2 Hours Later

0900 CDT

Outskirts of Olympia, Kansas

Olympia's General Hospital, 3rd Floor

Kiko Farrington's Point of View

“Teresa!” I say.

“Oh, hello Kiko,” Teresa greets in a depressing tone as I close the door.

This room is uncomfortably tiny! It’s the size of a small bedroom, and has closed navy blue curtains, but you’re sitting in the hospital bed as you gaze out the window. Your hair isn’t in your usual floppy pigtails. It’s in a ponytail now, and you hate ponytails. You look so miserable. I can’t even imagine what’s going on in your mind right now. Your aunt and uncle must’ve visited earlier before they went to the mass funeral. Rest in peace, Julie, and everyone else. I’ll make sure to visit as soon as possible.

“Oh, come on. Are the handcuffs really necessary?” I ask.

“Heh. It’s understandable, given everything that’s going on,” she says in a sad tone as she looks at her feet. “Kiko, I can’t feel anything. I don’t feel anything. Nothing, nothing at all. I’m trying to wiggle my toes, but I can’t.”

“Did they say how bad it was?”

“I’ll live, but I’ll probably never walk again. The truck crushed my legs from the knees down,” she explains as a single teardrop slides down her cheek. “What hurts more is that Luke gained superpowers all of a sudden, and I missed it. I was out for a long time, and the next thing I know, I’m handcuffed to a hospital bed with a cop and the doctor telling me everything that happened.”

“Teresa…”

“No, Kiko!” She says as she rejects my hug. “I’m weak and small and stupid! I lost Julie, and now I might lose my entire squad!”

“None of it is your fault though.”

“I feel powerless. Every single one of my friends is so cool, but then there’s dysfunctional me. The only thing I’m good at is being useless dead weight,” she vents as she places her hands on her face.

“You’re a lot stronger than you realize, Teresa.”

“Sure…” she says as she stares outside with an empty look in her eyes.

“Here, let me…”

“No!” Teresa yells as I attempt to open the curtains.

“Oh. Sorry, Teresa.”

“Just let me be sad! I’m going to be sad for a long, long time, but I’ll be ok, Kiko! I don’t want you to feel sad for me, ok? I hate when people look down on me. Figuratively and literally! I don’t want my best friend in the entire world to pity me, when there’s more important things to worry about, like Doctor Shinka or your relationship with Harold!”

“Teresa, there’s not much I can do about Doctor Shinka. I honestly don’t know where she is. And my relationship with Harold? Wait a second. Um, what do you mean by relationship?”

“Duh. You guys are dating, right?”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Huh?

“Teresa! We’re coworkers! O-M-G! That would be very unprofessional.”

“Heh. Love strikes again,” she says with a soft smirk. “It’s ok if he makes you weak in the knees. I don’t mind, just as long as you two are happy together, and he treats you right,” she says with a blank stare.

“Hah. You’re still delirious from the drugs they gave you.”

“If you say so.”

“My extremely professional, appropriate, ordinary, trusting, friendship with my very handsome and muscular colleague, whom I’m not attracted to, by the way, has been tense recently.”

“Heh. A lover’s quarrel,” she misunderstands with a smile.

“No.”

“This must be the first one,” she says chuckling.

“… Shut it!”

“Your poker face is oh so bad.”

At least you’re smiling again. Sigh. Nostalgia.

“You’re still so mischievous, Teresa.”

“So, what did you two lovers argue about?”

“My associate and I argued about what should happen to Luke. He’s so scared of the big bad Royals that he doesn’t want to take this opportunity to study Luke before they send some crazy fancy soldier lady who probably smells like mildew, to capture him.”

“Hmm…”

“Like, this is probably our only chance to learn more about the zombies and make a cure, but this fool is going to let that chance go to waste! Like! Ugh! I can’t even. I’m so… Ugh!”

“People are stupid, especially boys,” we say in unison.

“I think you’re making the right choice, Kiko, as always. I’m sure things will work out the way they’re supposed to. I just hope our friends will be ok.”

“Teresa! I heard Ruby blew up a freaking bridge, Sonya, Ruby, Billy, and Rachel eliminated five headhunters and four Chasers! Duy suplexed a headhunter?! I heard you even stuck a pipe inside the stomach and mouth of a headhunter! What the hell, by the way?! But wow, Squad Zeus and Michelle Fox played a big role in yesterday’s victory! You guys should be treated like heroes, not villains! You all are practically famous!”

“Heh. You mean infamous,” she says as she shakes her handcuff.

“Kiko!” Ugh, Harold says as he, Dad, and Scarlett walk through the door.

“Ew! What do you want?” I say. “Only supporters of Luke are allowed in this room.”

“Kiko, I’m sorry,” Harold mutters.

“No! There’s no I in team! We’re supposed to stick together, especially since Doctor Shinka decided to become a part-time magician! My friends have been wrongfully arrested, Olympus is on high alert because it’s only a matter of time until the other kingdoms hear about Luke, and the stupid Royals are sending an unsophisticated mildew lady to come bully us, so I thought that you, my partner would support me in doing what’s best for humanity!”

“Kiko I…” Harold says.

“We’re all that’s left of the research division, Harold! For all we know, we’re humanity’s last hope of ending The Age of Zombies. I can’t believe you! I…”

“Enough, Kiko,” Dad says as he puts a hand on my shoulder.

Dad…

Emotions. Come on Kiko. You’re a big girl now. A grown-ass woman. Now’s not the time to cry. Too many people are relying on you, so stay sharp. If Harold doesn’t want to help, then you’ll just have to carry humanity on your back by yourself.

“After you left the meeting, I convinced the others to let you and Harold study Luke as much as you can, and since Olympians have become paranoid of outsiders, I’ll be taking a few members of Squad Zeus on a secret mission,” Dad kindly explains.

Huh? This doesn’t sound like your usual goodbyes.

“I’m proud of you, Kiko, and I know that your mother would be so proud of you too,” Dad says as he looks me in the eyes.

What? W-why would you say that? How could you say that?!

“Proud? I haven’t even done anything! All I’ve done is help a mysterious woman turn my friend into a monster, and now Armageddon and a mildew lady are fast approaching because of me!”

“Kiko,” Dad says softly. “I love you. You’ve done so much better than you’ve realized. I don’t mean to be inconsiderate, but we have to leave immediately. We’ll be going to Luke Miller’s and Squad Zeus’s location, so…”

“Kiko!” Teresa yells out.

Teresa…

“Go help save the world, ok? I’ll be fine,” Teresa says with a hopeful smile.

“I love you, Teresa,” I say.

“Heh. Love is for suckers. I value our friendship as well, Kiko.”

I’m so sorry, Julie, and everyone else who gave their lives in Operation Aurora. I’ll have to postpone my visit. Please forgive me.

“Time is of the essence, Kiko. We only have one week until Angela Blackwood arrives,” Dad calmly explains.

“Understood,” I say.

Teresa, you’ll be ok, but even if you do end up walking again, you still have to finish serving the mandatory four years of service. Sigh. Sometimes I wish I was a magician so I could make the problems of everyone I care about disappear.

One week. Seven days. Luke, I won’t rest until I figure out what the heck is going on with you…