Post-Pandemic: A New World

Chapter Forty Five: A Regretful Mother

October 5th 2025

The day had finally come. The armies of the First Phoenix Alliance, Scientist Directorate and the American Tribe were assembled in one of the exits out of the San Francisco Bay Area, ready for the seven hour journey to Death Valley where They would raid the New Dawn Complex that the Unity Order made Their lair of evil. All fifteen thousand soldiers were giving Their possibly final farewells to their families in case They wouldn't return, because even though Sebastian and Jonah had found a way that would help the Allied Forces win the battle more easily, the soldiers all knew that not all of Them would be returning home to Their families. So Bridge Winters, Raymond Milton and Navajo Jackson had arranged for the families to have half an hour to say goodbye to the soldiers who would be marching off to war at Death Valley. Small children tightly hugged Their fathers or mothers and hoped dearly that They would see Them return once the Battle of New Dawn was over.

Bridge, Anna, Sebastian and Phinehas had all decided to come along as well, as They desired to personally be there when the Unity Order were defeated. Bridge's father, Drake, had been made temporary leader until Bridge and the armies returned from the brutal battle ahead and had one final thing to do before Bridge left. As Bridge helped lift a crate of rifles into a truck next to one of the many Mech-Suits that the Scientist Directorate had prepared for the upcoming battle, He looked back to where His father had gone. Drake had yet again apologised for not loving Bridge anymore following the death of His older brother Tommy and said that there was someone who needed to say goodbye to Bridge as well. Bridge wasn't sure who it was, but then He saw Drake returning through the crowd of soldiers and civilians with the last person He ever expected to want to say goodbye to Him, someone who had also stopped loving Him following the death of Tommy: His mother.

Bridge almost fainted at the sight of Patricia. She was much more cleaner and Her hair was cut to about shoulder length. No longer was She wearing the rags that Drake had found Her in at Vancouver, but in much more neater clothes and had had a shower for the first time in months. Patricia looked at Bridge with tears in Her eyes and struggled to speak. She then finally muttered "I'm sorry" to Bridge, who stood dumbfounded. Bridge looked Patricia up and down to make sure She wasn't joking and saw tears dwelling up in Her eyes. As Patricia wiped tears from Her eyes, Bridge asked "Sorry for what?" Patricia looked at Bridge with a distraught face and said tearfully "This is all My fault. After Tommy died I convinced Myself that You were to blame! I was convinced that I had no one left to live for, but I had You to live for! But I stopped loving You and refused to pay for a surgery that wouldn't have left Your bedridden! I didn't consider how You felt and I stopped loving You altogether! I thought that there was no answer to my suffering, but I was wrong, YOU WERE MY ANSWER!!! You were so RIGHT! I was so WRONG! I AM SO SO SORRY!!!"

Patricia then fell to Her knees and burst into tears. Thanks to O'Brian's therapy She had come to Her senses and realised what a terrible mother She had been to Bridge. Bridge just stood there, shocked at what he had just seen. His mother had now been cured of her reality withdrawal and truly regretted everything she had done. Patricia got to her feet and saw Bridge looking at her with a conflicted expression. She wiped the tears from her eyes and said "I'll make it up to you, I promise. We can make a fresh start and and-". Before Patricia was about to suggest something to Bridge about starting over, but Bridge held up his hands at her and said "Stop. Just, please. Stop". Patricia looked at Bridge with a shocked expression and asked "Stop? Stop what?" Bridge looked at his mother with a disappointed face and said "Mum, listen to me. After you became distant from me when Tommy died, I felt like you had stopped loving me altogether. I thought you couldn't get any colder towards me and then you refuse to pay for a surgery that would spare me the difficulty of being bedridden!" Patricia looked very guilty as Bridge spoke. She no truly understood that she had hurt her own son and driven him away and felt great regret as Bridge said "That's why I left. Its why I signed up for the Student Exchange Program and moved here to America. Its because I felt like I no longer had anyone back in Britain who cared about me for who I was and didn't judge me for something that was just a stupid accident. Now I don't mean to insult you, but do you really think that we can just go back to being a family after more than a decade apart?"

Patricia felt tears swell up in her eyes as Bridge asked her that heart breaking question and silently said "No. We cant". Drake then put his hands on Patricia's shoulders and said "I think we can. We just have to take it slow". That was when they heard a voice say from the truck in a Russian accent "That is probably for the best". They all looked to see Anna Makarova arrive with a bullet proof vest and a pistol in her hoister. Anna stood next to Bridge and said "Bridge told me and the others about what happened when we were in Denver and I think that what you two did was wrong. But I do think that you deserve a chance at retribution. But you shouldn't rush it". Drake agreed and said "Okay. We'll try to take it slow Anna". Patricia looked at Anna with a shocked face and asked "Anna? As in the "Anna" that Drake told me you are dating Bridge?" Bridge quietly nodded and Patricia asked Anna "Your from Russia?" Anna didn't answer. Instead she said "I'm from St Petersburg. Papa was the one who created the Antidote and ended the Fall".

Patricia looked at Bridge with teary eyes and said "Bridge, I understand that these Order people have to be stopped, but I am begging you to not risk your life and charge into battle against those people". Bridge had a shocked look on his face as he asked "What are you talking about?" Patricia loudly answered "I lost Tommy and I willingly lost you! I don't want to make that mistake again so I am begging you not to go!" Bridge's face went from shocked to stern as he said "Listen. Over one billion lives are in danger and I am not going to stand aside while Adams and his fellow Nazis try to create a St Peters Virus 2.0 or whatever and wipe out everyone except themselves. So I am heading over there with the Phoenix Militia, Peacekeepers Unit and Warriors to put a stop to the Unity Order's plans before they can be complete". Patricia realised she couldn't stop Bridge and said "Okay. Just promise me that you'll come back okay?" Bridge sighed and said "Alright. But when we get back, you have to prove that you truly have repented of choosing to leave me bedridden for weeks over ten years ago. You are going to start at the bottom like everyone else and work your way up. Then I'll decide on weather or not we CAN actually start over". Patricia didn't protest and silently said "Okay. Good luck out there Bridge. You two Anna". Bridge politely said "Thank you" and got onto the Mobile HQ that would be carrying him, Anna and the commanders of the attack. As the transports started to leave with the soldiers and their commanders inside, Anna asked Bridge "Do you really think she can be forgiven?" Bridge thought for a moment and said "Only time will tell".

Of course, the factions would need all of the time and luck they could get. As they were about to fight against an enemy more powerful and dangerous than any enemy ever fought by the forces of justice. For if they did not stop the Unity Order, then a New World Order of tyranny and oppression would reign over the Earth and it would either be an authoritarian autocracy, or an alien zombie hive mind. Regardless of outcome, freedom would die along with one billion people unless the Unity Order were defeated and the Battle of New Dawn won.