Anokhian: Invasion

Four

I needed to get back to the city. The pack I grabbed was scarce for real usable supplies. There was a set of binoculars, packs of glow sticks, a knife and flint, a nine mil hang gun with three full clips and a thigh holster, sleeping bag, a set of shoe laces and a few more seemingly useless items. None of those things made sense together.

I found a cave deep in the forest, using the glow sticks I set up shelter inside. The sound of running water though the cave was one of the most calming sounds I have heard in the past week. It had been almost three days since the crash and I had only eaten prepackaged dehydrated foods. I needed real nutrition and antibiotics.

I emptied out my pack save for the binoculars and extra ammo. I didn't need the extra weight. All I needed was to know if it was safe to enter the city and protection if it wasn't. I fixed the nine to my thigh and began my trek to the city. I would go to the base first to see my father. He would take care of me.

I wondered if he knew about my mother, I wonder if anyone saved her. A part of me knew she was dead, but another part, a desperate part of me hoped she was still alive.

It took me the better part of a day to get to the edge of the city. I wasn't far now from the base. Looking through the binoculars I saw the battalion. Everything on base seemed chaotic and unorganized. That didn't give me any feelings of ease. I snuck my way through the city, dodging anyone I saw roaming the streets.

"Please return to your home. This place is off limits to civilians." An officer stood gaurd at the gate, weapon trained on me. Flash backs of the gun pointed in my face reminded me of my mother. My poor mother..

"I need to see colonel Wells. I'm his daughter and I'm hurt." I explained to the man who seemed very much on edge. I could see beads of sweat dripping from underneath his bulky tactical helmet.

"Have you any news of your mother?" He immediately began to open the gate. I guess that answers my questions. If nobody has seen her then she's dead..

"She was shot.." I struggled with the words "I-I think she's dead." I shook my head and wiped my tears silently as he delivered me to the medical center without another word.

"She needs medical attention." He spoke to the core nurse when we arrived in the center. The nurse spoke to me but her voice was turned out as I tried to listen to the officers conversation.

"Colonel Wells"

"Speaking"

"Your daughter is here in the medical center."

"Is she okay?"

"She will be."

"Ms. Wells. Where are you hurt." The nurse grabbed my attention causing me to miss the rest of the conversation.

"I was in a car accident. I think I have a low grade concussion, dislocated shoulder and a flesh wound on my stomach. Im probably dehydrated." I tried to answer to the best of my abilities. My mother being a nurse had given me some training. It was important to be transparent with your medical provider, in emergency situations. I believe the emergency was over now..

"Did you do this?" She pulled the gauze from my stomach after closing a curtain around us for me to change out of my clothes.

"I tried." I gave her a sheepish smile. I knew it wasn't clean work, anyone with eyes could see that.

She nodded her head and went to work on my IV. Three or four days without proper hydration and things start to function wrong.

"Viviana. Where's your mother?" My father burst through the curtain, I felt my cheeks heat as his following officer stood next to him with no regard to my nudity. I winced as I tried to use my bum arm to cover my breasts.

"Sir, if you would.." She stood Infront of me to give me some sort of cover.

"Sorry." He apologized curtly and they both turned around and stood outside of the curtain. While the nurse covered me with a gown.

"Sir." She invited him back in.

"Dad.." I started shaking. I didn't know how to tell him that his wife was dead, that the love of his life was dead for days now.

"She was shot. I-I couldn't help her. He drove away and I couldn't save her." I went on in my tears. He didn't offer me comfort, he never did. It was my mother who was tender and warm.

"Where is she Viv?" My robot father asked calm and collected but inside I knew he was breaking.

"We were on pallouse st. When a man took the truck at gun point. He wouldn't let me out and mom tried to save me but I was so dazed from being hit that I couldn't help her. He shot her and drove away.. i.."

"You what?" He wanted to hear the rest. I wasn't sure if I should fess up. What I did made me a murderer too..

"I.. I crashed the truck. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt and I grabbed the wheel and crashed the truck. He's dead... I killed him dad.. he's dead and moms dead and it's my fault." I cried out unable to control my emotions any longer. Everyone stood still in the room with no words. The nurse looked at me with pity and the robot Infront of me walked away without a word which only made my heart ache more.

"Your alive. That's all that matters." The nurse tried to help me with my feelings.

"Maybe it would have been better if I was dead." I spoke with the knowledge that aliens wanted the woman of earth.

"Don't say things like that." She hushed me. I obliged.

"That shoulder isn't going to fix itself. Here." She gave me a leather strap to put in my mouth as she grabbed my arm.

"On three." She said.

"One."

"Two."

"Fuck!" I yelled through gritted teeth as she jerked my arm into the socket on two.

"What happened to three!?" I yelled at her though my tears.

"If I waited until three you would have tensed. I needed you loose." Her explanation made perfect sense but I was still angered by her actions.

"I've given you a strong dose of antibiotics and this is morphine. You should rest." She inserted the syringe into the IV and administered the morphine. I immediately felt my tension leave my body and felt warm and heavy.

I could use the rest but I didn't want to miss anything. I needed to know what the aliens wanted. I needed to know that the government wasn't going to round us all up and deliver us with a bow. I fought the morphine as long as I could before giving in to the dark cloud that consumed my vision.