The Complication (The Program #6)(102)

James sits there, his face covered, and Sloane stares at Realm like he’s the sun and moon. And when he opens his eyes, it’s her that he focuses on first.

He’s still having a hard time breathing, wincing with every intake. But he reaches out his hand to her, and she takes it and offers a fragile smile.

“Was I asleep for long?” Realm asks weakly, and then grins when she laughs and kisses his hand.

“You fucking died,” she says, shaking her head. “You died, Michael.”

His eyelids are heavy, but he looks at her with complete adoration, and I can see that he still loves her. Same way he did back in The Program. And despite everything he did, she loves him, too.

“Not a chance,” Realm says, touching her cheek to wipe away a tear. “I wouldn’t leave without a good-bye.”

Her face starts to crumble again, but she straightens it quickly. Fact is, Realm is still dying. And so is James. A whole hell of a lot of people will die if we don’t get that cure.

And I can’t help but look around this small room, some tiny apartment in the middle of the suburbs, and wonder how the hell this can all work out.

? ? ?

We get Realm into the bed again and keep him stable while James goes to the couch, telling us he’s fine but looking worse. I was surprised when he leaned down to Realm, his hand on the back of his neck, their foreheads together in a quiet embrace. I wonder how they can be such close friends while in love with the same woman. Then again, I guess we all have some relationship issues.

Marie arrives a short time later, and when I hear the door open, I’m sitting in Realm’s room. “I’ll be right back?” I ask, and he nods for me to go. He hasn’t been able to say much, mostly just watching me with deep-set eyes. Pained.

I jog out into the kitchen and find Marie standing in the living room, talking to James and Sloane with a black medical bag in her hand. Next to her, Wes is holding a box with his good arm, his eyes a little glassy. He’s a little high, and he all but confirms it when he smiles dreamily in my direction.

I walk over and take the box from him. Just as I set it on the kitchen table, he comes over to kiss my cheek, murmuring that he missed me.

“I see she gave you the good drugs,” I say, not hating when he stays against me, wrapping me up from behind.

“Did you know I could smell colors now?” Wes asks, and when I turn to him, he grins. I laugh, and Marie appears behind him.

“Where’s Michael?” she asks, and I wonder if she thinks he’s dead. Like I’d be out here smiling at Wes if that were the case.

“In the room,” I say. We head back that way, and Marie grabs the box. I want to ask her what’s inside, but I imagine I’ll find out soon enough. Marie moves urgently, reminding me that time is of the essence.

I wait at the door while Marie goes inside. She sets the box down and stands above Realm, her arms crossed over her chest. Her expression is unreadable as she looks him over. For his part, Realm smiles at her, and she softens when she meets his eyes.

“Thought you were going to get out of this, huh?” she asks. He sniffs a laugh, and then holds his side and groans. Marie’s smile fades.

“I have a cure,” she tells him, but her lack of excitement isn’t encouraging.

“Isn’t that good?” Realm asks in a low voice.

“I don’t know if it will work on you,” she confides. “You’re pretty far gone, Michael. Right now it’s a fifty-fifty shot.”

“Those aren’t terrible odds,” Realm replies.

“Fifty percent you’re cured, fifty percent you die within ten seconds.”

Realm’s lips twitch with the start of a joke, but the moment drags on, and the heaviness of the truth weighs us down. His eyes tear up, and Marie doesn’t break his gaze. Her lips press together, holding in her emotion.

“I don’t want to die today,” Realm whispers to her, and I have to turn my head. “Don’t let me die, Dr. Devoroux.”

Marie dips her chin in a nod and then reaches to put her hand on Realm’s cheek, making him turn into it. I don’t quite understand their relationship; Realm never talked about her. But when it comes down to it, Marie has known Realm since he first went into The Program. I imagine she’s known him the entire time. Somehow, they’ve worked together, maybe not always on the same side.

But there’s respect and mutual admiration in their relationship.

“I’m going to warn you,” Marie says, taking her hand away. “This is really going to hurt.”

Realm rests back against the pillow and closes his eyes like he was waiting for it. “Everything good usually does.”

Marie begins to prep Realm, helping him take off his shirt so she can attach some sticky tabs and wires to his skin. Wes and I go out into the kitchen, and Sloane and James are on the couch. James’s head is in her lap while she plays with his hair, the two of them talking quietly. They just watched their best friend die. They know time is running out for all of them.

Wes pulls out a chair at the table, offering me the seat, and I thank him as he sits next to me.

“Thanks for going with Marie,” I say. “You didn’t need to take that risk.”

“I’m just doing my part to save the world,” he replies. “Besides, I wanted to know what sort of equipment she planned to use on you. I don’t want you to forget me again.” He smiles at me, and it makes my heart warm.