Zion's Children - pt. 21

In a very short time, life became routine to the newcomers.

Lily Bennett did her duty, tended to the sick and the dying, and slept poorly. She found herself growing to like many of the people she ended up covering with a sheet. They fought to the end with such a cheerful attitude that she felt guilty for not wanting to be here in the first place. Just like her ancestors had never asked to be Exiled, neither had their ancestors. They were here against their will as well. And just like her world had never asked for the Flu Scare, neither had these people asked for this disease to ravage theirs.

Byrin Gold worked hard and slept little. He ate even less, though Miri managed to get a bite or two into him each day. He gathered new data, and reviewed the old, finding only new questions and no answers. He didn't interact with the patients as much as Marcus and the nurses did, but each time he questioned one of them about their earliest symptoms his desire to end this disease grew. Each colonist had been given the standard vaccinations when the Conglomerate had first sent ships to this world.

The two new nurses, whose names Byrin had never bothered to learn (Amber Linderman and Rose Montoya) worked different shifts. Amber nursed patients during the day, Rose at night. They saw each other at shift change, and some meals. They both longed to go home, but were compassionate enough to truly care for their patients.

The first two weeks the days passed by with little change for any of them. Somehow though, they all managed to make a few new friends. Miri was loved by all, as she showed love to all without judgment. Marcus spent much time with Byrin, learning as much from the younger man as he was teaching.

Lily, despite her hardline Christianity, grew to like Amber and Rose as nurses and even a little personally. She did not agree with their lifestyle, but they were dedicated nurses. She dealt mainly with Amber, who had a keen sense of humor, but heard good reports about Rose from nightshift. She also enjoyed her time each day with Marcus, wishing circumstances allowed for personal affections to grow.

Somehow, Byrin learned to work around his attraction to Miri. He knew it was there, but would have denied if anyone else suspected and questioned him on it. When he allowed his mind to ponder it, it the quiet hours he pretended to sleep (for her sake)...he knew great frustration because he could see that she believed the same as Lily and knew that a distant admiration was all she'd ever allow. Which is why he didn't ponder her care of him, or allow himself to imagine that she equally admired him. These people were dying, and if he allowed himself to be distracted by fantasies, the very woman he admired would die as well.

But things changed the day Byrin decided to draw a sample of his own blood...