The Complication (The Program #6)(94)

Realm coughs again and spits a mouthful of blood onto the grass. Wes narrows his eyes, examining him.

“Dying?” he says. “What exactly is happening to you?”

“A crashback, I’m assuming,” Realm tells him. “I was supposed to be immune, but who knows. Science, right?” He laughs, but my heart sinks. “That’s why we’re here.” He motions to the house, and I tighten my arm around him.

“Let’s hurry up and get what you need,” I say, and begin walking him toward the front porch.

As we approach, there is the distant chirping of crickets. A low buzz from the streetlights. We get on the porch, and Wes and I exchange a concerned glance as I open the screen door and knock. The sound echoes throughout the house, but I don’t hear any movement inside.

Realm groans, putting his finger on his temple to massage the area. I knock on the door again, harder. There is a swish of curtain from the nearby window, and my heart jumps.

There’s the sound of locks, a chain, and then the door opens—just a crack at first. Realm smiles wildly and holds up his hand, as if he’s just dropping by for a drink.

“Holy shit,” a male voice says. The door swings open, and a guy rushes out, quickly gathering Realm from my arms. “What’s wrong?”

“James,” Realm says with a grunt. “These are my friends.”

James turns to look at me and Wes, nodding a hello. I’m immediately stunned, not just because he’s gorgeous, or because of his startling blue eyes, but because he’s James Murphy.

Wes glances over to check my reaction, not realizing that we have one of the people who beat The Program in front of us. One the most important people in the entire series of events.

“James, who is it?” a girl calls from inside. She comes to the door and skids to stop, surveying all of us. She has thick black curls and an expression of absolute horror that drags down her pretty features. I recognize her from when her picture was being flashed on the news. On billboards. Sloane Barstow.

“Michael,” she says, her voice dripping in concern. She comes over to wrap her arm around the other side of him, and together she and James help him toward the door.

“Wait,” I say. “We have to get him to Marie.”

Sloane looks confused by the name, and James narrows his eyes.

“Marie Devoroux?” he asks. “What does she have to do with this?” He turns to Realm accusingly. “What kind of shit are you into now?”

Realm winces, holding his chest before looking at him apologetically. “Not just me, James,” he says. “And it’s moving fast.”

He and James stare at each other for a long moment; Sloane is equally silent, but her expression begins to rage. When they don’t speak, she readjusts her grip on Realm, making him groan. I think she did it on purpose.

“Tell me what’s happening to you,” she demands. “Tell me right now, or I swear—”

“Poison,” Realm says, and I see James flinch. “The Treatment pill . . . basically poison at this point.”

James’s jaw tightens, and he and Sloane immediately turn to each other. James grabs Realm roughly and rests him against the house.

“What are you talking about?” James asks. “In case you forgot, Michael—I took that pill too.”

Realm’s expression darkens. “And how are you feeling?” Realm asks him. Sloane darts her gaze to James again, and her lips part when he doesn’t immediately say he’s fine.

“Headache,” James says quietly. “In my ears, too. I . . .” He glances at Sloane apologetically, and her chest begins to rise and fall quickly. “I had a nosebleed earlier,” he says quietly to Realm.

“You didn’t think to mention this?” Sloane asks him, her voice tight.

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Oh, because I’m certainly not worried now,” she says. James tilts his head like she’s overreacting, but he reaches out his hand to her anyway. Reluctantly, she squeezes it before letting it drop to his side.

Sloane turns on Realm, looking him up and down. He flashes his teeth in a smile.

“You don’t get to die either,” she tells him, pointing in his face. “And if Marie can fix whatever’s going on, then we have to talk to her.”

“Marie,” I interrupt, immediately self-conscious when they all turn to me. “She isn’t entirely trustworthy. We should be careful what we tell her.”

Sloane presses her lips into a smile. “That’s the general rule around here,” she says. “We don’t trust anyone but each other.” She gives Realm a quick side-glance, and I’m not sure if he’s part of her circle of trust at the moment.

Realm rests his head back on the siding of the house, and Sloane watches him, concerned.

“We took a pill to get our memories back,” Realm tells me, blinking heavily. “We survived it, which, let me tell you, was no small feat. I began to worry when I saw the other returners crashing back, but I thought James and I were safe. We remember everything—what’s there to crash back? Apparently, our nervous system.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Sloane demands. “Let’s see what Marie has figured out.”

“Marie’s not known for her ethical experimentation,” Realm says, looking sideways at her. “If she sees me like this, I could end up with my skull cracked open on the table somewhere.”