N87 Virus | Prequel |Outbreak Kadin, Karri (best english novels for beginners txt) 📖

“There is no point. I’ve been around you this long without one already. Plus, the guy who attacked me at work bit me, I probably already have it. Besides, if you have it, I want it.” She waved her hand in the air.

“You will not speak like that. No matter what happens to me, you will take care of yourself. You will not give up. You are a fighter. You will fight. Understand?” He pulled her over, so she was leaning on him and hugged her tightly.

“I don’t want to live without you.” She caressed his cheek.

He took her hand in his and pressed it to his lips. Veronica looked away and ate her eggs. Alejandro didn’t push, just went back to flipping between news stations in between coughing fits. His mucus was dark and bloody. Veronica put the last bite of eggs in her mouth and placed the ice pack back on his forehead. He leaned against her. His skin burned against hers, but she fought the urge to pull away. She wanted to be there for him. She needed to hope for the best.

“Don’t let me be like them.”

“What?”

He sat up, held her face between his hands, and pressed his blazing forehead to hers. “If I turn into one of those people who attacks anyone who comes near them, kill me. Don’t let me be like them.”

Tears flowed down her face, and her entire body shook. She tried to form words, but only sobs escaped her lips. She vigorously shook her head no. But he only held her face tighter, forcing her to look at him.

“Yes. Veronica, listen to me. I would be a danger to everyone, including you. I don’t want to hurt you.” She broke free from his grasp.

Veronica jumped from the bed and ran sobbing down the hall. The idea of living without Alejandro was hard enough. She couldn’t kill him. She wouldn’t kill him. No matter what, she wouldn’t do that. Alejandro slowly followed her, leaning against the wall for support.

“Veronica.”

“¡Jamás! I will not. Do you hear me? Will not!” Veronica leaned against the counter for support as her body shook. She looked out the kitchen window and gasped.

She blinked frantically, clearing her eyes of the tears and looked again. Multiple families on her street were packing up their cars, filling them to the brim. Alejandro came to her side and stared out the window. His breathing was wet and labored. He leaned on the wall as he struggled to catch his breath.

Veronica pulled a chair over to him, and he sat in it without argument. She held his hand as they watched many of their neighbors pack up and drive away. Alejandro pointed to the yard next to them.

“They left Timber.”

“The dog?” Veronica asked. Alejandro nodded.

“I can’t believe they left him. We should go get him so he doesn’t starve to death.”

“You have got to be kidding me! The world is going to hell. You could be dying.” Veronica's voice trembled. “Actually dying. But you worry about a fucking perrito? The world is ending. It is not the time to worry about others. We need to worry about us.”

“Well, you’ve always been good at that. So, I’d say you’ve had enough practice for the both of us.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Veronica let go of his hand.

“Exactly what I said. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” He clutched her hand again. “I love you despite your flaws. I am not oblivious to them.”

“Go to hell!” She jerked away from him.

“I think we are already there.” He reached for her yet again, and that’s when she saw it. The black veins across the top of his hand like a spider’s web snaring its prey. She felt her heart shatter, her breath caught in her chest, tangled in the shards.

“Alejandro. Look.” He looked down at his hand, acceptance in his eyes.

“Well, it’s definitely not just a cold.”

Veronica tended to Alejandro as he lay on the couch. He was so weak he could not make it back to their bedroom the night before. She had spent the night on the ground beside him, wide awake with only her worries to keep her company. Fear consumed her and the thought that she wouldn’t be there when he needed her almost sent her into a panic. Veronica filled her night with periodic skin checks that always found the advance of the telling black veins. She cried a little every time as she watched his beautiful skin become marred with death. Sometimes the rattle from his chest would sound like a growl, twisting Veronica’s stomach into a tight knot of terror and guilt.

His breathing worsened overnight. Veronica could have slapped herself for not having prepared better for this when the first cases of the virus had popped up. She really hadn’t thought it would make it to her little town. She should have swiped a nebulizer and some breathing treatments from work. But it was too late for that now. The hospital had called her multiple times since yesterday. Her manager had left multiple messages ranging from threatening to begging Veronica to come to work. She ignored them all. Nothing would take her away from Alejandro when he needed her most. Even if he turned into one of those things.

She had the TV on in the background but had stopped listening after 2 a.m. It was all the same. No cure. Rioting. The virus was spreading. More and more people dying. A rapid rise of infected people whom the virus had turned into something more animal than human. Still no one had recovered and the death rate was at 90%. The other 10% turned into monsters. No one was immune, everyone was at risk. She couldn’t take any more bad news. Veronica pulled the last bottle of water from the fridge and set it aside for Alejandro. She turned on the sink and water