What It's Worth

Chase gets a chance at a huge internship at a medical center, but that means leaving his single mother behind. He comes face-to-face with a flesh-eating disaster and he questions if it's all worth it.

“This will be the opportunity of a lifetime for you! A visit to one of the best medical centers!” my mother exclaimed as she stuffed my neatly folded clothes into my black suitcase. It was becoming full, the garments spilling over the sides. She closed it and attempted to zip it, the zipper whining as the task strained it.

“Perks of continuing college,” I replied with a small grin as I sat on the stiff comfort of my bed. I had acquired a chance to go to the center as an intern with a group of other college students from across the United States. At first, I was hesitant. The center was in California and I lived a few states away. Trips away from home were very uncommon for me, but my mom convinced me to go. I think she just wants me out of the house. I’m 22 and I do still live with her…

“Oh, Chase,” my mother sighed and pulled me to her thin body. She was frail and always sparked worry in me. Her bones showed, her eyes sagged, her hair was falling out. She was falling ill.

I hugged her softly, my height overpowering hers. I knew I had to get a good job and care for her. Ever since Dad left...her health declined. I laid a gentle kiss on her cheek and held her for a few seconds. I didn’t want to leave her alone, but she really wanted me to do this. She had worked nonstop to come up with the funds that would allow me to go. “My plane leaves in a few hours,” I told her when she released me.

“Do you want me to cook you something before you leave, honey?” she asked as she retreated to the door.

I shook my head with a small smile. “I don’t do very well on planes,” I replied. I instantly regretted saying such a thing as her face dropped in worry. “I’ll be okay, Mom,” I told her as I grabbed my luggage. At her nod, I followed her out of the room and out of the house, my emerald-colored eyes glancing over my home before I turned around to get into the car.

The ride to the airport was quiet. My mother was worried for me and I was worried for her. It was always like this. We looked out for each other and every decision I made had to benefit her in some way. It was only fair. She didn’t walk out on me when I was a kid. She was the one who taught me how to ride a bike and swim. She taught me to be a gentlemen to girls and to be mature and respectful to adults. Now, I had to leave her alone again so I could try to make a better future for the both of us. I was the man of the house.

“You have an hour or so before you have to board. Will you be okay?” my mother told me as we walked into the busy airport. It was a crazy Friday night and people swarmed everywhere.

“I’ll be fine,” I comforted her and took her frail hand gently. I turned to her and smiled. “I’ll call you soon, okay? Take care of yourself and if you need me to come back, I’ll board a plane in a heartbeat and come back,” I told her.

“No, no. This is important, Chase. Have fun and stay out of trouble. I love you,” she told me and pulled me into a tight hug.

I sighed and gave her a gentle squeeze before releasing her. I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and the strap of my other bag and walked away to go get set. I turned back and smiled at her as she raised her hand in a small wave. I would miss her. I turned back around and set my luggage on the belt, my muscles relaxing once the weight was off. Now, all I had to do was sit and wait.

~*~

“...now boarding.”

I woke up with a start as the loud announcement boomed throughout the airport. I had dozed off in the waiting area which honestly didn’t surprise me. I hadn’t slept too well lately. My mother had been having coughing fits throughout the night. I shook the thoughts away and turned to the man who was reading a magazine beside me. “Excuse me. Did you hear what flight is boarding?”

“California,” the man replied, not tearing his eyes away from the magazine.

“Thanks,” I said and checked the time on my phone. It was around time to go. I took a breath and got out of the plastic chair, stretching my arms out over my head. Time to fly. I boarded and took my seat, my hands already fastened onto the armrests. I wasn’t the best flyer in the world. The unsteadiness freaked me out, but at least it wasn’t that long of a flight. I took out my phone and read up on the institute I would be visiting.

It was a large place a few buildings. They studied nearly everything there from cancer to influenza. There were seven other college students joining me and two professors. We would stay around the area for a week and explore every part of the place.

Once the plane started, I popped a pill into my mouth to aid in me sleeping through the entire flight. I needed the extra hours. Let’s just hope all of this is worth it.

~*~

“I’m looking for the group of interns,” I told the woman at the hotel’s front desk. The flight wasn’t fully a disaster. I had woken up halfway through and got the shakes, but I was on level ground now and perfectly fine. I had taken a cab and arrived at the hotel I would be staying at with the rest of the group.

“Eighth floor. Here’s your room key,” the woman replied with a sugary sweet tone. She handed me a room key, her eyes nearly squeezed shut as she smiled at me.

I thanked her and took the card from her, sneaking a glance at my room number before heading towards the elevators. Once my floor’s button was pressed, I called my mother, resting my back against the wall to let myself relax for a few minutes.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Mom,” I replied, bringing my arm up to glance at my watch. 3:00 p.m.

“Hi, honey. How was your flight?”

“It was fine. How are you doing?” I asked as the doors slid open.

“Oh, I’m fine. Missing you already,” a small chuckle came from over the phone.

I smiled and headed down the hallway. “I miss you too. I have to go join my group. I’ll talk to you later, alright?” I told her as my door came into view.

“Alright, be safe, honey.”

“I will. I love you. Bye,” I said my farewell and then pocketed my phone. I unlocked the door and walked in to already see a small group of people lounging around the room. Eyes locked onto me and a nervous smile grew on my face. “Hey, are you guys the interns?” I asked.

“Yep, I’m Draven,” one of the boys spoke up from the bed. His hair was a chestnut color and shaved short and his eyes were a dimmed brown hue.

“I’m Chase,” I introduced myself as I dropped my things near a pile of other luggage.

Four girls were piled near the window with their phones clutched in their manicured hands. One of the two blondes dropped her hand and focused on me. “Hi, I’m Skylar,” she said with a small smile.

I smiled in greeting and learned that the other blonde was named Emily, the brunette was named Addison, and the redhead was named Scarlett. All gorgeous girls I may add. The other two guys that were hanging around were named Jace and Tom. Jace was soft-spoken while Tom was the complete opposite. Interesting group. “When are we leaving for the center?” I asked them.

Draven glanced at his watch and then hauled himself from the bed. “Now. The professors should be down in the lobby waiting for us,” Draven murmured as he approached the door.

I guess getting started right away wasn’t a bad idea. We had limited time anyway. I followed the others out of the room and down to the lobby where two older men were standing chatting away.

One of the professors turned and smiled at us politely. “Hello, I’m Professor Morgan. I’ll be accompanying you to the hospital,” he told us, crossing his arms over his chest.

We murmured a greeting and then turned to the other professor who had not greeted us yet. His frame was thin and worn down, but he possessed a bold aura.

“I’m Professor Damon. I expect nothing but the best from you all. You are ranked high in your classes and I do expect you to act as if,” he told us firmly.

He reminded me of one of the strict teachers I despised back in high school. I would just have to stay out of his line of fire if he got angry. We started moving outside to two vans that were parked across the street. The hospital wasn’t too far away, but it would’ve been a pain to walk through the busy streets.

The ride wasn’t bad at all. We started to interact with one another and managed to get along fairly well. Our interests varied, but we were a comfortable mix of mature and childish when likings clashed or matched.

“We have arrived. Stay with the group and do not wander off. There will be a tour guide and they will probably take your phones,” Professor Morgan instructed us as he slid out of the passenger’s seat of the van.   

“Our phones?” Emily repeated with a bit of a whine in her voice.

“Yes, you do not need the distraction,” Professor Damon said as he led us towards the large main building.

Draven smirked at the distraught girls and followed the professors into the building, giving me a playful nudge.

I smiled a little and followed. Maybe I would have a good time. Once we were signed in, a woman approached us with a small box.

“Your phones,” she said with a polite smile.

At first, I hesitated, but I eventually gave up my device and waited for the tour to start. There were many clinics within the center that ranged from dealing with cancer to neurology. It was advanced and the place was very well cared for.

Our tour guide joined us at the front and nodded. “Alright, let’s go!”

~*~

A few hours later, we were walking around the Epilepsy Center about to finish our tour up. I was in awe of the place. It was bringing back my excitement of joining the field in the first place.

“This is the end of our tour. I hope you guys have enjoyed it! Tomorrow, you’ll interact with some of the people who work around here,” our tour guide announced as our group explored the lab.

I approached Skylar and took a quiet breath before speaking. “How do you like this place so far?” I asked her with a shy grin. I wasn’t the best at talking to women, okay? I would try, though.

“I think it’s fascinating!” Skylar breathed, her brown eyes wider than normal. Her enthusiasm was actually attractive to me. She shared a passion with me.

I opened my mouth to reply, but suddenly red lights flashed throughout the lab and out in the hallway. A shrill alarm sounded, making our hands fly to our ears to try to block out the loud noise. “What’s going on?” I shouted over the alarm.

“I-I don’t know!” the tour guide stuttered. She evidently wasn’t prepared for such events. We cowered together in a small group, muttering among ourselves in confusion and a little bit of fright. Nobody knew what was going on!

Skylar backed into me and my hands grabbed her upper arms automatically to keep her steady. She turned her head to look at me, but the lights shut off and we disappeared into the darkness.