Page 7 of You Only Die Twice

Any minute now, I’ll hit the double ball bonus, and it will all be over. I can barely handle the images as they slice through me as it is. Groaning, I pull the blanket up higher, grateful for the extra layer of warmth. I’m so cold, chilled to the bone.

The last time I felt like this, I was a kid. Back then, I thought I was dying. As an adult, I know better. Dying doesn’t feel like this. I imagine it would feel far worse. I moan and lay back on the pillow. Perhaps that’s what’s wrong with me. I’ve finally gotten sick from this damned cruise.

Cruise!

Lizzy’s face morphs, turning gray and slack in my mind, as blood trickles from her neck. The monitors around me go crazy as my pulse spikes. That incessant beeping only adds to the fraying of my nerves. What is wrong with me? What’s happening?

“Calm down. I need you to breathe for me.” The nurse’s voice sounds calm and commanding, with that bite of Russian underneath.

I’m on a cruise ship heading for Russia. I repeat that in my brain, breathing in at the start and out at the finish. Soon, my heart starts to get under control. It’s still a little fast, that is if the beeps are to be believed, but it’s much lower.

“Good girl. I don’t want to sedate you, but I will if necessary.”

“Where’s Lizzy?”

“Who?”

“Lizzy!” My pulse spikes again as hysteria laces my tone. “She was here with me last time. We both got off on the supplements you gave us.” The memories start to collide into place, one fragmented image at a time. I’m not crazy. We were here. Both of us.

“Oh. Her. She’s already received her injection and is resting comfortably in her room.”

“I want to see her. Now.”

The nurse shakes her head, sympathy pulling her features down into a sad smile. “I’m afraid that isn’t possible. You won’t be allowed to see anyone for a while.”

Unease trips down my spine as I stare at the woman. Something isn’t right. Not even close. Her face doesn’t show any evidence of lying, but deep down, I know she’s not being truthful.

“I have to see her. She -.”

“She’s been exposed. Same as you. Everyone on this ship has come into contact with a virus. As such, you must all be quarantined. Don’t worry. The ship takes responsibility for not screening its passengers thoroughly enough and allowing this to happen. You will be compensated in full. But for now, I have to insist you stay in your stateroom until cleared.”

My brain reels as I attempt to assimilate what she just told me. I was right. I was fucking right! I knew this ship was going to kill me; I just expected it to be from an iceberg, a la Titanic, and not some rampant disease. My fingers shake as I bring my hand to my throat.

“I’m not -.”

“No. You don’t show any signs of having it. That’s why we’re insisting on quarantining until we know for sure who’s sick and who’s not. I’m giving you a booster to ensure your wellness, then sending you back to your stateroom.”

“How will I know if I’m getting worse?”

“Sore throat, weakness, delirium, frigid skin. If you begin to exhibit any of these, tell me right away. We have a special quarantine wing for those that are sick.”

My stomach turns, sending bile up my throat. I cough as the burn singes me, drawing a raised eyebrow from the nurse. Normally, I’m a trusting person, especially of healthcare professionals. They went to school for this; I didn’t. But there’s something about her, something that’s not adding up. Deep in my gut, I know this special wing is the last place I want to be in.

“Will I die if I get it?”

“Oh, no. Nothing as dramatic as that. But I can’t risk you infecting someone else. So, stay in your room if you know what’s best for you.”

Shivers trip down my spine, but I repress the shudder. I’ve already coughed once; I don’t need her thinking I’m sick if I’m not. I’ll monitor things on my own. Besides, if I’m not going to die and I don’t leave my room, what’s the harm in me keeping any potential symptom to myself?

Nodding, I close my eyes as she puts some clear liquid into my IV bag. Perhaps once I finally make it home, I’ll force myself to take some nursing classes. Hell, I’ll audit if I have to. Anything to make me more knowledgeable in the future. I can’t disagree with her; I have no facts. Nothing to back it up. I’m stuck here at her mercy.

My thoughts swirl into a haze as relaxation floods me, forcing me to drift off. I want to stay away, to stay sane, to know exactly what it is that’s happening to me, but I can’t. Fangs, blood, and gore fill my brain as I ease off into sleep, giving way to decadent nightmares filled with terror and pleasure.

CHAPTER FOUR

Luka

Her fear is palpable through the screen. I don’t have to be in the room with her to know just how terrified she is. I see it in the pinched lines of her face, the way her heart accelerates whenever she lets her mind drift. There’s no way she’s buying this quarantine crap, but she can't deny it either. And that’s what’s keeping her on the cusp of her fear.