Disclaimer: I do not own Falling skies or any of the characters, even if I wish I do. All rights belong to TNT.
Author Notes: A lot of stuff happening. Pay attention to the end. And.. there's lots of gore in this. Really. Blood everywhere. Here, there, up on mars, down in Venus... wherever you can think of! Anyway. Squeee! Next!
HAL POV
"Ben!" I shouted his name, immediately squirming and pushing him as carefully as I could off me. I rolled, kneeling over him, trying to see. His eyes were shut be I could see his chest rising and falling. I tried to look for wounds, but his dark clothing prevented me from noticing anything, until I grabbed at his chest to try and shake him awake and felt blood on my hands. Shit. I couldn't tell how deep the wound was but he clearly wasn't conscious. He wasn't moving at all. I felt a pang of worry, and then a stronger, more powerful pang of fear. It was still here.
Before I could do anything something slammed me down flat on top of Ben, and the breath rushed out of me in one powerful stream. Gulping down air, I began to thrash and squirm, trying to get free, but to no avail. The creature had me pinned, and suddenly I was aware of a powerful odour. I could feel it breathing near my ear, its chest huffing, breath snorting from its nostrils. My heart was racing. I tried to struggle more, but could hardly move. Something sharp was digging into my back. I bit back a whimper of pain, jaw clenched, trying not to make a sound. I began to play dead. It was like an animal of some sort. Heavy, powerful, body, rancid stench, growling and snarling. What did it want with us? What exactly was it? I had no idea. I couldn't even see it. All that I was really aware of was that it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Then the weight was gone, and for a moment I thought it was leaving. Its claws sunk into my back and tossed carelessly awake like I was nothing more than a rag doll. I hit something hard as I landed, knocking the breath out of me once again. My body ached. Everything swam out of focus for a moment.
When I was able to see again I thought I saw an enormous shape moving towards me, eyes dark red even in the blackness of my hazy vision, before I completely lost consciousness.
MAGGIE POV
My dreams were filled with blood. Red, black, white... it splattered across the walls, filled the grounds with a rapid pool. I was sickened, my stomach whirling at the very sight and stench of blood, and I tried to run. There were no doors, no windows. It was a room. I was wading through the blood up to my waste, and then there was something floating along in it. I walked closer, my heart racing. Then I pulled back, eyes wide with disgust, feeling for sure that I was going to vomit. A yellowed skeleton lay in the blood pool, floating along from wall to wall. All I could see was its head and upper body and the tops of its finger bones. I turned. A skitter ran at me, snarling, about to attack.
I jolted awake gasping for air, my stomach churning. I barely made it outside before I vomited in the snow, making me tremble and cough and gasp for air. Sickness blazed in the pit of my stomach, and I rubbed at my throbbing head. Groaning, I turned to go back inside and lay down in bed. I must have the flu.
"Maggie?" A familiar female voice – the one I wasn't looking forward to hearing – called out to me. I turned to see Anne walking over to me looking worried. I probably looked like crap. I felt like it too. My eyes were having trouble staying open. I was sure I was going to throw up again. My throat burned all the way down to the tops of my lungs. "Are you feeling okay?"
I bit back a sarcastic remark – I had always been irritable when sick – and tried to lie. "Yes." My voice came out broken and swollen and I immediately began to cough. That upset my stomach more and I gagged, trying to hold in sickness.
"Come with me," she said, grabbing me gently – but firmly – with one hand and leading me away towards the med bus. "If you're sick I need to keep you away from everyone who isn't. And you need to rest, and can't do that with people tromping in and out all the time," she told me, but I was still burning with stubborn pride. I hated being sick. I hated others noticing that I was sick. It reminded me of all the times I was in the hospital, getting treatment... my family always watching and waiting and hoping I would be alright when I was just tired and wanted to end it all.
Finally the nausea became too much. I shook her off and turned to one side, puking all over the snow. My sides and stomach ached and I coughed heavily, feeling pain throbbing throbbing through my entire body. Vaguely I was aware of being held onto because I was about to collapse.
"Easy," Anne said, helping me back into a standing straight position. With a grimace I turned and was about to follow her into the med bus when someone screamed.
Then another person screamed. Then several more all began to scream at once. I turned to see one of the skitter half-breeds carrying two unmoving bodies back into the camp. I couldn't see who it was from here but all I saw was that they were wearing fighter's clothes and I knew that Hal and Ben had gone out this morning on a patrol.
Ignoring Anne I began to run forward, unaware that many others were drawing out their weapons and were pointing them at the half-breed. I knew it was them before I was able to get close. Someone grabbed me by my arm and pulled me back.
"Wait," Weaver ordered, walking past me with his gun aimed directly at the boy's head.
"It attacked them," the boy said, sounding strange even to my ears that were a little plugged. "It's still out there."
No one was paying him any attention. Someone seemed to have decided he was a threat. Before Weaver could say anything, a trigger was pulled. The half-breed hit the ground dead, blood spraying out of his back. Several people ran forward screaming at him to cease fire but it was too late. The boy was dead. I ran forward when the bullets stopped flying, trying to keep my stomach steady and found Hal and Ben, both bloody and unconscious.
