Somewhat the Beginning (A Falling Skies Fanfiction)

Awake: My Season 2 Premiere

I heard noises. Yelling? Yes, the yelling of commands. There were many familiar voices but I couldn't put names or faces to them. I tried to get up but my arms wouldn't move, matter of fact, I couldn't feel my arms at all. I couldn't feel anything at all. The noises blurred and I saw a light within my eyelids; I was falling and I couldn't do anything about it. My breath started to come with regular intervals, but it felt forced. Suddenly the light went away and my mind started drifting off. What's...happening...?

...

I woke up. My eyes stayed closed and I could feel some parts of my body; I was belly down and I tried to slowly lift myself up. My arms could barely lift me but someone put their hand on my back and gently pushed me back down.

"Pace yourself." a familiar female voice said. I open my eyes and saw Lourdes, Anne's assistant, sort of the "Nurse" of the 2nd Mass. I smiled and tried to turn myself over. Lourdes helped and put blankets behind me so I could sit up.

"Wata." I croaked trying to say water. She understood and gave me a sip from a cup with a straw. That helped my throat clear and I was able to ask, "Where am I?" I looked around and it was a small cramped space.

"This is the medical bus." Lourdes answered. "Ever since we left the school three months ago we had to find..."

"Wait. Three months?" I said, wide-eyed. My mind raced trying to piece together the puzzle. Suddenly there was a sharp pain on the back of my neck. When I touched the back of my neck I instantly froze. I traced my fingers along the back of my neck and my breaths started to quicken.

Lourdes noticed and got up and out of the med bus, "Anne!" she yelled. I kept panicking as old friends filled the bus, but I didn't feel like visitors right now. I looked at their faces; Lourdes, Anne, Maggie, Hal, Weaver, and Ben. My panic attack slowed but tears filled my eyes. My hand was still on the back of my neck, feeling the cold, jagged, metal spikes there.

I kept staring at Ben and asked everyone, but mostly him, "Was I harnessed?" Everyone was quiet but Anne sat in a chair next to me.

"I know this will take a while to sink in," she started, "But it's not that bad. When Ben found you and brought you back here we weren't sure we would have enough medicine to do the procedure, but the de-harnessing went smoothly and everything should be fine now."

I didn't know what to think. "Can I please speak to Ben alone." Everyone else, but Hal, nodded and left. Hal stood there and looked at me before turning and leaving. Ben sat in the chair by me.

"What happened to me?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know. When you left three months ago we all thought you were dead. Then when I was checking the perimeters last week I found you in the forest, and I swear my heart stopped, and so did everyone else's in camp. At first Anne thought she wouldn't be able to take the harness off without the proper medicine, but Hal and Maggie checked every pharmacy 'til they could find it."

"Wow." I said. I touched my spikes and I started to tear up again. "I can't believe this happened. I mean it feels like just yesterday I went on that stupid alien ship."

"You were on the ship?" Ben asked.

"Yeah. They said they would lead me to Tom. Did you know Karen was there too. She's so creepy now."

"Weaver said the same thing."

"So what happened when I was gone for - what was it? - three months."

"We moved around a lot. We were in this place Fitchburg, and if it wasn't for Pope we would've all died. But we did lose over 100 people. Oh, and now I'm a fighter." He gestured to the gun on his hip.

"That's a lot of people that died, but it's great news you get to fight, Ben."

"Yeah, I guess."

There was an awkward pause and then Ben stood up said "I'll let you get your rest." and left.

At first I didn't feel sleepy, but then I felt exhausted. It was hard to stay asleep because if I turned my head too much my neck would hurt. Anne came back in and gave me sleeping pills, and I finally dozed off.