BLUE IRIS
Chapter 25

Iris

THE YOUNG girl was trapped inside the glass-walled room. When her body began to tremor. She wrapped her arms around herself as she spun around looking for an exit, but there wasn't any that her unique blue eyes could replace. "M-mom?” Her voice was shaking. "Mom, I'm s-scared. Can you please come and get me out of here?" she pleaded and cried. Her chin and lips trembled, but no one seemed to hear her pleas.

With wobbly knees, she slowly and cautiously walked toward the glass wall, wiped the mist with her slim fingers to see what was outside. What she saw behind that glass made her gasp. Her horrified eyes were awfully wide to see who were there watching her all this time.

The white-haired old woman in a white coat spoke to the microphone. "Third day-July eighteen, Monday, Ten-thirty-seven hours, fifteen seconds. Serum 7-V034 had been administered to Patient-7-028..."

The faint voice of the old woman seemed to fade from her range. She was young to understand everything, but she'd seen it on TV many times she could count, and she definitely knew that that woman behind the glass was an evil witch. The microphone rang. Her sudden increase sensitivity to the sound made her jump. In a few seconds, the aerosol released from the ceiling, and she screamed the moment she lost into the dense room.

Before a primal scream escaped from her, the siren alarmed, echoing in the entire facility. She jumped in surprise, then retreated herself into a fetal position. She covered her ears with both hands and rocked herself to cry. Alone. "Blue Iris?" A rumble of thunder from a distance had rolled forcing my lids to flutter open.

I froze and realized something was different. What was that dream all about?

The air was heavy with a strong smell of rain that gave me chills. Hell, I was shivering. Lightning streaked from the open window, and heavy rain was pouring down. I could tell by the weather that it was a new day. Or rather a night. A single fluorescent lamp above my head cast a soft light all over the room. I was inside of a light pink room and tucked securely under a white sheet of a single-sized bed, and it looked clean.

I looked down and still had the cotton swab plastered on my left forearm.

My heart instantly raced. Where am I?

Colt! Wait. Where's Colton?

Ignoring the flare of pain at my back, I untucked myself and hurriedly got out of the bed. I was wearing a pink hospital gown. I slipped into a pair of slippers beside the bed.

The first thing that came into my mind was my gun. I grabbed the pillow where I usually slipped under-it was empty.

My stomach did a nosedive. I pulled the drawer open and sighed. It was there. I took it and checked the magazine the number of bullets was still the same.

The room seemed calm though. The door was unlocked when I reached there.

Peeking my head out, I sensed no violence and danger, but I remained fully alert.

Once I was outside, I aimed my gun and followed the empty hallway. It was silent-almost serene.

The place somewhat had the same layout of a clinic where I was before I passed out.

Who transferred me to that room? Was it Max?

Suddenly, the door swung open. Adrenaline spiked through me. An old man with glasses appeared and stiffened as I was already aiming my gun in his direction.

My brows furrowed when I realized I knew him. My hope rose higher. "D-Dr. Hull?"

"Oh, dear. You're finally awake," he said with enthusiasm and marched closer to me.

"Where is Colton?" Tears were already welling in my eyes causing my sight to blur, but I kept my gun pointed at him. It was my instinct because I thought he was dead. "He's in that room," he said so casually.

My head snapped to my left. In a matter of seconds, I pushed the door wide. A loud bang echoed inside, causing someone to whine in pain.

"Whoa!" Frost had his hands raised.

"Frost?" I asked in an ultimate shock.

"Who else is handsome you knew, huh? Missed me already?" He grinned the same grin he used to do back at the camp. "Gun down now, Iris." He pushed the gun down slowly, then took it from me and pulled me into his arms. "I'm glad you're okay."

Once we pulled apart, he gestured his head to his left with a tight smile.

My stomach twisted, scared of what I was about to see, but my heart did a little leap of excitement to see Colt again.

With all my strength left, I turned to face him. So slow that I could count my heartbeat in my fingers. And there was Colt with an oxygen cannula attached to his nose. He was lying flat on the bed with her head slightly hoisted. My steps seemed like a thousand years to reach him. I wiped my eyes clear to see the man that I thought I lost.

I stilled in disbelief.

Then I busted up laughing like crazy, ignoring what would they possibly think about me. My voice was ringing around the room, probably the entire clinic. I thought I was losing my mind, but it was definitely Colt.

"He's alive!" I covered my face with my trembling hands. I had hoped, but I wasn't able to finish what I started before I passed out, yet here he was-breathing.

Oh, thank god! There was a light feeling sat inside my chest.

"Indeed he is," Dr. Hull cheerfully replied.

"Oh, my god." I did a slow disbelieving shake of my head. "How did it happen?"

"I have no idea," said the old doctor.

"How did you replace us?"

"Frost and the group went back to the camp. Luckily, I went back there after the fire. They told me that Colt was infected. Lois thought you might be spending with him in the nearest town or someplace close to that cabin. We searched for the nearest building and glad we found your car parked outside, then we met Max next. He told us that you gave your blood to Colt."

"If it was not because of Max, I had zero ideas of what to do. I panicked. God-" I pursed my lips to stop from bubbling.

"It's been a day and Colt had not moved a muscle. We transferred you to another room, away from him just in case, you know, and here he is. His fever drops down a little bit."

"I've never been scared like that. He started deteriorating, and I couldn't think of anything when I was seemed fine." I sat beside him on the bed, feeling drained. "Are you all safe to get closer? I guess, after what I did yesterday, I passed through that, right?"

"We did extra precaution. It's airborne, but I think we are safe now since he had no bleeding, and he seemed to cure himself."

"I didn't get a chance to attach the blood."

"Max did. The transfusion was done when we arrived."

"Oh, God. I should thank him." I rubbed my hand against my face, feeling guilty for how I treated him.

"We already did," Frost answered.

I looked at them. "Where's Max?"

"They left after I helped his girlfriend gave birth. They said to relay his message of thank you, and they named their baby girl after you, Iris," Dr. Hull said.

I smiled. "Really? I wish I get a chance to see the baby before they left."

"They said you're a hero," Frost said, grinning.

"I am far from a hero. Colton would be dead if it wasn't because of him. Max is my hero." I smiled bitterly, remembering how I frightened him, but he still helped me save Colt despite what I did. "Oh, come on. You're our little heroine."

"Stop it. Anyway, how's he?" I looked back at Colt lying unconscious in the bed. "Did he open his eyes?"

"Not yet. We're not so sure of what to expect, Iris. I was able to draw a sample, and there's a little abnormality in his blood."

"What do you mean?" My chest tightened.

"Given that he lost a lot of blood, it's normal his blood count would drop."

"But?"

"I never heard anyone survived from the virus, Iris."

I nodded. "Me either. And?"

"We don't know if the blood you donated will only slow down the bleeding, but we should get ready ourselves for something inevitable," he sighed.

"Does he need another blood? I will give again," I rushed my words out. If it would help him, I would do it in a heartbeat.

"We will see if it drops, but for the meantime, he only needs close observation. His vitals are acceptable except for his temperature and his heart rate is a little too fast," he explained.

Colt's face was still pale, but his skin was warm. It would mean there was still a good circulation.

"Is it possible he's been cured?"

I exchanged looked with Dr. Hull when Frost asked.

I stared at him. "I don't know, but I'm glad he's getting better." Is he though? "He had all the symptoms I've seen in the infected people."

"So I've noticed." He nodded, seemingly dazed.

"What is your blood type?"

"O positive?"

Dr. Hull nodded subtly.

"Why?"

"No wonder he didn't get any reaction during transfusion. You're a universal donor."

Oh, I haven't thought about it.

"And sometimes, the body doesn't react even receiving blood while febrile."

"I'll tell everyone that you're awake," Frost said.

"Thank you." I smiled at him before he walked out.

"Dr. Hull, can we keep it between us. Between you, me, and the group?"

He nodded and smiled. "Of course, my dear. It's for the better."

"Thank you." I sighed and gripped his hands, feeling grateful.

"I'll leave you two alone, and you might wanna spend time with him. And you must be starving, I'll tell Lois to bring you something to eat."

Lois must be so relieved that Colt might be able to get through this. I couldn't fathom how she felt after we left because I knew Colt meant a lot to her, and she meant a lot to me too. The fact that we left without a proper goodbye made her fall on her knees, and I was also hurt that we had to separate that way.

When Dr. Hull left the room, I examined Colt by myself. A perk of having parents in the medical field, I knew a few things when I was not panicking.

I checked his skin-it was warm, dry, no lesions, and had cracked lips, but he had no bleeding from his nose and gums. I opened his eyes-swollen lids, still blotchy, but the bleeding definitely stopped. I pinched him, and he reacted to pain. That was good-he had a pain threshold.

"Aren't you hot in pink?" Dr. Hull changed him into a pink hospital gown just like mine. I giggled like a schoolgirl as I laid down beside him because I thought it was cute. But deep inside, I was still terrified. He was not safe. "You should open those damn eyes, Colton Snow because I already missed you so much. Please, stay strong for us, and don't ever leave me," I whispered, hoping he could hear me.

I placed my hand over his chest just on top of his heart, and I watched as it rose and fell. "You're definitely alive." I kissed his shoulder. "I know you can hear me. If you won't wake up in a few days, I have to go away, far away from here. Far from everyone. I can't face them with all the guilt inside my chest, Colton. So you better wake up if I still matter to you." I let my tears fall as I wrapped my arm around him before I closed my eyes.