With a failed incursion towards the barracked museum the troops were to hold a defensive position. While The vanguard team decides futher advencements and a new strategies.

Dusk was coming soon, Cris’s convoy had already converged with Mike’s. With the shared supplies they armed and treated the civilians in their care. For now the leadership was in broken down apartement getteing their plans together after this failure.

*rolls out map*

“Well, I say you had dificulties in flanking them.”

“Did not expect them to booby trap this hole area.”

Mike cricle with a red pen all the traps he encountered along the way.

“What about your side or you just meatgrinder them.”

“No we tried to push futher.”

Cris picked up a blue pen and started drawing a blue arrow with several others branching from the thicker one leading towards more streets.

“Then what?”

“With the more we advenced the bigger the resistense got. we got close just a couple feet from their barrackade.”

“Can we breach the place.”

“That would be suicidal. We are already low on supplies and from what I heard from the higher ups the new brigades reached Salem yesterday.”

“Shit. Then what they expected us to do?”

“Well that’s where my special request comes in.”

While the both strategy command was discussing Owen and Phyro were running around the camp looking for Mary.

*chatter chatter*

“Mary!!!! Marry!!!!”

“Fuahhhh!!! Marfuaahh!!!”

He stopped by a group of soldiers having a meal by the side of a oil tank campfire.

*chatter chatter*

“Things are going to shit. Saw that explosion down there?”

“Cleaver little shits.”

“Yeah don’t want get mauled down by thouse fucks.”

“You know what’s even worse.”

“what?”

“Heard thay can copy people’s voices.”

“Fuck me. That’s some hillbilly type of shit.”

“I know, right?

“Ex-Excuse me.”

They looked with a confused face towards the sound in the dark of a little boy.

*grasping rifle*

“Who are you? Are you a civ?”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Can we help you? Need something?”

Owen steppes in a little closer so the light could light up his face.

*drops rifle*

“Holy crap kid. Give me goosebumps.”

“Mister can you help me?”

The soldier in the back nudge the one speeking to Owen.

“(whispering) Hey, don’t this boy seem familiar to you?”

“The heck dio you mean?”

“From the TV.”

He turns back to look at Owen with a intrigue.

“Mister?”

“Aren’t you the kid from TV?”

“Ye-Yeah.”

He and his buddies started looking around. In a frenzy they all line up.

“Ohhhh So-So-Sorry.”

*salutes*

“What are you doing mister soldier?”

“Oh…….Nothing. Sorry for that, What is your question?”

“I’am looking for a girl name Mary. Have you seem her?”

“Is she a civilian?”

“Yeah I found her bleeding today……But we were separated.”

“Well no worries them she should be in the medical area. Follow the convoy until you see a red cross and some blue tents she should be there. Ok buddy?”

“Thanks a lot mister soldier!!!!”

*little salute*

The boy started running down the convoy with his pet following closely behind in hope to find her again.

“Oooooh, the youth.”

“Man you are 19.”

“Hey do you think using thouse strange tanks was a bad idea?”

Owen run all the way down the convoy until he reached the bridge.

“Red cross!!!Blue tent!!

Exicited the little boy asked almost all the medics working there about Mary. It would be not too late until the professionals point him her location.

*pull curtains*

“Mary?”

The young girl was laying in a makeshift bed next to the rail of the bridge. She glacely turns around to look at the one who had moved the curtains. Mary was covered in bandages and she looks at him with her baggy eyes.

“Owen……Nice to see you again.”

Owen rushed towards the bed she was laying.

*creeck*

*hug*

The boy lift up his head to see her. His eyes was full of tears.

“I thou-Thought I would never see you again.”

She caresses the boy heads conforting him.

*creeck*

“Oh…..Phyro……How you doing buddy.”

The little dragon slowly crawled towards Mary. He puts his heads under her unocupied arm.

*pat pat*

“You’re a good boy.”

“Fuaaah….”

*cough cough*

The boy quickly back away from her.

“Sorry……I pressed your tummy.”

“No……It was nothing.”

*cough cough*

*slide*

Hearing the commotion a nurse quickly came to see what was happening.

“Excuse me.”

*gently pushes aside*

The boy feels hands holding him from behind. He looks up to see who It was.

“Owen, what are you doing here?”

“Mommy?”

“So that’s what the others medics were talking about.”

“What?”

“No. I just thought out loud. But what are doing here?”

“I came to see Mary.”

“I undestand son but You can’t be here. There’s sick people here.”

“I won’t get sick mommy. I promise.”

*huff*

She drops down to look at him in the eyes.

*grabs shoulder*

“You should’nt see this…..It just what I’am saying.”

“(proudly) I’am strong mommy…..I see blood and fresh everyday. I can handle. Just let me stay here with her.”

“Seeing is one thing……Understanding their pain is another……..Don’t want to expose you to that.”

The face of the boy changed to a melancoly expression he looks at his mother and hugs her.

“I already understand……..How they suffer.”

“You have grown son.”

She get up and her son turned to look at the nurse lifting up her and changing her bandages and checking her medication.

*shuffle shuffle*

“Hello Mary, feeling alright?”

“Yeah…..Just a little……..cough.”

*shuffle shuffle*

“Do want for me to get him away?”

“No…..No he is my friend.”

“Ok them.”

The nurse execuse herself and went away giving a stern look at the boy. He did not seem to mind.

“So you are the friend my son made?”

*blushes*

“Huh…..Yes……Of course.”

The boy quickly comes and grabs on the rails on the bed startlying her.

*creeck*

“Hey Owen…Manner she is a girl.”

“Sorry…..”

“No….No It is alright.”

“Did he told you about his adventures?”

“Of course……He is a fighter…….Better than me……I’am just laying in bed.

“Hey, should keep going where did we left?”

Her eyes brighten up and even with a sick body she seem excited to listen his story.

“Then I will left you two to talk.”

"Bye mommy!!!”

“Bye…..miss Severin.”

He spend almost the whole noon talking with the girl. When the night fell Carol called Sam to pick him up. As Carol saw the humvee moving away from her she felt a strange sensation of pity and happiness. The nurse that was caring for mary came to talk with the head doctor.

“Miss……Mary’s case is……Worse.”

“Did you increased the painkillers?”

“Of course. We would started If not for the boy.”

“No…..It was good…..Both for us and her.”

“Understood.”

As she was starting to turn away

“May I ask how much time she has left?”

“Maybe three or one month.”

“I see.”

*walks away*