Fog covered the deadly silent hills of New Caprica like a shroud. Only the wind swept in the treetops of the forest and cut the silence like a knife that cut the flesh of the enemy. Raindrops caused dull sounds whenever they touched the already soaked earth.
It had rained for days now, the priestresses called it the cold tears of the Gods, but Abby knew it better.
The Gods didn't exist anymore.
Not here.
Her clothes were completely soaked and sticked to her body like a second, icey skin, that let every inch of her body ache in frostiness. Everything was caked with mud what was even colder than the rain and mixed with it brought a disease causing mixture.
She was freezing.
She was in pain.
She was still alive.
Nothing moved in her vicinity, while she watched out, hidden in her trench, surrounded by death and rottenness.
For days she lay here.
Waiting.
For an order, for anything that would have implied that she was allowed to leave the dugout. Of course she could just have gone, taking the smokey path over the hills on which the battle had taken place only a few days ago, but when she looked into the broken eyes of the man who had shared the dugout with her, she stayed.
Abby didn't want to die.
Not like that.
No one would ever come back to that forest to burry the corpses because it was to dangerous, the Cylons had already occupied this area. All these people, her friends, would be burried in oblivion, they would end as nameless pictures on the memorial wall, nobody would ever lay roses upon their graves or grief for them. Abby didn't want to end like that, she just wanted to go back to New Caprica, find her siblings and just live. Months ago she had subscribed to the resistance to fight for the survival of humanity but what they had achieved was the exact opposite.
Due to their actions, the people were guarded a lot more on the streets of New Caprica, women disappeared constantly from the surface of the planet and woke up on the Basestars of the Cylons, being abused as surrogated mothers for they hybrid children. Of all the ideals she left home to fight for only one remained.
She wanted tu survive.
With stiff fingers she clenched the handhold of her gun and the only intact walkie-talkie that was left. At least she hoped that it was still intact.
"They forgot me", she mumbled angrily and slid back on the gound of the trench. Her weapon had no amunition anymore, she was insulated, no human lived in her vicinity anymore and she had no strength to go on like that anymore.
Her eyes burned, for days she had kept herself awake so she wouldn't be killed in her sleep but she knew how stupid her fear was, the Cylons had pulled back long ago in the knowledge that every resistance fighter within a radius of 10 km was dead.
Abby didn't know if she was alive because of the mercy of the Gods or if the Gods just tortured her, let her believe that she was save to kill her in the end.
Suddenly she heard noises.
Noises like motors caused that seemed to come closer. Scared she climbed up again to look over the edge of the dugout, ready, to kill the umcoming Cylons, no matter how. But did the Cylons go by cars? She doubted it but nevertheless she was careful.
A trek of cross-country vehicles came over the hills, soldiers of the resistance on the cargo area who looked for their buddies. As fast as possible, Abby crawled out of the trench but her boots slid down the muddy earth over and over again. Finally she lay on her stomache, exhausted but happy because the cars came towards her.
"Over there!!", she heard the familiar voice of her best friend Aaron Fitzgerald who stood on the cargo area of one vehicle and pointed at her.
Absolutely exhausted but revived by the adrenalin of happiness, Abby got up and let him drag her up on the car.
"Abby, I though they'd killed you", Aaron shouted and embraced her. "Don't be afraid, it needs a lot more to kill me", she breathed and was relieved to see her best friend again. All thos day in which she had fought she had been afraid that her family, her friends were dead but now, as she saw Aaron alive her drained body filled with strength again so she sat up against one of the sides and lay the gun she had clinged on for so long next to her.
She looked Aaron up and down, who smiled happily because he had found her alive. "The others are dead", she told him and pointed at the dugouts.
Aaron nodded sadly.
"We're going back to New Caprica City, for vehicles will stay here to burry the bodies, " he explained and looked into her eyes as if he was searching for something in them. For the Abby she had once been.
This war had changed everything.
Abby felt cold and numb inside, not much made her feel something these days, not even the death of so many men she had known.
Thy were only many among thousands, somewhen you blunted emotionally.
She had never known deep human feelings nor had she understood them. In her live there had never been space for love, faith, grief or fear.
However – once when she was younger, she had known fear. Fear of her father who had tyrannized the family but whith the years she had numbened to that too.
When they finally reached New Caprica City, hundreds of people already awaited them. Abby felt something like joy inside her heart.
She was save, she was home.
The car stopped and when Abby's feet touched the ground, her knees immediately buckled under her weight and Aaron had to catch her so she didn't fall on the ground. Another man Abby knew as Samuel T. Anders, came towards them and helped Aaron. "Hey little lady, don't be that wild", he said and smiled while Abby blushed a little. "I'm sorry", she mumbled and let them take her over to a sick bay where they helped her upon one of the empty beds.
Dr. Cottle, a man with the charme of a butcher, looked at Abby and sighed. "Wait for a moment", he said grumpily and turned back to a patient with a bleeding shot wound.
"You think you'll get along, Abbs?", Aaron asked. "I could help the guys burrying some of the bodies then, if it's ok for you", he added and Abby nodded.
She preffered to be alone now.
She didn't want to have people around her, at least no one who would drown her in sympathy.
It took over an hour till Cottle finally found the time to check on Abby. The girl who had nearly fallen asleep several times was about to say something, when SHE entered the tent. Effervescent with life, she immediately filled the whole sick bay with her presence as she let her gaze wander over the patients. She smiled at Abby, who bowed her head in fear that the blushig of her cheeks would give her away what was rather stupid because SHE didn't even knew Abby existed.
"What can I do for you, Captain Thrace?", Cottle asked and turned to her.
"I need new antibiotics for Sam", she answered and grinned at Cottle who sighed and walked away to get the medicine.
Abby felt shakey because now she was alone with HER.
"Abby Moore, right?", Kara asked and looked at the girl of maybe 19 years who seemed not to be willing to talk because she merely nodded.
"Sam told me about you, about your activities in the resistance. You impressed him with your skill to shoot, he always calls you little sniper. Plus you are the girlfriend of Laura Roslins nephew what makes you a little VIP around here", she joked not sure why the girl gave such a deranged impression.
"Mrs. Roslin sure is happy about having found out her nephew is healthy and alive even though her sister died during the attacks", Abby finally said and sighed because she hadn't come up with a smarter comment. Nevertheless Kara smiled cheery and nodded.
"Yeah, Laura is pretty happy to have him with her, I barely saw her that happy before. Nevertheless – you counted great losses. 100 went out, only 4 fighters came back!"
Abby nodded and wanted to say something but Cottle came back and gave Kara the medicine. "Now, get out of here", he demanded and Kara smiled one last time at the strange girl before she left.
"So, what's the matter with you kid?", Cottle asked and looked her up and down.
"Nothing, I just need some sleep", Abby answered but had to cough at the same time.
"Sounds like pneumonia", Cottle said and let her cough three more time.
"Take this antibiotics three times a day, don't forget it or the pneumonia gets worse. Now get out of here and put some dry clothes on", he grumbled and kicked the girl out.