Jenny Plague-Bringer

Chapter Forty-Six



Little Miriam lay in her incubator in the last room on the hall, just as the nurse had told Jenny. Jenny was the first into the room, but she held herself back, forcing herself to wrap her arms tight around herself and make herself small, as she’d done when she was a younger girl whose main concern in life was staying invisible at school. Those teenage days already seemed ancient to her, after all the strange turns of her life since then.

Outside the clinic, screaming and scattered gunfire sounded all over the base. It sounded like Tommy’s final attack had been successful, driving a number of people crazy with fear. Unfortunately, those people carried automatic rifles. The baby squirmed and cried in her incubator, and Jenny resisted every instinct that told her to pick up the tiny girl and comfort her.

“You’re okay,” Jenny whispered. “You’re safe now. Your parents are here.”

“There she is.” Seth spoke quietly as he entered the room. He didn’t hesitate as he went to pick her up and hold her close. Bathed in his soothing, healing touch, the baby stopped crying, and even closed her eyes and rested her head against him.

“You’re going to be a good father,” Jenny said, her voice almost breaking. She knew that she would always have to be a distant mother, avoiding any contact with her own daughter.

As if feeling her distress, Mariella carefully wrapped her arms around Jenny and hugged her close, risking infection and death to comfort her. Jenny leaned her head on Mariella’s shoulder, keeping away from the bare flesh of her neck, and she cried.

“You’ll need some of these.” Esmeralda had opened cabinets in the room and found one stocked with standard baby supplies. She grabbed bottles of premixed formula and a stack of diapers, and she handed Seth a cloth sling, still sealed in the original plastic. “Be sure to support her head.”

“I can’t believe it,” Seth said as Esmeralda helped strap the baby sling around him and secure the baby inside it. The baby snuggled against his chest again, eyes closed. “She’s actually asleep. It’s all gunfire and horror-house out there, and she’s just taking a nap.”

“You’re good for her,” Jenny said. “Your touch.”

“How do we get out of here?” Esmeralda asked.

“They’ll have all four exits covered.” Jenny pulled away from Mariella and wiped her eyes. “Maybe we should find the vent shaft for this section. The vent got you both out of here last time, didn’t it?”

“It got us up there,” Seth agreed. He was still staring at his little daughter, brushing her soft cheek with his fingertip. “I just hope this guy’s access card opens the maintenance doors.”

“Just remember to come with us this time, Jenny,” Mariella said. “Do you promise?”

“Of course.” Jenny managed a small smile, looking at the sleeping baby through her tears. “I’ll never leave her.”