Jason stared down both roads, weighing the options in his mind. The Ascension Lab represented the bigger mission—the one that might determine humanity's future. But Aiko's fever-ravaged face flashed in his memory, her labored breathing echoing in his ears.
"I can't do it," he finally said, turning toward the path back to the house. "The lab will still be there in a few days. Aiko might not be."
"Statistically speaking, you're making the rational choice," Nia responded, her tone neutral. "The lab mission has unknown variables and timeline. Aiko's condition has a clear deadline."
Jason adjusted his pack, the weight of the antibiotics a comforting presence. "I'm not abandoning the mission. Just... postponing it."
He set off at a brisk pace, every step carrying him back toward the suburban house where three strangers waited. The sun beat down on his shoulders, sweat beading along his hairline as he navigated through empty streets. Cars sat abandoned, some with doors flung open, others neatly parked as if their owners expected to return any minute.
"You know what pisses me off?" Jason muttered after a while, kicking an empty soda can across the cracked asphalt. "How fucking normal everything looks from a distance. Like the world just stepped out for lunch."
"The architecture of human civilization was built to last," Nia observed. "It's the social structures that collapsed first."
Jason snorted, scanning the horizon for movement. The explosion from the pharmacy trap still had his nerves on edge, muscles coiled tight like springs. A bird took flight from a nearby tree, and his hand instinctively moved toward his weapon.
"I swear, Nia, the next stranger who makes one wrong move is getting a bullet. No questions asked." His voice was low, edged with the frustration of the day's close call.
"Ah yes, your grumpy survivalist arc," Nia replied, her tone unexpectedly playful. "Very on-brand. Should we find you a longer beard and some suspenders to complete the look?"
Despite himself, Jason felt his lips twitch upward. "Shut up."
"I'm just saying, if you're going for post-apocalyptic warlord, you might want to workshop your threats a bit more. Maybe practice a menacing glare in reflective surfaces."
"You're the worst AI ever," Jason said, but the tension in his shoulders had eased slightly.
"I prefer 'uniquely calibrated.'"
The banter carried them through the quiet streets, Jason moving more efficiently now that he knew the route. The sun was beginning its descent when the house finally came into view. Its unremarkable facade looked almost welcoming compared to the empty structures surrounding it.
Jason approached cautiously, checking for any signs of disturbance. Finding none, he knocked softly on the door.
"It's Jason," he called, keeping his voice low enough not to carry beyond the porch.
A moment passed. Then another. He was about to knock again when a thin beam of light appeared through a gap in the curtains, sweeping across his face.
"Jason? Is that you?" Haruka's voice came muffled through the door.
"Yeah, it's me. I found the medicine."
The sound of locks being undone followed, and the door cracked open. Misaki peered out first, shotgun visible in her hand, before pulling the door wider. Both women's faces showed visible relief.
"You came back," Misaki said, her usual sharp tone softened with surprise.
"I said I would." Jason stepped inside, immediately shrugging off his pack. "How's Aiko?"
Haruka's face tightened with worry. "Not good. Her fever spiked again about an hour ago."
"Let's go," Jason said, pulling out the antibiotics. "I need to see her."
They led him upstairs to a small bedroom where Aiko lay on a twin bed, her small frame almost lost among the blankets. Her face was flushed, dark hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. Despite her obvious discomfort, her eyes fluttered open when they entered.
"Hey there," Jason said, keeping his voice gentle as he knelt beside the bed. "Remember me? I brought something to help you feel better."
Aiko's gaze was glassy but focused enough to recognize him. She nodded weakly.
Jason turned to Haruka. "I found broad-spectrum antibiotics specifically for typhoid. We'll need to start her on them right away." He pulled out a bottle of pills and a syringe package. "The oral medication is for ongoing treatment, but this injection will work faster for the initial dose."
Haruka nodded, watching intently as Jason prepared the injection with careful precision. His hands, steady even after the day's dangers, worked methodically.
"This might sting a little," he warned Aiko, who merely closed her eyes in response.
The injection went smoothly. Jason then helped her take the first pill with water, explaining to Haruka and Misaki the dosage schedule for the coming days. Throughout it all, Aiko remained quiet, only the occasional wince betraying her discomfort.
"The medicine should start working soon," Jason reassured them. "Her fever should break within 24 to 48 hours."
Aiko's eyes had already begun to droop, exhaustion pulling her back toward sleep. Jason gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before standing up. "Rest now. You'll feel better when you wake up."
The three adults remained by her bedside in silence, watching as her breathing gradually evened out into sleep. The quiet was heavy with unspoken emotions—relief, gratitude, the lingering fear of what might have happened without intervention.
Eventually, they made their way downstairs, leaving Aiko to rest. In the living room, Haruka suddenly turned and wrapped her arms around Jason, burying her face against his chest. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs.
"I don't even know how to thank you," she whispered, voice breaking. "You saved her life."
Jason stood awkwardly for a moment before gently patting her back. He wasn't used to this kind of raw gratitude—it made him uncomfortable, yet touched something deep inside him.
"It's okay," he said simply. When she finally pulled away, wiping at her eyes, Jason reached into his pack and pulled out a small foil package. "I thought we could all use something warm. Found this while I was out."
Misaki took the instant coffee with something like reverence. "I'll make it," she offered, already moving toward the kitchen.
They gathered around the small table under the soft glow of a rechargeable lantern. The coffee was weak but hot, and Jason cradled the mug between his palms, savoring the familiar comfort of the ritual.
Misaki broke the silence first. "What happened out there? While you were looking for the medicine?"
Jason took a slow sip before answering, savoring the warmth that spread through his chest. "Most pharmacies were cleaned out. Found a python big enough to swallow a dog. Oh, and someone rigged a pharmacy with explosives. Nearly blew myself up." He delivered this information with the casual tone of someone discussing a minor inconvenience rather than a brush with death.
Both women stared at him, horror dawning on their faces. Misaki's fingers tightened around her mug, knuckles whitening against the ceramic.
"You were... in an explosion?" Haruka asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes darted over him, searching for injuries she might have missed.
Jason shrugged, wincing slightly as his shoulder protested the movement. "Caught the edge of it. I'm fine." He didn't mention how close it had actually been, how the blast had thrown him to the road hard enough to leave bruises blooming across his back. The ringing in his ears had already stopped but he could still taste the acrid mix of smoke and chemicals at the back of his throat.
"If it weren't for you," Haruka said after a moment, "Aiko would've died. We never would've found that medicine on our own."
"No offense, but if you'd gone yourselves, you probably wouldn't have made it back either," Jason answered honestly. The words weren't meant to be cruel, just factual.
Misaki nodded, accepting this truth without offense. "So what now?" she asked. "What are your plans?"
Jason considered this. "What about you? What are your plans now that you have the medicine?"
The sisters exchanged glances. "We'll stay put until Aiko recovers," Misaki said. "After that... we don't really know. We've been focused on finding medicine for so long, we haven't thought beyond that."
Jason set his mug down, decision already made. "When I leave, I could take you with me. Find you somewhere safer to stay."
"We couldn't ask that of you," Haruka protested. "You've already done so much."
"You're not asking. I'm offering." Jason's voice was firm. "Leaving you behind now would feel wrong. If I've chosen to help, I'll do it right."
The women exchanged another look, a silent conversation passing between them.
"Thank you," Haruka finally said. "Once Aiko is better, we'll... we'll consider it."
Jason nodded, accepting this compromise. They finished their coffee in companionable silence, the events of the day settling around them like dust after a storm.
Later, as Haruka and Misaki headed upstairs to check on Aiko before sleeping, Jason stretched out on the living room couch. His body ached from the day's exertions, muscles protesting as he tried to find a comfortable position.
"You did good today, Jason," Nia's voice came softly in his mind.
Jason chuckled, the sound rough with fatigue. "I almost got myself blown up. Nearly became snake food. Not exactly textbook definition of good."
"And yet... you brought back hope. That's rare out here."
Jason's eyes grew heavy, the pull of sleep becoming irresistible. "Let's just hope I can keep it going tomorrow."
"Then get some rest. Your people need you sharp."
The phrase "your people" lingered in his mind as consciousness began to slip away. Somehow, in the span of a few days, these strangers had become his responsibility. His to protect. His people.
"Thanks, Nia," he murmured, and then surrendered to sleep.