Rotten World

Chapter Ten

I didn't realize I had fallen asleep till I was woken up by a groaning sound. thankfully I think I was too tired to dream because I don't remember having any. I slowly lift my head from where I had it laying on the non-injured side of Eddie, I wipe the sleep out of my eyes and look over at Eddie. he's awake and I'm guessing the groaning was coming from him trying to sit up.

" oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you, I was just uncomfortable from laying in one position," he says as he gives me a small apologetic smile, which I return. I notice that our hands are still linked together, upon noticing me notice our hands Eddie slowly starts to rub his thumb over my knuckles. I look up at him and with a face full of gratefulness he says " thank you for finding and saving me, I no doubt would have died out there." my smile grows wider and I bow my head "your welcome, who would I be if I just left you out there to die." he chuckles

I sit up straighter and say " how are you, how does your wound feel? also last night you said that the thing that attacked you wasn't something from around here, what did you mean? what did it look like? also you never fully told me where you were from" his face slightly falls as he is reminded of the thing that attacked him, but then he looks at me, and his face lights back up "I'm better. my side still hurts but not as much as it did. also, I'll answer your other questions if you tell me your name" I smile and nod " alight deal, it's Reagan. my name is Reagan Miller" he lifts up our linked hands and gently shakes them " nice to meet you Reagan Miller" I laugh slightly

"alight well a deals a deal, uh it was dark when it attacked me so I don't recall seeing all of it other than the fact that it was big like really big and it had these huge sharp claws. hints the gash on my side. I think it had gray skin, kinda smooth but with some rough patches. from what I could tell it had two sets of arms and two legs. its head was disfigured and lumpy, with probably around four eyes. it had no nose just holes in its face, and its mouth was a gaping crack that spread from one side of its face to the other with hundreds of sharp teeth lining where its lips would be. that's all I could tell you about it." oh god ok " uh for someone who just said that they couldn't see all of it you sure gave quite the description." he laughs " ya well what can I say I have really good eyes" beautiful ones too.

" where were you when it attacked you and how did you make it so long without bleeding out, those cuts were way too deep" he looks away " I was running away from the group I stuck with for a few years, I'd had enough of their wicked and cruel ways. I just wish it took me less time to realize that. I was walking through the forest when I heard something like a whine and by then it was too late, the thing basically malled me. the only reason I got away is that it got distracted by a group of Redhounds. I ran and stumbled my way to the building you found me in and by the time I got to the top floor I passed out from blood loss. that's all I remember." I reach up and brush a loose strand of his curly hair out of his face, this causes him to meet my eyes again "I'm so sorry this happen to you. if you'd like we'd be happy if you stayed with us. this could be a home for you" he gives me a sad smile as he reaches over to place his hand on my cheek "I'd like that very much, though I don't think your brother likes me very much." brother? what? oh, he means logan " he's not my brother, though he is a close friend. his name is logan and don't pay too much attention to him, he and I are going through a fight."

eddie nods in understanding and then says " then I guess you have a new friend" I smile wide and so does he. the moment is then broken up as we hear logan Haller for us to come to get something to eat. my stomach loudly yells at me to remind me that I haven't eaten in three days. shit

" you hungry?" he nods and I get up to go grab us some food. but he doesn't let go of my hand. I place my other hand on his and say " hey it's ok. I'll be right back ok?" he lets go and nods. I give him one last look before I walk out of the room and downstairs to the kitchen.

" how's the mutt," logan says as I walk into the kitchen, I glare at him " he's not a mutt, and he has a name. asshole. he's fine" logan scoffs "I don't care what his name is, once he's able to be on his own again he's leaving." I grab our food and look up at logan with fumes coming out of my ears " I don't know what your problem is lately but you're really starting to piss me off. and he's not leaving, he's gonna stay with us." I go to leave the kitchen when logan roughly grabs my arm "oh no he's fucking not!" I struggle to get out of his grip when we hear a growl come from beside us, Lexa had been woken up by his yelling and is now growling at him to take his hand off me, Deacon has also moved closer to us keeping a close eye on logan. "logan for god sakes take your fucking hand off of me. I don't understand what's gotten into you but you need to figure it out before you end up the one who leaves." logans face goes from angry to shocked to guilty, he goes to say something but I just turn and leave the kitchen and start to head back up to Eddie.

I don't know what's wrong with logan but he's starting to scare me.

back in the room, I pass Eddie a plate of beans, peas, and some type of fruit before I retake my seat next to the bed. "you ok?" Eddie says in a worried tone, I just nod and start to eat. a few minutes later I hear whimpering and scratching at the door. I get up and open the door and in comes Lexa. she looks around before hopping up on the bed and curling up on eddies feet. he smiles "she's cute, what's her name?" I walk to the end of the bed and start to pet Lexa " her name is Lexa, I think she likes you." I smile

*******

It's been about an hour since we finished eating and Eddie is still petting Lexa, I'm just sitting there looking between him and her. "hey uh could I ask you something, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'm just curious." I nod and wait for him to continue. he scratches the back of his head "ok uh, what's the deal between logan and you? you said you were friends but since I got here I only ever hear you guys yell at each other." I look at him and just admire his features as I start to explain "about three days ago something happened to me that, I don't know, did something to me and I kinda shut down, I didn't move, sleep or eat for those two days. and on the third day we went out for a walk and that's when I found you. I think he's angry at me for 'hurting' myself and not telling him why. but when I did he didn't believe me so I'm pissed off at him for that, and now I think he's mad because I allowed you to stay." Eddie grabs my hand again and starts rubbing my knuckles " he sounds like a piece of work" I chuckle "ya, he never used to be. I think all the things we've gone through have finally caught up to him and he doesn't know the proper human way to deal with it" he stops rubbing my hand " wait what do you mean ' proper human way'?" I sigh " logans a prewar synth, he was a doctor. or from what he can piece together he was a doctor, but we don't know for sure as before the war his memory card was wiped and he was shut down and then thrown away. years after the war my mom and dad found him in a dumpster, my dad fixed him up and he's been with us ever since."

" What happened to your parent?" my eyes start to sting and get teary, Eddie places a hand on my cheek and starts brushing his thumb over my cheekbone, I place my free hand over his " they dead, Redhounds got to them a few months ago, they burned down our house. we had to leave. a lot's happened since then and we are no longer the same people anymore, we're broken." tears lightly stream down my face and Eddie, struggles, but moves so he's closer to me and he pulls me into a gentle hug. he rest his head on mine as I burry mine into his bare chest "I'm so sorry" he whispers. "I guess we have that in common," Eddie says as he tightens his grip around me.

we stay like this for god knows how long, at one point I could have sworn I heard the door open but no one came in.