Dark Fever

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He was relieved to hear she wasn't hurt, but Gabriel was not sure exactly WHAT she was doing as the silence stretched between them and it made him nervous. He willed his body not to tense again, his sixth sense telling him that whatever she was up to, it wasn't dangerous and that was enough for him even if he didn't like being in the dark....well, quite literally right now. He could smell the interest on her, though, and truthfully, his own was peaked, too.

She seemed like someone who could blend in easily, someone who would stay out of trouble and yet she'd helped him. What had made her do it? What lay in her past that she couldn't just walk away from someone in need of help like so many did?

Gabriel was aware that he wasn't going to get his answers tonight - or maybe ever - and when she spoke again, he readily accepted her escape of sleep, smiling a bit. "We both should." he agreed and then looked out at the storm, the thunder rumbling overhead still and the rain pouring. It wasn't like they could go anywhere right now. He glanced back down at where he knows his wound is and grimaces. Probably should take care of that first.

Gabriel sighed, moving away from the wall a little, sitting up so he could get his backpack off. He looked at Cassandra then and tilted his head in an almost animal-like way, his dirty blond hair drying and now falling to the side of his head with his movement. "Do you know how to sew?" If not, he can, but it's always hard to sew on one's self...
 
Cassandra was hesitant to answer. "...Yes, a little bit," she admitted. Her sewing skills were about as good as her medicinal skills and she was nervous about sewing up a real person as opposed to fabric. Sewing skin meant a lot less room for error. "Do you have a thread and needle?" She asked mainly as a formality. She figured he must have, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered to reach for his bag. Again, her curiosity rose as she wondered what else he kept in the bag.

It's probably all just practical stuff. Still, I wish I had x-ray vision... wait a moment, does he? I don't even know what his powers are. Heightened reflexes for sure, and he has those fangs...but what else?

As she waited for Gabriel to get the thread and needle, she mentally tossed around ways to figure out what his infected abilities were. It was not uncommon for the infected to be very private about their powers and she didn't think Gabriel was the type to easily part with that information. Still, it was worth a shot.

"...You ran fast back there. I was lucky enough to become fast after I was infected but you were even faster than me. You must have gotten a pretty lucky draw with the virus, huh?"
 
Gabriel nodded at her question about the needle and thread and while he knew exactly where they were, finding the right pocket in the dark with only his fingers was not easy. Still, he didn't ask for help, wanting to keep his personal things to himself. As nice as she was and as much as she was helping him, they didn't know one another and they might be parting in the morning anyway. They might never see each other again and when people parted ways quickly, it was better not to share too much information. You never know who the person you talked to today is going to run into tomorrow. It could be the government.

He'd finally found the small plastic container carrying the needle and thread, and absentmindedly he rubbed his thumb over the marine symbol even though he couldn't see it. He knew it was there and that's what mattered. Gabriel looked up at Cassandra's comment and he couldn't help but smile, fangs showing briefly before he hid them again and shook his head. He wished immediately that he hadn't as his temples spiked with fire and his eyes swam with pain. Now that he knew she could see in the dark, Gabriel could only hope she thought it was his side that was causing him the discomfort.

"I don't know if it could be called luck, but yeah, I got a bit more than most do." He glanced at her again, handing her the case with the needle and thread as he studied her profile in the dark, seeming to debate before he finally spoke, his dark amber eyes both wary and yet strangely friendly at the same time. "How about I tell you what I can do if you tell me what you can do?" A power for a power.
 
Cassandra took the box and briefly glanced at the marine symbol on the front. She felt like she was asking Gabriel a lot of questions already so she decided to save this one for later. She opened the box and took out the contents. As she thread the needle, she silently debated on whether or not to take up his offer. She had no doubt that he had deduced her night vision by now and that was her most significant ability. At this point, she didn't figure it would matter if he knew the rest.

"Well...I can see in the dark, but I'm guessing you already figured that out. I can also move faster than normal humans and I have better than average balance. Lastly, I just....seem to know things. It's hard to explain. Like I have a really strong gut instinct. It's not very refined but it channels every new stimulus into either 'threat' or 'nonthreat'. It has saved my life more than once but... it's not perfect. I've been wrong before." Her voice dropped slightly at the end and she briefly retreated into her thoughts before catching herself. "...That's it. What about you?"

As she waited for him to answer, she finished threading the needle and scooted close to him again. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then carefully began to sew the skin back up.
 
Gabriel listened to her carefully, far more carefully than was normal, but he knew most people didn't really pick up on that and she was busy. He wasn't surprised by her abilities - most infected talents didn't surprise him anymore - but he found himself curious about her last statement. She's been betrayed before. He could garner that much from her tone and her phrasing, but not how badly it had affected her and he knew only asking about the event could reveal the information to him.

But Gabriel wasn't a hypocrite and whatever he was willing to reveal about himself was what he asked others about. So he didn't give in to the temptation to question her and instead got to holding up his end of the bargain.

"I've got heightened reflexes, as I am sure you noted, and my sense of hearing and smell are stronger than an average human. I've got my fangs and-" He cut off, gritting said fangs and teeth as she started on his skin, taking a shuddering breath as he made himself lean back against the stone and looked up at the cave ceiling. He told himself it would be over soon. He just really wished his body believed that as he had to work to keep it from jerking away from Cassandra. Attempting to distract himself - and not knowing if he'd succeed - Gabriel started to speak again, starting again where he'd stopped.

"And a sixth-sense. It kinda only works when it wants to, though. Not sure why." He closed his eyes, sucking in a sharp breath at a particularly strong surge of pain and let the air out slowly, fists clenched around his pants, keeping them still. "I can also talk....talk to animals. Only predator's though."
 
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Cassandra knew that getting the stitches must be incredibly painful so she tried not to dawdle. Her hands were shaking from the cold but she did her best to steady them and she kept her eyes glued to her work as she listened to him. "...The virus was good to you. I've never met anybody that could talk to animals before. That must be handy." As she spoke though, she tensed ever so slightly. She recognized that Gabriel's powers outmatched hers and the thought made her uncomfortable. Had he not been injured and rendered not a threat, she wondered if she would have remained in the cave with him at all.

After a few minutes, she finished sewing up the wound. She bit the connected thread away and put the remaining thread and needle back into the box before handing it to him. "Sorry it took so long. I wanted to make sure I didn't mess up."
 
Gabriel sensed she was uneasy for some reason, but his mind was so fogged with pain right now that he didn't try to figure it out and when she spoke, he only nodded, feeling sick. He carefully put the small case back in his bag and then attempted a smile that he was pretty sure didn't succeed. "Thanks. You did good."

His words were slow and his reactions had become even more so. Gabriel wasn't even really aware he was falling asleep until thunder crashed and he jumped, startled by it. The sudden motion jarred his side and his head simultaneously and he bit back a whimper, trying to gain some composer before he looked at Cassandra.

"I think I'm going to pass out now."

He gave her a slightly lopsided grin despite the pain that swam in his eyes before carefully laying down on his uninjured side. He didn't even hear the next peel of thunder, falling into blessed darkness where nothing hurt anymore and his body could recuperate from the blood-loss.
 
Cassandra watched him as he quickly drifted to sleep and for a few minutes, she remained sitting where she was, just thinking. She glanced over at his bag and a thought struck her that she could easily root through his stuff if she wanted to. Gabriel seemed very much unconscious and he wouldn't be any wiser. If anything, she could just check to see if he had anything fishy or dangerous in there.

She was heavily considering the idea until she turned her gaze back to him. Seeing him hurt and asleep weakened her resolve and she quieted the distrustful thoughts she harbored. He was not a threat - at least not yet. Until he healed, she would have more time to judge his character. Besides, whose to say he would even stick around until the next morning? With that in mind, Cassandra took back her hoodie and put it on again. Blood and rain water covered it but she was cold and she felt more at peace with her hoodie on.

She laid down on the ground and closed her eyes. Her curiosities and suspicions kept her up for a little while but eventually the need for rest overtook her and she fell into a deep sleep as well.
 
Gabriel woke to....the rain. He found himself blinking at it in confusion as he sat up slowly. Why was it raining? When had it started raining? The male winced as his side flared in pain and he looked down at it with as much confusion as he'd watched the rain with, his fingers coming to touch the stitches and blood oozing out. When...had he gotten hurt? This was fairly new....it had to have been recently...

Where was he?

Dark amber eyes looked around at the dark cave and then settled on the young woman sleeping only a few feet away. Panic flashed through his system, but it was just as quickly pressed down as something told him that the emotion wasn't needed. No, there was something niggling at his mind...he just couldn't grasp it yet. He was always doing that, forgetting. Gabriel blinked, his fingers coming to his temple as he frowned and closed his eyes, feeling a small twinge of pain when he started to think, but he ignored it. Forgetting...that...that was meaningful. What was he forgetting?

What did he always forget?
 
It wasn't long after Gabriel woke up that Cassandra began to stir. She sat up groggily and glanced at the cave entrance. To her surprise, it was still raining and that meant she wasn't going anywhere for a while, which was fine by her since it seemed like every one of her muscles ached horribly.

She took a couple moments to get her bearings and she recounted the events of the previous day. She turned to Gabriel to see if he was still sleeping but when she saw that he was already awake - not just awake, but seemingly troubled and deep in thought, she felt a twinge of fear. "...Is everything okay?" she asked cautiously.
 
Gabriel started, looking over at her and for a long minute he simply stared at her, his dark amber eyes studying her slim build, her black hair that looked like it had been rained on, long down her back and then her vivid blue eyes. His eyes stayed locked on hers, seeming to seek something, but whatever it was, he didn't find it with her and he looked away, swallowing hard. He didn't recognize her. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was supposed to know her though and Gabriel slowly looked back at the young woman.

He was unsure how she'd take his next question as she already seemed to be wary of him, but she was the only person here and he had to try. The worst she could do was not answer, but somehow, he didn't feel that she would do that. Despite her fear, her eyes were kind and he had hope that her demeanor was the same.

"I....what is your name?" Maybe if he knew...he'd remember....
 
Cassandra felt her stomach drop. The way he had stared at her for so long had already put her on edge and now her mind was racing for possible answers to explain his behavior. Still, she answered his question, at the very least so she wouldn't risk angering him. "My name is Cassandra. You... don't remember? We met yesterday in town. We were running from the government agents..." she said gently.

She resisted the urge to scoot further away from him. Every conclusion she had made about him the day before was now thrown into question and she decided it would be best to play her cards carefully until she could figure out what exactly was going on and more importantly, whether or not she was still safe while in the vicinity of this man.
 
Cassandra.

Somehow he'd know just knowing her name would trigger something - though, he wasn't sure how he'd known - and Gabriel gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as memories suddenly flooded over him. Going into town. Being spotted. Running. Dark hair. Blue eyes. Rain. Thunder. A rock wall. Questions. Blood. Pain. Needles and thread. Sleep. Cassandra.

Dark amber eyes open again and Gabriel let out a sigh that was really a shaky breath before looking over at the young woman again and giving her a small, slightly sheepish, slightly reassuring smile. He wasn't really sure what to say, but figured the truth would probably be best. She looked as if she was going to bolt as it was. "I'm sorry. I didn't...didn't mean to scare you. I...don't always remember things really well. It's been ongoing for a while...or at least I think it has. I forgot to tell you...I'm really sorry." He was babbling now and Gabriel made himself stop, running a nervous hand back through his hair and avoiding looking at Cassandra.

Yeah, that would be what he always forgot; to tell whoever was with him.
 
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Cassandra was quiet for a few moments as she processed the information. She relaxed marginally when he explained himself but she still couldn't shake the feeling of unease and the nagging suspicion that Gabriel might be turning feral. "It's....okay. You just took me by surprise. Um...how long ago did you start having the short-term memory problem? Do you know what brought it on?"

In the back of her mind, she dimly observed that Gabriel's bashfulness was awfully endearing and her heart went out to him and his efforts to reassure her. That only lasted a split second though - she forcibly crushed the feelings with cold logic and the raw need to survive. She reminded herself that he was not to be trusted and with her resolve steeled, she met his gaze, trying to read him the best she could.
 
Gabriel recognized the new hardness in her eyes instantly, having seen it enough times to know what it meant. He'd actually seen it directed at him a lot, especially after the second day together. It was why he didn't travel with people. He knew that much. He didn't always remember why he was alone when pairing up could actually be beneficial, but now, seeing Cassandra's wariness, he remembered all too clearly. People didn't trust each other anyway and he...he was simply too great a puzzle for anyone to want to solve. Even HE struggled to solve it sometimes. It was frustrating, not knowing things day to day, randomly forgetting something he'd known forever, learning new talents he'd forgotten he knew...

The male seemed to sober immediately at Cassandra's demeanor and he was careful to stay on his side of the cave, not wanting to alarm her.

"I think it was six years ago. I was nineteen. I got...hurt kinda badly. It's been strange ever since and it doesn't just affect my short-term memory."

He looked straight at her then, something almost defensive in his voice. He'd done this enough times over the years to know what people thought. "It doesn't have anything to do with the virus. I'm not crazy or feral or going to attack you."
 
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Again, Cassandra was quiet for a few moments as she took the information in. It did reassure her when Gabriel addressed her concerns directly - at least he had been aware of the impression he was making on her and that was a good sign. However, a mental problem could be just as dangerous as a viral one and she made a note to keep a close watch on him. At the same time though, she didn't want things to be unnecessarily tense between them, especially since Gabriel appeared apologetic and back to the self he had been the day before. Cassandra took a deep breath and exhaled to calm herself. "I'm sorry. I just... wasn't sure. If that's all it is, then it's no big deal, right?"

"So...how is your wound? Did the stitches last?" She tried to change the subject, hoping to get rid of some of the tension between them.
 
No, it was a really big deal. It was big deal when he woke up and couldn't remember his own name for hours or when he woke not knowing where he was and how he'd gotten there. It was a problem when nothing jogged his memory and he wandered for days unsure where he was supposed to be going, unable to remember if something had happened, if he'd met anyone, when he'd last eaten, if he was safe or running...

It was big deal, but Gabriel didn't correct her. When this rain let up, they'd go their separate ways and she could forget about him. He was sure he'd forget about her until one random day the memory showed up again....maybe. It still wasn't reassuring in the least, though.

He sighed, letting the topic go as Cassandra seemed to want to and he looked down at his side, lifting his shirt a little to look at the bullet graze. "They're holding together. You did good." The words, from his own mouth, made him blink and he tilted his head and looked at Cassandra, dark amber eyes amused and blond hair falling into his face again, now thoroughly dry and wild. "I already said that, didn't I?"

Not really waiting for an answer, he looked back into the rain and rose to his feet, walking to the entrance of the cave, his movement like that of a cat, graceful and sure, powerful, but in such a way that it looks natural. Gabriel leaned against the rock, crossing his arms and looking up at the sky. "I haven't seen it rain like this for a while." Well, at least not that he can remember.
 
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"It rarely rains anymore. I heard rumors that there are parts of the States where it rains frequently and there is green grass and trees...but I have never seen it. I feel like most of the rumors I come across are just wishful thinking. Then again, people always say that behind every rumor is at least a little bit of truth." Cassandra was talking without purpose now but she didn't know what else to do. The air between her and Gabriel still felt weird and she wondered whether she should have concealed her suspicions better. She did have to share a cave with him after all; did she really have to bring her concerns to light? She could have played along like everything was okay until the clouds parted and she could leave.

The thought of leaving also inexplicably saddened her though. As much as Gabriel made her nervous, he also intrigued her. She wondered about his past and powers and aside from the short-term memory issue, he was pleasant company. Coming across other infected was rare and even then, most of them were hostile or distrustful to the point where no friendship could ever foster.

Cassandra ruminated in these thoughts, unaware that she had gone from uncharacteristically talkative to broodily silent.
 
Gabriel didn't look back at her, but something she'd said stirred a memory and he found himself fascinated by it as it hovered just out of reach. That...rarely happened. He usually met people and then the next day - sometimes- forgot them, they told him who they were, he remembered and that was the end of it. It was rare that someone could spark more memories he'd forgotten, memories not related to the person in question and the male tentatively let this new one flow over him.

He found his eyes widening at the sudden information that seeped into him and he turned his head quickly to look at Cassandra. Immediately noting that she seemed to be in deep thought, he stilled his abrupt movements and instead approached her on silent feet, staying at least three feet away before he crouched, balanced easily on the balls of his feet. His voice was quiet, but there was an air of...something different to it, like he was suddenly acting his age or even older, almost like he knew more than she did despite it being him who had the memory problem.

"There is truth in it. I have seen it."
 
Cassandra blinked in surprise and met his gaze, her eyes wide with wonder and even hope. If the memory had made Gabriel act his age or older, it had the opposite effect on Cassandra. It was one of the few times in her life that she was so fascinated by an idea that she forgot her caution. "You have?! Where? What was it like?" It didn't even cross her mind that Gabriel might be lying or insane. She had spent years dreaming of the pre-bombed world and what it had been like. She had read tattered books and heard stories about forests and meadows and other greenery. The possibility that any of that still existed absolutely floored her.

She hungered for more knowledge and couldn't help but fidget. Gabriel hadn't had a chance to answer her first questions when several more popped into her head. "Did you see any of the extinct animals? What did the air smell like? Can you take me there?" Suddenly, that was the only question that mattered. "Can you take me there?" she repeated, more urgently this time.
 
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