“It’s okay, Bailey, I’m here.” Wiping away tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand, Minji composed herself. Her relief that the baby had awakened was diluted with the panic that burned in her gut. Concentrating solely on Bailey, she rocked her child while murmuring reassurances to her.
“Minji?” Simone’s voice cried out. A second later, the woman stepped into t
he room, caught sight of Minji, and staggered backward while pressing a hand to her chest. “How?”
Ava and Jake were silent, having returned to simply staring.
“How?” Minji repeated.
“You disappeared before my eyes,” Simone gasped. “Vanished.”
With the sad shake of her head, Minji said, “No. You were caught in it again. Like before. Even Bailey was affected this time.”
Dark eyes sliding toward the hall, Simone said, “Shit.”
“It happened before, but you didn’t believe me.”
“I do now.” Simone swallowed hard. “Jesse is still in it.”
A second later, Arthur stepped into the doorway dabbing at a bloody nose. He didn’t say a word as he walked across the room and sat heavily in a chair. Eyes fastened to the tips of his shoes, he visibly shuddered.
“I don’t think Jesse’s going to wake up,” Simone continued.
Cradling Bailey, Minji glanced into the hallway. Jesse was transfixed, blood oozing from his left nostril.
“Jesse?” she called out, but knew he wouldn’t answer.
A couple of seconds ticked by, then he gradually turned his face toward her. Blinking, he staggered forward and grunted, “Oh, shit.”
“Jesse, you're awake!” Minji cried out in surprise and relief.
Shocked, Simone scooted around Minji and Bailey and hurried to help Jesse as he slumped against the wall. “Jesse, we thought you were gone!”
“I think I was...” A hard shake of his head seemed to help him focus. “I...was one of them, wasn’t I?”
“We all were,” Simone answered, but her eyes shifted toward Minji.
“Did you see it?” Jesse rubbed his eyes. “All those colors...that sound...”
“Before you woke up?” Simone nodded. “Yes, I did.”
“I saw it earlier. When I went blind in the first attacks.” Minji leaned her shoulder against the doorjamb. She felt weak, tired, and helpless.
“So we’re not really immune,” Jesse said. Draping an arm around Simone’s shoulders, he hobbled past Minji and into the room. It was an obvious struggle for him to coordinate his gait.
“Except for her,” Simone said, her eyes again darting toward Minji.
“Why her?” Arthur’s voice was shrill.
Jesse slumped into the chair Minji had vacated. “I don’t know.”
“Why are you special?” Arthur demanded, his hands clenching his cellphone, his eyes riveted to the screen. The faint sound of a voice dictating how to leave a message whispered through the room. “My kids are probably dead right now, or they're one of them! But you’re immune. Why?”
Minji lifted a shoulder, shifting Bailey onto the opposite hip to give her aching body a rest. “I have no idea.”
“Is it because you’re Chinese? Are the Chinese doing this?”
“I’m part Korean, dickwad.” Minji scowled angrily at the man, her earlier compassion eroding in the face of his ignorance and belligerence.