The Yellow Pill (16 page)

Jin was caught up
in the frenzy. If he was to get shot in the leg, he wasn’t sure he had even
notice. The tumult and bloodlust around him was contagious, and he felt himself
roar with the rest as they charged anything and everything. Nothing else
registered. Not the buildings or the sights. Not even the real sky above made
his mind snap back. He was lost in the pure primal desire to kill.

The
press was incredible. If he were to fall, he would be crushed.

One of
the trucks crashed into a gate, ripping it off its hinges, the rest of the
vehicles following. They were met with gunfire and explosions, forcing him to
take cover. His mind was able to keep him alive thanks to reflexes that cut
through the berserk frenzy.

He
looked up to see people poring out of the building. He rolled to his feet and
growled as he ran straight towards the broken doorway.

Frey rammed her
fist into the side of the guards face as Tina used the back of her gun on the
second. They were both out of bullets.

How
big is this bloody place
?!

The
black clad soldiers seemed few compared to what she had been expecting.
Everything seemed strangely deserted, and Frey was beginning to expect the
worst…

As
Tina broke down the door to the government’s chambers, they understood why….

Everywhere
there were signs of a hasty departure. There were clothes scattered on the
floor, drawers pulled out and emptied and equipment gone.

In the
room was a big black screen, and blinking on it was a horizontal red line. That
was all, but Tina slumped against the wall.

“They’re
gone…” She said silently before snapping her arm forward, throwing the gun at
the glass screen, screaming in anger. “
Cowards
!” Tina roared at the
empty room, grabbing things and hurling them at the screen.

Frey
could hear yelling, and knew this place was about to be torn to pieces very
soon, and them with it if they stayed here. She grabbed Tina’s arm and dragged
her to the adjoining room, hoping to find a window. Tina didn’t resist.

The
window at the far wall was wide. Frey looked around and pulled down the
curtains, fastening it around the middle of the window frame.

As
soon as Tina was on her way, Frey braced her legs against the side of the
building and started descending. She looked up at a sound, seeing a woman with
a gun. She reached up before she had time to lift it, and pulled the woman out
of the window. Her screaming was cut short as she hit the ground, and Frey
yelled at Tina to hurry. The two of them ran from the building, already
smelling the smoke from some fire. Frey breathed hard through her bandana.

She
turned long enough to see a small group of armed people spotting them.

Shit…

They
bolted over the vast garden. She twisted and took four leaping steps backwards,
snapping her arm forward and throwing the worthless gun at one of the men.

He
went down flat, the one behind leaping over the obstacle, another not so lucky.

The big
wall in front of them loomed closer. Tina was heading to the right, towards a
small building. From the roof of it they would be able to reach the top of the
wall.

The
head start made it possible for both Tina and Frey to scrabble up the side and
make the jump.

Frey
suddenly wondered how they were going to calm the people from Hole. Right now
they were crazy with confusion and addiction, so how were they going to make
them stop? At this point, they would kill themselves and anyone else in their
madness. Frey wondered if taking down the walls hadn’t been one huge mistake…

Only
two had managed to get over the wall, not seeming to want to stop chasing them.

We
won’t be able to outrun them.
Tina was breathing hard, and Frey
felt her own breath rasp through her throat. What Li had said about the
addicted had been so true.
Desperate people can be very strong.
“Tina!
We
gotta
fight!”

Frey
skidded to a stop, Tina running towards her opponent.

Green
and black shadow covered Frey’s opponent. He was big.
Broad
of shoulders, and tall.
Frey could see the muscles, stark with contrast
in the dramatic light, and knew she might not be able to take him down.

The
guy attacked, and Frey had to duck under the gun as he swung it at her face.
So,
he was out of bullets.
She had time to think before blocking his right
uppercut. The force from the blow made her stumble and she spun to avoid a
kick. She pulled her knee up to her chest, pushing-kicking him hard in the
stomach, then tried to sweep him off his feet with a low kick. The guy took a step
back, avoiding her short range and tossed his gun away.

Frey
could hear Tina yell something from far away.

Frey
jumped and spun a kick at his head. It caught him on the side of the face and
he finally staggered backwards. She didn’t give him any time to recover.

The
man suddenly turned and grabbed her hand, leading the force of the blow past
his face. Frey cursed to have been tricked and tried to spin an elbow at his
jaw. But he deflected it and rammed his own into her stomach.

The
air was pressed out of her and her knees buckled, spittle dribbling from her
lips. Frey couldn’t breath as he grabbed the front of her jacket, lifting her
off the ground. As he did so she finally saw his eyes.

Her
heart stopped as she looked into Jin’s eyes. They were diluted, and the visible
part of his nose was wrinkled in a sneer, his eyes burning with insanity. She
tried to pull a breath to allow the words, but found she couldn’t.

There
was a dull
thumping
sound, and Frey saw Tina’s big knife glitter where
it stuck out of Jin’s thigh. Jin barely noticed.

Frey
wanted to scream at Tina to stop, but didn’t have enough air in her lungs to do
it.

Instead
she reached out, her fingers touching his brow. She could feel the precious air
fill her lungs again as she struggled to get the word out. Frey pulled her
bandana down with her other hand. “Jin…” She managed in a whisper.

But
she might as well have shouted it in his face, because his eyes seemed to
actually focus on her. His face relaxed, and instead of the squinting sneer,
his eyes went wide with recognition.

His
knees buckled and he dragged Frey down to the ground with him. He still didn’t
seem to notice the blade in his leg.

Tina
was standing where she had thrown the knife, staring at them, frozen in her
posture.

Jin
still had one hand around the front of her jacket, his other flat on the ground
as he hunched his big shoulders.

Frey
embraced Jin’s shaking body and held him tight, crying with him. A thousand
things went through her at once, from the fear of getting killed to the rush of
joy at holding Jin.

Tina
came over, gently telling Frey they needed to find someplace safe. She then
added he would die from blood loss if they didn’t do something about the
bleeding…

“Jin.
We aren’t safe here,” Frey said.

He
reached out and
stroke
her cheek. She felt shivers of
warmth run up her spine and pure joy at having him touch her. “I can’t believe
you’re here…” He whispered. “I’ve looked everywhere for you…”

She
took his hand in his. “Jin. We need to find someplace safe,” she prompted.

He
finally nodded. He tried to stand but then looked down on his left leg in
surprise.

“You
did
try to kill Frey,” Tina said as he grabbed the hilt. Frey didn’t think she
sounded very sorry at all.

Jin
reached out to pull his mask off. She quickly grabbed his wrist, her fingers
not even close to wrapping all the way around. “Don’t,” she warned.

Tina
pulled the knife out without warning, quickly binding his leg tight with her
jacket. He cursed at her, but she ignored it, then standing up to give him a
shoulder to lean on.

Jin
didn’t complain once, but Frey knew he was hurting. Blood soon soaked through
his pants. Tina had said they couldn’t highjack a car since it had draw too
much unwanted attention, so they had to walk.

They
stayed in the shadows as scattered groups of people from Hole ran past. It took
time, but they at least remained out of view. But if they didn’t stop Jin’s
bleeding very soon, he would fall over unconscious. And to carry him just
wouldn’t work.

There
was a convenience store to the left, the glass broken, and food lying scattered
on the ground. She should have known to keep her guard up. But the time spent
in
Alya
had made her careless.

The
only warning she had was Jin’s cry. Her left hand came up to cover her face on
instinct.

The
side of the gun rammed into her arm, her head jarring to the side from the
blow. She flipped Tina’s knife and rammed it into the man’s stomach, her head
still ringing. The muscles and bone closed in on the knife, pulling it out of
her fingers as the man fell to the ground. A second man came charging at her.
Jin rammed him into the side of the building, driving his fist into the man’s
stomach.

Jin’s
knees buckled at the same time as his victims.

“Jin!”

“My…
Head’s spinning…” He said
,
his voice muffed through
the mask.

“Tina.
We
need
a car.”

She
looked at as jute standing not far away. “Wait here.”

Frey
hunched down. “Jin, stay with me. We’ll be there really soon. They got stuff to
make you heal real fast.” She gave a shaky laugh. “Hell, they patched me
together when I was shot
in the stomach.”

His
hand reached up to touch her cheek. His breath came heavily behind the mask,
but his eyes were clear as he looked at her. “Frey, I-” He started, but the
roar from the car interrupted them.

Tina
drove the car up to the duo and together they helped Jin into the passenger’s
seat, Tina pushed the gas down and the car screeched as it sped through the
night.

They almost
crashed two times. Both from roadblocks created by the people from Hole.

Frey
clung to Jin and tried not to look at all the blood soaking the car seat. She
had added her jacket around his leg, but nothing seemed to slow the flow of
blood. The old blood was cooling against her skin, but new one was pumping warm
against her thigh.

Tina
called out in triumph when the entrance to Li’s garage came into view. But Frey
felt dread as she remembered the power was out. “Harry’s the one who cut the
power supply, remember?” Tina winked at her. “So he decides what goes and what
stays.” She hovered her index finger over a faintly glowing square on the wall,
and Frey felt a flood of gratitude as the doors slid open.

Tina
drove straight down to the basement levels. “You weren’t awake the last time,
but this is
kinda
déjà-vu.” Tina laughed.

Frey
felt Jin go colder and didn’t join her, holding Jin tight until the elevators
came up.

Tina
slung the unconscious Jin over her shoulder with a grunt. Frey rushed ahead to
call the elevator down.

Frey
had never thought she would be happy to see Joy’s face, but that the slim,
blond woman was here probably meant Li was as well. There was a hospital bed to
the right and Tina carefully laid Jin there as Li came jogging around the
corner.

“We
have been waiting for ages!” Joy’s voice sounded shrill. “I can’t belie- Oh my
god,
Jon
!” She screamed, her hands tearing the mask away, revealing his
face. His mouth slightly open, shallow breaths escaping his parted lips. With
his mask gone, the resemblance couldn’t be denied.

Frey
saw Tina’s eyes go wide.

“It’s
not Jon-“ Frey started, reaching out to pull the hysterical woman away. He needed
help, not someone yelling in his face.

Joy
pushed Frey away, clawing at her. “You keep away from him, you
witch
!”
She screamed.

Frey
advanced, ready to punch the woman senseless just as Li restrained her with a
hand, grabbing Joy with his other and pushing her at Tina. “Please calm down.”
 

“Help
him,” Frey said, biting back tears.

Li
just nodded and rolled Jin away.

Joy
was sobbing Jon’s name and Frey wondered how she ever could have doubted the
woman’s true intentions when it came to Jon. Frey wanted to run after Li,
wanted to beg him to allow her to stay with Jin. But she didn’t. The man needed
space to do his work. Frey knew Li would do his very best. The dying man was,
in his eyes as well, Jon.

The walls were
glass, blue and hazy, shimmering with light. The floor was made of white tiles,
the benches blue and low. There were projections along the walls, displaying
various fish in various shapes.

But
Frey was looking at her dirty and bloody hands, and she had left dark
footprints on the marble from all the blood. She covered her eyes to shut out
the blinding light.

None
of the other had come back yet, and there had been no way to reach them. Frey
pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She told
herself that crying would help no one.

Tina
came back and handed her a cup. The big woman sat down next to her, leaning her
elbows on her knees. “That isn’t Jon in there, is it?”

Frey
didn’t answer at first. But there was no use in trying to deny it. They would
all know soon enough. “No.” She took a deep breath. “His name’s Jin… we- we’ve
kept each other alive, him and me. We grew up together, watched each others
backs.” She looked at the moving shapes on the wall, the blue light snaking
over it to illustrate the motion of water. “Ever since I saw Jon I knew it
couldn’t be a coincidence…”

“But
you never told us…”

“Nothing
to tell as long as I didn’t have proof,” Frey said.

“It
is
had to believe, even with facts staring you in the face, but you didn’t even
try,” Tina said.

Frey
shook her head. “No, I didn’t. And that was my choice.”

Frey lost time of
how many hours she waited. Tina had gone to clean up and check on Joy.

When
Li came out the doors Frey shot to her feet as she ran up to Li. He was rubbing
his eyes, but gave her a small smile.

“You
can go in now. He’s in room three. But I gave him a sedative, so he is still
asleep.”

Frey
ran off. She slid along the corridor and stopped outside the door, her hand
hovering above the sensor. She breathed in and let her hand pass over it, the
blue and hazy glass sliding out of the way.

He had
white clothes on, same type she had been given after her injury. The bedcover
was pulled away from his bandaged leg, and there was a drip attached to his
arm.

She
sat down carefully on the edge of the bed, taking his hand in hers. He looked
so peaceful when he slept… he always had… Frey reached out and touched his
familiar face. She smiled as she stroke away a lock of dirty hair. His skin was
dark with grime, except for his leg.

There
was a scream in the hallway, and it sounded like Joy. Frey leaped up and ran
outside, fearing there might be an attack inside Li’s home. She bolted around
the corner and almost ran into Tina’s back. She looked around her to see Joy
standing in front of Jon and a big group of people were
coming 
out
of the elevator.

Li
came around from the left and stopped as well.

Joy
was pointing at Jon, her hand trembling. “Where did
you
come from
?!
” She cried. “You’re in room three!”

Li
looked at Frey, and Frey could feel the panic rising up inside her.

“Li,
we have a lot of injured with us, more downstairs,” Luke said, pushing past Jon
with a person in his arms.

Tina
ran to help
Lallie
, a group of uninjured desert
dwellers also helping.

Jon
pushed past Joy. “Don’t just stand there! Go down help the rest.”

Frey
didn’t wait for Joy to recover, but hurried to help support another man.

As she
saw the amount of people that were hurt, she wondered how Li would be able to
save them all.

Frey saw Luke
walk over to Tina, and found she wasn’t surprised when he put his big arms
around her. There was a gentle kindness there that spoke about something more
than friendship.
Lallie
was talking to her brother
over some secure line and Jon finally moved over to the shaken Joy. Frey snuck
away.

She
sat down next to Jin. He was still sleeping, and she reached out to stroke his
cheek again. He reached out and grabbed her hand. She blinked through her tears
and saw his eyes were open. “Jin…”

Jin
reached out a long arm and pulled her to him, crushing her to his chest. He
buried his face in her hair and Frey tried to hold him as tight.

“I
can’t believe you’re here…” He breathed.

Frey
looked at him and couldn’t find traces from the Yellow Pill. No froth, no
weight loss, no hollow eyes.

He
laughed as if he could read her mind. “I went back home,” he said.

She
should have been prepared for people to barge inside. She should have known Joy
would tell Jon. She should have used the time to warn Jin.

Joy
stormed in first, freezing as if she still couldn’t believe her eyes. Jon
pushed in behind her, face going white. She could feel Jin tense behind her and
turned around to see him stare at Jon as hard as Jon was staring at him.

“See!
See! I told you!” Joy screamed. Frey felt like knocking her out, binding her
mouth shut. Joy pointed at Jin. “He looks just like you!”

“It’s
Jon who looks like Jin,” Frey heard herself say just as Luke and Tina came in
through the sliding door, probably thinking there was an attack with all
yelling. Frey’s words were met with silence for a few seconds.

“What?
Are you insane, you little witch
?!
Look at him! He
looks exactly like Jon!” Joy screeched.

Tina
leaned back on the wall while Luke looked from Jin to Jon and back, shocked and
obviously trying to find a difference. Frey knew there weren’t any. The two of
them were a spotless mirror image of each other, especially now when Jon was
covered in blood and filth.

Jon
finally looked at Frey. “What the hell do you mean?”

She
could feel Jin shift behind her. She lightly touched Jin’s chest, a motion Jon
didn’t miss. He narrowed his eyes at them.

“DNA
exists in the cell nucleus,” Li said as he wiped his hands with a clean towel,
entering the room and standing in front of Jin’s bed. ”Meaning cell’s include
DNA. The cell replicating also replicates the existing DNA in that case, and
the information enters the one taking it. Taken over a long period of time can
alter one’s own DNA slightly.
However
, I believe that if a pregnant
mother takes the pill, it might very well affect the fetus, its brain
interpreting the new DNA into its existing one, sometimes even replacing them
entirely.”

Li
held up a finger. ”I did have my suspicions as soon as we hacked the pill, but
was convinced such a thing could never happen since the DNA is so strongly
encoded on our genes.” He crossed his arms. ”Obviously I was wrong. I expect
there will be more cases like this.”

Frey
moved a little closer to Jin to lend her support. He had awoken so suddenly,
and she had had no time to let him know what was going on. He must be beyond
confusion…

Tina
shifted her feet just as Luke did, obviously uncomfortable. Joy was staring
wide eyed at Jin as if she still didn’t believe he was really there, and Jon
looked like he wanted to turn away and walk away, or clench his fist and punch
Jin.

”You
have as good of an answer as you will get right now. Jin needs rest, and there
are others to tend to. Jon, you will help me with the patients, Joy, go and
ready the food and medicine.” Li snapped his fingers and Joy jumped. She shot
the doctor a look before storming out. Tina and Luke followed and Li lifted an
eyebrow at Jon when he didn’t move.

Frey
could only imagine what it must feel like to be in any of their skin, looking
at another human being, that didn’t just look exactly like you, but had your
DNA as well…

”You
both need time to process this. So why don’t we go and talk, and leave these
two to do the same.” It wasn’t a question, and Li lead Jon out the door and it
slid into place softly behind him, leaving the two of them alone.

Frey
slowly sat back on the bed. Jin was staring down at his blankets. She reached
out and touched his cheek, and he leaned into her touch like it was his last
connection to reality.

Then
she started telling him what had happened. She started with the unspoiled
skyscraper and took him through her escape and when she was shot, Jon and the
rest rescuing her from a secure death. She told him how they had broken into
Dome, the desert dwellers attacking the main entrance to
Alya
and continued all the way up until he had lifted her off the ground, ready to
smash her face in…

Her
voice was raw when she was done, and as she stopped she felt her mouth go dry.

Jin
was silent. He said nothing for such a long time that Frey was sure he didn’t
mean to speak.

Then
he told her of his fight with the pill and how he had gone looking for her. He
told her how the city had turned into a warzone, how the people had gone crazy
with craving.

Then
he told her he loved her.

The
tears were hot as they pooled down her face, and sobbing shook her as if I had
been waiting for a chance to break free. Jin flipped his legs over the edge of
the bed, one on each side of her and pulled her close. She tried to tell him
she wasn’t supposed to be the one crying. Tried to tell him she wasn’t the one
supposed to be comforted. But no words came out.  

”I’m
never letting you go again,” he whispered. Then he tilted his head slightly,
lips pressing down on hers. Her mouth parted, a fuming fire starting in the pit
of her stomach as she felt his responding eagerness. Frey twisted her hands in
his hair and pulled him even closer. They pulled away only to suck in a
mouthful of air. His breath felt hot on her skin and she slid her hands in
under his t-shirt. She pulled it off and then tore her own away. Jin never lost
contact with her skin, and she felt like his fingers were leaving trails of
fire.

Hot
tears of relief and pleasure mingle in a strange tumult of emotions. She
wrapped her arms around his neck again, shaking off the drip that was still
connected to his arm, and Jin slid to the side. Sweat soaked them and the bed,
his breath hot on her face as he kissed her over and over, whispering he loved
her.

She
suddenly she couldn’t understand how she had ever lived without those words…