Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,128

he said in a defeated tone while typing furiously on the keyboard. “I don’t know if he needs a cure, or if this will run its course. I don’t know if I created a brand new fucking disease!” Maverick screamed while thrusting a fist on the keyboard, causing it to break.

I ran to him and wrapped my arms around Maverick’s back. He shook with unshed tears and the punches he couldn’t throw. “We can do this, Mav. I hate to say this, but your priority is going to have to be fixing the vaccine. Jo seems to be okay.” He was currently curled up in the fetal position, clutching his stomach as he slept. “I think I can take care of him while you work on the serum,” I said, even though it felt like daggers in my gut to even consider not doing everything in my power to save Josiah. There were too many unknowns. Despite everything, I knew that prioritizing the greater good had to take precedence. We couldn’t sacrifice all for one.

“Ash, I would never do anything to hurt you. If I had known for one second he was going to inject Josiah with that, I wouldn’t have even made it. I felt pressured and just threw something together to make him happy,” Maverick said while thrusting his hand into his hair and closing his eyes.

“I know, I know. We can grieve and cry and cuss later, right now we have a job to do. What do you need from me?” I asked in a surprisingly calm tone. Every fiber of my existence wanted to break apart into despair, but a mature determination wove its way around my heart, numbing the pain until I could process it all.

“Take care of Josiah and look for a way out of here. I’ll be able to focus once I know that they aren’t threatening you,” Maverick whispered while covering his mouth and looking intently into the corner.

I saw a blinking camera fixed on us and nodded in understanding.

Maverick looked at me like there was an ocean between us. I wanted to swim across it to make sure we were okay, that somehow we would figure it out.

“Make sure you keep his fever down. Keep him cool with wet rags. Let me know if he starts showing any new symptoms or if the black poison marks spread anymore,” he said, looking at Josiah with an expression of pure guilt. My heart broke for Maverick. He truly valued all life.

Maverick dove into work, and I spent the day logging any and all changes within Josiah. He slept the entire time, but I noticed that his eyes moved rapidly beneath his closed lids. He no longer had a fever, but still emitted sharp grunts of pain occasionally while clutching his stomach.

A guard brought us lunch, but Maverick didn’t stop to eat. I watched as he fluttered frantically between his microscope and the computer. He muttered to himself and took notes now and then. I kept reticent. I learned from our mornings together at the Clinic that Maverick needed silence to work proficiently.

Three days passed in the same way. I looked after a deteriorating Josiah while Maverick worked himself thin. When he wasn't reconstructing the makeup of the faulty X vaccine, he was analyzing blood samples from Josiah. He only slept briefly. We didn't talk much, for fear of being overheard. We were trapped in an unwinnable scenario.

On the fourth day, it was eerily silent. The door opened mid-morning, which was unusual for the guard schedule. I covered Josiah with a towel and turned to face whatever brutal mind games emperorLackley threw at us next but was incredibly surprised to see a nervous-looking guard. He eyed the camera in the corner of the room then quickly motioned for me to come closer.

Maverick, who hadn’t even noticed that someone had entered the lab, was trying to stay awake while observing a gene sequence in a vaccine reject’s blood sample.

“Can I help you?” I asked while mentally kicking myself. I sounded like I was back in the Stonewell Manor.

The guard widened his eyes then looked back at the camera. He oozed tension and fear.

Once I was close enough, the guard grabbed my hand and dropped a note into my palm before whispering, “Tell Tallis to let my sister go. I did what he asked.” My chest heaved in shock. Tallis had his sister?

I nodded yes insistently, and the Guard ran out of the room after glancing