Terra Nova: A Second Chance

Terra Nova: Six

Flora

Two Months Later

"Come on, Flora. Keep going."

Though every bone in my body ached, and every limb yearned for a rest, I pushed harder and kept working, stretching myself to the limit. I kept going.

I wanted this.

As I crawled through the thick, dark mud, which I was sure would be forever in my hair- sticking to every single strand- and fought my way out from underneath the heavy ropes that made up the net, I couldn't help but grunt and groan to myself. Sure, it was annoying and painful- the feeling that I just wanted to stop crawling and fall asleep there was overwhelming- but I had to keep going. 

When I reached the end of the mud pit, and my head finally poked up and above the rope netting, I pushed myself up, as my muscles groaned in protest, and sprinted the last hundred metres to the end of the obstacle course, even though my legs shook and I was ready to collapse. I hit the finish line though, huffing and puffing, and stretched my arms above my head to help the air seep into my lungs as I waddled my way over to the officer supervising the new recruits in training. He stood on the large platform over looking the training course, and I made my way up the stairs, coming to a stand beside him.

"Took your time, Flora," the tall, lean man said gruffly, though a smile played on his lips.

"Please, Tyler. You know I wiped your record time when I first attempted this course," I shook my head at him, teasingly.

"Oi, it's Officer Munroe to you," he chastised. Glancing around for any other officers, I see the coast is clear and ruffle his hair. He takes the opportunity while I'm close to plant a kiss on my cheek. "I'll meet up with you when this last slow poke finally finishes the course, okay?"

Before I can reply, Scott, who is the 'slow poke' that Tyler is referring to shouts out, "Hey! You know I'm faster than the both of you combined!"

It was true. Scott had the biggest build out of all of us, and his time was almost half of mine, even though my time was pretty good. He could easily wipe the both of us out if he really wanted to.

"You know I'm teasing," Tyler laughs. He's not supposed to be talking to the new recruits so friendly and casually, but he's too good of a guy not to. He tried the whole 'tough, harsh' guy thing at the start, but quickly felt bad for talking to us rudely and became friends with almost all the recruits- Scott and I in particular.

"Well, if you tease me again, I might have to dob you two in. Wouldn't want Taylor knowing of your 'intimate' relationship, would we now," Scott says. 

Even though there's no one really out by the training centre at this time of day, when night is getting ready to fall and all the recruits have completed their training for the day, I still anxiously glance around. Tyler and I aren't supposed to be in a relationship, and Scott is one of the only people who knows about it. It's forbidden that a supervising officer develop any strong relationships with his recruit, let alone a romantic one.

"Now who's teasing," Tyler shakes his head, and puts his hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay," he says to me quietly, as if guessing my thoughts.

I relax a little and recall that I'm still drenched head to toe in mud and sigh. "I'm going to go home and clean off. Meet you at Boylan's bar in about an hour?"

"Sounds perfect!" Scott yells, having just finished the obstacle course. He makes his way up the stairs to where we're both standing. "We can have a guys night out."

Tyler laughs, "You can come, but only because I like you."

"Thanks so much," Scott says flatly. "Nah, I'll let you lovebirds have your time."