Bionica: The War

Little Brother

Ruby walked away from the battlefield, the front of her shirt soaked with the boy's blood. Jackson would have a fit when he saw her, that was for sure. Nearly fourteen years old and already getting involved in government battles. What would be next, full-on rebellion? Ruby chuckled at herself. Where would the welfare come from? She'd probably die sooner than she'd join a rebellion.

She walked over the crest of a hill, and sure enough, Jackson was sitting there, waiting for her. When he saw her shirt, his face grew incredibly pale. "Oh, my god!" he whispered as he ran toward his sister. "Where does it hurt? Is it serious? Do we need to go to a hospital?"

"Relax, Jackson," Ruby laughed. She pulled up her shirt to reveal her stomach, which showed no trace of a wound. "See? No harm done. That soldier boy was bleeding pretty badly, though."

Jackson's posture became a bit less tense, but not by much. "You shouldn't scare me like that, Ruby. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

That was Jackson in a nutshell: caring for others while his own needs went unnoticed. Ruby marveled at the fact that he was somewhat of a mother figure to her since the bombing. For one thing, he wasn't a girl; for another, he was younger than she was by five years. Jackson Hale was an amazing creature. Ruby always figured when he grew up, he'd be a schoolteacher or a doctor, helping people until he couldn't anymore. "C'mon," she said. "Let's find someplace to eat."

They eventually found a small restaurant in the inner city. The neon Open sign in front flickered, but it was obviously meant to be on. Ruby held Jackson's hand and walked inside. The place didn't look like much; just a few tattered booths and some chairs that looked tired and ready to fall apart. But the smell was overwhelming. Ruby dug in her pocket for some money and pulled out a few crumpled bills. It won't be enough, she thought. There's no way.

"You been in battle?"

Ruby turned around to see a waitress in front of her. She was young, only about three years older than Ruby, and had bright orange hair pulled back into a bun. "Pardon me?" Ruby asked.

"Your shirt," said the girl. "You been in the wars?"

Ruby remembered her bloodstained garments. "Oh, no," she said. "I was just caught in the middle."

The girl leaned over the maitre'd stand to whisper. "As long as you don't fight for that lowlife Tronyx," she said. "My name's Sara. I'll be taking care of you today. Can I show you to a table?"

"I'm not sure if we have enough," Ruby said.

"Don't worry about it," said Sara. "I'll pay for it. Who could say no to that face?" At this, she pointed to Jackson, who had a big grin on his face. Ruby smiled.

They went through the meal, talking and laughing and asking people where to get laundry detergent. Sara came by to talk to Ruby and Jackson from time to time. It was a good break from constantly worrying about where they were going to sleep or how they were going to get their next meal.

But of course, such things only last so long.

As Sara came by to get the last of their dishes, Jackson started to cough. Ruby looked at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jackson replied in between coughs. "Just something in my throat."

"All right..." Ruby said, still wary of him.

Sara looked down at them. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you," Ruby said. "But do you know anyplace cheap to spend the night?"

Sara thought. Ruby listened. Jackson coughed again. Then the waitress looked over at him. "Hey, is your brother okay?"

Ruby whipped around. The coughing was getting louder and more violent. "Jackson?" No response. "Jackson, look at me!" More coughing. Ruby couldn't wait any longer. She scooped Jackson up in her arms and started running.

"Wait!" Sara cried. "Where are you going?"

"To the hospital!" Ruby replied, thinking that she wouldn't stop running no matter what Sara said.

Sara ran after them. "I can help!" she shouted over the coughing. "I have a car!"

A few moments later, Sara sat in the front of a beat-up pickup truck, driving at least thirty miles over the speed limit. Ruby sat in the back of the truck, her brother laid in the floor in front of her. She held his hand as she cried, unable to stop.

"It'll be all right, Jackson," she said between sobs, "it's all going to be okay."

"We're here!" Sara yelled. She threw herself out of the front seat and went to open the tailgate. Ruby jumped out, still holding Jackson, and dashed toward the emergency room. Still crying, she rushed to the front desk, where the receptionist looked as calm as ever.

"Welcome to Cleveland Memorial," she said in an eerily chipper voice. "May I help you?"

"Please," Ruby cried, "it's my brother. He just started coughing, and then during the ride here he was unconscious, and I don't know what's wrong! You have to help him!"

The receptionist typed something on her keyboard. "We should have someone available to you in about thirty minutes."

Ruby couldn't believe what she was hearing. "No, you have to help him now! Broken bones can wait; my brother is unconscious! You have to see him!"

The receptionist looked at her, still smiling. "I'm sorry, but all these people have been waiting for some time to see the doctor. You'll just have to take your turn like everyone else."

Sara stepped forward. "He may be dying! You'll just have to boot someone off the list!"

No answer. She'd turned back to her computer and picked up the phone. Ruby sat down with her brother and stroked his hair, still crying. People stared at her, but she didn't care. Her brother was all that mattered. Her mind ran wild. What if Jackson was permanently disabled by whatever this was? What if he died right then and there in her arms? What if she never saw him again? Tears streamed from her eyes as Sara's hand found its way to her shoulder.

Out of nowhere, doors burst open and armed men with bulky armor streamed into the room. They aimed their guns at random, and Ruby tried to shield Jackson from them. Sara's eyes widened as one of them pounced on her, putting handcuffs on her wrists.

"Sara Mycroft, A. K. A. Pivvot," said the soldier, "you are under arrest for treason and other crimes against the American Empire. You have the right to remain silent. Should you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say..."

The soldiers backed off as their leader forced Sara out of the room. As she left, she kept trying to sneak glances at Ruby's wide eyes. Their eyes finally met, and then Sara was gone.

Ruby contemplated following her, maybe saving her from the soldiers. If she had, perhaps the war's end might have been drastically different. But the thought of Jackson, lying sick and unconscious over a few waiting room chairs, held her back.

"Ruby Hale?" said the receptionist. Ruby stared for a second. When she'd gotten on the phone... that must've been why the guards were there. But the smile was plastered on her face, same as ever. Ruby scooped up Jackson, ducked into the doctor's office, and thought no more of the woman who may have delayed the war's end.