Part 5: Don't Catch the Plague

My mom wouldn't stop knitting.

When I came in through the door, she said, "So you've decided to grace us with your presence."

She refused to look up from the scarf she was making for Haley. It had grown by an arm's length in the days I'd been gone.

All I'd wanted was to come home to my parents' house, spend a semi-normal evening with my family, maybe have one of my mom's home-cooked meals, then actually sleep in a bed. I really needed some sanity after everything I'd been through. And considering that I was going to try to seduce and drug Jason Gibbs tomorrow, I was hoping to get some rest so I could prepare.

But apparently Shawn and the rest of Jason's squad had told my family that I was wanted for hiding infected refugees. They all thought that I'd been gone because I'd been with Morgan somewhere, concealing her from the Home Guard. I thought about telling them what had actually happened, but how could I? I didn't think anyone would really believe that I'd been buried alive then locked in a stripped-down U-Haul for the better part of a week.

"I don't see why you don't just tell them where Morgan is," my mom scolded.

I hadn't realized that she was in such deep denial about everything that was happening.

"They know what's best for her," she went on, fiercely knitting at the kitchen counter while she lectured me. "They're keeping us all safe. I don't know why you have to go and disrupt all that. They're all such nice boys. And Shawn! You should be so proud of him! This has been so good for him. You need to be more grateful. We're all just so lucky that the good guys are on our side, watching out for us."

We'd missed dinner. Ian was having a beer with Bryce on the porch, and I'd told them that I'd make up some sandwiches. My dad was washing the dishes. As I opened the fridge, he dried his hands and put an arm around me.

"It's good to see you," he said, softly, so my mom wouldn't hear him. "I was so worried. I'm so glad you're home."

At the dining table, Danielle was playing cards with Tyler and Haley. My sister hadn't said a word to me since I'd arrived at the house. When I went to grab the bread knife from the table, she scowled. She stood up, placing herself between me and her children, then she whispered fiercely into my ear.

"I know you know where that little bitch is," she hissed. "She's probably the one who brought that disease in from outside. You need to tell Ian where she is. No more screwing around, Ashley. . ."