Wake the Dead

chapter 39

It was now late morning, early afternoon as I squatted down and looked into the water of the creek. It wasn't clear, but I was still able to see my reflection in it. I was shocked at the way I looked, but at the same time I wasn't.. I'd been through hell and back this winter and my face definitely showed it... My eyes, too. My eyes where dead, like they have never been before. 

I got sick of my reflection, so I ran my hands through the water, causing it to ripple. I sighed and then got down on both of my knees, cupping the water in my hands. I splashed it on my face and sighed on how good it felt. It was definitely late spring now, so the Georgia heat was starting to strike. 

"I'll go over there and take watch and you can wash off." V said, pointing to a spot away from the creek. I mumbled an 'okay' to him and he walked over. I set my backpack and weapons on the ground, then made sure V couldn't see me. I stripped off my clothes and hopped into the creek. It refreshed me right away and I sighed as I stepped deeper into it. 

I quickly scrubbed off the dirt and blood from my body as much as I could. I then stepped out of the creek and quickly put all my underwear and a clean pair of shorts. "I'm done!" I called out to V as I started to put my shirt over my head. I saw him appear, but then freeze in his tracks as he saw me.

He wasn't checking me out, he was staring at the scars on my leg, arm, stomach, and even neck. I quickly pulled my shirt all the way down and picked up my spear thing. "I'll go watch now while you wash up." I said and then quickly hurried off. 

I heard the water start to splash eventually so I knew he was starting to wash off. After a little while he called out. "All done." 

I walked over, avoiding his gaze and sat down by my backpack near the creek. "I think we should stay around here for the day." I said as I store off into the creek. I didn't hear V respond, but then I felt his prescience next to me as he plopped down.

I saw his reflexion in the water as he pulled his shirt over his head, I never realized how muscular he was. He then let out a sigh and i felt him look at me. "I don't know much about you." He said, but I didn't respond. "I mean you know about me and my life, but why don't I, yours?"

"Not much to know." I said blankly as I still store into the water. 

"Sure there is. What the hell have you been doing all your life?" He asked.

"Surviving, just like I am now, the only difference is what I am trying to fight off." I said numbly.

"I've met people like you before." V said, causing me to raise an eyebrow at him. 

"Yeah, I have. When I would be serving we would run across women or children that were beat by their husbands or fathers." He paused and I tensed at his words. "Sure, it would be somewhere like Iraq, but they all seemed similar to you. But, there would always be that one woman that we would interrogate and she would be cold, numb, and so unbelievably sad, but she wouldn't show it. And this woman, she lost so much, she was by herself.... alone." He paused and shifted so he was in my line of vision. "You are not alone anymore." 

I felt my breath catch at his words and my mind start to shake. "No mushy gushy stuff." I said as I took my gaze off him and looked back to the water, not wanting to go deep inside my mind. "It's not mushy gushy, it's serious." He said, not giving up. "I want you to tell me about yourself. It will help."

I let out a sigh. "Like I said, there is not much to know." 

"Well let's start with this; was it your father?" He asked. 

I snorted a fake laugh. "He was barely a father." 

He nodded, glad that he was making progress with me. He sat back down next to me and looked off into the water, too. "Did you have any other family?"