The Fighter

Chapter 23

I cock my head to hear were they are coming from. Suddenly they are close to us now.

"Scarlett!" Henry shrieks as he pushes me away.

My head smashes into a tree. Blood pours from the new wound as I see the two boys. Henry is laying on the ground with a sword buried into his chest.

"Henry!" I cry as I pull two knives from my belt and hit the two boys both in the throat.

"Scarlett...." he says faintly. His eyes are glassy as he looks at me.

"Don't you dare close your eyes." I demand him, swallowing my tears.

"Tell my mother I love her, tell my dad that he is forgiven." He takes one painful, shaky breath.

"I love you, Scarlett. You've always been my best friend. Smoke those cigarettes and live in the palace happily." He says quietly.

"Henry, I love you. Please don't die." I now cry for the first time since my mom died.

"I'm happy now." He lets out his last breath. His body turns stiff as I scream at the top of my lungs.

"Henry!" I keep screaming as my blood falls on to his open wound. I pull the sword out of his chest and cry into him. My head is bleeding more now. Oliver slides to my side with the rest of the boys following him.

I start to fade in and out as they pry me away from Henry's body. Alan stitches up my head as he cries. I'm dried out from crying.

Alan gets me to replenish my body as we wait for the plane to come picks us up. Jax and Oliver carry Henry out of the jungle and on to the beach. Alan stitches his wound in the chest as I sit beside him and watch.

"He loved you," I say brushing Henry's hair off his sweaty brow.

"He loved you too," Alan says finishing off.

A faded buzz comes from the sky as we see the plane. Boys start to cheer as Alan and I stay silent.

The plane lands on the beach. Jax and Oliver carry Henry as I lead the boys on to the plane.

"Scarlett, I'm so sorry." General Hugh gives me a reassuring hug. I give a small effort to hug back. They had already picked up the bodies before they got us. Henry is stacked right along with them.

The ride back is loud. All the boys are happy that they survived battle but now I wish I died in it. Oliver, Jax, and Alan all stay silent. Oliver holds my hand as we make it back to Summerton.

We get dropped off at base to gather our things to go to the military palace. I gather my small bag of things and Henry's bag.

"I'll give this to his family. He asked me to go talk to them." I say quietly to Oliver as he puts his arm around me.

The bus that took us here picks us up to go to the palace. Alan ad Jax sit together while Oliver sits with me. We get handed reports as we walk on the bus. Surprisingly, the Generals are coming along with us to stay for a month until their next regiment comes in.

"Jax, Alan, you, and me are all offered to help lead the new group into battle." Oliver says while looking at his report.

My report just brags about me. It doesn't point out anything I need I wrk on it just highlights the good.

"I brought back 56 boys but I couldn't manage to bring back Henry." I choke on tears. The bus stops as I gather everything up and walk off with Oliver, Jax and Alan.

"You will be seeing your families in your own time. The army no longer has control over you until you are called back in. Congratulations for coming back alive." General Hugh says as everybody cheers.