After The Fall

Hope Can't Take Them All The Way

What's this? Another three chapters out on the same day? That's right, I'm inspired and this story is almost finished! I'm going to try and finish it tonight, but if not, it will be ending tomorrow. Hope you enjoy the story I've told so far, and you'll enjoy the ending and what's to come after.

...

It took a few days of waiting before Sargent Masters approached Cry. Cry's lounging in the tent he shares with Dan, Dave, and Entoan. The two girls got a tent to themselves, but the boys didn't seem to mind. When the Sargent enters the tent, they all sit up and stop talking among one another. The old Sargent looks over them all before his eyes land on Cry. Cry sits up a little straighter, grinning lightly, "You need something, Sarge?"

Dave snickers softly, rolling his eyes. Sargent Masters looks slightly amused, "I think you'll be happy to know we're preparing to send you all over to the States. We have some things to figure out and we can be on our way by the day after tomorrow."

"We're really gonna leave?" Dave asks, eyes a little wide.

The older man nods, clasping his hands behind his back, "That's right. Prepare to put all this shit behind you."

Dave smiles brightly, looking around at his friends. Entoan grins, pumping his fists in the air with a bout of excitement he hasn't shown in awhile. Dan looks relieved, but doesn't show much else of a reaction. Cry's grin widens and he tilts his head lightly, "You said 'we', are you coming with us?"

"I always make the trip," the old Sargent replies, raising an amused eyebrow with a smirk pulling at his lips, "Who do you think drives the boat, young man?"

"So, day after tomorrow for sure, yeah?" Entoan asks as he pushes himself to his feet, pushing his bangs off his face. 

Sargent Masters nods and Entoan's basically bouncing with excitement, "I gotta tell the girls!"

He races out of the tent and everyone but Dan lets out a soft chuckle. The Sargent leaves after and Cry leans back on his backpack, crossing his arms. He's still smiling, looking the most relaxed he's probably ever looked since before this all started. The thought of finally being able to put all the pain, fear, and loss he's suffered behind him. All the suffering his friends have suffered behind them as well. He's in the best mood he can remember being, but it's short lived as an image of the last time he saw Ohm's face flashes through his mind.

The smile slips from his face, replaced with a crestfallen expression. They all were supposed to make it here. They hadn't lost many, but they lost enough. He suddenly feels so guilty for feeling happy about getting out of this situation. He sighs softly, uncrossing his arms and running a hand over his face. Dave looks over at him, a little worry shining in his eyes, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Cry nods, dropping his hands to his lap and smiling softly at his friend, "I'm alright. We're all going to be alright now."

Dave's eyes soften. He has an inkling on Cry's sudden mood change, but he says nothing because he's honestly sure they're probably all feeling the same way. At least, he knows he is. It sucks to get to go back to normalcy when the people they cared about have died here. He just wants to put it all behind him so badly. He hopes it really is better on the other side and maybe things will be so much better once they get off that boat. Dan sits in silence, watching the exchange between Cry and Dave. 

He doesn't really know what to feel about anything anymore. Yeah, he's happy to get out, same as them. But he isn't too sure on if he fully believes the words the Sargent have said. How could the disease that's killing everyone only be in the UK? How could the government have been able to contain it so quickly without knowing how to stop it? It just doesn't make sense to him. So, while he hopes things are better where they'll be going, there's also a part of him that nags at him to prepare for more of the same. And that's the side he's leaning on, because Phil's not here to change his mind this time.

...

The day comes to board the boat, and board with all their weapons they do. "Just in case, you can never be too careful," was Minx's words on the matter. Sargent Masters doesn't mind, so they keep their weapons with them. Once everything was ready, the boat heads off into the open water. The little group is excited and worried at once. It's snowing, and the cold air and water makes it a little uncomfortable, but no one complains. Entoan hands out the blankets Dr. Blake had given them for the journey because it was already so cold before they left.

No one really talks at first because the constant roar of the engine is already deafening. But once night comes, and they haven't stopped, Entoan carefully moves from his seat and goes and sits in the seat in the front next to their driver, "So, are you planning to drive all night?"

He yells out his question to make sure the Sargent can hear him. The old man glances back at him, "I don't see anywhere to dock, do you?"

Entoan frowns, "No."

Sargent Masters chuckles, "Then, yes, we keep going. I've done it like this before, and I've spent the last few days preparing myself to do it again. It's the safest option as staying out in sea with the engine off to sleep will drag us off course and take too long to find a way to correct in the morning. And docking in an unsafe area would just be dumb since we'd have no protection."

"Why don't you just teach one of us to drive so you can sleep with the others at night?" Entoan asks.

"Do you know how to read a map without light? Do you know how to navigate the waters without light?" He looks back at Entoan pointedly, "That's stuff you'd need to learn with not really enough time to teach."

Entoan frowns, "Uh, no. I don't know that stuff."

"Do any of your friends?" he asks.

"I don't know." Entoan sighs.

"Exactly." he faces forwards, "I know what I'm doing, kid. It's only going to take four days to get there. And I already have your friend Dave rigged to take over in the morning."

"Oh," Entoan smiles, "Sorry, I was under the impression that you were going to drive the whole time."

Sargent Masters chuckles, "I'm good, but I'm not that good, son. Go hang out with your friends. Maybe you can drive the next day."

Entoan grins and gets up, making his way back over to where the others have settled in to try and sleep. Four days until they'd be someplace better, someplace safer. Things were going to be back to normal then. At least, that's what they all thought, oblivious to the fact that things were not going to end when they get to Florida. Hope can take them a long way, but it can't take them all the way to a new life.