2050

Arc1:Part 5

I look over at Kyle. I scanned him even harder. staring into him with intensity. After determining what I want I point to him. He flinches and looks the other way and whispers angrily to Mike. 

"So you want me to find another girl for Kyle? How sorry. I don't think there would be anyone interested. much less anyone that's his age and still walking around." When a teenage girl pops up in my head I think of them running around in little groups and trying to be better than everyone else. Those types of people tended to die first. But then there's me. The sad little exception.

Shirley and Mike burst out laughing and Koro snickers. Mitch looks at me with worry. Confused and embarrassed I put my finger down and tap the table. Drawing out my frustration. Shirley was the first to stop laughing.

"I'm sorry but I think you got it wrong because I thou-" Kyle quickly covers her mouth and speaks up.

"No-no you didn't think anything!" I didn't expect much attention. Me tapping the table turned from fast and frustrated taps to slow boring ones. They kept fighting more a bit before Mike leans in. He could only get out the word Kyle before he was sent flying through the room. Kyle had punched him with his right arm. Sad how that's the one I had broken. He pulls back and grabs at the bandages. Yep, that's gonna hurt. I wonder what's got his adrenaline coursing through him. I sit up and start to leave.

"Well alright. You guys can have fun doing whatever you're doing. Thanks for the pancakes." I waved and started to walk out of the door before Mitch grabbed me. I just gave up. I couldn't get his grip off of me even if I was chock full of adrenaline and a weapon. He just felt, sort of experienced in a way. 

"Well, Teselia?" Shirley walks over. Mike in tow. They had a feel to them. They were plotting something. I wasn't liking where this was going.

"Take Kyle to the basement while Mitch and Mike fly out to the military outpost and get some more medical supplies. Also, I'm sure you have some amount of experience in dealing with injuries. being out in the city and all." Shirley pats my shoulder and turns me around. I was tired and just wanted to go be away from them. But now I was being tasked to watching over Kyle. The man-baby that had gone down in a single strike. I've seen people his age drop from two stories with a broken foot and still walk just fine. 

"And why me? I'm pretty sure Koro would be up for the job." I say. I tried shaking off Mitch. No luck.

"Because Koro has to clean the solar panels." Mike juts in.

"What about you Shirley?" I tilt my head. "What's keeping you from doing this job?"

Shirley just laughs and I shake my head. I'm definitely leaving these nut jobs tomorrow. She looks at me and smiles. "Because I'm the leader and you're supposed to do what I tell you to." She sounded confident in herself. A bit too much. I just wanted to hit her right on the side of her face with a bat. But if I did Mitch would clock me so hard I would be choking on Mars.

"Fine. Sure. I'll watch over the man-baby. Will you let me go now?" Mitch lets me go and I quickly walk over to Kyle. Who is sitting on the table wincing at the pain in his arm. I grab him by the wrist. and pull him. I made sure it wasn't the injured arm. I pull him through the small crowd that gathered near the door and walk out. Kyle was yelping at me to let him go and that his arm was hurting. But I didn't stop until he was sitting on the bed I slept in. I sat by a nearby chair and looked at his arm. It was true I knew some medical things. I read some books on it I had found when mom and I raided an infirmary. He would need something to keep him from moving his arm. Unnecessary pain my mother called it. She told me that if something was healing I didn't need a reminder, I would need to keep it from crying in pain to let it heal. She said something like, the cells that are screaming aren't working. She said a lot of things. Now I can't tell if she actually said it or I just thought she said it. I scoured the basement floor looking for something to be used as a split before I found a wood plank that would be good. I could hear Kyle grumbling to himself just as I heard the plane engine start-up and go.