The Complication (The Program #6)(111)

But the pattern worked. People are getting better. The worst of the epidemic, its aftermath, is over.

After all this time, it’s finally over.

The bell rings, and Foster and I grab our bags and head to lunch. We’re staying in today, as we’ve done for the past few weeks. Like Foster said, the purity of recess.

“Holy shit,” Foster says as we walk down the hall, looking down at his phone. “Arturo just sent me this.” He holds it out to me, and I gasp. “Says she was in Colorado,” Foster adds.

It’s a link to a news article about Dr. Warren. She disappeared the night we found the cure. Her office had been cleaned out, the office of Mr. Castle also empty. She disappeared into the wind, and it left us looking over our shoulder. Dr. Warren didn’t have any power, but then again, we’d underestimated her before.

“?‘Warren was taken into custody at a Chipotle in Denver,’?” Foster reads, and then laughs. “That’s actually fucking hilarious,” he says.

“Does it say what they’re charging her with?” I ask. Part of me worries I’ll get dragged into a lengthy trial, but Marie already told me I’d be redacted from all records pertaining to Dr. Warren. She said she had plenty on her without bringing up the fact that she sent people to kidnap me.

“Uh . . .” He scans the page. “No,” he says. “It just says she’s been wanted in connection with illegal memory manipulation and crimes against the state.” He looks at me, and a moment passes, acknowledging all she put me through. “She’ll never get out of prison,” he says.

I nod that it’s good; she deserves it. But the terrible truth is they never tracked down the main backers of The Program. They got a few—hell, three senators were indicted. The Program was everywhere and yet under the radar. They could have changed the world—controlled it.

But we stopped them. Us—regular people. And a doctor and the FDA and the CDC, but still—mostly us.

Foster and I get to the doorway to the courtyard and scan the area. I find Nathan and Wes immediately, the two of them laughing as Nathan continues telling whatever story he has. They’ve become pretty decent friends, and Nathan says that he likes this new Wes a whole hell of a lot better than the old one. But really, he’s just given him a chance now. He would have liked the old Wes too.

“There you are,” Arturo says, coming up to Foster. They smile, exchange a quick kiss, and Arturo says hello to me. “I’m guessing you saw the news?” he asks, raising his dark eyebrows.

“I did. Pretty wild, right?” I reply.

“Yeah, well,” Arturo says, pursing his lips and glancing over at Nathan. “Not as wild as Nathan Harmon and Melody Blackstone meeting up last night.”

“What?” I ask, widening my eyes. Arturo gets the best information. He and Melody actually stayed friends, and with his help, he got her and Nathan to speak again.

“He’s going to kill you for telling me,” I say to Arturo, making him laugh.

“I’m not worried,” he replies, and takes Foster’s hand to lead him to our lunch spot. I hang back a moment and watch Wes.

His hair has grown longer since that night at Marie’s, a little unruly and adorable. He didn’t need surgery on his shoulder but had physical therapy for weeks. The injury left a small bump, a permanent reminder of what his mother was responsible for.

Wes and I are both eighteen now, and he never went back to his house. My grandfather collected his stuff for him and moved him into our spare bedroom until we leave for college. Graduation is only a week away, and after the summer, we’re going to Arizona, of all places.

Wes isn’t giving up on the possibility of becoming a lawyer in the future, but for now he’s been accepted into the journalism school, and I’ll be there in the creative writing department. My grandparents joke that they look forward to us moving back in after we graduate with our shiny English degrees.

My phone buzzes, and I take it out. A smile spreads across my lips.

You’ve probably seen this, but . . . , Michael Realm writes, attaching the article about Dr. Warren.

I did, I reply. Still feels just as good to read it again.

He sends a picture this time, and it’s Dallas in the front seat of his car, her eyes closed, her tongue out, as she holds up a set of keys. Got a new place if you guys want to come visit.

There’s a soft tug on my heart, mostly happiness. Realm and Dallas moved to Eugene, and before he left, Realm told Marie that he truly hoped he’d never see her again, before hugging her good-bye.

I’m glad that Realm finally sees he’s good enough to be loved. I’m a little sad that he moved away, especially now that I remember our friendship. I blink back the start of tears.

Tell Dallas to plan a party and I’m there, I write. I don’t really know her; she’s kind of intimidating, if I’m honest. But she and Realm have been doing this together for a long time. He told me once that he always hoped he’d make it back to her. I’m happy that he did.

I put the phone away and start toward my friends. Nathan notices me first and nods to me. I’m glad he’s finding closure with Melody, even if it doesn’t lead to anything more.

Wes never looks up at me, eating his sandwich and listening to Foster and Arturo tell a story, but when I sit next to him, he passes over his bag of cookies without a word.