The mansion sat in an empty section of the City. It, like almost every other existing building, was left over from Before. Nella seemed to remember it as a large bank in its former life. It was one of very few large buildings still maintained and in use. The military government was beginning to demolish empty buildings that were in danger of collapse, but for now, most of them sat slumped and shuddering in the wind. They smelled green and rotting and the pavement in front of most of them had been eaten away by rain. Wild silver grass grew long and tangled in the cracks. The clamor of birds coming home to roost in the crooked roofs and rusting cars made Nella feel even lonelier than normal. At least they would be unnoticed in this part of town. Sevita led the way and the three of them reached the hedge in a few short minutes. It shocked the eye, a wall of bright, almost supernatural green against the wild golds and silvers of the dead trees and grass around them. Something thriving in

By that time the lines were either jammed with panicked people or maybe Dr. Schneider's phone was dead. I know mine was," said Dr. Carton, his voice gone whiny and waspish.Frank leaned into Nella. "Are you all right?" he whispered, and his breath was warm and alive in the well of her ear. Nella nodded."Look," Sevita was saying, "I don't even know why we're arguing about this. At some point Dr. Schneider found you right? And she told you how dangerous this bacteria was and you went back to the lab. That's what happened right?" Nella could hear a bitter edge of panic in Sevita's voice. Dr. Carton rubbed his temple as if agitated. Nella noticed his palsy was more pronounced. She leaned forward to look at him more closely."No," said Dr. Carton, "I mean- yes, she found me. But, I wasn't- I wasn't quite myself when she found me.""What do you mean you 'weren't yourself?'""He means he was infected," said Nella, realizing what the shakes in his muscles and confinement to a wheelchair resu

Frank laughed. "You're a terrible liar. But I guess that's good in a doctor.""Well how do you want me to think about you then?"Frank got up and picked up his plate. He leaned over her and paused as he picked hers up too. "Now you're changing the subject," he said gently and then walked to the sink. Nella's ribs felt too tight. She tried to ignore it."What makes you think I was psychoanalyzing you?"Frank turned the water on and spoke over the splashing, but didn't turn his face toward her. "Because you were staring at me for a while. And I think you've gotten over your revulsion of my scars by now, so it wasn't that-""I was never revolted by you-" Nella tried to interrupt."You were," Frank laughed and it was dry and brittle like an old leaf hanging between them. "You tried very hard not to show it, I know. Maybe you even tried very hard not to feel it, but I could see you flinch every time I came near you-"Nella sprang from her seat and across the kitchen. "I'm not revolted by y

I put my forehead on the ladder rung in front of me, trying to focus on the cool touch of the metal. I wanted to cry. I couldn't turn back. Not now. This small trip up a ladder, a trip that would have taken all of thirty seconds when I was well, had taken over an hour. I think some part of me knew I was really sick. I don't think I would've come back to the shelter if I'd left that day. Sarah would have been safe."The ladder wasn't that long, maybe twenty rungs in all. I could stand at the bottom and reach halfway up to the hatch. I didn't have the greatest grip on the boy by now, I just kept readjusting as he slipped, so part of him was dangling below me. It was low enough that Sarah could reach it if she stood up on her toes.'Sarah,' I said, 'It has to be today.' and that was all I could manage to say without forgetting which word I wanted to say next. I just kept repeating, 'It has to be today' over and over. I lifted my foot to put it on the next rung.Sarah was yelling at me, b

Nella didn't get very far in explaining the break in at Dr. Carton's lab before Sevita knocked on her door."Thank God," she said, when Nella answered the door, "I was afraid you'd panicked and left without me. Have you told Frank yet?""I was just doing that," Nella replied, "But maybe you'd better finish, you can answer his questions better than I can."Nella tuned most of what Sevita said out, having heard it before. Something about the whole mess seemed off, almost predictable, like a trap. What Nella couldn't decide was who the trap was for. To know that, she thought, she'd have to know who set it in the first place. She had to find Dr. Schneider and she had to do it without filling the trap.There were people that would want Sevita silenced, that was easy to see. The reporter practically ran the news channel, and was given free rein to air the stories when and how she wanted. She was dangerous and powerful.Frank was the only defender and voice of the man most people blamed for