WnW 2.20

I could barely make out Mac’s concerned eyes behind his goggles. “We need to get you first aid.” 

Nell grabbed my arm as Mac began to help me to my feet and I felt a pulse of her feelings. Mac seemed to notice her for the first time. “Can she come with?” I asked.

Mac paused. “Who is she?”

Gunfire erupted behind us, cutting off my response. I turned to see the soldiers opening fire on the Tree. The base of the Tree shuddered and a limb lashed out with alarming speed, striking a soldier on the helmet.

After the first salvo of bullets ended, a gruff voice shouted, “Cease fire and switch to C.Q.C.! We’re dealing with a regenerator. Flamethrowers are on their way.”

The soldiers dropped their guns and pulled out machetes. They advanced towards the Tree in a half-circle, dodging the flailing limbs and retaliating with precise cuts.

Mac put his arms around Nell and I and guided us away from the combat, into the trees. Nell’s emotions were unsteady, fading in and out. I realized what was going on. “We need to take a break,” I said.

Nell fell heavily against a tree trunk and I helped her the rest of the way down.

“Nick, who is this girl?” Mac asked warily. 

“Do you have any water?”

Mac handed me a bottle. I reached out for it and it fell through my hand. I paused, staring at the stumps covered in congealing blood. The pain seemed to come only as I looked at it. I shoved the stumps under my arm to try and stem the bleeding.

“Nick, let me-” Nell murmured.

“Sure, water first,” I replied, bending down and using my intact hand to give the bottle to Nell who took it gratefully and gulped down mouthfuls.

“I’m breaking protocol right now because you seem to trust her,” Mac said. “But I really need to know.”

I was surprised to find I could still muster the will to be angry as I listened to Mac. “That’s rich coming from you,” I retorted. 

Mac said nothing, he took off his pack and rummaged around in it, pulling out a red emergency first aid kit.

I continued, “I can think of a couple things I really needed to know a few weeks ago.”

He took out a bandage and held out his hand, meeting my eyes. I placed my maimed hand in it and he began to wind the bandage around each finger.

He finally spoke, “It’s not the kind of thing I can just blab about. H.E.S.P. is incredibly selective and careful with who gets to know what.”

“Well, I’m glad you care about your job more than me.”

“You didn’t tell me you were involved,” he replied, sounding hurt.

My cheeks felt hot. “You didn’t tell me you and that tall jerk were tracking my fucking phone!”

Mac fell silent again and Nell handed me the water bottle. The water tasted heavenly and soothed my aching throat.

“I was only told about the phone tracking after the fact,” Mac explained. “Conrad doesn’t trust me because I covered for you. I believed it was a coincidence that you were near both of the recent contacts with Aberrants.”

After taking another drink, I handed the bottle back to Mac. “Did you find the car wreck?”

“Yes.”

“Was there a body?” I asked.

“No. People testified to seeing him at the wedding but he is still at large.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. I had been afraid that would be the answer. “He said his name was Chase. He has an ability, a dangerous one. It drains every possible emotion out of you, makes you suggestible ‘cause you stop caring about everything.”

“That’s good info, Nick. Thank you and don’t worry, we’ll find him eventually.”

“So I still don’t get to know about any of this?” I asked bitterly. “You just want me to go home and sleep it off?”

Mac sighed and sat down next to me. I heard him unclip his helmet and take it off. “Nick, look at me.”

I opened my eyes and immediately felt guilty as I saw Mac’s caring expression.

“I wish you could forget about all of this. You need to believe me, this is the kind of thing that will only hurt those who dig deeper. I care about you. I don’t want you getting embroiled in this.”

“Isn’t it too late?” I whispered. Nell quietly took my bandaged hand and laid it against the tree trunk.

Mac’s eyes flicked over to her and then back to me. “Nick, I don’t know what all happened to you this past month. I’m truly sorry that I couldn’t protect you from any of it. But I can protect you now. H.E.S.P. has the resources, what we’re lacking is information. We’re constantly playing catchup with this group we’re after.”

I held up my hand and let the already loosened bandages fall free. Mac stared at my restored fingers.

“I’m assuming that this tells you more than it tells me,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Fine. I’ll stay in the dark. But in exchange you have to let Nell come with me.”

Mac shook his head. “That violates every protocol that we-”

“I don’t care,” I said firmly. “Break some rules, make it happen. She’s the only reason I’m alive today.”

Mac tapped his knee, studying me closely. “Fine, if it means you’ll keep your nose out of this horrible business, I’ll say she was at the wedding. She came alone so no one knew she was missing. But I can’t house her without processing her.”

An idea came to mind. I looked at Nell. “Don’t worry about that. I have a person.”

After we had gotten enough rest, Mac radioed in that he was bringing some people to medical. An ambulance had managed to drive through the field and was waiting for us once we exited the grove.

“The kids,” I said.

“They’re safe,” Mac assured. “We found them in the house.”

Relief washed over me and Nell pulsed happiness.

Mac spoke briefly to the emergency personnel, slapping one of them on the back before we were told to hop in the back. Mac gave me one last look as if to say, we aren’t done discussing this, before he shut the ambulance doors. I asked to borrow a phone from one of the EMTs as the sirens flared on and the vehicle lurched forward.

It was difficult to type in the number as the vehicle bounced around but, oddly enough, actually remembering the number wasn’t. Even though the pen ink on my arm had long since been washed away the number had stayed stuck in my head.

Kay answered the phone, sounding sleepy, “Hello, who is this?”

“Hi Kay, this is Nick.”

There was a loud plastic clattering and a distant “shit,” before Kay’s voice returned, “Nick?! Are you alright? I saw the missing person notice.”

I rested my head against the wall of the ambulance, letting it shake the tension out of my neck. “Yeah, we can talk about it later, but I was wondering if that offer you gave me before was still available?”

“Of course,” she said gently. “You need a place to stay?”

I made eye contact with Nell. “Not for me, just someone I know could use a spot.”

“Yeah, do they need a ride?”

I gave Kay directions to the hospital we were going to and after promising to fill her in with all the details, I hung up.

Nell wasn’t relaxing. Her tense emotions lapped at the fringes of my consciousness.

“White walls and medical equipment… I can guess why you’re scared,” I said to her.

She shook her head. “I’m actually more terrified of what’s outside. The white box is what I’m used to. Out there? It could be anything.”

“Well, I can promise you it isn’t worse than the farm,” I joked.

We made it to the highway and the rocking of the ambulance became a soothing motion. I let myself let go and not think about anything.

“Hey, Nick.”

“Hm?”

“Are we friends now?”

I cracked an eye open. Nell stared at me intensely.

“I… don’t know,” I said. “Honestly, our emotions overlapping makes me uneasy. And you know way too much personal shit about my past.”

She cast her eyes down, nodding.

“But, looking back on tonight, all I know is that I can’t think of another person I would have preferred backing me up. So sure, we can call it a tentative trust. Newly made friends are like that.” I gave her a small smile. “We’ll both keep trying at it, yeah? I’m willing to make an effort if you are.”

A giddy current ran through me, even as Nell didn’t let it show on her face. She nodded fiercely.

It didn’t take long before I let myself drift away, to dream pleasantly of nothing.