Waveland

Chapter 8

[Xavier]

It had been a couple of days since he watched his brother's unit return without the one person he had been waiting for. He remembered standing there at the gate, watching the men unpack the truck filled with all the food supplies they had acquired. But Rose was nowhere to be found. His heartbeat was racing, anxious thoughts taking over his body, imagining the worst scenarios. Maybe she decided she never wanted to return. Maybe she finally found her chance to run. Tyler was missing too. 

Everything was in slow motion when Christian placed a hand on his shoulder, uttering no words just shaking his head. The simple gesture made all his worries come true.

Now he was in the medical bay helping a little boy who broke his arm messing around playing football with his friends. It reminded him back in the mortal days when he attempted to try out for the football team to impress the beautiful blonde cheerleader. Those days seemed so far away, he couldn't even remember her name.

"There you go bud. You have to keep this on for two months. Take the next couple of weeks easy." He finished attaching the sling to the little kid's arm. He remembered how people used to write names on someone's case whenever a person broke their arm. So he opened a drawer holding an old sticker pad that David gave him. Xavier was having a hard time losing his father when the invasion first happened, so David got him a gift he found during one of his supply runs. It was the first time he first bonded with the leader and from then on David always made sure to check on him. 

Xavier pulled off a red cartoon spider-man and placed it on the blue sling that held the little boy's arm in place. 

"Thanks Doctor Xavier." The blonde boy said happily jumping off the bed before running to his friends again. He had no doubt he would probably see him before the sun went down.

"You are good with the little ones." A deep voice spoke entering the tent carrying a box of new medicine. He made eye contact with the man who taught he everything he knows about treating people. 

"Thanks, but you are the real doctor."

Theodore; although every calls him Ted was the person to suggest he help out in the infirmary. Xavier was planning on studying pre med once he got into college, but it took awhile for him to actually take him up on the offer. It wasn't until Rose left and didn't return that he felt a necessity to occupy his mind. He couldn't handle another day planting for hours with his mother bugging him about all the good reasons why he should happy Rose isn't coming back.

Xavier had to admit he did enjoy finally feeling like he was helping the town. He injured patching up the little kids who always found a way to injure themselves. 

The loud thuds of footsteps running past the makeshift tent caught his attention. He watched multiple people run past. The green uniforms blurring together. Something was happening. These days he was always on edge. He never worried about an alien invasion until Rose came along. She helped him realize that they all lived in a bubble but it wouldn't be long before someone popped it. He was no longer positive that their leader would be able to protect them from a dangerous threat. 

"What's going on?" He ran outside, multiple people bumping into his shoulders. His brother stood in front of him out of breath. 

"I don't know. They are opening up that gates." Each word was a gulp for air. His brother vanished following the crowd. 

Xavier pushed past the men in the army uniforms. Christian's unit standing in front of the gate. They were the first defense against everything. There were rumors about a secret unit who was in charge of keeping the aliens off our base, the perfect team to insure our town remains perfect.

Xavier stopped in front of the slowly opening gate. The chains clashing against the metal. He watched impatiently as the outside world came into view and two figures appeared in the distance. Time felt frozen as he waited to see who was approaching the gate. The figures stood just outside. The instant he saw the figure in all black with leaves scattered in her dark hair, he ran embracing her in his arms. He lifting her up swinging her in a circle, his face pressed into her soft collar bone. 

"I missed you." He whispered in her ear. Softly only for her to hear. 

He placed her gently back on the ground and witnessed a faint smile spread across her face.

His eyes locked on hers. He was so glad she was alive, he was even more grateful that she came back. In his gut he knew that the aliens didn't get her, but he was worried she decided what they had was nothing. He is terrified of the day she would choose to run away leaving him with nothing but a shattered heart.

"Glad to see you two alive." David had his arms crossed over his chest. 

"You left us to die!" Tyler marched up to David poking him in his chest. Xavier was shocked by the anger residing in his old friend's voice. They used to be close once and he knew that Tyler never questioned his authority. Everyone knows about the rumors of what happens when you do. It's the reason people were so interested when it came to Rose. The same why people are terrified of her, because they are afraid of the violence she will bring out of David. 

"She disobeyed a direct order." David kept his stance.

"The aliens ran away from her. She killed every last one of them!" Tyler's back muscles were tense. Tyler shoved David. Silence filled the air. No one daring to move a muscle as they watch the heated argument. What happened the last couple of days to cause such a reaction from Tyler? 

He dragged his eyes away from them. His face turned pale seeing Rose. Something was wrong. He realized her usual comebacks were mute. He was too distracted by Tyler and David he didn't connect what was happening right in front of him. He took note of her small steps back and forth. her body swayed back and forth like she was having a hard time keeping her balance. He looked down at her side that was covered in red. Blood. Before he had to register what that meant, he watched as she reached her arms out. Was she reaching for him? Her arms caught only the thick air before he watched her body go limp, collapsing to the ground. 

"Rose!" He slid on his knees catching her in his arms pulling her against his chest. She was silent not uttering a word, her eyes remained shut. The heated conversation between the two solider's stopped as everyone looked at a pale Rose laying lifeless in his arms.