The Wounded Healer

Chapter 20: Group B Girls

Captain Jaz spread her arms open. Evelyn only now looked around the room. Sitting around the walls, Evelyn counted the girls. Each was sitting on a sleeping bag, a backpack stuffed full beside them. There were weapons scattered, food wrappers and water discarded around the room,

"The shuck? How'd you guys get food and water and weapons?" Teresa wondered out loud, her bright blue eyes sweeping the room.

"Janson sent us here with them. They didn't for you?" The blond girl said, pulling her scarf down.

Evelyn laughed bitterly, "No. He sent us with absolutely nothing into the scorch. I woke up with nothing but the pajamas I wore to bed the first day in their shucked way station."

Teresa nodded in agreement.

"Well the guys had a few granola bars, water bottles and bed sheets."

"Where'd that hatchet and stuff come from?"

"Found it in a building crawling with cranks."

"What the actual bloody hell?" The blond girl gasped.

Evelyn felt the floor beneath her shift. Her heart beat had picked up. She narrowed her eyes at the blond in front of her. Tilting her head this way and that.

"Uh, can I buggen' help you, ya stick?" The blond asked, the corner of her mouth pulled down into a frown and her eyebrows pulled together.

Evelyn frowned deepened, "you...you just remind me of someone." Her voice felt thick and stuck in her throat.

Trying to swallow around the lump in her throat, her eyes flicked to Teresa. Asking the silent question. There was the slightest movement of Teresa's head. Evelyn sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes were wide open and tears filled her eyes. Teresa shook her head sharply in a warning. Evelyn clamped her jaw and had to bite her lip to keep from screaming.

Newt's sister.

Newt's sister...she was standing right in front of Evelyn; she wanted to throw her arms around her. Her hands twitched. She squeezed her hands into fists.

Evelyn's heart was slamming so hard in her chest it hurt. Her breathing was coming in short gasps. She stumbled back into the wall and slid down. Teresa stepped over and crouched down in front of Evelyn. Evelyn's breathing was coming in short gasps.

"What's her problem?" The dark skinned girl asked gruffly.

Teresa turned and looked up at the girl. "We had to fight a mob of cranks, and then run for who knows how shucken long. We had Minor heart attacks when you two grabbed us and held us at knife point. And right before that we were in a lightning storm, and she had a bunch of shanks to fix up. You'll excuse us if we're not exactly fit as a fiddle." Teresa snapped.

"It was just a question!" The girl grumbled and held her hands up, "jeeze Stick. Slim it, nice and calm."

Evelyn's eyes were as big as saucers now and flicked to the girl and then to Teresa again. Again Teresa indicated her head.
Evelyn's world was spinning. Her lungs squeezed.

Alby's sister.

Wholly shuck. Evelyn's eyes flicked back and forth between the two group B girls. No wonder she thought it was Newt at first for a second. She had the same calm, gentle steady brown eyes as him. She also had the same calm, quiet confident presence. And the other girl had the same quiet demanding assertiveness as Alby. Same gruff exterior.

Captain Jaz came over, concern written on her face and knelt down.

"You guys have no injuries? Well...nothing recent?" She asked, giving Evelyn a pointed look.