The Final Female

Chapter 3

Adam led Danny back into town, earning the glares of some of the men who had chased him off before. Danny just bared his teeth at them as they walked past, unafraid of them, despite the size difference.

"Stop it!" Adam muttered to him, grabbing him by the arm and dragging towards the laboratory, knowing that big guys like them, would turn both Adam and Danny into pretzels.

Soon, they reached the lab, and Adam brought him back towards the nursery, where Tom and Phil were. Tom was holding one of the little boys up by his arms as he tried to walk, while Phil was stacking blocks with another one.

"Hey, Adam!" Tom called as he waddled with the little boy. "I think TJ's gonna actually do it this time!" Then he saw Danny. "Hey, who's this?"

"This is Danny." Adam told them, and Phil came over, grinning.

"Dan the man!" Phil said, coming over and holding out his hand, Danny high fiving his way into a rough handshake. "Nice to meet you, I'm Phil!"

"Nice to meet you!" Danny told him, and Adam grinned. He wasn't sure how the other guys were going to react to Danny, and was glad that he was able to get along with Phil right away.

"Nice to meet you, Danny!" And apparently Tom as well. "I'd come shake your hand, but my hands are a little full." But when Danny saw little TJ, aka Tom Jr., thought up by Tom himself when TJ was born, he practically melted.

"Aw, look at him go!" He cooed, falling to his knees in front of Tom and TJ and holding out his hands. "Can you walk to me? Come here, buddy!" TJ giggled and bounced up and down, before taking a step towards Danny, before Tom slowly let his hands go, and TJ toddled over to Danny! All three boys looked on in shock, while Danny's eyes went wide with delight as TJ toddled over and took his hands, still making his way over. "Oh, wow! Good job!" He congratulated, and brought TJ in close, as if he had forgotten the other three were there. "Well done, little buddy!"

"How... How did you get him to do that?" Tom stuttered, and Danny jumped. Evidently, he had forgotten that the other three were there. "We've been working with him for weeks and he hasn't done it yet! How'd you do it?" Danny shrugged, picking TJ up and setting him on his hip.

"I don't know." He told him, bouncing TJ up and down nervously. "Guess I just got that magic touch."

"Magic touch?" Phil chuckled, taking TJ from Danny, grinning. "Dude, he came to you like you were his dad! That was awesome!" Danny shrugged, his face turning red.

"Really, it wasn't anything special." That was when Dr. Lament walked into the room, looking over a clipboard.

"Boys, I'm going to need one of you in the lab..." He looked up and saw Danny. "Now who is this?"

"Sir, this is Danny." Adam introduced. "He doesn't have any family, so I thought he could stay here." Dr. Lament sighed.

"Fine, but he will need to be sterilized at once. Can't have him spreading disease around the place." He eyed Danny's dirty clothes, and Danny shook his head.

"No, its fine. I'm actually supposed to meet up with a gang of Scavengers on their way to Boston." But Adam shook his head.

"Danny, you oughta stay! It's not safe out there!" Danny shrugged.

"I've been out there for a long time, mostly on my own. To run with a pack of Scavengers that are watching my back like I'm watching their's? That is a blessing in disguise, even if they aren't the greatest companions." Then he gave them a nod and a small salute. "Adios." And he left the room, leaving them in a bit of shock.

"Well, that settles that little dispute." Dr. Lament bristled, fixing his coat, then looked to the three boys. "Anyways, I need one of you down in laboratory six, there's been a nasty mess. One of the subjects vomited as soon as he entered the machine." 

"Not it!" both Tom and Phil exclaimed, and Adam rolled his eyes.

"Gee, thanks, guys." He told them, going to the cabinet for the cleaning supplies, feeling a little dejected. He had really wanted to help Danny, but that kid was just going to get himself killed out there with the Scavengers. He may have been lucky so far, but there was no way he was going to survive out there long.