Purple Sunrise

Seventeen

Rose left her head dangling, feeling too guilty to look at Lily. She knew that she was hurting and had every reason to be after the betrayal they had given to Lily.

"Now I bet you're going to try and leave me out of the talks to sort out this mess, aren't you?" Lily accused, keeping the hard edge in her voice, refusing to allow the tears of anguish to fall. She would not give them the gratitude to see just how devastated she was feeling.

"How do you know all of those things, about how to modify the air condition anyway Lily?" Rose asked trying desperately to change the subject into a slightly lighter one. Lily looked slightly annoyed again.

"I am allowed to know things y'know." Lily at this stage had her arms crossed in front of her, an expression of pure anger filling her face.

Counting to ten Lily let out a deep calming breath. Lily didn't know why she should have to tell them anything after they kept things from her. She had already told them enough and didn't want to divulge any more information about how she knows. Lily's internal dialog was going a mile a minute, ranting about being so unhappy with them.

"I picked up things when I lived on the street. There is a lot of things that I might be able to help out about now, especially in this sort of thing."

John thought at this point, he should try and get Lily off of the topic, to ease her back in, he knew that she didn't trust them anymore and that it would be a long road to getting back to how they were; now they needed to concentrate on how it affects her knowing that they were floating in space.

It is a big life-changing thing to find out. John knew that the best thing to do in this scenario was to just include her from now on. Starting with the current issue.

"We went to look at what was going on outside, all Rose could see was an earth-like substance beyond the hut. We are figuring out a way to find out what exactly it is, to work out how to deal with it before it turns out to be something that could tear this place apart."

Lily was pleasantly surprised by the honesty and inclusion that John was demonstrating her. She knew why they had done it; Lily knew they had done their best to protect her and make it so she could act like a normal child her age.

Lily was extremely appreciative of having them in her life. She just wished that would start treating her a little more grown-up than they had been. She knew that she was only young, but this was an unusual situation.

"We need to work out what we can use the suit from...." Rose pondered.

"Oooh!" Rose exclaimed, she knew that she had seen something in the plant room that could help, Rose rushed into the plant room going through each of the cupboards until she happened upon the right one.

She reached in her long slender fingers pulling out the plastic feeling fabric from inside. The orange-colored suit plundering closer towards her face. Bringing it back into the living area, Rose paraded it to the others.

"See? I think that this might be of some help. The instructions that it came with, stated that the suit was to be used when the ultra-bright solar light was being used to ensure that you don't get burnt to a fry. I'm sure if it can withstand that heat, then it could withstand any condition out there." Rose used her head to point in the direction of the door to the bunker after she had finished twirling the plastic fabric round in her hands.

John's focus was upon the object that Rose had brought back with her. He made gestures for her to give him the garment so that he could check it out. Rose slowly handed it to John's outstretched hands.

John knew when he touched the rubbery fabric that it should do just like Rose had thought. The material wasn't thin at all, it was thick but felt breathable. It was worth testing.

"We should test the material out as a suit." John began.

"Well, I suppose we could test it in the freezer, if we can withstand being in there for ten minutes, we would be able to withstand being outside for a couple." Rose finished off John's train of thought. Lily was sat back in the corner watching as they conversed just amongst themselves again.

"Well-being included was great while it lasted." She muttered to herself. She peered at them as their expressions turned to delight brightly filled with ideas oozing out of their essence.

"John I'm telling you, I will do it, it's not your decision. I know you want to go, but we have to be able to leave someone under here just in case something happens to the other out there. You would be better at any issues that could occur later on with this place. So, I am going. NOT you." This argument had been going on for a while, back and forth between them, both telling the other one that they would be going outside, they couldn't decide between them; the only one decision they had agreed on is that Lily would not be the one to go outside.

In the end, it had become fewer words they both spoke; the only words being used were "No, I'm going."

Rose was starting to get annoyed at the mini argument she and John were now in. It was a pointless argument. Rose saw no point of John going; if she was being truthful, it was her that had been taking more of the risks lately, her that had had more of a sensible head on about everything else. So, what would be the difference now?

Nothing.

This was something that she and her family had prepared for countless of times back on earth, that they had perfected; She couldn't see that it would be much of a change to be able to do it up here as well.

John had already admitted that the trip he was on to her town had been about learning to build different mechanical devices. So, he would have more use being left in the bunker, with more of a chance to live.

Whilst Rose was talking with herself, John was stood seething from Rose being stubborn and bossy that it had to be her who took the risk. He was convinced that she had the intention to be the one to do it as she wanted to be the hero yet again in another crisis situation.

There weren't enough words to describe how they were both feelings at that moment.

The bubbling emotions of being cooped up getting to both of them. Rose ripped the suit out of John's hand before proceeding to the kitchen. If she was being honest, she had only wanted to be the one to do so that she could get out of this place, have some sort of excitement before having to go back to the boredom.

Rose clambered into the fridge just as John started to talk back.

"Well, you're just being stupid and stubborn with this. You really aren't the best person to go up there. You just want to be the hero and won't admit that it would be a lot more dangerous for you than for me.-" Rose had stopped listening to John altogether deciding it wasn't worth her time to stand around auguring when they could be getting it over and done with; She started to undress to put the suit on her small frame.

As John had been following her, his eyes widened at seeing no shame in her face as she began undressing. He turned away not wanting to see her do anything more than finish removing the jumper she was wearing.

Seeing John's reaction Rose smiled in triumph.

"Right. You better start timing ten minutes when I get in there. After I get out, we will see how I have done. If there are any problems before the time is up, I will knock on the freezer's door too." Rose uttered to John in a matter of fact voice.

Not wanting to argue anymore as he knew at this point it was futile. He gave a deep unhappy sigh before nodding his head in acknowledgment.

John was still not in the mood to speak to Rose after the way she had behaved. He had a lot of negative feelings entering into his bloodstream about the decision that she had by herself. They were meant to be working as a team.

It would be a lot harder to get by without it, after all; all three of them only had each other to rely on. John's face showed the epiphany he just had. This is how Lily must have been feeling. And since he and Rose had been arguing, they had managed to seclude her yet again.

"What a perfect ending to a perfect day." The sarcasm flowed freely out his head.