” she asked, startled. “I assumed you were an orphan like me.”
Alex shook his head and a sharp line formed where his jaw tightened. “I’m not sure I qualify as an orphan. One day I was at school and a few academy agents came in, pulled me aside, and told me my parents had been relocated. They didn’t say where, just told me I had to go home, pack my things, and leave with them.”
Luci’s mouth parted slightly. The world had been cruel to both of them, but his loss was different. It was less final but no less merciless.
“That’s awful,” she whispered as she stood back up. After a moment of silence, she softly added, “But maybe they survived. Doc says it’s worse here than in other places. Maybe they’re somewhere safer.” It was a fragile offering of hope but she extended it anyway.