Surface R: Reunion

Part 02.2

::CODY::

"Uh, thanks?" Corrin raises a brow before chuckling. "Beat tired is the in look now, after all."

"Eh... Uh... He he, I take it you've been busy with patients today?"

"As always, and I see you got me another one."

Trey had this look on his face earlier. The same one Lexie and Meeko both give Rhys every now and then, when he doesn't notice. I don't think Corrin notices, either. Trey is also a little red in the face. Trey says his powers make him heat up more than normal so he turns slightly red. But he only really does when Corrin's around and things aren't too serious. I asked Lori once about it, but all he tells me is that I'll get it when I'm older. Lexie jumped up from her flat board. She was resting, like Corrin told her to.

But now she sees Lori. "Oh god, are you okay?!"

"I've been better," Lori smiles weakly.

Lexie goes near, helping him to a flat board. They were childhood friends, or so I'm told. Trey approaches Corrin. He was no longer red in the face. He speaks, all professional-like.

"Corrin, Lori's injuries—"

"I see it, Trey..." He frowns. "It doesn't seem like... The usual."

Meeko was looking his brother over. It's like he wants to do something to help but doesn't know what. Corrin comes over to look at his injuries, healing the ones he can instantly. But there were some swollen bumps here and there.

I hang my head, going over. "I'm sorry Lori. I got careless... If I hadn't, maybe you wouldn't..." Lori covers my mouth. "Mph?"

"If you're not hurt, then it wasn't for nothing." He says. "So are you hurt?"

I shake my head shyly. "Thanks to you..."

"Then that's all that matters to me, kid." Lori smiles before sharing a look with Corrin.

Corrin nods. "Cody," he beckons me. "Can you get me a cloth? Something free of radiation, please."

"Sure Corrin!"

I leave the room. I like everyone I meet, but I love Trey and Corrin the most. I know I'm mostly alive now because Corrin protected me and raised me. Or so I'm told. But Trey's a better story teller. I remembered that he'd tell me a lot of stories back when I was five whenever Corrin had troubles getting me to sleep. He still tells me them up until now. Since I don't remember much of my parents, I always try to imagine what they look like. I have a feeling they had blue hair and blue eyes like me, but I always end up picturing a much older Trey and Corrin, which doesn't really make sense cause I'm told parents are usually a boy and girl. Still, I really like the idea of them playing the role of my parents.

In a moment, I stopped running and settle to a walking pace. It's hard to keep running since there's always people around. Some of them, I know very well. Others are just surviving with us and are fairly new. Most are from this District's Underground Settlement. Few are wanderers from other Districts who somehow made it here. Rhys interviews them to know about the situation in foreign areas that we can't reach easily. Being one of the friendly groups, a lot joins our bunch. With Trey as leader, no one is pushed around for long. We look after each other up here. That's the most important rule. So those who came from other places are in Batch Wanderers with a guy named Leon in charge.

Even though we all use one language, a language that this district used even before the radiation, those others in Batch Wanderers sound weird when they talk so that makes it hard to understand them. Leon, despite coming from elsewhere as well, learned how to sound like the way we do when we talk. He helps his members in that area with Jonah, his Second in Command. Jonah's kinda a puzzle. He's quiet and he might seem scary and mean, but he's actually very nice. Leon tells me that he just has a hard time expressing himself more. But I believe he's nice. I thought I accidentally insulted him when I said something about his green hair and with how he always wears that orange cloak Lexie made, he looks like a carrot and that it's my favorite vegetable. Instead, Jonah laughed and smiled, saying he was, uh, 'honored' to be a look alike of my favorite vegetable when I don't like veggies in the first place. I'm not sure he really meant that, so I think he was just humoring me, but the smile and laugh was genuine enough.