It was in the early hours of the morning, and Matt Smith was out on his usual scavenge. He hadn't found much so far, an old tin of baked beans, a kitchen knife, a tattered fleece blanket and a bottle of lemonade. Searching through the rubble on the floor of an abandoned petrol station, he managed to salvage a magazine and a half packet of chewing gum. 'Better than nothing.' He thought to himself.
He decided that he would check the cars that were left abandoned on the side of the road, when an ear splitting scream came from round the corner, then cries for help. Leaping into action, Matt raced round the corner, pulling his gun out as he saw a group of infected huddled round a figure. But that voice sounded familiar. It couldn't be, After three years it just couldn't be... But it was.
"Help me!" Came another strangled scream.
Pointing his gun at one of the infected, he pulled the trigger and shot it straight in the head, the only thing that killed them. At once, the huddle turned from the girl to Matt. Shooting them one by one, he knew that the noise would attract more, so they had to act quickly.
Rushing over to the girl, who was still huddled on the floor, he looked at her, making sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.
"Salome!" He said, grabbing her shoulders and helping her up.
She looked up uncertainly. "Matty?"
"Come on, we don't have long." Said Matt, pulling the knife out of his bag. "Here take this."
"Matty, I don't know where my mum is." Said Salome, taking the knife as Matt grabbed her other hand.
"Come on." He said, starting to run down the street.
As they rounded the corner, they came across a group of three infected. Matt shot one of them as Salome stabbed another in the head. For a fourteen year old, she was good. She had always been good.
Matt shot the last one and began to race down the streets again, Salome still in tow.
They managed to reach the bunker without any further incidents, and as soon as they were safe, Matt embraced Salome and held her there as if to know she was actually real.
"I can't believe you found me. I had been alone for weeks." she said, her small hands clinging to his neck, quietly sobbing into his shoulder. "I thought I was going to die alone."
"I'm here now, Poppet, your safe, and I'm never going to let you go again." Said Matt, a tear escaping his eye.
"I miss my mum, Matty." Said Salome, finally pulling away, looking into Matt's eyes.
"I know, I do too, but we'll find her, I promise." Said Matt, his heart breaking at the sadness in her eyes.
"Thank you, Matty." Said Salome, brushing her hair out of her eye. It was only then he realised how worn Salome looked. Her hair was matted and dirty, her clothes were tattered and her skin was bruised in places. Her skin was pale and she looked like she hadn't eaten in days.
"Come on, Poppet, let's get you checked in." Said Matt, walking towards the desk.
"Matt! How are you, find anything good." Said the guard.
"Fine, Liam." said Matt, handing him the bag. "Sorry, there's not much."
"It's Fine, Matt. Let me check you for infection." He said, coming out from behind the counter. He caught sight of Salome, and eyeing her up and down, said "Who's this?"
"Oh, yeah." Said Matt, scratching his chin nervously. "This is Salome, the daughter of a friend. I bought her back here to be checked in."
Salome looked at Liam timidly and in a small voice said "Hello."
"Ok. Let me check you first, then I'll deal with her." he said, starting to check any exposed skin in Matt for cuts or bites. He then checked his eyes were normal, and let Matt pass with an all clear.
"Name." He said to Salome, getting a slip of paper and a pen out of the desk draw.
"Salome Violetta Haertel." She replied.
"Date of birth."
"Twenty eighth of March, 2001."
"Ok, I can do the rest. Let me just check you." Said Liam, conducting the same procedure he did on Matt.
"All clear." He said as Matt let out a breath he did not know he was holding. "Oh, and Matt, Salome's classed as a junior, which means you can decide wether you want to take responsibility and look after her yourself, or let the volunteers in the children's facility look after her."
"I think I'll look after her, if that's okay with you, Poppet." Said Matt, looking down at Salome.
"Yes Please." said Salome, taking Matt's hand again.
"That's fine. You can go." He said turning to fill in the rest of the form.
"Come on, I think we need a wash." Said Matt, leading Salome to the shower block. "I'm going to have to warn you, the water's freezing and the soap isn't particularly fragrant, but it's better than nothing."
"I don't care, I haven't had a proper shower in three years." Said Salome, taking off her shoes. And peeling of her top that was torn to shreds.
"Do you want me to turn away? They don't have separate showers for men and women." Asked Matt, feeling slightly awkward.
"I don't mind, you used to bathe me when I was younger, you were like a dad." Said Salome, taking off her leggings.
"Ok." Said Matt, starting to strip as well.
Salome turned the water on and stepped under the stream. "Brrrrr, it is cold!" She said.
"You get used to it." assured Matt, grabbing a bar of soap and started to scrub at the dirt on his face and arms.
"At least they actually have a hair brush." Said Salome, reaching to grab the hairbrush and work on the matted knots.
"Do you want some help?" He asked when he realised she was struggling.
"Please." She said, handing Matt the brush.
"Do you remember my sister Laura?" Asked Matt, trying to untangle a particularly stubborn knot.
"Auntie Laura, how could I forget?" Said Salome, washing the grime on her body away.
"She's here as well."
"That's brilliant! I can't wait to see her!" Said Salome.
"She'll be over the moon to see you too." Said Matt. "I could even see if we could get a room together, instead of sleeping in a communal bedroom."
"Really?" Said Salome, exited at the possibility of an actual room with an actual bed.
"Well, the requirements are at least three people, with at least one child or junior, family or relatives, and since I'm a bit like a step father, and the fact you call Laura Auntie, I think they'd let us have one." Said Matt, who was so pleased to have Salome back in his life. He knew Alex couldn't have more kids, so he cared for Salome like his own. He felt like he had part of his life back again.
"I'm so glad I have you back, Poppet." Said Matt.
"Me too." Said Salome. "I don't think I would've survived much longer on my own."
"Good job I found you then" said Matt. "There we go, your hairs all done!"
"Thanks Matty." Said Salome, grabbing a towel and handing one to Matt as well.
"The laundry's just round the corner, I'm sure we can find some clothes that fit." Said Matt, leading Salome to a room where there were various garments hung on washing lines. He through their old clothes into the washing basket and started to search for something suitable.
"Here." Said Matt, handing her some plain cotton underwear, some grey trousers and a dark green top. "This okay?"
"Perfect, thanks." Said Salome, taking the clothes and pulling them on. "It feels so good to be in clean clothes."
"I know the feeling." Said Matt, grabbing some navy green combat trousers and a short sleeved black top, and putting them on. "We'll grab some boots from the armoury on the way to the canteen."
"Okay, I'm starving!" Said Salome, as she followed Matt down unfamiliar corridors.
"The foods nothing special, sometimes it's barely edible, but it's the best we can do." Said Matt, walking into a room on the right.
"I'd eat a brick I'm that hungry." replied Salome.
"Can't promise it'll be as good as a brick." Joked Matt, handing her a pair of black boots. "These were the smallest pair they had."
"They're a perfect fit." Said Salome, pulling them on and lacing them up.
"Good." Said Matt, pulling his own boots on. "Should we get going?"
"Yeah, I wasn't kidding about being hungry." Said Salome, standing up.
Matt looked at his watch. "Lor should be in there now."
"I can't wait to see her, it's been ages." Said Salome, following Matt once again as she hadn't the faintest idea where she was going.
"There she is!" Said Matt, pointing to a table near the edge of the canteen.
They both started to walk directly towards her and when they got there, Matt and Salome sat down opposite her, but Laura didn't look up, to busy with her soup to be bothered.
"Hi Auntie Laura." said Salome, waiting for her to look up.
Laura slowly raised her head, not daring to believe it.
"Salome?" She said uncertainly.
"That's me." She said, smiling.
"Oh my god, Salome, I can't believe it!" She exclaimed, jumping up to hug the girl tightly.
"I've missed you so much, Laura." Said Salome, hugging her back.
"Were going to apply for a room." Said Matt when Salome and Laura finally broke apart.
"That'll be great!" Said Laura.
"I'll go to the office after lunch." Said Matt. "Shall we go and get some soup?"
-xXx-
"We'll have to wait a few days, but they said we could have one!" Announced Matt over dinner.
"Finally, our own space!" Said Laura, taking a mouthful of the mystery meat they were serving that particular day.
"Until then, Poppet, you can have my bed." Said Matt.
"Thank you." Said Salome, examining the meat. "What is this?" She asked.
"We've given up asking." Said Laura, who was happily eating hers.
"It's just best to eat without thinking about it too much." Said Matt.
Just then, a man came and sat down next to Matt and clapped him on the back saying "How are you doing, mate?"
"I'm fine, Harry." He replied. "This, Salome, is Harry, an old friend of mine."
"Hello, I'm Salome." She said, extending a hand.
"Nice to meet you, Salome, your first day here?" He asked, taking her hand.
"Yeah." She said. "It's better than being on the surface."
"Your probably right." He said, turning, to Matt and raising an eyebrow as Salome started chattering away to Laura.
"She's Alex's daughter, i couldn't leave her." Said Matt Quietly.
"Aahhhh, ok Smith, not just taking random kids off the street.
Matt gave him a shove and said to Salome "Should we get going, it's getting late and you look tired."
Yawning, she nodded her head. So they headed to the bedroom, stopping by the laundry to get a night dress for Salome and some pyjama bottoms for Matt.
After they had gotten changed and Salome had slipped into bed, Matt grabbed a spare blanket and was about to settle on the floor when he heard Salome say his name.
"Matty?"
"Yes, Poppet?" he replied.
"Will you sleep with me so I don't get nightmares?"
"Of corse I will." Said Matt, clambering into the bed with Salome, who cuddled into his chest and fell almost instantly asleep. Matt held her close and kissed her forehead. He has a feeling it's been a very long time since Salome has had anyone to chase away the nightmares. As she shakes and cries in his arms, he silently decides that from now on, he'd like it to be him.