Chapter Seven
Disclaimer: I still own none of the characters or anything else! They do not belong to me!
John woke up in the middle of the night. His eyes blinked and he rubbed the sleep out of them. He became aware that Allison was sleeping next to him. Her face was peaceful and calm. She sighed and rolled over. John looked over on the other side of her and saw Kyle was sleeping as well. His chest rose and fell at a gentle rhythm. John smiled. They looked so happy and rested. He knew the feeling of being able to escape harsh reality and enter sweet unconsciousness. Kyle mumbled something and smiled. John tried to decipher what he was saying. He said it a little clearer. "You suck at throwing Derek." he whispered.
John stifled a laugh. He was happy Kyle could relax and play baseball with Derek, even if it was only for a few hours. John yawned and stretched. He decided it was still to early to wake up. He rolled on his side and fell back to sleep.
After a few more hours of sleep, John was shaken gently awake. "Come on sleepy head," Allison said.
John's eyes fluttered open. "Food?" he asked.
"Not today, hon." Allison said, "We don't have enough. Only the older folks and children can have food today."
John groaned inwardly, feeling his stomach grumble. "Oh get up lazy-butt ." Allison said, "Life doesn't revolve around food."
"Yes it does," John moaned dramatically.
Allison laughed and helped him out of the bed. John ducked his head to avoid the low bunk bed. "Come on, Kyle is on lookout," Allison said, "He could use some company."
John nodded and followed. As they opened the door queitly and slipped out into the sunlight. They stayed hidden in the shadows, avoiding the flying HK units that hovered overhead, waiting to pick up any humans stupid enough to get caught and take them to a Skynet war camp. They found Kyle keeping watch by the south exit. He smiled when he saw them. "Hey guys," he said, "Did you bring any food?"
"What is it with guys and food?" Allison asked.
"It takes our mind off of the rest of reality." Kyle said seriously.
Allison shrugged. "Whatever. No we don't have any food."
Kyle sighed. "A guy can only hope." he said wistfully.
Allison laughed. "I swear you an John are exactly alike!" she said, "You both act so goofy. You could be related."
Kyle smiled and looked at John. "Naw," he said, "This kid doesn't have my looks."
He put his hands on his hips and turned his head like a model striking a pose. Allison and John laughed, but inside John was thinking about how much he really resembled his father. Apparently he had Kyle's sense of humor. Sarah had said that John had her eyes. And in the past Derek had said that every time he looked at John he saw Kyle. That made John smile. Allison didn't seem to notice the strange look that had overcome John but Kyle did. "What's up with you?" he asked, "You look like you just drank three beers and and a cigarette."
John laughed, adding to the creepy smile that was still on his face. Kyle shrugged. "Duck!" he shouted suddenly, grabbing John by the back of the neck and shoving him under a pile of debris.
Allison did the same as an HK unit zoomed overhead. When they were sure it was gone they sat back up. "That was close." Kyle said, "Derek would kill me if the machines found us because of my clumsiness."
"He would have to get in like behind the tin cans." Allison said.
"That's a pretty long line." John said, trying to help Allison in lightening the mood.
Kyle laughed. "Hey guys I wanna show you something." he said.
He jumped up and led them over to a pile of trash. He pulled some of the junk off of it until he could see the ground. Allison gasped. John looked down at whatever was so important but all he could see was a tiny little sprout of some kind of plant. "What is it?" he asked.
"Are you blind?" Kyle hissed, "It's a plant!"
"So?" John asked, "You guys grown plants here for food right."
"Yes sometimes we do," Allison said, "But we have to try dozens of times for a plant to grow. The machines have so many factories here that barely any plants can grown due to the air. The fact that one has grown by itself it amazing!"
Kyle nodded and began to recover the plant with its trash shelter. "Whoa, what are you doing?" John asked, putting a hand in Kyle's way, "Why are you burying it?"
"To protect it from being stepped on." Kyle said, "Something like this needs protection."
"No, it needs sunlight and room to breath." John said taking the trash off of the tiny plant.
"But we need to protect it." Allison protested.
"You can only protect it so long," John said, "But at some point you have to let it go. You have to trust that it can take care of itself."
Kyle and Allison nodded. "You're right." Allison said.
They left the plant in the sunlight and walked back to the watch post. As John walked back he thought about his little speech. This is how he had felt when his mother had kept telling him to stay behind on the dangerous missions. He kept wondering when she would have let him have room to breath and reach out and help. He sighed. But right now he wished more than ever for his mother to walk up and tell him that he should stay home, that Cameron and her would take care of it. But John knew he would never hear her say those words again.
Me: Finally! I finished! This was the hardest chapter to right.
John: God that took forever!
Allison: At least I didn't die. Unless... are you just waiting for me to die in the next chapter?
John: Can I slap her?
Me: Maybe in the next chapter.
Allison: What?!
