The sound of swords clashing echoed through the glade. If anyone had been nearby, they might have been alarmed. Instead the two fighters did nothing but startle a few birds.
"You need to keep your guard up on your left," Miles stated as he charged his nephew.
Danny blocked the strike and attacked with a clumsy one of his own. "How the hell are you so fast?" he panted as he dodged his uncle's knife.
"Years of practice."
"Yeah but you're like forty."
"Watch it, kid."
"Just saying."
The next set of strikes ended up with them locked hilt to hilt. Danny head butted Miles causing the older man to fall to the ground. Miles looked up at him. "Not bad," he admitted. Then he tangled his legs with Danny and brought the boy to the ground next to him. "But you don't stop until your opponent is unconscious." He got to his feet before helping Danny up. "I'd say dead but I'm betting you have the same bat shit morality as your sister."
Danny turned to said sister who was working on dinner while Miles taught his nephew to fight. She smiled at the men. "Miles thinks anything that involves feelings is a weakness," she teased. "He's still new to this whole 'caring about people' thing."
Danny grinned at his uncle. "Don't worry. We'll get you in the habit soon."
Miles rolled his eyes. "God save me from children with a hero complex," he muttered. They could tell he didn't mean it.
"Got it in you for one last bout, old man?" Danny asked as he toyed with his sword.
"I will show you old," Miles vowed, taking a fighting stance.
They began to attack each other heatedly while Charlie watched on. She never rooted for one over the other. Charlie was content to just watch them. Danny had never been very physical back in the village. Their father wouldn't allow it. Miles not only allowed Danny to be physical, he demanded it. Miles believed every one of them had to be in peak fighting shape in case the militia should happen upon them.
Danny was about to lunge for an attack when his chest seized up. He started to fall, gasping, to his knees when Miles caught him. "Charlie, get my pack," he ordered.
Miles helped Danny into a sitting position against a tree while Charlie brought his pack over. "What should we do?" she asked.
Miles kept one hand on Danny's chest while the other dug recklessly through his pack. "Easy," he murmured, keeping his eyes locked with his nephew's. "Easy, now, it's going to be okay." Soon he felt a familiar shape and pulled out a rescue inhaler. "Don't worry, we're going to take care of this," he insisted in his quiet voice. "Give me your hand."
"Wha…?" Danny couldn't manage any more than that as he lifted his hand up for his uncle to grasp.
"You do exactly as I tell you," Miles ordered. He curled Danny's fingers around the inhaler. "Breathe in when we press the top down then hold your breath until I tell you." Danny opened his mouth and allowed Miles to push the inhaler in. Together they squeezed the top so the medicine could make its way to Danny's lungs. Miles slowly counted to ten. "Breathe out," he ordered. Danny did so. "One more time," Miles told him. They repeated the process together. "Better?" he asked.
"Better," Danny agreed weakly.
"What was that?" Charlie whispered in awe. She was staring at the inhaler like it was some sort of magic talisman. Miles realized that to her, it probably was.
"It's called a rescue inhaler," he explained, folding it into Danny's hands. "It can stop an asthma attack before it gets too bad."
Charlie clearly wanted to touch the small device that had very probably just saved her brother's life but she kept her hands to her sides. "Where did you find it?" she asked instead.
"The rebel base we were at was surprisingly well supplied," Miles told her. "I grabbed a couple to take with us. We'll need to use them sparingly but they come in handy. You hold on to that one until it runs empty." He searched his nephew's face for signs of distress. "You okay to move closer to the fire?"
Danny smiled weakly at the concern in his uncle's voice. "Thought feelings were a weakness to you," he wheezed with a teasing smile.
"You're family," Miles stated, completely serious.
"I'm good to move," Danny nodded.
Miles helped him up and supported his entire weight as they walked over with Charlie hovering nearby. Danny was gently set down on a log and handed some water to help clear his mouth of the medicine taste. Charlie plopped herself down next to him rather than beside Miles like she usually did. Miles sat across from them, handing out dinner and keeping a wary eye on his nephew. "Well, this is as good a time as any to talk about where we're going," Miles decided.
"Where's that?" Charlie asked.
"The south west," Miles told her. He pulled out a map of what used to be the United States and pointed to a far way part. "There's lots of desert out there which will make it easier for Danny to breathe."
"Are you sure?" Danny frowned, studying the map.
"I had a friend who had asthma back when your dad and I were young," Miles explained. "His parents moved him out there to help with his lungs. There's less pollens and allergens in the air to set off an attack."
Charlie peered over her brother's shoulder. "Why does it say 'Wasteland'?"
Miles shrugged and took the map from them. "Could be that things are dicer than here. Could just be that there are no militias in control or that no one's been able to take the whole thing." He rolled up the map and tucked it back in his things. "We'll find out when we get there."
"And if it's bad?" Danny murmured.
"Then we move somewhere else. There's lots of land out there, guys. We'll find a place to settle. And I promise, it will somewhere safe, somewhere clean and somewhere that one has ever heard of any of us."
Dinner was finished in silence. They struck camp and hiked a little further until Miles decided to call a halt. Danny offered to take first watch that night. Miles glanced at the inhaler clutched tightly in his hand and agreed. Danny settled himself at a good vantage point while Charlie and Miles set out their things. Miles lay down and was asleep in moments. Charlie curled next to him, his arm thrown around her, dreamed of warm wastelands where no one knew her name.
A/N: This family is just so much fun to write. They're so adorable, they practically write themselves. Also, in case anyone missed it because it was in a different section, "Tending the Content" was put out yesterday and is M rated. Just so you're aware. I know most of you reveiwed and I'm thankful but in case any didn't think to look there, it's there. Also, I think we should have a trip back to the fever bar from Tending the Ill, what do you think?