Page 6 of The Hollowed
“You’ve really got to stop letting him get away with that,” Alex said, glancing over his shoulder as she caught up.
Luci bumped him lightly with her shoulder, her smile more sincere this time. The small nudge loosened the rigidness in his walk, making him look a little less like a soldier and a little more like the friend who kept her sane.
When the outbreak hit, it had felt like she’d lost everything. Her parents were already dead, and as for Noah and Danielle, she could only assume the worst.
The Hollowed didn’t leave room for hope.
But Alex did. He was the one steady thing left in her life when he wasn’t out on supply runs or keeping watch from the towers.
“And what exactly do you suggest I do?” Luci asked, stepping into the elevator beside him. She wasn’t sure where they wereheaded, but if someone had sent Alex to fetch her, it had to be important.
Alex chuckled as he leaned against the elevator wall, cradling his oversized assault rifle like it was part of him. “Pop him in the mouth,” he said. “Then tell him you’ll spill his spray tan secret from those last few supply runs.” He grinned, but Luci couldn’t quite tell if he was joking and that somehow that made it funnier.
“I’m being serious, Lucilla. Besides, what are they gonna do — exile their brightest doctor? You’re not exactly replaceable.”
Luci smiled to herself as his gaze shifted from hers. He always said things like that. Things that reminded her that he believed in her brilliance.
“They could if they really wanted to,” she murmured, nudging him again. “And you and I both know I wouldn’t last two minutes out there.” Another breath passed before she added, “Can you tell me where we’re going, or is that top secret intel?”
Alex hesitated, then finally met her eyes.
“Doc asked me to grab you before I head out on another run,” he said. “Didn’t say what for, but if you need anything, I’ll add it to my list.”
For as long as the quarantine had lasted, Alex and his team had been the hospital’s lifeline, risking the Hollowed infested world beyond their walls to bring back whatever supplies they couldn’t grow or manufacture inside. With each run, it had gotten a little easier to watch him go, but Luci still hated the tight knot that formed in her chest every time. He always came back but she knew that nothing was guaranteed with the dangers that loomed outside.
The infected were only the beginning of her worries. Beyond the hospital walls, the city itself was a deathtrap. From what she’d been told, the streets were fractured, buildings leaninglike drunken giants as glass rained from windows. Every errand meant weaving through collapsing structures and fire-scorched streets. It wasn’t just the monsters that threatened to take Alex from Luci. The city itself was a crumbling labyrinth, eager to swallow him whole.
“Are you taking Luna?” she asked, thinking of the German Shepherd who was probably napping in his cot.
“Not this time,” Alex said. “It’s just a quick run. We’ll be back before lights out if all goes to plan.” He reached out instinctively, steadying the elevator door as it opened so Luci could step out first.
They made their way down another corridor toward Doc’s office. “Okay, well…I can’t think of anything off the top of my head,” she said, tapping her lip, “but if you happen to come across that shampoo I like, I can add it to my stock.” She didn’t really need more, but she knew Alex wouldn’t leave without her suggesting something for the list.
He nodded, the corner of his mouth lifting. “I know exactly where to look,” he promised, just as he always did.
Moments later, they stopped outside Doc’s door.
“Hey, um…I’ll probably be in my lab when you get back,” Luci said, hesitating for a heartbeat. “So…pop in before you go to bed, okay?”
“I will,” Alex said, taking a small step back. “I promise.” His voice held a bittersweet note before he turned, striding away down the hall. Luci watched him go, letting her features soften as he rounded the corner.
Only then did she raise her hand and knock.
Doc was an odd but comforting presence around the hospital. He had worked for the Prometheus Institute longer than Luci had been alive, and he’d been her advisor since the day she’d joined. For that she was grateful. Unlike the otherdoctors, whose eyes were dull from years of exhaustion under quarantine, Doc still had a spark in him.
Most of the staff thought he was a bit eccentric with his long gray hair and collection of brightly patterned ties. But to Luci, he was a reminder that even in this decaying world, someone could still be happy.
“Am I in trouble?” Luci asked as she stepped inside and sank into the chair opposite his desk. She couldn’t help herself. He didn’t look as cheerful as usual and worse, he was clutching a stack of paperwork thick enough for her to know bad news was coming.
“Not exactly,” he said, shaking his head. “But I will need you to undergo a bit of lab work. Just routine blood draws. Nothing you haven’t done before.”
The request struck her as odd, but she nodded anyway. “Sure…but, what for? I just had my annual checkup a couple of months ago,” she said, curiosity slipping past her caution.
Doc lowered the stack of paperwork onto his desk with a soft thud and tapped at the top page. Luci recognized that look, she’d seen it on doctor’s faces before. It was the quiet calculation of someone figuring out how to deliver news they’d rather not.
Her stomach tightened. She wasn’t sick, she was sure of that. Which meant that whatever he was about to say might be worse than a diagnosis.
The man sighed before finally lifting his gaze to meet hers. “The council reviewed your request to extend your dismissal from the reproduction program,” he said softly, “and I’m afraid it’s been denied.”