₴₮Ɽ₳₦₲ɆⱤ ₮Ⱨ₳₦ ₣ł₵₮łØ₦ | 8 | The Breaking Point

When Daphne reads Ros and Gaby's hastily-scribbled note, she knows immediately that its vague, one-sentence claim about following up on a "new lead" means they've returned to the lab. What she doesn't understand is why they decided to be so secretive about it. She's certainly glad they didn't ask her to come along, as she would have been too spooked to go back anyway. Juniper, on the other hand, would have been stubborn in her insistence that she join them. What exactly are they doing there that required them to sneak out before dawn?

While Juniper sleeps in, Daphne spends most of the morning contemplating this question. Clearly, their plan must consist of something they thought Juniper would disapprove of, but Juniper disapproves of hardly anything, so what on earth could that possibly be? Hours pass before Gaby finally returns, looking entirely exhausted. She decisively locks the door behind her, despite the fact that Ros is nowhere to be seen, and heads for the fridge, where she desperately scrounges up whatever scraps of food she can find. She says nothing.

Even though Daphne knows something is very wrong, she attempts to start the conversation on a cheerful note, deciding it's best to disguise her suspicion. "How did that lead you guys were chasing work out?" Gaby still doesn't respond, but her hands shake noticeably. "Where's Ros?" she tries next.

Gaby suddenly explodes. "Listen, I had no idea what she was going to do!"

The moment Ros bit into that strange fruit, Gaby realized why she hadn't wanted the others to accompany them. They knew her better. They would have seen what she was doing and stopped her before it was too late. At first, Gaby wasn't sure she would even be able to get Ros back home in one piece. She hardly wanted to leave her to fend for herself in the desert, but nothing she tried would break the possession. In the end, she dejectedly started walking away, and only when she glanced over her shoulder a few minutes later did she realize that Ros was jerkily following behind. Gaby couldn't be sure if her movements were being controlled by the entity that had overtaken her or the small sliver of Ros that must still remain inside, but she - or it - seemed to comprehend which direction to move in. Once they arrived, she left Ros running in frantic, dizzying circles behind the trailer park. Gaby didn't know what this new version of her was capable of. She decided it was best to keep her outside for now.

By the time Gaby finishes catching Daphne up to speed, the usual pink flush in her cheeks has turned a deep, angry shade of crimson. Her voice is louder than Gaby has ever heard it before. "You just let her infect herself? We don't have a cure for this thing! We don't even know if there is one!"

"You think I don't realize that? For some godforsaken reason, she was hellbent on sacrificing herself. It happened before I could even blink!"

"Well, I hope you're ready for how pissed off Juniper is going to be."

"What am I going to be pissed off about?" Juniper asks, coming out of the bathroom to wash her hands.

"If you won't tell her, then I will," Daphne says before Gaby even has a chance to answer. "Ros is infected. She ate one of those fruits, and Gaby didn't even try to stop her."

"I was in shock! You have no idea what we found in the basement of-"

"I don't care what you found! She's our friend, and we trusted you! She would have never even been at that lab in the first place if you hadn't shown up and-"

"Wait..." Juniper turns off the faucets and swivels slowly in their direction, realization dawning on her face. "Did you just say Ros is infected?"

She drops into the nearest chair as her brain attempts to process what it's heard. At first, she expects Ros to walk through the front door or pop out from behind a chair as part of some misguided joke. But that's not Ros' style. Deep down, Juniper knows what Daphne's told her is true.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Gaby says, but her tone doesn't match the certainty of her words. "She wouldn't have done it if she didn't have faith in us to make her better."

"Where is she?" Juniper asks in a monotone, forcing herself to remain calm. Ros may not be herself anymore, but that's hardly an excuse for them to leave her to the elements. If anything, they must protect her more now than ever, even if the Ros Juniper knows would have balked at the idea of needing help from anyone.

Ros hasn't wandered far, and Juniper easily tracks her down. Despite mentally preparing herself for the worst, she's still taken aback at the sight of Ros. It's unbelievable how thoroughly she resembles the other possessed townspeople now. She's just a body in the shape of Ros, with everything that made her herself stripped away. Attempts at communication are futile. There's no longer anyone inside to meaningfully communicate with.

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They are words Juniper recognizes, but that doesn't mean they make any sense to her. As she trudges back toward the trailer, she replays their conversation the night before in her head. Ros had seemed guilty and regretful, yes, maybe even a little defeated, but self-destructive? If anything, their talk had ended on a hopeful note. Juniper had finally bared her soul, and Ros had bared hers, too - or so Juniper had thought. Thinking back on it now, maybe she interpreted Ros' "I love you" all wrong. Maybe her plan was already coming together, and that was her way of saying goodbye, of finally telling Juniper what she wanted to hear in case they never spoke again. No way, Juniper thinks and shakes her head to rid it of the notion. Even if she knew then what she was planning to do, there's no way Ros could fake having feelings for her. She was stubborn and tough, but she wasn't cruel.

Juniper is so caught up in her own thoughts that, at first, she doesn't hear her name being called - not from inside the house but behind. She turns around and sees Ros running toward her, normally, with no signs of contortion in her face or body. At first, she thinks she must be hallucinating the version of Ros she so desperately wants to believe still exists.

But it's not a hallucination - or, if it is, it's such a realistic one that she doesn't even care. She's so happy to have her Ros back after believing she'd lost her. Gently, she tips Ros' chin upward in a romantic gesture, even though she knows Ros probably hates it. "Is this really happening?" she whispers. "I don't understand... You ate the fruit."

"I did," Ros admits, "and it was a dumb move, but it must not have been potent enough for the infection to hold. I don't even remember being possessed. Was it terrible?"

"I thought you were gone for good."

"I'm here now."

Juniper lets out an edgy laugh. "Yeah, and I'm never letting you out of my sight again!"

But they're only granted a few brief hours of normalcy before the infection rears its ugly head once more. Juniper is devastated but not particularly surprised. She should have expected this. After all, according to Gracie, the infected behaved normally when she interviewed them. It's obvious now that the possession isn't continuous but arrives in unpredictable bursts. Although this is a minor relief, Juniper knows Ros is in danger anyway. The long-term effects are still a mystery.

They need to get to work on formulating some sort of vaccine, but Gaby seems at a loss about what steps to take next. She's paralyzed by blame and fear. Whatever she and Ros uncovered at the lab has left her badly shaken, but she's incapable of describing it in any level of detail. What they need right now to help them sort this mess out is someone with a level head, someone who is logical, precise, analytical, and Juniper thinks she knows exactly where that individual might be found...

Back in Oasis Springs, Gracie has made an unpleasant discovery of her own. After going to the office for a meeting one day, she comes home to find her wife in bed with someone else.

Deep down, she knew Ana's growing distance was probably a sign that something like this was happening, but the betrayal still stings. As the other woman scrambles to leave the scene, Gracie's anger gets the better of her, and she slaps Ana before her mind can catch up to her actions. She never thought Ana would cheat. They've been devoted to one another since they were teenagers, and Ana has never strayed, despite the many temptations fame has presented. Is this partially Gracie's fault for being so frequently absent during such a crucial time in their marriage?

"I don't understand!" Gracie shouts. "It's true I haven't been around as often as I should be, but we both knew there would be sacrifices to make if I wanted to follow this story. I thought we were committed to working through them together."

Ana hangs her head in utter defeat. "It's not like I expected this to happen. I didn't plan it, I swear. Just give me a chance to explain, please."

Gracie only nods tersely in response, and Ana takes a deep breath before continuing.

"Being at the top of your game is fun at first. As a five-star celebrity, you're officially one of the biggest names on the planet. Suddenly, you're granted access to the most exclusive clubs in Del Sol Valley, the ones you've spent your entire acting career dreaming you might one day step foot inside."

"But as it turns out, being at the top of your game is also lonely. No, it's not just lonely, it's isolating as hell. What good are those gold-plated rooms if there's no one around to share them with? You just end up drinking expensive alcohol on expensive furniture in expensive clothes all by yourself. All you ever hear about being a celebrity is how glamorous it is. But there's nothing glamorous about knowing the only thing waiting for you on the other side of that velvet rope is a horde of paparazzi."

"Then, to come home to crying toddlers and whining dogs... Maybe it makes me a horrible person to say this, but it got to a point where I just couldn't stand it. I got so tired of being someone whose only purpose is to fulfill the needs of others. I wanted someone to fulfill my needs. At first, we were just running lines together. She said she admired me as a performer, and I admit, that made me feel good. It made me feel respected, desired even, in a way I hadn't felt for a long time. I'm not even sure who made the first move..."

"All I know is that, at some point, we stopped rehearsing and started kissing..."

"Soon, it became more than kissing. I can't even tell you what I was thinking when it happened because I wasn't thinking anything. I just let my body take over. I was weak."

"I am weak. It's not an excuse or justification. It's just the truth. We've never been apart for so long before, and I didn't know how to handle it. Can you ever forgive me?"

Gracie feels like she might collapse under the weight of Ana's full admission. She buries her face in her hands and sobs for several minutes. Finally, she pulls herself together enough to say weakly, "I don't know yet. I just don't know. I think I need to sleep on it."

"I understand," Ana replies. "I'll take the sofa tonight."

By the next morning, though, Gracie is no clearer on where things stand between them. She still loves Ana, of course. She doesn't think that feeling will ever go away. But she no longer trusts her, and can a relationship truly continue to exist without trust? The best thing for Gracie to do now is to take some time away to clear her mind. So long as she's near Ana, her presence alone will tug too strongly at her heartstrings for her brain to think logically. It's time she return to Strangerville. What she doesn't expect is for Strangerville to come to her first.

When Juniper knocks on Gracie's front door, there is no response, even though all the house's lights are on. She tentatively twists the knob, expecting it to be locked, but it's not. As soon as she enters, she's swarmed by Ari and Cleo, desperate for the attention they've been starved of while their parents bicker.

"Uh, hey, kiddos," she says uncertainly, having always been uncomfortable around children. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find your mom, would you?" Upon receiving nothing but nonsensical babbling in response, she mutters to herself, "Of course they aren't old enough to talk yet, you dolt. How stupid are you?"

Luckily, it doesn't take long for Gracie to emerge. Her eyes are red and puffy like she's been crying, but Juniper is too caught up in her own worry over Ros to notice at first. "Thank God!" she exclaims. "You need to come back, now. Things have really gone south since you left."

Gracie sniffles and wipes away a few lingering tears. "What do you mean?"

"Gaby and Ros decided to investigate the rest of the lab alone, and now Gaby's practically catatonic with fear and Ros is infected." Suddenly, Juniper becomes aware of Gracie's dejected state. "Wait, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just that things aren't going so great here either. Did you say Ros is infected? How on earth did that happen?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, then, you can explain everything on the way back. Let's go."

"God, you weren't exaggerating, were you?" Gracie asks in astonishment when they arrive at the trailer park and she sees the state of the sky. The ominous cloud hanging over the lab has turned ultraviolet, the sickly-sweet color of cotton candy. It would be almost beautiful if it weren't so terrifying.

"I'm not the type to exaggerate, especially when it concerns someone I love."

"Love?" Gracie asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"I care about her. She's my best friend," Juniper says quickly, obviously glossing over the truth, but Gracie drops her line of questioning. This is hardly the time to press for the relationship status of someone she's only just met. Even in less urgent circumstances, she would have no right. Instead, she has to get Gaby to spill the details of what she encountered at the lab. They might be vital to determining what needs to be done to save not only Ros but the entire town.

"Listen," Gracie demands as soon as she enters the trailer, before Gaby can even register her sudden reappearance, "I don't care how terrifying whatever you guys saw in that lab was! You're going to tell me about it anyway, and then we're going to figure out how we can use that information to reverse your idiotic decisions and any further damage you've done to this town! I thought you were smarter than this, Gaby. How could you be so reckless?!?"

"From now on, we're going to do things my way. Nobody goes anywhere or does anything without running it past me first. Got it?"

Gaby is irritated by Gracie's approach, which makes her feel like the immature youngest child incapable of making adult decisions all over again, but she knows she's right. All she can do is nod and slump wearily into a chair, from which she'll painstakingly recount for Gracie the most nightmarish experience of her entire life.

9 | The Inoculation