A Different Path

A Tragic Loss

I followed the sound of the scream all the way to the science room or the new infirmary. By the time I had reached the room the screaming had stopped. I turned the corner and ran into the room to assess the threat.
Said threat was the now dead skitter laying on the floor. At first I thought it was Weaver that had killed the thing, holding to his promise, but the screaming didn't sound like a skitters final cry nor did I hear a gun shot.Just screaming.
I looked around and saw a pool of blood surrounding a human man. I ran over to check if he was alive. Flipping the man over I checked his pulse. Nothing. The man was dead and even worse I knew him. The man now dead on the floor was Doctor Harris. He was curled around with a hand clutching at his neck that had a chunk missing.
Knowing I couldn't help the man I stood up looking around. The skitter was dead.
It's upper torso was limp over it's flat out 6 legs. It's eyes were closed and over it's bug like mandibles was blood. On the other side of the lab was Doctor Anne Glass. She looked shocked to the core but that's not what I noticed first. It was her arm which was covered from fingers all the way up to her elbow in black gunk. In her hand she was holding an also soaked black knife.
"Doctor what happened?!" I asked hurriedly. Running over to the shocked woman I put my hand on her not black hand.
"He shock- then it" she turned her head away for a second. She was composing herself.
As she did this many more people entered the room. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Weaver and a few guards, my dad, and Maggie.
"What in the hell happened here!" Weaver shouted as his men looked over the dead skitter.
"I don't know sir"I responded immediately. "I herd screaming so I came in to see what happened. When I entered Doctor Harris and the skitter were dead." I explained then looked to Anne. Her eyes were back open and she was looking at the commander.
"Well Doctor Glass?" He said and she began.
"Doctor Harris was angry with me over our differing views on the skitter. To prove a point he electroshocked the skitter and opened its cage. He turned around and when he did it wasn't completely stunned. It grabbed him from behind had tore out his jugular." She was crying and holding onto me with her hand so tightly I thought it would bruise.
"Then how is the skitter dead?!" Weaver asked. It was obvious he was agitated if not angry at the situation as a whole.
"T-To defend my self I grabbed my knife and struck at the skitter. I aimed at its mouth and shoved the knife to where I believe the spinal cord to be and it died." She said looking the commander straight in the eyes. Sometime during the explanation Mike walked into the room. Having just gotten back from a scouting mission he looked a little haggard and when he saw Harris's body he just stared at it.
"What are we gonna do? He was the only one who knew how to remove the harnesses!" Everyone was silent at Mike's outburst. It was true. Without Harris we didn't have anyone who could preform the surgeries and now that we have a plan it seamed almost hopeless.
"Not true" Anne said quietly and all the heads in the room turned to her.
"What do you mean Doctor Glass?" Weaver asked.
"He taught me the basics of the surgery I can preform it. Maybe not as smoothly as he could've but I can do it." She said. Weaver nodded at her and I saw hope once again fill Mikes eyes.
"However not one of you has brought to me a solid plan to infiltrate the hospital nor have you found out how to kill a skitter silently." He said and before he continues I cut him off.
"Forgive me commander but I believe I have a full prof plan." I said and he narrowed his eyes at me.
"And that would be soldier?" I swallowed all the apprehension and just spoke.
"We sneak in pretending to be harnessed kids. We only have a maximum of 1 minute before the mech rounds the corner so only one person and no offense to you guys but none of y'all look like a kid." I said looking apologetically at the others in our planing group. "So I'll sneak up to the end of one of the lines with harnessed kids. Once I'm inside I'll kill the skitter and signal to the others that it's all clear." I said laying it all out for the commander to see.
"That would be a good plan if we knew how to kill the skitters" my dad said. I looked over to him and it slightly hurt to hear him say this. In his eyes I saw worry.
"That's not a problem anymore seeing as Anne just killed one without even alerting anyone. She can tell us where to aim and how she killed it."
"Hearing and showing is different than doing" He counteracted.
"Yes but if we want to go on this mission the day after tomorrow we won't have time to test it and I doubt there's any skitters in the area that will volunteer to be stabbed in the mouth" I said and deadpanned at him. Weaver licked his bottom lip in contemplation.
"It's a good plan" He said " you think you can pull it off?" I nodded immediately.
"I know I can." He nodded.
"Then that's you plan. Gather your squadron and talk with them about it. The day after tomorrow you are to go to the hospital and get those kids out of there." I nodded once again refusing to look at my father.
"Men let's clean this mess up"He said and dismissed us all.
All of us including Doctor Glass walked out and into a different classroom.
"Hal you can't be serious!" Dad said as the silence breaker. "You can't go on this mission!" I looked at him. He was staring intently at me as he leaned back against one of the desks.
" Dad I have to" I responded.
"No you don't we will find another plan I am not going to send you in there alone with no back up."
"Sorry to say this Mason" Maggie said "But we don't have another choice. We don't have time to find an entirely new plan. This is a good plan and Hal is willing to do it. That's the best we're gonna get"
"Hal you will be going into enemy territory with no back up and you don't even know how to kill a skitter!"
"Dad!" I screamed finally fed up. Everyone's heads snapped to me. "We don't have a choice." He tried to cut me off but I stopped him.
"I get your worried but I have to do this. This is our only way to save Mikes son and maybe save Ben" I looked at him pleadingly and I saw his eyes downcast.
"I already lost one son to those monsters I don't want to lose another" he said quietly.
"Trying to stop me from going will get you nowhere." I said with a slight bite in my tone "but you encouraging me will help me through whatever it is I have to do." I sighed and stared at him. I looked around to the others in the room. More than a few looked uncomfortable with the family fight, but Mike's face caught my eye.
His eyes were also downcast and he looked sad but hopeful at the chance to save his son.
"Dad I have to do this. For you. For Matt. For Rick." I paused "And for Ben" the room cascaded into silence. It was a little bit before anyone spoke and I was surprised at who it was.
"Well what's the plan?" Dad said and I gave him a small smile