23 November 2012
Delilah P.O.V.
Hope surged through me. I was going to be saved. I didn't care who it was so long as I was out of this room. A couple walked in wearing pristine white contamination suits. I could see their faces behind the scratched visors. It was such a welcoming sight to see someone - alive.
I was almost in seventh heaven being able to decipher bits of their personalities by their eyes. One had soft lime green eyes ringed with long dirty blonde eyelashes. His eyes shone gently, radiating kindness. He smiled down at me, I tried to smile but I just couldn't force myself to do it.
The other had soft dark brown eyes with deep wrinkles at the corners, he smiled at me too a way a grandfather would.
They opened the first door and stepped in, the grandfatherly one bobbed down behind the glass near me placing his hand over where mine was on my side of the glass.
"Not long now" his deep voice was soft because of the glass. I nodded showing I heard him not trusting my voice.
"How are you?" Green eyes asked gently. I closed my eyes as the tears began to create rivers down my cheeks, I rested my head on the glass shaking it as best I could and my shoulders sagged.
They stayed there talking softly to me as others set up an area where they could decontaminate since I had the disease on me and my clothes. When the door would open to my part of the lab they would pump in an antidote which would kill the disease in the air but not on my clothes and skin. They would have to burn my clothes and I would have to have a shower. They had built a makeshift shower and completely shut off the lab again so nothing could get out into the air outside the lab.
"Right they're finished. We're going to get you out now. Can you stand?" Asked brown eyes, I found out was called Derek, as he stood to open the door. I nodded jerkily still shaking. The door slid open with a welcoming hiss, I took his hand and somehow pulled myself up onto my feet. I held onto him for balance as he walked me over to the makeshift shower. Basically a shower head they had connected to the water system in the lab with an opaque blue curtain around it for privacy. I walked in and stripped my clothes off tossing them over the top and starting the shower. I showered twice just to make sure I was clean. They had burnt my clothes and passed me a white jumpsuit to wear as I had nothing. I actually was able to form a real, however brief, smile as I saw they were out of the contamination suits made them more normal.
"Come on let's get you out of here" Arthur, lime green, smiled opening the door for me. I nodded my thanks still not having spoken yet as I knew my voice is connected to my tears, if I tried to speak I know there would definitely be more and heavier.
As I walked out there was a group of policemen guarding the area. One put a soft brown blanket around my shoulders after spying my shakes were still pretty violent. He kept his hands on my shoulders and gently steered me out of the building. I heard a couple of men shouting from behind us as we exited the building, I didn't recognise one of the voices but the other was definitely Eddie, it had to be. I glanced around but was ushered into the car before I could fully see. In the car it was then I slipped into a trance like state.
I pulled the blanket around my shoulders tighter. I was too warm but still shaking - almost violently. I could see clearly through the windscreen of the police car but I saw nothing that passed us by. My eyes still saw his own pair wide, panicking; in agony. His mouth hanging open, gasping for air. His face greyish quickly as death began to flow quicker through his veins, which were almost popping out of his skin. Then his lunge at me, bony hands reaching out to me, to drag me down with him. All of this played on a continuous loop in front of my eyes. It controlled me. I could do nothing about it. It was now imprinted there - forever.
My ears too were subjects to this torture. His screams that slowly died long before he did. The crack of his skull on the floor as he collapsed to his fate. The constant drone of the emergency siren and my own hands banging on the door, muffled screams and sobs. It drowned out the police radio and hum of the engine.
My hands shook, and nothing I did could still them for long. I think one of the officers said something as I caught a glimpse of a pair furrowed brows pulled together above a pair of concerned lime green eyes whether it was him who said it was a different matter. I tried to focus on them, come back to reality, but I'd gone again; the screams filling my ears and death filling my sight.
I don't know how long I was stuck in this nightmare but the jolt of the brakes, the car stopping, pulled me out. I blinked rapidly; trying to figure out where we were. An unfamiliar car park stood before the windscreen. Both of the officers exited the car, hovering either side waiting for me to make my move.
"C'mon love, there are a couple of guys waiting for ya" Derek said softly through the window.
Eddie. Lewis. It had felt like a lifetime since I had seen them. I hadn't had a thought directed to them since... Longer than I had liked. I nodded to Derek, so they both moved away from the car doors. I climbed slowly out, my shakes making me clumsier than usual. The cold wind was a welcome blast of reality. I looked slowly around my surroundings. Derek was stood behind me holding the door. We were in the empty car park of a depressingly grey police station. My heart pounded against my ribs. Where exactly were we? Where were Eddie and Lewis? Tears rolled down my cheeks. If I had them they could make everything better... Couldn't they?
"They're just inside" Arthur gestured to the station on my right. I nodded my thanks, feeling my way around the car. I could see the silhouette of a figure behind the frosted glass door. Which one was it? Which one did I WANT it to be?
I set off on shaky legs towards the station, but my name being called out through the cold air stopped me in my tracks. I turned; there stood Eddie. Almost bursting out into another flood of tears I somehow commanded my legs to sprint over to him. To embrace him tightly burying my face into his dishevelled suit collar, holding onto his lapels. His arms wrapped around me tightly; protectively.
"Hey it's ok. You're safe now" he assured me.
"I- I missed you so much. I was so scared" I choked out through tears
"I know, I know. I'm sorry I let this happen" He apologised "You never know after this, things might become... Normal?" He joked cautiously. I looked up to him and smiled a little.
"My life; normal? Not even when pigs fly" I replied wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. He returned the smile and pulled me into a bone crushing bear hug. I was thankful for the human contact and hugged him back.
He released me gently and nodded to someone behind me. I turned around quickly noticing Lewis stood just outside the door. He sent me a scorching half smile awakening the couple of thousand butterfly's in my stomach; then we broke into a run towards each other.
Who Am I? Part 26 • Opuss № I