Page 33 of Brood
Maybe if he would come by, we could settle the tension from this morning. Life is so much better when we’re getting along.
But that impulse—the hopeful expectation, the desire to see his stoic face and rumpled beard—worries me. Makes my stomach churn. So I don’t stay in our room after I take my shower. I grab my tablet and head to the Meadow to read for a couple of hours before my second shift.
I don’t have any success in concentrating today. My mind keeps drifting to Will’s scowl. To the gentleness of his fingers when he was rubbing my thigh this morning.
These unsettling thoughts are interrupted by Danny. He’s on his short afternoon break and drops onto the bench beside me.
Over the past few weeks, he’s relaxed with me again. He’s still disappointed by our change in circumstances, but he’s resigned himself. He’s actually looking forward to marrying the girl from Level Two soon. He’s met her twice now and likes her.
He’s in a good mood, telling me about all the excitement in the mechanical room today. One of the men on his crew got angry at Will and attacked him.
“Is Will okay?” I ask with a wobble in my voice. I’ve straightened and completely forgotten my previous mood.
“Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry to startle you. He’s fine. He had his back turned, so Gus got him down to the floor, but me and Hal hauled him up and held him until the guards came.”
“Why would Gus do that? He’s always seemed so easygoing.”
“I know. It was totally out of the blue.” Danny’s expression sobers. “Chief Will thinks he’s going feral.”
I freeze. A couple of times a year, someone in the Refuge will go feral. It hits without warning and causes an otherwise-rational person to lose all control, all inhibitions, all sense of safety. It manifests differently, depending on the individual, but it inevitably leads to the person attempting to harm themselves or other people.
Last year, an older woman in her forties who I’d always liked started running against the locked doors of the council room one morning. She couldn’t express any purpose for trying to get inside, but the need consumed her. She kept slamming her body into the doors.
She ended up breaking her nose and one arm before the guards arrived to restrain her.
I never saw her again.
Ferals have to be drugged and restrained for the remainder of their lives, which never last for more than half a year.
“Oh no. So the guards have Gus now?”
“Yeah. They came just before I took my break.”
“And Will wasn’t hurt?”
“No. Maybe a couple of bruises, but he seemed fine.” His eyes shift over my shoulder. “Speaking of…”
I glance behind and stiffen when I see Will. He’s standing near the main doors. When I meet his eyes, he makes a summoning gesture with one hand.
I’m tempted to ignore him. After all, it’s kind of arrogant and presumptuous to stand there and issue silent commands.
But it’s strange he’s here right now. Danny said he was attacked not long ago. And I try not to be difficult and obstinate just because.
So I murmur to Danny that I’ll see him later and walk over to where Will is standing.
“I need to get you back to our quarters,” he tells me in a gravelly tone. No greeting or prelude.
“Why?”
He turns me toward the door and gets me moving with a strong hand between my shoulder blades. “It might be nothing, but I’m not taking any chances.”
I keep stride with him, having to almost jog to match his pace. The Meadow is on the opposite side of this level from the chiefs’ quarters. “Danny told me about Gus.”
“He’s going feral. I told Brody to make sure the guards brought weapons, but they didn’t. Gus had composed himself by the time they arrived, so I’m not sure they took me seriously when I explained the situation. But he’s going feral, and he was threatening you.”
“Me?” I’ve shifted into a tense, breathless crisis mode. I want to grab for Will’s arm, but I don’t. “Why?”
“I must be the target of his rage, but he was growling something about how I don’t deserve such a young, beautiful wife. Like I said, it might be nothing, but there’s no reason to take any chances. When we get to our quarters, you lock yourself inside and don’t open for anyone until I come get you.”
