The Beneath (23 page)

“You need to know the right people,” I said vaguely.

“Now Will is all right, can you help Reilly?” Carita reached out towards me, hope on her face at last.

I rummaged in the pile of medicines, reading the sides of the packets until I found the one I wanted.

“This one is for babies. The bottle has powder in it. Fill it up to the line with clean water and give it a good shake, then feed him two of these tiny spoonfuls three times a day,” I said, reading the leaflet and fishing out the spoon from the bottom of the box.

“Thank you, I’ll take it to him now. One of my friends is looking after him for me. I didn’t want to bring him in here.” She gave me an apologetic smile.

“Does anyone else need medicine right now? Do you want to take more?”

“No, Reilly is the only one who might be sick at the moment. The Farmer will want to see this before anyone else has any, I’m sure.”

With Will comfortable, all we could do was wait. Aria and I sat and watched Will, taking it in turns to sponge him down. It was slow going though, and nothing we could do was going to hurry it up. Hour after hour we sat there, barely speaking. Eventually Carita arrived back with some food, a mostly tasteless sort of stew, but as none of us had eaten for hours we ate it greedily. I tried not to think about what the slightly stringy meat might be. Shortly after that we could hear a distant bell ringing.

“We heard that before, Aria. Is it some sort of lights-out warning?”

She had started on another round of sponging, trying to help keep Will’s temperature down, but paused and turned towards me.

“Yes, that’s the warning to return to the sleeping quarters. People don’t walk around while we are sleeping; it’s not allowed.” She looked around our room. “I guess they’re not going to make us go to the dormitories. The Farmer told me earlier that I can stay here with you two.”

She looked at Will for a moment.

“We may be winning, Lily. He seems quieter, don’t you think?”

She smiled at him briefly and sponged his shoulder tenderly. It was almost heartbreaking to watch, and I had to swallow hard, unable to speak.

Along with the stew, Carita had brought a tiny candle so that we could watch Will in the dark. It had only been lit for a moment before all the overhead lights blinked out. Aria was still next to him, sitting on the floor with her chin resting on her knees.

“As you’re stuck here now, Carita, why don’t you and Lily try and get some sleep?” said Aria. “I’ll look after him for a while.”

“There’s no way I’m going to sleep. I’m far too wound up,” I said.

“Well, lie down and rest then. Who knows what’ll happen tomorrow?”

She had a point, so I stretched out on the hard stone floor, and as I shut my eyes I felt the need to sleep crashing
over me like a wave. Within seconds, I was gone.

Lily is asleep at last. She must need it; she’s been up for hours and hours. Days maybe. I still don’t know what she did to get the medicines, I think she’s worried about talking in front of some of the others, but they’ve all gone now. Everyone is asleep apart from me. Even Will.

He is lying almost motionless on the thin sheet. He always seemed so strong but I’m not sure that their medicine was in time. Despite what I said he doesn’t look any better to me, but then he’s not dead yet either, so we have to keep trying.

In the dim light of the candle I can see the outlines of Carita and Lily, and I think about the events that have brought us all here together. And I think about Dane and his new plan for Lily. I can’t believe that he had the nerve to suggest it, or that the Farmer would actually approve it. If the drugs work though, what will they do? With the right drugs we can save the babies, and won’t need new Breeders from Above. Will Dane – and the Farmer – let her go? The questions go round and round my mind for ages until I hear a noise. Carita is waking up.

“Hello, Aria. Let me take over for a bit. I was able to get some rest earlier so I’m not so tired now. You must be exhausted.”

“I’m all right for a while.” I nod towards Will, who looks nearly dead in the flickering light. “Do you think he looks any better? I’m not sure I do.”

“It’s impossible to tell in this gloom. How long was I asleep?”

“Not so long. We’ve got ages before the lights come back on.”

Carita stretches and looks over at Lily, who is sleeping up against the far wall.

“Good, she looks as if she needs the rest.”

“Lily said that we’ll have to give him some more medicine in a bit, but I can do it. I don’t think we’ll need to disturb her.”

“How does she know all this stuff?” Carita whispers to me. “It’s as if she was a Breeder and had a child of her own.”

“She told me that she had baby brothers – twins – and that she used to help her mother with them.”

“And where on earth did all the medicines come from?”

“I don’t know. I remember her telling me that Nan had a lot of medicine, but why would anyone have all this?”

“Who is Nan?”

“She’s the woman Lily lives with, but she’s not a relative. Apparently that’s very odd up Above. All her family have moved away, or that’s what Will told me. I think they left her behind and she went to live with Nan, and all Lily’s old friends now hate her.”

“Oh, she must be upset about that. Is she Assigned to Will?”

“I don’t think so. I did ask him that and he just looked
uncomfortable. I think it’s time for the next dose of medicine, don’t you?”

I had only heard the last few sentences, but it was clear that Aria and Will had been talking about me. It was also clear that the thought of being with me wasn’t something he was enthusiastic about. I swallowed hard as an unexpected surge of emotion overwhelmed me.

They were leaning over Will, giving him the antibiotics that I’d left out and looking at him as if he were the most important person in the world. Just like Mum used to look at the twins. The thought slipped out before I had the chance to squash it, and a tear of self-pity suddenly dripped on my cheek. I had no idea why my own parents preferred my brothers to me, or were so ready to abandon me and move to the other side of the world. When I’d suggested staying in London to do my exams I didn’t think for a minute that they would agree with me. I thought they’d want me with them, helping with the boys, being a family. But I was wrong. Mum had leapt at the idea and before I knew what was happening my stuff was at Nan’s place and my kitten had been rehomed. I’d barely heard from them since they’d gone – a few Skype calls on the computer and that was it.

Everything finally slotted into place, and everything I felt that I knew and understood blurred slightly. It all made sense if what Dane said was true. If I was adopted wouldn’t my parents prefer their own biological children?
Was that man really my father? What would my life have been like if I’d stayed? I couldn’t imagine growing up under the rules and constraints of the Community.

Nothing about who I was and where I belonged made sense any more, and I felt an icy hand clutch at my heart. I was utterly alone.

Watching Aria tenderly looking after Will was too painful, and I didn’t want any more responsibility. I curled up into a small ball on my side and let the tears flow silently until I cried myself back to sleep.

It must have been quite a long time later when I woke. The room was nearly in darkness, the candle burned down to a tiny stub. Across the room I could see Aria slumped up against the wall, sound asleep. Carita was curled up next to her. Will was lying perfectly still in the middle of the room.

I struggled up, instantly awake, and scrambled over next to him. He looked peaceful in the shadows, the dark smudges cleared from under his eyes and the sheen of sweat finally gone. I had been too late with the antibiotics.

Will was dead.

I couldn’t find it in myself to cry; he looked so much better now his long battle was done.

Rocking back on my heels I took a deep breath. I couldn’t believe that I was never going to talk to him again, never going to feel his kiss. I had to get back Above to tell his mum, as I’d promised, to let her know
that her brave son had died trying to help someone else. I had to escape. I turned back towards Will to say goodbye, to memorise his face before I had to leave it forever, and suddenly the tears came, blurring my vision. Unchecked, the hot, fat tears streamed down my cheeks, and I sat next to his body for a while, weeping silently for my friend. Finally I leaned over to kiss his forehead, and a tear dripped on to his cheek from mine.

He twitched. Stunned, I wiped my eyes and looked closer, leaning over and stroking his cheek just once. He stirred, and opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, before giving a distinct snore.

“We did it,” I breathed to the sleeping room. “We saved his life.”

CHAPTER 20

Since returning to the Community I’d come to a strange sense of acceptance. It was pointless to try and come between Aria and Will – all I would do was make both of them hate me. We’d been through so much together, and if that was how it was, so be it. I didn’t know how much time any of us had left and it seemed stupid to waste any of it.

The candle was practically burned out when Aria stirred. As she sat up I motioned to her to be quiet because Will was asleep. A broad grin spread across her face.

“Really? Is he honestly all right?” she whispered, looking between Will and me.

I nodded, my hand hovering over his. But I couldn’t bring myself to touch him so I let it fall back. “He’s
sleeping like a baby.”

“I can’t believe it. I’ve never seen anyone recover from the sickness. I wish we’d had those medicines before.”

She turned and shook Carita. “Wake up,” she hissed. “The medicines have worked! You must see if Reilly is better!”

“What?” said Carita. “It really works? Let me see!”

Jumping up she leapt over towards Will, placing one hand on his forehead and feeling for his pulse with the other. Without waking up he shook her off and turned over, exhaling heavily.

“It works,” she breathed, picking up one of the packets of pills and turning them over in her hands. “Reilly is going to live.”

“I hope so,” I said. “Why don’t you go to him?”

“It’s curfew until the lights come on. None of us would dare to walk around in the dark.”

As she spoke there was the sound of a distant bell and the light bulb hanging from the centre of the room started to glow dimly.

Carita stood up immediately.

“I must go. Thank you, Lily, for everything – for saving my baby.”

“Here,” I said, jumping up and handing her a bottle of Calpol. “Take this too. If he gets a temperature, give him one small spoonful, no more than two times a day. He shouldn’t really have it until he is two months old, but it’s worth you taking it now, just in case of
another emergency.”

“Thank you.” She turned to Aria and the pair of them held hands for a moment. “I hope that I see you again, sister. Fight hard.”

Aria nodded, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “Look after Reilly. Keep yourself safe.”

They dropped hands and nodded at each other, then Carita was gone. A single tear ran down Aria’s cheek and she brushed it away quickly.

“The Farmer will be here soon. We must be ready.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “What do we need to do?”

“We have to save our lives,” she said simply, gathering the boxes of antibiotics together and giving them to me.

As we spoke, Will stirred, turning back over and sighing. Finally he opened his eyes. His skin was no longer that horrible grey colour but a healthy pink, and his still-damp hair was sticking up in all directions. To me he looked absolutely gorgeous, and it was all I could do not to reach out and touch him.

“Hi,” I said, trying to sound brisk. “How are you feeling now?” He sat up, stretching out his shoulders and back, and I had to look away before I went completely beetroot.

“Back’s a bit stiff,” he said. “Feels as if I’ve been sleeping on a stone floor.”

He caught my eye and smiled, tapping his palm down on the smooth rock beneath his thin sheet. As he looked
down at the stone he stopped suddenly.

“Um, Lily, I don’t seem to be wearing my shirt. Any chance of getting it back?”

I scrambled up quickly so he couldn’t see my cheeks, which were burning.

“It’s just over here. We had to take it off to sponge you down, keep you cool. Sorry.”

He took the shirt from my outstretched hand. “Hey, don’t apologise. I don’t remember too much. What happened?”

I was working out where to start when Aria leapt in.

“You got the sickness, Will, the one that kills our babies. You got an infected cut, probably from something that bit you. It’s really dangerous for people who aren’t immune.”

She moved over and sat down next to him The two of them looked so comfortable together, and I could feel myself welling up. I didn’t want to cry – he was getting better, it was all good, and I had to focus on that.

“I remember being in the big room,” he said, “then it all gets a bit hazy. I had a strange dream about you, Lily. I thought you might have escaped.”

“She volunteered to go up and get the medicine to save you,” said Aria. “Without her you’d be dead by now.”

“Really? Wow, Lily, thank you.”

He turned towards me, but I looked away.

“You’d have done the same for any of us,” I said,
shrugging as I busied myself arranging the medicine boxes in the bag.

“So where exactly did all those come from?”

I glanced towards the opening into the corridor. I still didn’t know who was out there, and I couldn’t risk exposing Nan to anyone else.

“I’ll tell you later; it’s not important. What’s good is that you’re well and that they now have something to give to the babies.”

At that point there was a brief commotion outside in the corridor, and the Farmer swept into the room, followed by Mason and Lance, and three other men I’d not seen before. Behind them were several women. Within seconds the place was packed, and I was glad that Aria had suggested getting everything together – we were in danger of getting trampled. Will and I turned so that we were facing the crowd.

“We should have run the minute you woke,” I whispered to Will from behind my hand. “I’m not sure I like the look of this.”

As I spoke the Farmer looked Will up and down.

“Are you fully recovered?” he demanded.

“Much better than I was, thank you.”

There was a hushed silence as everyone waited to hear what the Farmer was going to say.

“Where is the other? Bring her here.”

The crowd parted as if it had been unzipped, and Aria was nudged forward. Someone got hold of my arm too,
thrusting me forward so hard that I nearly dropped the carrier bag.

With a brief glance at Aria the Farmer turned his back and started walking towards the door, scattering the crowd of women at the back who were peering over the men’s shoulders, trying to get a glimpse of Will.

“Bring the girls to my rooms,” he called over his shoulder as he swept out.

Mason and Lance took Aria and me by the arms and led us back down the corridor to the fancier rooms we had been in the day before. I craned my neck as we walked but I couldn’t see Will.

“Are they bringing Will?” I whispered to Aria when we were close enough to speak. “Do you think that he’ll be OK?”

She shrugged, her face white and her eyes full of fear. I had been feeling quite confident that I could talk us out of the mess, now that Will was OK, but seeing her face all my bravado deserted me. She looked as if she was on her way to a firing squad.

The sick taste is back in my mouth. There’s no way that the Farmer is going to let us all go, not when he needs Feeders. Lily is clutching the bag of medicines, the only thing that stands between her and the end. The Farmer sweeps ahead of us into his personal chamber and sits in his special chair behind the desk. We stand facing him. I look at Lily, who is still looking around frantically. Dane
and Will are not with us.

I want to see his face again before the end. Whatever deal Lily thinks she’s negotiated, there’s no way they are letting me go. I’m done for. Lily seems confident, though, as she stands there, facing the Farmer.

We wait, the blood pounding in my ears. The Farmer opens his book before looking up at Lily.

“How can we be sure it was your medicine that cured him?”

Lily stands up a little straighter.

“No one can be sure that it was the antibiotics. But Aria and Carita believed that Will was as good as dead before I gave him the medicine.”

Lily turns to look at me so I nod quickly, not daring to speak myself.

“And how do we know that it will be the same for the children?”

“I gave Carita some medicine for Reilly. Has he improved?” asks Lily. She pauses, but there is no answer. “Look, I’ve kept my side of the bargain. I’ve brought you medicines you couldn’t get for yourselves and saved my friend. The three of us should be free to go.”

“The three of you?”

“Of course. Me, Aria and Will.” She hesitates and looks around. “Where is Will?”

The Farmer puts up his hand to silence her.

“Enough. Show me the medicine.”

Lily hesitates for a fraction of a second before walking
forward with her bag. Then she reaches into it and starts pulling out the packets, transferring them into the crook of her arm.

“OK, so what we have here is a whole range of amoxycillin, in different formulations. Some of them are branded, others are generic, and obviously the dosage varies. There’s tablets, filled capsules and some bottles of the powder for the paediatric suspension. Those need reconstituting with the appropriate amount of water. We’ve also got an emergency treatment for anaphylactic shock.”

She sounds as if she is talking in code, and as she talks she’s piling up the boxes in her arm, creating a tottering mound.

“And to be really effective you also need a good paediatric analgesic such as paracetamol, and that’s here. I need to be careful with some of that as it’s pre-diluted in glass bottles and I don’t want to drop them.”

She sets the bottles on the table, then stops and looks at the Farmer.

“All clear then? Here they are.”

He stares at her.

“And how exactly do they all work?”

“I’ve just explained all that. Now, where is my friend?”

“You’ll get your friend when I get my information.”

“I’ve told you everything I’m going to. When Will is back here I might remember a bit more.”

There is a silence in the room. No one has ever spoken
to the Farmer like that. I see his knuckles whiten, then he reaches for one of the bottles on the table. He glances at the label and puts it down again.

Everyone is still, waiting, then Lily steps forward and drops all the cardboard packets on the desk. They sit in a pile between her and the Farmer. The seconds seem to last forever.

“Bring the boy!” he commands.

Lily continues to stand there, making no effort to clear up the boxes. We wait, listening, and finally there is the sound of hurrying feet. Moments later, Dane and Will appear in the room. My heart leaps as I see him and I heave a huge but silent sigh of relief that both of them seem all right.

“You OK?” he mouths to Lily.

She nods. “You too?”

He looks at me and I nod as well. Dane is leaning against the wall, as if he doesn’t care what’s going on, but he keeps glancing over at us. No one speaks. The Farmer sits back in his chair.

“Continue,” he orders, waving an arm in the direction of the medicines.

Lily picks up the first packet.

“I’m going to need a pen and paper.”

The Farmer looks towards Dane, who is closest to the door. “Paper then, and quickly. It’s time to get this finished.”

Lily flicks a quick glance at me, and then at Will. I see
her hand is shaking. What does the Farmer mean?

After a few minutes Dane reappeared and handed me a lined pad of paper and a cheap biro.

“Write down what we need to know,” commanded the Farmer.

I started working my way through the packets. Using my best, clear handwriting I made a list of the different types of antibiotic, most of which were just varying brands of amoxycillin. I couldn’t believe that all the stuff Nan used to go on about had sunk in enough to be useful. Then I wrote down exactly what we’d done for Will, and what they ought to do for a baby. As I wrote I was conscious of a couple of the other men in the room edging closer. I froze for a second then realised that they were just watching me put pen to paper. When I had finished, I straightened up. The Farmer was looking at me too.

“None of this will be of any use to anyone who can’t read. Please make sure they know what to do.”

He said nothing as I handed the pad and pen to Dane along with the medicines, which I’d repacked in the bag as I went. As I stepped back next to Will the Farmer relaxed further into his chair, placing his elbows on the arms and tenting his fingers under his chin.

“So, we have the medicine we need, and you have saved your friend. Your time here is done.”

“Does that mean we can go?” I asked, incredulous.

He gave a sharp incline of his head.

“Thank you, but I’m not going anywhere without Aria,” I said, folding my arms. “That was our deal – all three of us, remember?”

The Farmer sighed. “You dare to challenge me again? You are a very foolish girl.” He stood up, and all the people in the room took a step backwards. “There will be no arguments from any of you. Dane, take Aria back to the cells. Mason, escort these two back to the lift. I will join you there shortly.”