Plague Nation by Dana Fredsti Read Free Book Online Page A

again to give Lil something to fight for, and bring a smile to her face.
    She looked up, and I could see that her sea-green eyes were red-rimmed with recent tears. I crossed the room and sat on the edge of her bed.
    “You okay?”
    She shook her head. Binkey opened one eye and yawned.
    “You know you will be, though. Right?” I offered.
    She gave me a wan smile.
    Binkey stretched and patted Lil on the face with one paw as if in agreement, before coiling back up in a ball.
    “See? Binkey says so.” I gave my feline ally a scritch on the head, making sure to pet Doodle, too, just in case he was paying attention.
    I wasn’t sure if it was better or worse to see Lil go from gleeful slayer to this less manic but totally depressed state. Lately there didn’t seem to be much of an in-between, and I didn’t know if it was the continued emotional strain of not knowing what had happened to her mother, or something else. I’d started thinking of Lil as the little sister I’d never had. We looked enough alike to be related, both of us with green eyes and brown hair, although mine was a few shades darker. She had a lot of hair, that girl, like a fairy-tale princess.
    “I’ll be okay,” Lil said, staring off at the wall. “As soon as I find Mom.”
    Not knowing what else to say, I patted her on the shoulder, got up, and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth.
    As I reached for the toothpaste, I knocked a pill bottle off the sink. The lid popped off and a tablet skittered on the tiles behind the toilet. Grumbling, I scooped up the pill and put it back in the bottle, making sure the lid was screwed on tightly this time. I glanced at the label—it was Clozapine, prescribed to Lil. Something else she’d retrieved when we’d gone to her apartment for Binkey and Doodle.
    I brought the bottle with me when I left the bathroom and shook it.
    “Lil, you’re almost out of these. Do we need to get you more?”
    She glanced up from her book. “Nah, no big deal.”
    “Are you sure?” I must have sounded doubtful, because Lil abruptly threw her book down on the bed and sat up, dislodging both cats. Okay, Doodle just rolled a few inches down the pillow and went back to sleep, while Binkey looked up, yawned and jumped off the bed in search of food.
    “I’m sure!” she snapped. “I can handle it. It’s none of your business anyway, okay?”
    Whoa. I held up my hands in a “no trouble here” gesture. “Easy, girl,” I said. “I’m just gonna put these back in the bathroom, okay?”
    “Fine!”
    Obviously it wasn’t.
    “Look, I’m not trying to be nosy,” I said. “I just worry.”
    “Well, don’t.” With that, Lil retrieved her book, threw herself back on the bed, and cracked it back open. “I’m fine, okay?”
    That was up for debate, but now was not the time. Without another word I went back in the bathroom and put the pills in the medicine cabinet, telling myself it would be okay. I mean, she wasn’t popping pills and going on about needing her “dolls.” That was a good sign, right?
    When I came back out, Lil was sitting up, hugging her knees to her chest with both arms, staring at me remorsefully.
    “I’m sorry, Ashley.” She sounded miserable.
    I sighed and sat down on my own bed.
    “It’s okay.”
    “No, it’s not.” Lil sniffled, wiping her nose on one sleeve. I handed her the box of Kleenex we kept on our nightstand.
    “Even if I say it is?”
    Lil shook her head.
    “Especially then. You’re too nice to me. All the time.” She blew her nose, quietly. “Even when I don’t deserve it.”
    I shook my head, failing to hide a smile.
    “You’re easy to be nice to,” I said truthfully. “And you’ve got plenty of reasons to be upset. You should let yourself. Okay?”
    Lil burrowed her head against her arms and knees. Binkey gave a plaintive meow and bumped his head against her back.
    “But it’s not okay for me to take it out on you. I mean, that’s what Gabriel is doing, whatever’s