“Good morning, Sleepy Head,” I say, nodding towards his leg. “How’s the leg?”
“Mostly healed,” he tells me, pulling the bandage off his thigh as well. That one is still red and enflamed, probably because of the silver that was used. “And don’t call me Sleepy Head. I’m not some little kid.”
“Sorry,” I say, “it’s what I’ve been calling you in my head.”
“Call me Wade.”
“Wade,” I say, repeating the name, testing it out. I nod to him in understanding. “I’m Briggs.”
“I should be thanking you,” Wade says slowly, his eyes never leaving me. He’s sizing me up, trying to get a gauge of the type of man I am. I don’t blame him. After all he’s been through, I don’t think I would be able to trust anyone ever again. “I won’t grovel or beg. I won’t do as you ask. I don’t owe you shit. If you ask me to suck your dick in thanks, I’ll bite it off at the root.”
I can’t help but smile. It’s not funny but the entire situation is so absurd I can’t help but find it amusing in its own sick and twisted way.
“I promise, you owe me nothing. What they were doing was so fucked up I don’t even have words. Getting you out of there was the least I could do.”
“So what do you want?”
I shrug. “What does anyone want anymore? To survive? To live long enough to see if it’s possible for things to get better? I don’t even fucking know anymore, man.”
Wade stares at me for a long moment before finally looking away. Apparently, my answer was good enough for now. I turn to my bag, pulling out two cans of food. I hold them up for Wade to see.
“Do you have a preference? I have fiesta corn, tuna, shredded chicken, and black beans.”
Wade looks at the cans and then back at me. “Shredded chicken.”
I toss the can over to him before popping open the fiesta corn. If possible, we should go check things out upstairs and see if there’s anything worth taking up there. Depending on how Wade’s leg heals, we might even be able to venture into this little town.
“What’s the deal with all the bites?”
Wade’s body tenses. He pauses his eating in order to look over at me with unsure eyes. They’re such a bright green color. Like grass right after a lightning storm. They’re pretty even if they have so much distrust in them.
“I’m not a danger.”
“That’s what I’m trying to determine. I’m not trying to grill you about your past or what happened or anything like that. I’m just trying to make sure I’m safe to be around you.”
Wade takes another bite, chewing slowly, giving himself time to answer me. I follow his lead, tipping the corn back and eating some of it. This would be so much better if it was warm but this is better than nothing.
“I realized I was immune after they’d caught me. I tried to give up. I was hoping the bite would end my captivity but it simply healed over. I don’t know why. I can’t explain it. But no matter how many times I’m bitten, they always just heal.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell him, not knowing what else to say.
“I don’t want your pity.”
“I don’t pity you. I’m just sorry you had to go through all that. No one should be treated that way, Wade.” I take another bite before I quickly add, “it might make me just as bad as them but I’m not sorry they’re dead. The world is better off without them roaming free.”
Silence stretches between us. It’s Wade who breaks it. “That doesn’t make you a bad person.”
“Thanks for saying that.”
“You’re welcome.”
We finish our cans of food. It’s not really that filling but it’ll have to do for now. I have no idea what time of day it is or how long I actually slept.
Turning towards Wade, I ask, “you know what I could really go for right now?”
“A cheeseburger?”
I snort and shake my head. “No. A bag of popcorn.”
