Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.

Chapter 731: Cold, cold, Cassius.

The camp doctor who was summoned emerged from the Zenith medic bay, his face grim, even before touching the child. He took the baby gently and rushed back inside. Immediately he administered the only known treatment for the Stinger’s cocktail of side effects: high fevers, violent hallucinations, heavy loss of blood through the pores and a racking cough.

When he was done, the doctor came out to update those waiting outside. "We have administered Ampicura and blood pills, it is the best treatment for his condition," the doctor muttered, his fingers steady despite the chaos.

"How is he? Please, tell me he’s going to be okay," Denise rasped, her eyes wild.

The doctor sighed, his eyes shifted from Orion to Denise. "I’ve supplemented the treatment with Vita E to boost his immune system, but ma’am, he’s a baby. His body is tiny. All we can do now is pray and wait for the fever to break. That is the biggest challenge right now, if he pulls through then we can deal with the malnutrition and the other symptoms."

While everyone held their collective breath because this was the first stinger case at the camp, Cassius had found a quiet corner. He wasn’t praying for the baby to make it through. He was eating. He had been served a ration fit for a king and was currently filling his stomach with a fervor that bordered on offensive.

But he didn’t care about the stares. It had been days since he had enjoyed a proper meal, and he wasn’t about to let a little bit of atmospheric tragedy ruin his appetite.

"Delicious..." He hummed as he pulled the soft meat off the bone.

The sound of his fork hitting the metal plate was the final straw for Denise. Anger, hot and blinding, consumed her. She marched towards him, her shadow looming over him, and with one swift motion, she kicked the plate right out of his hands.

Clang!

Canned beans and meat sprayed across the floor, it was such a waste but at least the dogs around the medic bay ate it quickly before the humans could reclaim it.

"You monster!" Denise screamed, her voice cracking. "You don’t care about anyone but yourself! How can you sit there and gorge your face while our child is dying? While your own blood is suffering?"

Cassius didn’t even flinch. He looked down at his ruined meal that was almost all gone, then up at her with a look of pure, filtered boredom. He wiped a stray drop of sauce from his chin and scoffed, turning his gaze toward Orion.

"Exhilarating performance, Denise you are always exaggerating situations, you and that baby would be dead by now if I had left you in Crosstown like the rest," Cassius said dryly. Then he turned to the man he really wanted to talk to. "Orion, let’s talk business. How soon can I leave for Fortress Four? All this crying is already starting to grate on me. I need to see my father and tell him about an impeding attack on his base."

Orion rubbed his temples, looking like a man who had aged ten years in five minutes. He had long decided not to get mixed u in the lover’s quarrel, already he could tell that it was a dysfunctional couple. The news of an attack on Fortress four was more important.

The base was not allowed to fall. Without them, their camp would not have a bubble, thick walls and food. They were still waiting for cables to establish cell phone connection. Their radios could not even reach the base and relay this information immediately.

He sighed. "The aircraft just dropped supplies a few days ago, Mr. Quinn. It won’t be back for a while. You’ll have to wait here until the next rotation before it can take you there."

"Or I could fly there?" Cassius muttered to himself.

"You could, but you risk getting bitten by stingers and encountering other flying creatures in the darkness." Orion said, concern lacing his voice. He did not want the Quinns blaming him in case something happened to their son. "The journey from Crosstown to here is way shorter than that from here to Westbrook, you will have to make many stops who knows what you will encounter. In this darkness, no superhuman is willing to take the risk."

Cassius looked up. There was a moon in this place, which had him forget that this was not the case outside. And after the Stinger bit his son, he was wary of the dark now, more than before.

"Fine, I see your point." Cassius’ jaw tightened. Disappointment flared in his chest, but he quickly suppressed it. It wasn’t ideal, but Camp Zenith was fortified and well-stocked. It was a good place to be until he could reach the aircraft’s came back.

"I should have thought it through," Cassius sighed, standing up and brushing the dust off his expensive, albeit tattered, coat. "I suppose that means that I am welcome to stay here for a while. Where am I staying? I trust the accommodations you give me will be better than most people’s." His father was keeping this base fed after all.

Orion glanced briefly at Denise, whose eyes were still burning with a mixture of grief and hatred. He didn’t want a murder on his hands before nightfall, especially not one of a Quinn. It was best to separate these two for now.

"Follow me," Orion said shortly, gesturing toward the back of the settlement. "I’ll show you to your room."

Cassius stopped in his tracks, his face twisting in disgust. "A room? Just one room?" He blocked Orion’s path, crossing his arms. "I am a Quinn. I don’t care if we’re in the middle of an apocalypse, I deserve the best quarters in this entire camp. I won’t sleep where the commoners breathe. If not for my family, you people would have been long dead."

Orion gave a tired nod, not wanting the argument. "You’ll have to manage for now, Mr. Quinn. We’ll find something better for someone of your... status... soon."

They hadn’t walked more than ten feet when a sharp, guttural cry tore through the air. It came from the medic bay. Orion winced and immediately turned back. Cassius sighed, following him with an annoyed roll of his eyes.

Outside the medic bay, Denise was on her knees, wailing as she squeezed a small baby bag against her chest. Her knuckles were white.

Orion looked at the doctor, his eyes asking the question he was too afraid to say out loud.

The doctor just shook his head, looking exhausted. "I informed her," he whispered. "that the fever took him. They brought him in too late. Not even the miracle cures could help him."

Cassius hissed a breath through his teeth, looking bored by the scene. "Well, that was to be expected," he muttered, stepping back into the fresh air. He tapped Orion on the shoulder. "Now, enough of this. Take me to my quarters. I’m exhausted."