They'd drive until the tank ran empty, which was two miles from the nearest town just as the sun was starting to set.
"We should move," Harbin told Merrick, who put me on his back so I could continue to rest.
"Lead the way," the giant told him. "I'll bring up the rear."
The six of them made their way along the off ramp and into the town, finding another abandoned hotel close by.
Taking my cue from last night, they took the bedding, but went into the basement where they were safest; at least until I woke.
"How is she, Merrick?" Blythe asked, covering me up as I was once more on his lap.
"I don't know," he admitted, looking down at me.
He'd fall out just after midnight, but woke at seven alone, scared I had walked off to die somewhere.
He went up to the lobby, where I was standing in the early morning sunshine, back to nearly full health.
"You okay?" he asked.
I looked at him. "I got up at two and found some sources of radiation. I'm fine now. What city are we in?"
"I don't remember," he told me. "But we are in North Carolina. I remember seeing the State line earlier."
"I take it you got here unopposed?"
He nodded. "How far are we from our destination?"
"About four hundred miles or so. How much gas do we have?"
"It's empty. Can we get more?"
"Where is the vehicle?"
"Two miles from here," he answered.
"We'd have to push it to a station and hope like hell I can get more, or we can see if we can get lucky here."
"Let's try here," he nodded, looking around.
"We're in Greensboro, by the way," I told him, reading the hotel's name. "Is everyone still out?"
"Yeah. I did my best not to wake them."
"You probably should. We need to get moving."
"Look...I'm glad you're okay," he told me. "Thank you for...sticking around," he added, going back into the hotel to wake the others.
While he woke them, I went to look for a usable vehicle, not wanting to venture too far; especially in this area.
I was three buildings away when they joined me, happy to see me back to normal.
"...would this work?" Emeric asked, staring at a white paneled van with nearly a full tank of gas.
I found a universal key I had created myself in one of my pockets, while a jump from my natural abilities turned the van on with ease.
"Load it up," I said casually, getting behind the wheel as screeching could be heard overhead. "Inside," I commanded, rolling up the windows.
The doors would close as large, bright pink birds surrounded the van, hissing with a menace as glowing red eyes made for a very unnerving sight.
"...there might've been a zoo around here," I realized, nodding to myself.
"What are those?" Blythe asked, more amazed than anything.
"Flamingos," I answered, annoyed as I put the van in gear.
"You're just going to go?" Merrick asked.
"If I don't, their beaks can put holes through glass and tires," I said evenly, turning onto the freeway. "Imagine what they'd to to rib cages."
They liked the way I taught them about this world, explaining why I did what I did in a very blunt, very meaningful way.
The closer we got to the main Gate, for they had fenced off DC, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and New York City with reinforced cement fifty-five feet high, the more people became less and less sparse.
"Whoa," Merrick breathed, staring up at the walls.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as we pulled up to the Gate.
"You have business here?" the Guard asked me.
"I was asked to make an appearance, yes," I nodded.
"Get out. We'll take what we want that's not on your person. Who are they?"
"With me."
"Noted, Harlow."
"Good," I nodded, hopping out of the van for a standard search.
The others followed my lead, but were incredibly nervous. When it was over, we were allowed entry into the area, where we'd be escorted to the Lion's Den via armed Guards.
Their two Leaders were a Husband and Wife duo who were only in charge because they were the most ruthless and commanded the utmost respect from their people.
They were in their early forties, slightly out of shape but tall and slender, donned in leather and reinforced cotton.
"Thank you for the respect," Llewellyn, or Lady L to her people, told me.
"Lady L," I acknowledged. "I still don't understand why, however."
"Look, I was set to spend the rest of our time on this planet here. By ourselves. But if we are going to have to...share this place again...I want to do what's best for my people. I want to know if we're going to be burned again. You. You have more reason to hate them than anyone I know. They took your life. Literally," she sighed.
"What do your people want to do?" I wondered, taking a seat in front of her desk, while the others stood around me, fascinated.
"They are as divided as the two of us," she revealed. "My Husband, Koa, wants to kill them. But that would just start a war with a nation a lot more developed than we are."
"I don't understand why you have to share one nation," I admitted. "Keep your territories. Govern how you see fit as your own nation. Your own laws. Let them build their own nation so long as they leave you be. Maybe you can get some more resources via trade."
"What would you do with the prisoners?" Koa asked me.
"They're Doctors, Engineers, Scientists and Guards to protect the others. Their kits are for defenses; the only offense they have can't even bring down a flamingo. Without a proper Guide...they need help to simply survive here. Right now, there's no threat. I can get them out of here, if you want. Or you can show them what you know until they venture out. Because right now, you've done nothing wrong. They can be annoyed. But that's protocol. Business. They're educated. Use them until they can be on their own. If you want to start a war, leave me out of it. You want to go backward, fine. But know I'll be watching you while I eat popcorn because I warned you now."
"Where's the hatred?" Koa exploded at me, now pacing the office. "How can you of all people sit there and be so...forgiving?" he demanded.
I chuckled. "I tend to forgive people for being who they aren't and loving them for who they are. They thought they'd be able to come back. But those seas...it's a wonder they made it here in the first place. I helped them build the ships, but it just wasn't...possible."
"They took your life!"
"The earthquakes took my life," I said evenly, refusing to match his anger. "I knew what I was signing up for. And even if I had been working as a Doctor, I would've been there anyway. A Soldier is a lifetime commitment. I'm fulfilling contracts for those who were robbed of that chance."
He broke apart where he stood, shaking his head at me.
Lady L led him out of the room, leaving me with my group for a few minutes.
"Did you mean that?" Alden asked me.
I nodded.
"Koa has decided to release the prisoners into the city. They can decide whether or not to be citizens. If they don't, they can try out there," she told us, relieving me.
"Thank you, Lady L," I smiled.
"Where are you headed now?" she wondered.
"Are we done here?" I asked instead, putting forth boundaries.
"So mysterious," she chuckled, letting us go.
"Group C!"
My group was reunited with their friends, who were relieved at the thought of being free in an established city.
"Are we staying the night here?" Merrick asked me.
"We are only allowed here until nine. That's when the Gate closes. Any non citizens are rounded up and tossed into prison. If they don't have passes or a plausible reason, they are executed," I answered.
He looked around for a clock.
"We have time for a meal," I told him. "Come on. The food here is better than anywhere else."
We'd go to a large diner filled with people who were having an early dinner, getting a table in the back, hoping to get a meal before the dinner rush.
"What do you want, Harlow?" the Waiter asked.
"I don't eat. But he'll have whatever the Chef feels like serving up," I told him.
The waiter looked at Merrick, taking in his size. "Doubled," he nodded, walking away.
"Why does he think you should hate us?" he asked after a minute.
"Alright," I nodded. "You should know who you're following. See, the reason I was in the Military, is because of a program first created to find Soldiers for the civil war by using...prisoners."
His eyes widened.
"Before I joined the Military, I was in prison. And, yes...I was considered the most dangerous person to have ever lived."
"What did you do?" he asked.
"I have taken over five thousand lives," I revealed, stunning him.
"What?"
"My parents were the most notorious serial killers in all of humankind. They were the...worst of the worst. Artists is what they called themselves. Bombs, poisons, chemical warfare, terrorist attacks and at least five murders on every continent. One in every country. And they taught me everything I know.
"For the first fifteen years of my life, everyone I met had a record of some sort. A lengthy one. I was taught things by everyone. My Father was a charismatic sociopath. My Mother was an introverted, dark genius who relished in the hell he started.
"I turned them in and was put in prison after I was told what I'd been doing was wrong. Never occurred to me it wasn't. I spent eight years there until I was given a draft notice. I could either fight and kill again or walk away and stay there."
"So you picked up a weapon and went nuts?" he guessed.
"I told them to fuck off," I told him. "Then made the argument that if they trust me with a weapon, they must trust me if I didn't. I wasn't a threat. I never was. I could be, which is why I should've just been watched; not tossed in prison."
"So they freed you."
I nodded. "I was twenty-two and enrolled in the Military as a Nurse. I wanted to try to...undo some of the things I did when I was under their control."
"It's been almost five hundred years," he told me.
"I guess I'm not done yet," I said casually as a plate of food was put in front of him roughly. "Thank you, Roscoe."
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, walking away.
"You're free to stay here. Walk around. Get a feel for it," I told him, getting up.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Stay here. This is the only city in the entire nation. Out there is...out there. Wild. Untamed."
"I'm with you," he told me, getting to his feet.
I stopped him.
"No. I don't care about your upbringing. Mine was no better. You're not a monster. You're here because you're still needed. Respected. You saved so many lives today."
"And I do that out there. On my own. I haven't been shot in decades. Stabbed in over seventy years. I'm in no hurry to do that again."
"You like me," he realized.
"Where did you get that?" I asked, a little amused.
"Because I'm slowing you down and instead of being blunt and telling me that, you're trying to spare my feelings," he grinned.
"I want to hit you so bad right now," I admitted.
He chuckled.
"Eat your food. I'm going to resupply," I said lowly, walking away.
At nine, the six of them met me at the Gate, ready to leave.
Merrick had told them about my past, but none of them seemed to care.
Not even the Doctor.
"How far are we?" Blythe asked once we were back on the road in the van.
"About six-hundred miles or so," I answered. "We're headed up to what used to be one of the most beautiful in the Union; the Great Lakes State. There's a town up there right on one of the lakes. Land can be used for farming, fishing. It's sustainable, clean and relatively guarded."
"Sounds nice," she told me. "Is that your favorite place?"
"No. Second favorite."
She chuckled.
The rest were quiet, including Merrick, who stared out the passenger window, lost in thought.
"What's with you?" Blythe asked him.
Silence.
She touched his shoulder, making him jump a little. "Sorry. Are you okay?"
"Headache," he mumbled, resting his head on the glass. "Is there medication in this world?"
I found a pill bottle from my pocket and tossed it to him. "Find a light blue. That'll kill it."
He found one and took it, handed me my bottle back and only had to wait less than fifteen minutes before it started to take hold. In eighteen, he was unconscious, his head against the window.
"What did you give him?" Emeric wondered.
"I have no idea. I think they're called Oxycontin or something."
His eyes widened. "He'll be out for awhile."
I nodded.
We'd make it to Pittsburgh, but didn't go through; I went around. We were down an Enforcer and I wasn't going to put them in any more danger than I had to. Instead, I opted to stop in a town called Cecil, which had been abandoned for the last three centuries, at a small hotel we could use for the night.
"I can't wake or carry him," Harbin told me.
"I got him," I said casually, opening the passenger door.
I put the giant over my shoulder and carried him inside with ease, putting him in the first nice room I found, which was on the fourth floor and held a bed big enough for him.
"Sleep it off," I teased, covering him up.
The rest of them slept with him, opting to be together instead of on their own.
While they slept, I flew into the Green Forest, which is the large area of nature where the radiation had gotten trapped due to the lack of airflow and human presence, to recharge.
To think.
Merrick woke at eight-thirty, his head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton.
"How'd your head?" Emeric asked, keeping his voice down.
"...I have a head?" he mumbled, making the Doctor chuckle. "What the hell did I take?"
"A very potent narcotic."
"Never again," he groaned, feeling his head as he sat up. "Oh, that's brutal. We need to find regular Tylenol or Motrin."
The Doctor nodded as I walked in.
"How's the head? Did it stop your bitching?" I teased, folding my arms over my chest as I leaned against the doorway.
"Were you trying to kill me?" he asked.
"Just shut you up."
"Mission accomplished," he nodded.
"I found breakfast for you. Come on," I grinned, walking away.
The Doctor helped him to his feet, glad he was okay.
I had made them roasted turkey with wild vegetables, having found a wild turkey in the forest. I took the radiation from the food so they didn't get sick, knowing it would keep them going until we stopped again.
"Can we travel during the day?" Alden asked me.
I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I haven't really seen this world. Only at night."
I rubbed my face with my hands. "Okay. I think it's time for a Geography lesson."
"Go on," Blythe smiled, her notepad at the ready.
"We are about two-hundred miles from the Green Forest. That stretches from West Virginia to Missouri. The Green Forest is where the trapped radiation lives. Creatures there are...very dangerous. They...explore during the day. They're going back to bed as we start our day and that's how you stay alive. At least for now. When you get a bit more...seasoned, we'll talk."
"What animals are dangerous in the Midwest?" Emeric wondered.
"Native animals include bears and wolves. Non-native animals include those brought in from zoos and pets-both legal and illegal. Now think mutation. Growth. Unopposed by people. Can we go?"
"Whoa," Harbin said lowly. "You're nervous."
"Very close to the Forest," I repeated. "Hurry up."
Harbin helped Merrick back into the van, who was still shaking off the medication I'd given him.
We'd drive until the van ran out of gas just after five in the morning, which was in a small, abandoned town in Southeast Ohio.
"I think there's a farmhouse we can use," I told them, looking around our surroundings. "Stay close and be as quiet as you can."
Low growling could be heard on all sides, along with yellowed eyes belonging to creatures they couldn't see.
When Karasi wrapped her arm around mine and leaned against me as we walked, I could feel her shivering next to me.
"They're just watching," I said lowly, cutting up a long driveway that led to a massive farmhouse.
"So scared," she admitted.
"Why didn't you stay in the city?" I asked her.
"Because you weren't going to stay there."
I shook my head at her as we walked up the porch steps.
"Wait here. I'll clear the house," I told her, drawing my weapon as I kicked open the door with ease.
"Need help?" Merrick asked, taking out his own weapon.
"Adorable," I chuckled, walking into the house alone.
"I'm huge," he called.
Blythe raised an eyebrow at him.
"...and adorable," he added, sitting down on the porch.
She chuckled at him as she took a seat on the porch as well. "I love her."
"You hide it well."
"You don't," she fired back.
"I'm not ashamed of how I feel about her."
"Good," she smiled.
"Alright," I told them, returning almost ten minutes later. "I'm going to clear the land. Get inside. Lock up. Brace the windows with what you can find."
"And you're still good?" Harbin teased Merrick.
"I am," I nodded.
Harbin patted the giant's shoulder as he walked into the house with Karasi, whom he couldn't possibly be upset with for clinging to me instead of him. He would've, too.
With the rest of them asleep inside, I took a seat on the porch to watch over them.
"I can't sleep," Merrick sighed as he took a seat next to me just after eleven in the morning.
"I have something for that," I said evenly, making him laugh a little.
"It's peaceful here," he noticed, looking around.
"For now," I agreed.
"So is this how life is for you?" he asked.
"Minus the noise, yes," I told him.
"Blythe loves you," he chuckled. "How you are with us. Despite centuries of isolation and a life of solitary existence, you're not mean. To the rest of them, I mean."
"Am I too mean to you?"
"...do I really annoy you or are you teasing?" he asked, sighing a little.
I looked at him. "What do you want from me? You want a relationship? Because I can tell you why it won't work. I will outlive you. You'll just...leave. Everyone does."
"So you're just going to close yourself off so you don't get hurt?"
"It's worked well for me so far."
"I don't even get a chance to disappoint you?" he asked, getting a small smile. "It won't take long. Probably take care of it by the end of the week, really."
I shook my head at him.
"I think you're the greatest person I've ever met," he said honestly. "I'll follow you anywhere. Gladly. You've more grace and humility and honor than anyone before you."
"I'm a monster."
He shook his head at me. "No, Harlow. You're my favorite person in the whole world."
"I'm telling your Mother."
He shrugged. "Go ahead. She knows I hate her. My Father, too."
"There's some tea," I grinned.
"My Father was the head of Security in the whole city. And very, very corrupt. He'd fit in, in the city. Give them pointers. When he realized I was...as big as I am, he began fighting me for money and power. He told me lies about people so I'd fight harder. I nearly killed some people. My Mother organized every one of them. Whispered the same lies. When I turned eighteen, I distanced myself from them and didn't look back," he said quietly.
I put my hand atop his, getting his attention.
"If you want me to back off, I will," he told me. "I don't want to, but I will."
"What are these beads for?" I asked, lightly touching the beads in his beard.
"The number of fights I've been in. The golden ones mean I won. Silver if I lose."
"...there are no silver."
"I know," he said sadly, looking away.
I cupped his face with my hand, making him look at me once more, unprepared for me to kiss him. It took him a few seconds to recover, but he'd return the affection with passion.
When he pulled away, it was clear there was something between us.
"Uh oh," he said lowly, staring at me.
"No kidding," I agreed.
Screeching overhead made him cry out in shock as he searched the sky for any signs of the birds.
"Inside!" I cried, pushing him into the house just before a large black bird with the sharpest beak on the planet buried itself into the wood.
He closed the door, realizing too late I was still outside.
I was able to dodge and roll out of the way, drawing them away from the house and into the nearby barn.
He heard gunfire and shrieking, saw feathers fly and a few fly out the windows of the barn.
"What's going on?" Blythe asked, standing next to him in the living room just after six in the evening.
"Blackbirds in the barn," he said quietly. "She drew them away, but it's been quiet in there and I don't know if it's safe."
"How long has it been quiet?" she asked him.
"About an hour."
She nodded to herself and started for the barn with a nervous giant behind her.
"Harlow?" she called, looking at the amount of dead birds I had saved them from.
Under a pile of at least twelve, I lay with six beaks going through my body; just the heads remained.
Merrick let out a sharp cry and pulled them from me as gently as he could, his hands shaking.
"No," Blythe whispered, kneeling next to us.
"Harlow?" Merrick asked, shaking me a little.
Silence.
"She needs radiation," he told her, looking around.
"Merrick...," she said softly.
"No!" he cried, holding me closer to him before picking me up. "There has to be something here that can help save her!"
"Let me get Emeric," she told him. "Maybe he has something. Okay?"
He followed after her, doing his best to calm his racing heart with each step he took.
"Emeric!" Blythe cried, waking the Doctor in an instant.
He made his way to the living room, where Merrick lay me on the couch, the severity of my wounds evident.
"Blackbirds," Blythe said sadly, taking my hand as she knelt next to the couch. "She took out a lot of them, though."
"Can you get my bag?" he asked her. "I think there's something that can help her."
The Guide rushed away, leaving Merrick and the rest of them to pace in silence.
"Here," she said quietly.
"I saw these in the city. They have radioactive properties to help get soil ready for farming. I bought a ton in case she got hurt. I can use them as energy pills, if I understand her anatomy correctly," he explained, giving me three.
Just six minutes later, I let out a small groan and opened my eyes, unprepared for the cheers.
"Are you okay?" Emeric asked, helping me sit up.
"What did you do?" I mumbled, my vision blurry.
"I gave you these," he cringed, showing me the package.
I chuckled. "Clever."
He was relieved.
"What happened?" Alden asked me.
"Blackbirds were hungry," I said tiredly.
Emeric handed me some more seeds, which seemed to be working for now.
"But we should go," I added, struggling to my feet. "Their bodies are going to attract...bigger interest," I said carefully.
"How?" Blythe asked, having a point.
"We have to walk," I told them.
"I got the front," Merrick spoke up. "Can you make it?"
"...no," I admitted, sitting back on the couch.
He put me on his back, leading the way, while Harbin brought up the rear, hating to walk in the open without any cover.
In the fresh air, I was fading quickly; coughing up blood and soaking his shirt was all that could be heard in the evening.
"...put me down," I instructed.
The giant obliged, but didn't like it.
"Here," Emeric said lowly, handing over the last of the seeds.
I declined, opting to dig into the soil like an animal.
"...what are you doing?" Blythe asked.
"The...deeper I can dig...the more I can take the radiation from the soil and absorb it," I said tiredly, doing my best to keep going.
She dug with me, but stopped when I pushed her away after finding a large vein and complete with a small amount of water.
I drank it without hesitation, feeling the properties begin to truly heal me after just a few seconds.
Blythe got sick, the radiation too much.
"Sorry," I told her, placing my hand on her stomach to take the poison from her body directly. "Should help."
The nausea subsided after a few seconds, relieving her.
"Thanks, Harlow," she smiled. "I'm glad you're okay."
"I'm not done yet," I winked, making her laugh a little.
Alden crashed into me, elated I was okay, making Merrick smile.
Back on the road, we walked until nearly seven in the morning, finding another residential area with a variety of houses to choose from.
They were exhausted, starving and filthy, but this was a nicer area and we could stop for longer than a single day.
I found a generator and gave it a jump, giving the house power, before going over to the large propane tank to give the place some hot water so they could shower.
The houses were large, Colonial and sat on grounds thought to be some of the most exclusive, which meant security was an added bonus.
"We can stay here for a few days," I told them. "There should be enough beds if a few double up," I added, taking a seat on the couch.
Karasi looked at Harbin, who offered his hand as they walked upstairs to get some sleep after walking over sixty miles in a single evening.
Alden and Emeric were next, their relationship building, as well.
Blythe was happy for a bed to herself, finding a Queen with some plush bedding that wasn't too filthy.
"...are you tired?" Merrick asked me, his eyes burning.
I nodded, unable to stand.
He picked me up with ease, taking me upstairs to the last empty room, where a large bed waited.
I took off my over shirt, revealing a form-fitting white tank top and my toned physique, my worn black boots and items from the pockets of my pants.
He couldn't look away.
"What?" I asked tiredly, collapsing onto the bed.
He got in next to me. "You're stunning."
I shook my head at him.
"Goodnight, Harlow," he murmured.
I was already out.
He stared at me for a few minutes before he fell out, too.
Alden was the first to wake at six-thirty, to his Doctor's arm around his waist, his cheek on his shoulder.
He rolled over and held him closer, but stopped when he felt just how cold his body was.
Within seconds, his clothing was soaked with sweat from the Doctor, who hadn't been asleep this whole time; he'd been unconscious.
"Emeric?" he asked, shaking him roughly.
When he didn't get a response, he pulled on his pants and an over shirt before coming to find me.
"Harlow," he said urgently, shaking me.
I looked at him. "Alden?"
"Emeric is down," he said shakily. "He's got a fever and I can't wake him."
I sat up and followed him to his room, where the Doctor lay, looking like absolute hell.
"This is my fault," I said quietly. "I'm sorry. He's exhausted. Beyond exhausted. We can rest here until he's better and I'll do my best to find a vehicle so we're not walking in such hot weather so much."
"What do we do?" he asked.
"Breathe," I said gently. "He'll be okay. I can reduce his fever until it breaks and then he can rest."
"Thanks," he said softly.
"Now, this is going to seem cruel, but it's the only way I know to quickly break a fever," I warned, picking up the Doctor as gently as I could.
"I trust you," he nodded.
I placed the Doctor in the bathtub, turned on the cold water and then the shower, letting the sudden change in temperature wake him.
It took less than four minutes for him to open his eyes and look at me after I turned the water back off.
"...Harlow?" he asked tiredly.
"Yeah, Doc," I nodded.
"...I...I'm wearing clothing, right?"
I chuckled. "Yeah. Get some rest, Doc."
I left the two men alone, going back to my room to get dressed for the day.
Merrick was still asleep, but woke as I put on my boots.
"Do I have to be awake?" he mumbled at me.
"No," I promised.
"How do you do this?" he asked, wincing as he rolled onto his back. "My whole body hurts."
"I'm going to see if I can find a vehicle. Get some sleep if you want," I said casually, walking out of the room.
He wanted to follow me, but his energy was gone.
"Want some company?" Blythe asked.
"I'm just going to try to find a vehicle. Stay close, okay? Things are still awake at night."
"No problem," she promised, still amazed she was here. "It's actually nice here."
I froze.
"Spoke too soon, didn't I?" she asked.
I nodded. "How fast can you run?"
"To where?"
Very clever.
Silence.
"Harlow?" she asked, wrapping her arm around mine.
"Get on my back," I told her, my focus on the sixteen pairs of red eyes staring at us in the darkness.
She did as I told her, her arms around my neck as I leapt into the air, giving us an aerial view of the mutated gray wolves who had us surrounded.
"Hang on," I told her. "I have to piss them off and then double back."
"I trust you," she nodded.
Together, we flew directly at the alpha, who was a darker shade and had darker claws than the rest of them. I punched the animal in the face, knocking him back, where he rolled to a stop almost fifteen feet away.
"First part done," I told her, now cutting through the trees as enraged beasts followed after us.
I got to a slight ledge, dropped down, moved under and stayed put, watching them dive over the ledge, still certain we were running.
"Harlow?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.
"Yeah?"
"...I dropped my notepad."
I laughed outright, flying straight up before turning back toward home so they couldn't catch our scent and follow us home.
"Are you okay?" I asked as we set foot back home.
She jumped into my arms, confusing me.
"Every kid dreams of flying that way," she smiled, pulling away. "That was incredible!"
I shook my head at her. "Stay here, okay? I'm going to find breakfast."
"Are you mad at me?"
"No. But I also need a meal. Flying takes a lot out of me."
She let me go, almost dancing into the house.
"What's with you?" Harbin asked her.
"Nothing," she shrugged, going back to her room.
He let it go, heading to the kitchen for something to drink.
The giant woke at four in the morning, surprised to learn I wasn't home.
"We had to lure some wolves away from the area," Blythe told them.
"How?" Alden asked, now more relaxed.
She melted. "We flew. I was on her back and she punched one in the face. The biggest one. We ran. It was amazing."
"Was she hurt?" Merrick asked her.
"Just winded," she promised.
Merrick sat on the porch, waiting for me to come back, the knots in his stomach growing with each passing minute.
I'd return, covered in blood and mud, with two large bucks in each hand being dragged behind me; enough to feed them for a week.
"I had to take these from three black bears about six-hundred miles from here. Should be okay. They generally lose interest after thirty miles or so," I told him, putting the animals on the ground. "How's the Doc?"
"Sleeping," Alden smiled, glad I didn't hate him.
"Whose blood is that?" Merrick asked.
"It's a mix, really," I said casually, taking a knife from my boot.
Harbin hid a grin, glad Karasi wasn't like me.
"Are you hurt?" he asked me.
"I'm fine," I answered, slicing into the animal with ease.
He'd take care of the other one, having only needed to be shown once how to do something.
"What else can I do?" he asked after we had salvaged what we could.
"Get inside. In a few hours, there's gonna be some very large, very territorial birds to collect the remains here."
The five of them would watch seven massive vultures land in front of the deer, their beaks ripping apart the flesh with ease.
"Holy shit," Harbin said lowly, amazed at what he was seeing. "I feel like I'm in Jurassic Park."
"They're capable of carrying people," I revealed. "Or at least me."
"For fun or were you trying to escape?" Merrick asked, already knowing me well.
"I was trying something. It worked. There's a mutual respect there. I don't do it, even though we both know I can."
He shook his head at me.
I took a seat on the couch as Emeric walked into the living room, finally feeling better.
"I think I overslept," he admitted, taking a seat next to me.
"Harbin," I called, getting his attention.
He looked over to see the Doctor asleep on my shoulder, the walk to the living room draining whatever energy he'd built up.
"I got him," the man chuckled, picking him up easily.
Alden shook his head and followed after them, glad we were staying for a few days.
After the birds left, I explored the area, curious to see if I could find anything we could use.
At noon, I let Blythe make them lunch, while I broke into nearby garages to find a vehicle so we didn't have to walk.
Just six miles away, was a small, private airport, where I was able to find another van that would get us the rest of the way there.
I drove over to the farm and put the vehicle in the garage to keep it safe, relieving the rest of them.
After lunch, they walked around the Gated community, save for Emeric, who was asleep in an empty house.
They found spices, pieces of clothing, ammunition and food still in date, placing whatever they found in a wagon we'd found in one of the other houses.
Emeric woke at nine the next morning, feeling better than he had in days.
"Hey," Alden said gently. "Are you hungry?"
He nodded. "Starved."
"Come on," he smiled.
The Doctor ate breakfast with the rest of them, but he didn't see me.
"Where is our Boss?" he wondered, looking around.
"Eating," Merrick answered, digging into his meal. "She'll be home later. You better?"
"Yes, thank you. I don't think I've ever walked that far in my life," he admitted.
"She's sorry."
Emeric stopped him. "I'm not mad. I never was. And if I upset her, I'll apologize. I tend to do that."
Merrick shook his head. "She was worried about you."
The Doctor was the only one up that night, now wired after nearly two straight days of sleep.
I sat on the porch, staring up at the moon when he came out and took a seat next to me just after two in the morning.
"Am I bothering you?" he asked me.
"Not yet."
He was quiet for a long time before he sighed and bowed his head.
"What's wrong?" I asked him.
"I don't belong here," he said softly.
"You do not," I agreed, surprising him.
"No?"
I looked at him. "They should've let you stay home. You don't have the...proper mentality to be here. I'm not being mean here. How you were allowed to go is a big oversight on their part."
"Is that why you don't like me?"
"You think I don't like you?"
He nodded.
"You have to understand that I have been on my own for a very, very long time. And the number of educated people only reside in the city I am forbidden to be a citizen.
"Hell, the last Doctor I interacted with was the one who told me my heart no longer beat.
"I didn't realize how hard of a time you were having here and I'm sorry I was impatient. You think out loud the worst case scenario. I get that now. It'll get easier, okay?"
"I didn't fit in back home, either," he admitted. "I'm too...timid for that world, too."
"May I ask why you are?"
"A lot of things happened to me the first time I tried something new," he told me. "The first step I took was down a flight of stairs when I was two. My first word was a swear and I ended up getting slapped by my grandmother. Split my lip. I was three. The first...body we were assigned in Medical School was my childhood best friend. My first time in a car...major accident."
"Jesus, Doctor," I said softly.
"I'm always going to be this way. Maybe they thought it would be good for me. Toughen me up. I started to feel good about it. You know? Then I found out it was randomized and now...I know they don't care. My Government doesn't care about the individual."
"It can get difficult as a population gets larger," I tried.
"You care," he added. "You could've just walked away. But you didn't."
"You're babies," I teased. "Someone had to make sure you didn't die."
"Why did you?" he wondered.
"What else was I really going to do?"
He finally gave me a smile. "I needed that, thank you."
"Welcome back, Doctor."