Deep within the sewers we can hear the dripping of water onto a metal bar. Mice and rats running scrambling for food, and the occasional alligator ready to make a meal out of a unsuspecting prey. Along in the sewers was a small little makeshift town that took form. Kids running and playing trying not to get wet from sewer water, clothes hanging dry on small threads. A bit of light can be seen from makeshift houses as if people were in them or forgot to put it out. Within the middle was a group of people either talking quietly or waiting for the group to return. One person on a lookout posts spots the group and whistles the people below that they have returned. The group comes down to the middle as the others crowd to greet them. Some see the injured solider and one rushes to get Doc. Doc, a man that only goes by that name is checking on a patient when the person comes to get him. The Doc goes down to great the group.
"What did you bring me now Jared. I'm full as I am", he say with a slight European accent.
"Doc, another one founded. Chinese this time. Seems to me that..."
"I will diagnose the man not you." Doc looks at the man as the man is holding his leg. "Bring him in, if I'm able to nurse him we have another mouth to feed." The Doc goes away as the two men still carry him bringing him to the Docs home. Inside Docs home are two rooms, a main one and a bedroom. The bedroom is pretty simple, just a cot with a blanket and pillow along with a small dresser for clothes. The main room is more complex, has a table with a sheet on it. The sheet has some dried blood among other things here and there. Around it is a fridge, a few more tables with stuff like surgical equipment, doctor tools, and a small yet see-able scale of the human body. Along the walls are a bunch of medical posters and a such, a clock telling the time, and a clipboard full of writing down names of people that come in and out. The two men walk in and lay the solider down on the table with the sheet. Doc enters to check on the man.
"Okay Ip Man lets see what you got here. Couple of burns, bruises, scraps, cuts well that's usual. Seems to me like you have a broken leg that's got a really deep cut there gonna either have to cut that off or stitch it back up. Other than that your alive, hooray", Doc saying that hooray in a sarcastic tone.
The man, not knowing how to speak English yet slightly understood what Doc was saying and just prepared to the worst. The two men that cared him in hold him down, one man gives him a towel to bite on saying "Trust me, this well help you mate." The man bites down on the towel while Doc grabs two things, a needle and a saw.
"One or two?"
The man nodding towards the needle Doc puts away the saw and threads the needles and prepares it for surgery. The man, saying in his tongue, mumbling "Oh fuck, oh fuck. Lets get this over with" all while biting on the towel. Doc then starts the operation by first ripping the pants off to get a better view of the cut then cleans it with a clear liquid. The man screaming from the pain of the cleaner touching his wound biting hard on the towel. Doc then starts with the needle carefully going in and out closing up the wound little by little as he goes. The slight screaming from the man can be heard around the small town. Children cover their ears while some don't as they were used to it by now. Some men with makeshift instruments starts playing a tune to draw out the noise but the man screams in the background. In another home stands one room that's smoking a little from cigarettes, a large table on it is a map of the surrounding area among with photos and pictures of locations of where thins used to be. Around the table is a collective of people including those that were from Jared's group and Jared included in the bunch. One man then speaks.
"How many more are we gonna bring in, the whole country", she says jokingly.
"If were doing that may as well go up to the surface were the air is bad, the grass ain't green, and girls aren't there. Oh would you please take me home."
"Now is not the time to be joking Mr. Porter. These are trying times were in right now, the more survivors the better."
"I understand that Jared but how many more of our enemies are you going to bring in. I get Doc because hes the only one with a medical degree, Dee-Dee here but that's because she someone who can lead, and don't forget about yourself now Jared."
"Enemy or not the time of war is over. Don't you see old man, people are either dead or struggling to survive out there in that wasteland we once called home. Enough is enough. This whole devastation was caused by the world of Old but now we must bury the past and focus on the future."
"Jared I am not arguing with you here, we all agree on your views but I'm just suggesting we be more careful with others. Charlie post already had someone who woke up still thinking the war was on almost killed twelve people. We have families here Jared, good American families. I don't how you Arabic people do it but here were not that trusting you understand."
"You keep you racist mouth shut you old fool" Jared said as he almost lunges at him but is stopped by Dee-Dee.
"Gentlemen enough, we are just barely recovering from the fighting I understand some hatred may still run through us, but right now we need to relax and calm down."
Jared takes a seat and calms himself down with a few deep breaths as Mr. Porter takes a swig from his glass, what looks to be whisky.
"Now people, today's search for supplies was brilliant. I applause those who found enough for to last both us and Echo base for the next few days."
"Well if that isn't the problem then what is it Dee-Dee. Why the sudden need to congrats the scouting troops they get that every day when they return."
"There is a different issue to discuss gentlemen, a more pressing issue that me and Mr. Porter have been getting."
"The last couple of days or so scouts from Beta and Alpha have been spotting some people roaming around their areas. These people are wearing funny looking masks, they move fast and quick. Some have spotted them with bows or small weaponry. So far no one is hurt although they are getting close to the bases."
"Jehovah company in Culver City have heard the children say they've seen "the boogeyman" in their bedrooms at night. Some drawing it as either a wolf like creature or someone with sharp teeth. Mr. Porter here thinks its people that are now living with the effects of radiation from when the A-Bomb fell on Culver City."
"So what are you suggesting Dee?", asked Jared.
"I want you Jared to take your best men to locate and find these people, see what and how they are, and report back to us."
"If their hostile?"
"We would know if they're hostile if you don't come back alive Jared, come on that was a dumb question."
"Well, before we do the new guy we brought in, looks like he's been out there for a while. What if he saw something? Can we ask him when Docs done?"
"Won't be for a while my boy", Doc says as he comes in. "The guy is alive, but he's knocked out. Don't know when he'll be up."
"There's your answer Jared, you have your mission. Rest up and prepare at 0700 tomorrow."
Jared and the rest of his group walk out of the building. Doc still stays and Dee-Dee looks at him.
"Yes Doc, is something wrong? Is the shaking back again?"
"I'm afraid so malyshka. I almost couldn't do the operation on the poor man, had to let the Aussie take over."
Dee-Dee sighs and shakes her head. "Doc, don't worry about it okay, calm down for a while we'll discuss this later."
Doc nods and walks away, Mr. Porter chuckles as he gets up holding his cigarette in his mouth and his whiskey bottle and jar he was drinking out of in his hands. "Your a good leader Dee-Dee, that why I like ya, for a Jap you ain't so bad after all. I'll be in communications if you need me." He walks out of the building as Dee-Dee sits down looking down at the table, then looks up and yells "Hey, that was my whisky bottle Porter."