A Hard-learned Lesson Ch. 01

Having felt the freezing embrace of death, the only thing running through my mind is how far I am from home. Mom should be asleep by the time I arrive. I'd do the same, as it's not the first time someone comes back late in the night. Oh, what I'd do to be snuggly lying under the sheets, the gentle warmth enveloping me... Thinking of this, why is my abdomen still so hot? The cabin is at a reasonable temperature and any sign of hypothermia is gone. And yet, there is a hot spot right on my womb, as if something was emitting heat inside.

Soon, the pleasant warmth turns into a fever as I feel my heart throbbing in my temples. My breathing becomes erratic; cold sweats are accompanied with sudden and intense chills. This is bad. Luckily, I pass the outpost's main gate just in time and stop the truck in front of the warehouse. I apologize to the handlers; normally, I would help them, but I'm about to fall over any moment now. They don't seem convinced. I begin my shameful walk home, feeling their judgmental stares on my back. I... I can't do anything right now... My whole body is febrile, almost shaking. Not from the cold, but from something more insidious.

Thoughts intertwine in my mind. Where am I?. My vision is fuzzy. I have a hard time recognizing our living room. Where- I stagger and almost fall to the ground. Without noticing it, I am standing in the middle of my bedroom. How... It's like in this delirious state, my body has a mind of its own... I collapse on my bed, sink into the mattress and, with the last of my energy, pull the duvet over me.