Will this War ever end? (Falling Skies/ Ben Mason Fanfic)

Can she be trusted? (Chapter 5)

3rd POV (Before Hunter wakes up)

It had been six days since the Mason brothers returned to the 2nd Mass with an unconscious teenage girl in their possession. There was still no sign of Tom Mason or Captain Daniel Weaver, and no indication that the girl was going to wake. Ben and Hal took turns waiting outside the Captains office to tell him what’s happened. Once one of their shifts was over they would stop by the Infirmary to check up on the girl. There were so many questions that required answers. Who was she? What was she doing in the middle of nowhere? Was she associated with the Skitters? Could she be trusted?

Hal Mason stood in the doorway of the Infirmary, watching the girl with an inquisitive gaze.

“Is something on your mind, Hal?” Dr Anne Glass questioned from her desk. Hal looked over to Anne and shrugged his broad shoulders.

“It’s…nothing.”

“Hal, you know you can talk to me. If something’s bothering you shouldn’t keep it to yourself” Anne spoke in her usual gentle voice.

Hal looked back at the girl and sighed “It’s just…I mean, doesn’t this seem a little odd to you? I find it hard to believe that this girl just miraculously showed up in the exact same area that Ben and I were patrolling.”

Anne stood from her desk and made her way over to Hal. “Well, it’s not that unusual Hal. There will be times when we do come across other survivors.”

“True, but I just can’t shake this feeling that something’s up. When I found her, there were Skitters standing in a group around her. It looked like she was important to them” Hal mused folding his arms.

Anne furrowed her brow in confusion “Important to them? How do you mean?”

Hal glanced at Anne then back to the girl “Well, one of the Skitters was…stroking her hair. Like the way a mother would to her child.”

“Are you sure that’s what you saw?” Anne asked in slight disbelief, now also staring at the girl.

“Positive” Hal nodded “My Mum used to do that when I was younger. It was her way of comforting me when I was upset” Hal smiled at the memory.

Anne placed a thin finger under her chin as she thought of a reasonable explanation “Well, I probably shouldn’t say, but the other day I overheard Matt asking Ben about his harness. Bens’ answer…concerns me a little.”

“Why? What did he say?” Hal asked with a bit of concern in his voice.

“Well…” Anne sighed “…he told Matt that the Skitters actually care about the kids they harness and…that they weren’t monsters.”

Hal was silent, so Anne continued “It could be possible that that’s the reason why they were showing affection towards her.”

Hal licked his dry lips before speaking up again “Possibly, but where’s her harness?”

A knock on the door concluded their conversation. Hal and Anne turned to see a fidgeting Ben occupying the doorway. Ben had heard the conversation between the two and it only confirmed his suspicions; they didn’t trust him anymore. Ben wondered why Anne would tell Hal something like that. It wasn’t any of their business. Besides, why would what he said actually matter? It’s not like he’s going to go running back to the Skitters. The 2nd Mass was his home. His family was here. This is where he belonged. Wasn’t it?

“Dad and Captain Weaver just got back. I thought the, uh, situation might sound better coming from you” Ben said as he looked at his older brother. A small part of Hal was worried in case Ben had heard them talking about him behind his back. But it wasn’t like he said anything that was untrue, right?