(PARASYTE X WORM) CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Amy had spent most of the morning trying to work out who Vicky meant by the affected party, but every time she returned to the same answer, she ran into the same problem. Carol hadn’t been affected. Amy had never used the parasite on her, and whatever she might have intended to do, she had stopped before it went that far.

So who else could Vicky be talking about?

She’d considered asking her sister for an explanation, but she doubted she’d get one. Vicky had already made it clear that they couldn’t discuss what happened without this mysterious person present, and Amy knew her well enough to recognize when she’d made up her mind about something. That left Amy waiting, which was something she’d become rather good at lately.

She went to work and attended to her patients, doing her best to focus on the things she could actually do something about. For a while, it helped. There was always another patient who needed her attention, another injury to repair, another problem she could solve with her power. At the hospital, people came to her because she could help them, and for a few hours she could pretend that the most serious mistake she’d ever made wasn’t waiting for her at home. Then Vicky’s words would come back to her, and the feeling in her stomach would return.

I know what you did, Amy.

Vicky hadn’t sounded angry when she said it, which was almost worse. Amy could have dealt with anger. She could have argued, apologized, or tried to explain herself, even if she knew there was no explanation that would make what she’d intended acceptable. Instead, Vicky had looked at her with an expression Amy couldn’t quite understand, as though she were struggling with something of her own. Amy kept wondering what she’d been told, and eventually, Vicky gave her a name.

Taylor.

Had Taylor somehow found out what the parasite was supposed to do? Had she realized that Amy had created it with Carol in mind? She felt sick at the thought. Amy had never actually gone through with it, but she knew that distinction wouldn’t mean much to someone who learned what she’d been planning. And if Taylor knew, what else had she found out?

Amy tried to stop herself before she could get any further. She was getting ahead of things, inventing possibilities without knowing whether any of them were true. For all she knew, Vicky had learned something entirely different, and the meeting would clear everything up.

She wished she could believe that.

By the time Amy got home, Vicky had already sent her the details of the meeting. They would meet tomorrow at five, on a rooftop somewhere away from public eyes. Amy hadn’t asked why they couldn’t meet at home, but she could guess. Whatever Taylor had to say, Vicky clearly didn’t want anyone else overhearing it.

Amy couldn’t decide whether that was a good sign or a bad one. At least Vicky hadn’t suggested bringing their parents into it, because Amy had no idea how she would explain herself to them. The thought of Carol finding out what she’d been planning made her stomach turn, and she already had enough problems with her mother.

Still, Taylor had agreed to meet with her. If she wanted to report Amy to the PRT, she could have gone straight to them instead of giving Amy a chance to explain herself. Maybe she wanted the parasite removed first, or maybe she simply wanted answers. Amy could only wait until the meeting to find out what Taylor wanted and explain what had happened before things went any further. Then again, maybe Taylor simply wanted Amy to look her in the eye and face what she'd done, and Amy could hardly blame her for that.

She spent the evening trying to keep herself occupied, although she found it difficult to settle on anything for long. She picked up a book but barely made it through a few pages before putting it aside, then considered going to the hospital before remembering she’d already finished her shift for the day. Even sitting with her family felt harder than usual, especially when she caught herself watching Vicky for some indication of what tomorrow might bring.

Her sister seemed as uneasy as she was, though Amy couldn’t tell whether it was because of the meeting or because she was still keeping whatever she knew to herself. Amy wanted to ask her, to demand an explanation and find out what Taylor had told her, as well as why she was suddenly being treated like someone who needed to be handled carefully. However, she already knew Vicky wouldn’t tell her, and maybe, Amy thought, she had forfeited the right to demand that her sister make things easier for her.

She went to bed later than she intended and slept badly. By the time morning came, she felt as though she’d spent the entire night thinking, even though she couldn’t remember most of what had gone through her head. The hours dragged as she tried to prepare herself for the conversation, running through the explanations she might have to give and the questions Taylor might ask.

She could tell the truth about creating the parasite and explain what she had intended it to do, although saying it aloud would probably make her feel worse than thinking about it. She could also tell Taylor that she had never used it on Carol, that whatever she’d planned, she’d stopped herself before anyone else was affected.

Would that be enough?

Amy doubted it. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted Taylor to say. Forgiveness seemed far too much to ask for, especially from someone who had ended up living with the consequences of Amy’s actions. She wanted the parasite dealt with, of course, and she wanted to know that she hadn’t caused permanent harm. Beyond that, she wasn’t sure what she could reasonably expect.

There was also the possibility that she wouldn’t be able to fix it. Amy had created the organism, but that didn’t mean she understood everything it might have become since then. She knew what she’d designed it to do and how it was supposed to function, but if it had developed in ways she hadn’t anticipated, she couldn’t promise that she would be able to reverse those changes without harming its host.

She hated that uncertainty, along with the idea that someone else might be suffering because of something she had made and that even now, when she finally had the chance to help, she might discover that her power wasn’t enough.

At five, Amy met Vicky at the agreed location. The rooftop was secluded, with the surrounding buildings offering some cover from anyone who might happen to look in their direction. As she followed her sister toward the spot where they were supposed to wait, Amy tried not to think about how strange it felt to be there. She’d treated people in hospital rooms, argued with her family at home, and spoken to strangers who wanted Panacea to save them, yet she’d never expected to find herself meeting someone on a rooftop because of something she’d created in secret.

Vicky glanced at her.

“You okay?”

Amy almost laughed at the question.

“Do I look okay?”

“Fair point.”

That was all Vicky said, and Amy was grateful for it, even if it left her alone with her thoughts again. She looked out over the city and tried to imagine what Taylor would be like. She knew the name, of course, and had a vague idea of who the girl was, but that wasn’t the same as knowing her. She had no idea what Taylor had experienced, what she’d been told, or how much she understood about the parasite inside her.

All Amy knew was that Taylor had somehow become involved in something that should never have existed in the first place.

She was still trying to decide what she would say when a movement at the edge of the rooftop caught her attention. A girl appeared over the ledge, pulled herself onto the roof, then straightened and approached them.

Amy recognized her from the description Vicky had given her.

Taylor Hebert.

Within seconds, Taylor was standing before them, and Amy’s heart started racing all over again.