The Day I Stopped Saving Them

Our company was on a team-building trip, and Alana Benton, the intern in our department, suggested that we stop the car to feed the wild marmots. My boyfriend, Sean Snow, who was the head of our department, smiled and agreed to her request. Seeing this, the other colleagues chimed in one after another. I firmly opposed it. Most marmots carry fleas, and they're high-risk hosts of the plague bacterium. I couldn't bear to watch everyone get killed, so I held my ground and drove on. But Alana wouldn't listen to me. She threw a tantrum, got out of the car, and ran into the meadow by the roadside, where a marmot bit her. "This is all your fault!" she said, clamping a hand over her wound and glaring at me through gritted teeth. "If you'd actually talked me out of it, would I have gotten out of the car?" Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at my boyfriend. "Sean, you have to get back at her for me!" Sean's expression turned cold. Right there at Corvane Pass, 16,400 feet above sea level, he kicked me out of the car. I suffered from oxygen deprivation and hypothermia and froze to death in the snow. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment when Alana suggested we get out of the car to feed the marmots. I smiled slightly. "Go ahead and feed them. Feeding them mouth-to-mouth would be even more intimate." ***** "Monica, look how cute those marmots are outside." Alana pointed out the window, shaking half a pack of cookies in her other hand. "Unlock the doors, okay? I want to go down and feed them, and shoot a short video while I'm at it." Sean, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at her, his tone indulgent. "Go ahead. We rarely get out like this. Having fun is what matters most." A few young colleagues in the backseat chimed in and egged her on. "Alana can feed them. We'll take the photos." "I heard these things aren't afraid of people. They even stand up and beg." I sat in the driver's seat, and my hands on the steering wheel wouldn't stop shaking. The warm air from the heater blew against my face, a little dry. 3 minutes earlier, Sean had kicked me out of the car and driven off with Alana. All because I had forced the car to keep moving and hadn't let Alana enjoy her full influencer moment. She cried the whole way, saying I was jealous of how young and likable she was, and insisted on getting out to cool down in the meadow. In the end, a marmot hiding in the grass bit through her ankle. Sean felt so sorry for her that he lost all reason and put all the blame on me. "If you hadn't been pulling that sour face, would Alana have run into the meadow and gotten bitten? Monica Kirby, stay right here and reflect on what you did." Before I could even explain, the taillights disappeared into the night. At 16,400 feet above sea level, it was -4°F. I froze to death by the roadside. Now Alana's hand was resting on the door handle. Everyone in the car was looking at me, waiting for me to unlock the doors. In my past life, I had screamed myself hoarse trying to explain the facts, telling them those were marmots, that they carried fleas and were high-risk hosts of the plague bacterium. All I got in return were disgusted eye rolls and Sean's complaints. "Monica, what do you do all day besides ruining everyone's fun?" This time, I looked at Alana's expectant face and pressed the unlock button. "Go ahead." I turned my head, met Sean's slightly surprised gaze, and deliberately raised my voice. "Mouth-to-mouth feeding is more intimate. It'll definitely go viral online." Alana's eyes lit up, and she immediately pushed the door open and jumped out. Sean unbuckled his seatbelt as well and patted my shoulder before getting out. "That's more like it. Don't keep such a sour face when we're out having fun." Several colleagues in the back filed out, holding up phones and selfie sticks. I rolled the window back up, leaving only a small c***k for air. Outside, Alana had already jogged into the meadow. Seven or eight grayish-brown marmots were foraging there. They were large and looked plump. Alana squatted down, broke the cookies into pieces, and held them out. A few marmots smelled the food and slowly gathered around. "Sean, hurry up and record a video for me." She called out in a sweet, wheedling voice and moved her face very close to the marmots. Sean held up his phone, pointed the camera at Alana, and looked for the best angle. The other colleagues stayed on the edge, filling the air with the clicks of their shutters. I took out my phone and turned on the camera. When I zoomed in, I could clearly see small black insects crawling through the marmots' fur. Those were the fleas living on them. Most plague cases on the grasslands were spread by these fleas. In pursuit of that so-called interactive moment, Alana put a cookie directly between her lips. "Come eat, cutie." The largest marmot stood up and put its front paws on her knee. The marmot's nose moved close to Alana's mouth. A click sounded as Sean captured that moment. Just then, the marmot suddenly panicked. It opened its mouth and sank its sharp front teeth into Alana's finger. Alana let out a sharp scream and fell back onto the ground. The other marmots quickly darted into their burrows and disappeared. The nearby colleagues were startled and backed away. Sean threw his phone aside and rushed over to help Alana up. "Alana, are you okay?" Alana held up her right hand. There was a deep, bloody hole on her index finger. Blood dripped down from her fingertip. "Sean, it hurts so much." She leaned into Sean's arms and sobbed pitifully. Sean's face was full of worry as he pulled out tissues and pressed them to her wound. "Don't be afraid. It's just a bite. We'll get you a rabies shot when we get back." He turned to look at me in the car, his expression immediately turning impatient. "Monica, what are you still sitting in the car for? Can't you see Alana is hurt? Hurry up and bring the first-aid kit down." I rolled the window down a c***k and locked the doors. "It's windy outside. I'm afraid of the cold." I took the first-aid kit from the glove compartment and threw it out through the c***k in the window. The plastic case landed on the grass with a dull thud. "If you want to bandage her, do it yourselves. I faint at the sight of blood." Sean's face darkened. "You're bossy at work—fine—but a coworker is hurt, and you're still acting like this? Do you have any compassion at all?" I looked at his bloodstained hand and leaned back in my seat. "Whoever suggested getting out is responsible. I'm already being nice by not stopping you. Also, don't say I didn't warn you. Those animals are marmots. They're plague carriers." The few colleagues who were about to gather around and check on her stopped in their tracks. They exchanged glances, and a trace of hesitation appeared in their eyes. In the end, no one stepped forward. Alana sniffled twice in Sean's arms, then raised her head and looked at me with a wounded expression. "Monica, I know you've never liked me. But you can't make up a disease just to scare me." Sean immediately pulled Alana closer. "Don't listen to her nonsense. So many people at the scenic area have fed them, and no one has caught the plague. She just can't stand seeing other people happy." I nodded and said nothing more. They brushed off my warning. That was just fine with me. If you want to live a long life, stop trying to save people who don't want to be saved.