The Hunted

Breakfast

Alicia's P.O.V

The military are leaving.  I saw them yesterday with Chris.  We were out after their so called curfew and they saw us break it and did nothing about it.  I don't need to be a genius to see that something is definitely up.  First they take Liza, Griselda and Nick and move them off to some military facility to do tests on them.  God.  I hope Nick's alright and not losing it in there.  I doubt they'd give him the meds he needs to stay sane.  Why now?  Why not leave before?  I mean they took care of the infected and everyone's fine now.  Why the hell are they leaving now?  I sigh and get out of bed...not that I'd been getting much sleep lately.  I get up and eat in complete silence.  Mom's definitely losing it now that Nick's gone.  Travis is trying to help...I guess in his own way.  His help includes hanging out and talking to his little military buddies.  Today he was telling us he was going to have a serious talk with the colonel and "try to get a straight answer out of him". Yeah right.  Like that's going to happen.  I stay seated at the dining table until everyone clears out. 

As soon as they leave I get up, and scrounge through our kitchen cabinets for some spare food for Hugh.  Score!  Frozen leftovers.  I heat them up, place them in a container then hop back over to Aunt Susie's to check on Hugh.

Hugh's P.O.V

Doing nothing absolutely sucks.  Last night was a total bore.  Nothing happened besides the patrol of military soldiers drive past.  The pain in my leg was a little better than it was yesterday.  Now it has been reduced to a fast, dull throb.  I got some sleep last night.  But I wish I didn't.  The second I closed my eyes I saw my parents.  I honestly don't think that I'll get that out of my mind for a while.  It's going to take a long time for me to clear that image out of head.  But at least one good thing came from last night.  I know that I need to be ready to do what it takes to survive this...whatever this is.  The next time I see my parents I won't hesitate.  I will shoot.

I jumped at the sound of the door opening but my fear was quickly overcome by hunger.  I hadn't known how hungry I had been.  The smell of sweet, sweet pepperoni pizza made my stomach jump in utter delight.  Alicia walked in like an angel sent from the gods of food.  Man did that food smell great.  "Well I can see someone's hungry.  Have you eaten at all since yesterday?" she said looking at my expression towards the precious food in her sweet hands.  She sat herself down next to me and opened up the container revealing the best looking pizza slices in the world.  I raised my hand to grab a slice but Alicia just smacked it away.  "What was that for Alicia?" putting an overdramatic look of hurt on my face.  "You're not moving at all until it stops hurting to breath Hugh" she said matter-of-factly.  "That's a bit of an overreaction.  I can breathe fine for your information" I retaliate lifting my hand up once more. 

She smacks it away again then swings her legs over my waist.  I am actually at a loss for words.  I did not ever think Alicia would ever do that.  Plus, Alicia has Matt.  Her jock boyfriend. BOYFRIEND.  Who's also my sort of friend.  So of course my initial response would be to try to move away.  But do you know how hard that is when you have painful leg and arm injuries.  I put my hand down next to my sides and try to push back but it hurts way too much to move.  Therefore instead of successfully moving away from this odd position I end up making it easier for Alicia to comfortably sit on top of my lap.  She laughs.  Does she find my pain amusing?  It's nice to hear someone laugh.  She has a great laugh.  It's so welcoming and sweet.  SHE HAS A BOYFRIEND!  Ok Hugh try not to think about that stuff.  She's sitting on top of you but that's fine.  She's a friend.  Just helping you out.  Right?  Yes that's right Hugh! 

Alicia's P.O.V

Hugh just doesn't get the message, doesn't he?  He's not feeding himself with that much damage to his arms.  He lifts his arm up again.  *smack*  He's not getting this is he?  How do I get a guy to stop doing something.  I used to sit over Matt when he was being an obnoxious asshole who wouldn't do what was good for him.  Seemed to do the job then.  I swing my legs over Hugh and rest myself on top of his lap.  He looks directly at my eyes then down at where I've place myself then back at me.  Well I definitely got a reaction out of him.  He looks so uncomfortable and his face is getting redder by the second.  "What?" I ask wondering why his face is turning into a tomato.  "What? Oh...um...nothing.  Nothing's up Alicia.  Everything is as normal as it can be given what's going on.  Why?  IS there something wrong?" He answers with his voice cracking up slightly.  I've never heard or seen Hugh this nervous before.  This side of him is totally alien to me.  This Hugh isn't hostile and doesn't seem like the person who would break into an old lady's house.  I'm hoping he stays around so I can get to know this Hugh a little better. 

"Open up then.  I can't have you moving until your healed.  The faster you heal the stronger you'll be against those things" I say whilst feeding the slice of pepperoni pizza.  He freezes up when I mention them.  I can see the guy that I met two nights ago come crawling back out again.  So I quickly add "But hey lets forget about that and feed the beast that is your stomach.  Then we'll hang.  I could use some space from what's happening at my place.".  He brings my hand down which was already en route to his mouth and looks me right in the eyes saying with a complete seriousness that I hadn't seen earlier "What's happening at your place Alicia?  You know you can talk to me right?...I have nothing better to do than listen to you".  Serious Hugh has disappeared once again and the Hugh that actually talks to me is back.  I sigh putting the pizza back down.  His eyes follow the food then look right back at me.  His full attention on me.  He leans in as if he is struggling to hear anything and waits for me to start talking.

"Well if you want to be bored to death so bad Hugh.  Fine.  My family is going through a complete mental breakdown right now.  Liza's left us to some military facility taking Griselda and Nick with her so now my mom and the Salazar's are freaking out trying to find out where they went.  Travis doesn't even seem to understand that what's happening isn't at all normal...he goes of with the soldiers acting like he's one of them.  Chris is just sitting around not having a clue about what to do since both his parents are walking around doing something else.  Ofelia is off screwing with some soldier who has a major thing for her and I'm sitting here with you wondering what those soldiers are up to.  I mean they saw Chris and I yesterday walking around past curfew and didn't do anything about it.  They just drove on by with a ton of their soldiers standing with their guns out." I finish and look outside the window to see more soldiers driving past. 

Hugh looks at me then moves one of his hands on top of the ones I had unknowingly thrown down onto his stomach which probably would have hurt him a lot if he wasn't sitting upright.  He wraps his fingers around mine and looks up at me.  I move my fingers around his.  He raises his other hand to my face and wipes away a tear on my cheek.  I lean down to his shoulder and bury my face as he brings me into a protective embrace and I let myself sob quietly.  I take in his scent.  He doesn't smell that bad considering he's been shot, grazed and on the run.  He smells sweet, like the smell of fresh rain, it's comforting, new and calming.  He doesn't move.  He keeps me in his embrace.  We just stay like that.  I don't know how long we'll be like this and I don't care.  I don't think Hugh does either.