They had been hiding out for about a week. Charlie was getting stronger and stronger each day. Bass predicted that they could move out in the next few days. They had been their so long they had started to follow a routine. Charlie would wake first, redress her ribs, and go fetch water for the pair of them for the day. Then Bass would wake up and go find them breakfast of one form or another. He would make her stretch and bend her body in ungodly ways that made her cry out in pain. Bass would just wince and tell her he was sorry. As if it was his fault. Everyday she was able to do more and more. She could feel herself becoming herself again.
It was just another day; the sun was just beginning to shine down its warm rays that always brought Charlie out of her slumber. She just couldn't sleep when it was light out. A light snoring over her right shoulder informed her that Bass didn't have to much of a problem with it. She stood up and checked her side. An ugly brown and green Scab covered all the surface of just under her breast down to the side of her hip bone. It still hurt like a mother but it had become much more bearable once that Bass had cut up this strange plant he found out in the woods and rubbed it in her wounds. Charlie winced as she remembered the first time he had put it on her, she screamed like there was no tomorrow and he had to all but hold her down. Shaking her head out of the memory she gathered herself and her crossbow to set out and get water for her and Bass.
Charlie was making her way back up the trail with the water she had gathered from the river. She stopped when she heard a faint cry, immanently scanning the area looking for any sign of threat. The faint noise reached her ears again and her head snapped in the direction of camp. Quietly putting the bowl of water on the ground she reached up and grabbed the crossbow from between her shoulder blades. Putting one foot in front of the other she made her way back up the hill. Peeking at the top of the hill she held her breath and looked for the intruder.
No one was their…. And yet again she heard the quiet whimper that was so broken it sounded as if it was coming from a small lost child. Her eyes followed the noise and it led her to Monroe. He was covered in sweet and curled up in a ball as if he was hiding from every thing and anything. Charlie put down her crossbow and slowly made her way over to him. She kneeled down next to him and put her hand on his shoulder she quiet called his name. He didn't respond. Another hand founded its way to his forehead. "Bass, come on Monroe it's just a dream. Monroe, growing fearful she shook him a little harder and hollered, Sebastian!"
His eyes snapped open and with a quickness that can only be described as Monroe, he had Charlie on her back and was sitting on her stomach with his knees on either side of her. His hands clamped tightly around her throat stopping respiration all together. Charlie screamed out at him, tried to make him realize that it was her, and that he was in no danger. As she looked into his eyes he reminded her of a robot. He had no expression on his face even his eyes looked dead.
Charlie started to see black dots out of the corner of her eyes. She knew she wouldn't last much longer. Just as she felt her eyes shift close recognition flashed through Monroe's eyes. His' hands disappeared from around her throat and she welcomed the air that rushed back into her lungs. Monroe staggered back apology after apology tumbled out of his mouth. Charlie didn't know what the hell that was about but Monroe was about to tell her everything.