11. Lena
11
LENA
L ena woke slowly, consciousness creeping back like the first light of dawn after a long, dark night. She felt groggy, her limbs as heavy as if they were made of lead. The ceiling above her was white and unfamiliar, and the smell of antiseptic filled the air. Her head throbbed slightly, and it took her a few moments to gather her bearings. The sterile room, the steady beep of machines, the sense of exhaustion. It was clear she was in some sort of medical facility. Or some kind of heaven.
She blinked, her vision slowly adjusting to the harsh light. Her heart pounded as memories began to rush back: Dr. Walt, the struggle. Panic gripped her chest. Where was she now? Was she still in danger? And then one thought broke through the haze: Fleur.
Lena forced herself to sit up, though her muscles protested the effort. She looked around the small room, taking in the rows of beds and equipment. There was a nurse at the far side of the room, her back turned as she worked on something at a counter. It seemed so clean… so sterile.
“Fleur?” Lena croaked, her voice barely above a whisper. She swallowed, her throat dry, and tried again, a little louder this time. “Fleur?”
The nurse turned at the sound of Lena’s voice, her expression softening when she saw Lena awake. She quickly walked over, her shoes clicking on the tile floor. “You’re awake,” the nurse said gently, her voice kind. “How are you feeling?”
Lena blinked at her. “Where’s Fleur?” she asked, her voice still raspy. She couldn’t focus on anything else, not until she knew that Fleur was okay.
The nurse nodded, her eyes understanding. “She’s here,” she said. “She’s been waiting for you to wake up. Let me go get her. She’s absolutely fine.”
Lena exhaled shakily, a wave of relief washing over her.
The minutes that passed felt like an eternity. Lena’s mind raced, flashes of her last memories playing over and over. Dr. Walt’s face twisted in malice, the feeling of her body betraying her, the darkness that had swallowed her whole. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push it all away. She was alive. Somehow, she had made it through. And Fleur was here.
The door creaked, and Lena’s eyes snapped open. Fleur entered, her steps quick, her expression a mixture of exhaustion and overwhelming relief. Lena’s heart swelled at the sight of her. Fleur looked different. Her hair was damp, pulled back from her face, and she was wearing fresh clothes, a simple t-shirt and jeans. She looked like she had finally been able to rest, though the worry was still evident in her eyes.
“Lena,” Fleur breathed, her voice breaking as she rushed to her side. She knelt down beside the bed, her eyes scanning Lena’s face as if to make sure she was really awake. “Oh, thank God,” she whispered, her hand reaching up to cup Lena’s cheek. Her touch was warm, grounding Lena in that moment.
“Fleur...” Lena whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She swallowed hard, trying to find her voice. “What... what happened? The last thing I remember, I was...”
Fleur took a shaky breath, her thumb brushing against Lena’s cheek. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “You don’t have to talk about it right now. Just know that you’re safe. They have what you need here. We made it. We made it together.”
Lena shook her head, her eyes searching Fleur’s. “I need to know,” she said, her voice trembling. “What happened after... with Dr. Walt?”
Fleur’s eyes softened, and she nodded, her hand moving to take Lena’s. She sat down on the edge of the bed, her eyes never leaving Lena’s. “It’s a lot,” she admitted, her voice quiet. “But I’ll tell you everything. He’s an awful man. I should never have trusted him.”
Lena watched her face. She could see the exhaustion in Fleur’s eyes, the weight of whatever had happened since they had been separated. Fleur took a deep breath, her gaze steady.
“After Dr. Walt took you, I... I managed to get away,” Fleur began, her voice steady despite the emotion in her eyes. “He underestimated me. He thought he could control me, but he was wrong.” Her jaw tightened, a flicker of anger crossing her face. “I fought back. I found a way to get loose, and I... I killed him, Lena.”
Lena’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening. She stared at Fleur, a mix of emotions swirling in her chest: relief, disbelief, a strange sense of pride. “You killed him?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Fleur nodded, her eyes darkening. “I had to, I had no choice,” she said sharply. “He wasn’t going to stop. He was going to kill you, and he would have killed me, too. Or tortured me. I couldn’t let that happen.”
Lena swallowed, her eyes stinging with tears. She reached up, her hand trembling as she touched Fleur’s cheek. “You saved me,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “You... you saved my life.”
Fleur closed her eyes, leaning into Lena’s touch. “I couldn’t lose you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I wouldn’t.”
Lena’s heart ached at the pain in Fleur’s voice. She could see it now: the fear, the desperation. She could only imagine what Fleur had gone through, and the thought of it made her chest tighten.
“I knew if I just got you here, you’d make it. I knew we could help you get through this. I bought us time after the attack and you perked up a little, but I was so scared of watching you… turn.”
“I was… bitten? How am I okay?” Lena gasped as she looked at her bandaged wound.
Fleur nodded, her jaw tight. “Yes. You were bitten. Luckily the bite wasn’t too deep. It was more of a drag mark from the teeth. It didn’t sink in too deep. But the infection was spreading, and I knew I didn’t have much time. I brought you here, to the lab. The people here... they helped me. They stabilized you before it could spread too far.”
Lena stared at her, her mind struggling to process what she was hearing. She remembered the bite, the feeling of her body betraying her, the fear that had consumed her. She looked at Fleur, her eyes wide.
“I should be... I should be dead, I should’ve turned by now,” Lena whispered, her voice trembling.
Fleur shook her head, her eyes shining with tears. “No.” she said, her voice fierce. “You’re not dead. Lena. You’re here. You’re alive.”
Lena swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion. She could see the determination in Fleur’s eyes, the love that had driven her to do the impossible.
She reached up, her hand covering Fleur’s. “How?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “How am I still alive? I don’t understand. Just tell me.”
Fleur took a deep breath, her gaze softening. “I found a vial of medicine in a bag from one of those men back there, and gave it to you as soon as I could. When we arrived, I got them to test the remains of it here. They think it was a prototype drug created by Dr Walt. It helps trigger an immune response in certain people, and it worked for you. Apparently it’s almost unheard of.”
Lena stared at her, her mind reeling. “Immunity?” she repeated, her voice barely audible. The word seemed almost impossible, like something out of a dream. “I’m... immune?”
Fleur nodded, her eyes shining with a mix of relief and awe. “Yes,” she said softly. “You’re immune. You survived. With that medicine and the drugs they have here, it completely healed you.”
A smile broke across Lena’s face.
“Fleur! We need you back in the lab now!”
Fleur hesitated, her gaze flickering between Lena and the doorway, a mix of duty and concern to balance. “I have to go,” she said, her voice tinged with regret.
Lena stared at the ceiling of the infirmary, her thoughts spinning. The air was cool, the sterile scent of disinfectant lingering, but it felt like a blanket of tension had settled over her chest. Fleur had been with her moments ago and Lena was left alone with her thoughts.
She had done what she was supposed to do, brought Fleur to the lab. That had been her mission from the beginning: to protect Fleur, to get her to safety so she could finish what she’d started. The urgency of survival and the weight of that responsibility had kept Lena moving, focused, driven by one singular goal. But now that she had accomplished that mission, she was left with a profound emptiness, a hollow ache that she didn’t know how to fill. What would happen next?
Lena had always been clear about what she was meant to do, what her role was. Protect. Lead. Fight. There had always been a purpose, a direction that guided her. But now, without the urgency of a mission, all she could feel was the uncertainty of what lay ahead. And the fear of being without Fleur.
Lena tried to take a deep breath, to push away the rising panic, but it only seemed to grow. Her thoughts were relentless, circling back to the questions she didn’t have answers to. What was going to happen next? And where did that leave her and Fleur?
She knew, rationally, that she had a responsibility to her old community—or whatever was left of it. There were people depending on her. They needed her strength, her leadership. She had been their captain, their protector.
But at the same time, the thought of leaving Fleur tore at her heart. She couldn’t imagine going back to that life now, not without Fleur by her side. Fleur had become her partner, her confidante, someone she could lean on when everything else seemed to be falling apart. She had been her savior.
But did Fleur even feel the same? Was she using Lena to get what she needed? That uncertainty gnawed at Lena, twisting her insides with doubt. She didn’t want to feel so much for a person in this world. She didn’t want to fall in love.
But was it too late?
And was she going to get her heart ripped apart again?
After a few moments of contemplation, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, her body a little shaky but determined. She remembered she’d been injured in the fight, but wasn’t sure how bad it really was as the bandage covered most of the area.
Lena couldn’t remain in that room a second longer. She was lost in her thoughts while Fleur was out there, probably overwhelmed with the enormity of what lay ahead. She needed to talk to her, to see if they were on the same page. Time was precious, and she couldn’t waste any more.
Navigating the facility’s hallways, Lena felt the pulse of urgency in her veins. She finally spotted Fleur in a room at the end of the corridor, surrounded by a few other researchers, discussing something animatedly. The sight of Fleur, her hair slightly disheveled but her eyes sparkling with determination, sent a rush of warmth through her.
“Fleur!” Lena called out, her voice breaking through the conversation.
Excusing herself from the group, Fleur stepped away and approached Lena. “Hey, are you okay?”
Lena nodded, though she was still battling a storm of emotions inside her. “I wanted to talk to you. About everything.”
“Right now?” Fleur said, her tone growing serious. “What’s on your mind?”
Lena took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts as they moved to a quieter corner of the corridor. “I know we’ve made it here, and I fought to get you to this place… But what becomes of us now?”
“I want us to work, too,” Fleur said. “But I’m committed to making this cure for everyone. It’s not just about saving lives; it’s about understanding the virus, what it does, and how we can stop mutations, too. And being committed to this cure is dangerous. There are so many threats out there, and as long as I stay with you, we’ll both be in constant danger.”
Lena felt a pang in her chest at the thought of Fleur putting herself in harm’s way. She wanted to scream, to shake her, to say that it didn’t have to be this way, but she knew that wouldn’t help. Instead she steadied herself, determined not to let Fleur slip away without a fight. “You’re not going to push me away that easily,” Lena said, her tone steady but tinged with urgency.
Fleur’s brow hardened, concern crossing her face. “Lena, you don’t understand. This is bigger than us. If I can make a breakthrough, if I can help?—”
“No, Fleur. You’re right. It is bigger than us,” Lena interrupted, stepping closer, her heart racing. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t face it together. I’m strong enough to protect you, and I won’t let anything happen to us.”
Fleur hesitated, her gaze wavering as she searched Lena’s eyes for some sign of uncertainty. “But what if something does happen? I can’t let you put yourself at risk because of me. There are still others out there who will want to get in on this, at any cost. I can’t bear the thought of them harming you more than they have.”
Lena took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her emotions push against her. “I’d rather face danger with you than live a life without you. I can’t lose you now.”
A flicker of vulnerability crossed Fleur’s face, and Lena seized the moment, reaching out to touch her. “Please, Fleur. I want to be here with you.”
Fleur’s eyes softened as she leaned into Lena’s touch, her walls beginning to crack. “Lena… I don’t want to drag you into this. And what about the others? They might have been in danger because of Dr. Walt.”
“I’m already in it,” Lena replied, her voice steady. “I’m in this with you, whether you like it or not. You know that. I will make contact with the community, but you’re my priority.”
Fleur’s hard expression wavered, the tension between them growing as she contemplated Lena’s words. Lena could see the conflict within her, the weight of responsibility battling with the desire for connection. “But the lab… the people here?—”
“Who says we can’t make it work?” Lena interjected, her heart pounding. “We’ll find a way. You can work here, and I’ll protect you. It’s that simple. I’ll find out about my community and get things in place there. We need each other.”
“But the risks…” Fleur started, her voice trailing off as she met Lena’s unwavering gaze.
“The risks will always be there,” Lena said fiercely. “But what about us? What about what we have? Isn’t that worth fighting for? I can’t go back to my life without you, and I don’t want to. I’ve made my choice. Everything we’ve been through. And… and I don’t open up to anybody. And now I’ve opened up to you.”
Fleur’s expression softened further, and Lena felt a rush of hope.
“Lena, what about the people who are after me? What if they kill us all?”
“Let them come,” Lena declared, her heart pounding in her chest. “As long as I’m with you, I can face anything. We can be a team, Fleur. I won’t let anyone take you from me. I’m highly trained and I can get my folk here to help build a defense.”
Tears glistened in Fleur’s eyes, and she looked away, trying to mask her emotions. “You have no idea what you’re asking for.”
“Actually, I do. I know exactly what I’m asking for,” Lena replied softly, brushing a strand of hair behind Fleur’s ear. “I want you to trust me. I want you to let me be there for you. Because I love you, and that’s not something I can just walk away from.”
Fleur inhaled sharply, the confession hanging in the air between them. “You really mean that?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Lena nodded, her heart open and raw. “Yes, I do. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
Fleur took a step back, breaking their connection as she processed Lena’s words. “I… I don’t know if I can let you in like that.”
“This world is awful. Life is precious and love is almost non-existent. So I'll say it again. I love you, Fleur. No matter what. And I want to be with you through all of this. I wanted to hold my feelings back the whole time we’ve been together, but instead they’ve just grown. We can make it work. I promise.”
Fleur moved closer, gripping onto Lena’s hand. “If I'm being honest, I Iove you, too. And that’s why I'm so scared of hurting you again. When I found you slumped on that wall, I thought you were gone. My heart felt… broken.”
“So, please just try? Please let me in, and let me help you?” Lena smiled.
“Okay, I’m willing to try,” Fleur whispered, leaning her head against Lena’s chest.