::CODY::

"Uh, thanks?" Corrin raised a brow before chuckling. "Beat tired is the in look now, after all."

"Eh... Uh... He he, I take it you've been busy with patients today?"

"As always, and I see you got me another one."

Trey had this look on his face earlier. The same one Lexie and Meeko both give Rhys every and then, when he doesn't notice. I don't think Corrin notices, either. Trey is also a little red in the face. Trey says his powers make him heat up more than normal so he turns slightly red. But he only really does when Corrin's around and things aren't too serious. I asked Lori once about it, but all he tells me is that I'll get it when I'm older. Lexie jumped up from her flat board. She was resting, like Corrin told her to.

But now she sees Lori. "Oh god, are you okay?!"

"I've been better," Lori smiles weakly.

Lexie goes near, helping him to a flat board. They were childhood friends, or so I'm told. Trey approaches Corrin. He was no longer red in the face. He speaks, all professional-like.

"Corrin, Lori's injuries—"

"I see it, Trey..." He frowns. "It doesn't seem like... The usual."

Meeko was looking his brother over, concerned. It's like he wants to do something to help but doesn't know what. Corrin comes over to look at his injuries, healing the ones he can instantly. But there were some swollen bumps here and there.

I hung my head, going over. "I'm sorry Lori. I got careless... If I hadn't, maybe you wouldn't..." Lori covered my mouth. "Mph?"

"If you're not hurt, then it wasn't for nothing." He said comfortingly. "So are you hurt?"

I shake my head shyly. "Thanks to you..."

"Then that's all that matters to me, kid." Lori smiles softly before sharing a look with Corrin.

Corrin nodded in understanding. "Cody," he beckoned to me. "Can you get me a cloth? Something free of radiation, please."

"Sure Corrin!"

I leave the room. I like everyone I meet, but I love Trey and Corrin the most. I know I'm mostly alive now because Corrin protected me and raised me. Or so I'm told. But Trey's a better story teller. I remembered that he'd tell me a lot of stories back when I was five whenever Corrin had troubles getting me to sleep. He still tells me them up until now. Since I don't remember much of my parents, I always try to imagine what they look like. I have a feeling they had blue hair and blue eyes like me, but I always end up picturing a much older Trey and Corrin, which doesn't really make sense cause I'm told parents are usually a boy and girl. Still, I really like the idea of them playing the role of my parents.

In a moment, I stopped running and settle to a walking pace. It's hard to keep running since there's always people around. Some of them, I know very well. Others are just surviving with us and are fairly new. Most are from this District's Underground Settlement. Few are wanderers from other Districts who somehow made it here. Rhys interviews them to know about the situation in foreign areas that we can never reach easily. Being one of the friendly groups a lot joins our bunch. With Trey as leader, no one is pushed around for long. We look after each other up here. That's the most important rule. So those who came from other places are in Batch Wanderers with a guy named Leon in charge. Even though we all use one language, a language that this district used even before the radiation, those others in Batch Wanderers have accents that make it hard to understand so Leon, despite coming from elsewhere as well, learned how to sound neutral. He helps his members in that area with Jonah, his Second in Command. Jonah's kinda a puzzle. He's quiet and he might seem scary and mean, but he's actually very nice. Leon tells me that he just has a hard time expressing himself more. But I believe he's nice. I thought I accidentally insulted him when I said something about his green hair and with how he always wears that orange cloak Lexie made, he looks like a carrot and that it's my favorite vegetable. Instead, Jonah laughed and smiled, saying he was honored to be a look alike of my favorite vegetable when I don't like veggies in the first place. I'm not sure he really meant he was honored, so I think he was just humoring me, but the smile and laugh was genuine enough.

Oh, his green hair was said to be caused by the radiation in his and Leon's area. Other people from batch wanderers have common quirks too. Leon and Jonah both have green hair, with Leon's being a little lighter and stray blond coloring was left at the ends, which might've been the natural color. Their powers are cool, too. Leon can control gravitational forces to an extent, like he can make an impact to force a person back without even touching them. It can make him fly, too which explained how he and Jonah got here. Jonah's powers are the most unique, though. While all our abilities have their distinction, some of us have similarities like this other guy aside from Trey can make fire, but he can only make it come from his hands, whereas Trey can produce it from anywhere. There's this other girl who can fly like Leon, but that's all she can do. Jonah is the only one I know who can disappear and reappear from shadows, he called it Shadow travel. It's a bit creepy when he comes out from your own shadow.

"Ah! Sorry!" I bump something that moves.

Kytes looked down from the stag he rode on. As a by product of his R. Ability to control nature, he's able to tame a few Normals, never Rabids though. He can also communicate with the live vegetations. Well, I don't think it's communication much when it's not friendly. More like Kytes can read their motives or something like that. He's the one who can do most things with his ability.

"What's up, Cody?" Kytes dismounted, "you're in a hurry."

"I gotta get a cloth for Corrin."

"Oh," He nods and holds out a cloth to me. "Here, I was going to use it to help your pal Jack and some other ten year olds get cleaned up. But you'll probably need this sooner." Kytes looked to the side, putting his fingers to his mouth and whistling. "Snowflake, get me another cloth please."

I looked up and see the White ferret pet of Kytes on a window sill from the other side of the hotel, it seemed to nod its head before going inside the room. She's really fluffy and cute. I'm glad Kytes can do that with his powers, it's fun playing with her.

"Thanks Kytes!" I grinned, taking the cloth.

The blond nodded. "So who else is hurt? Or is it still for Lexie?"

"No, it's for Lori. And it's because of me. I was going to get hurt. Lori saved me and got himself hurt. It's my fault..." I sighed.

Kytes placed a hand on my head and poked my nose. "Lori only did what anyone else would have done. It's not your fault. We look out for one another, Code." he smiled. "It's what keeps us alive. Will frowning help Lori now?" he asked. I thought about it and shook my head, smiling a little. "There, that's better."

He's right, I feel better.

. . .

I headed back to the infirmary and heard them talking. It sounded important so I didn't want to interrupt by going in right away. The older kids seem to avoid being serious when the younger ones were around and I didn't want to disturb them now. It might be about Lori's condition after all. I peeked in.

"—might be a way to counter it." I heard Trey talking.

Someone sighed. "No. I've done this for years, Trey. But this is the first time cuts were directly exposed to direct radiation." Ah, it sounded like Corrin. What did he mean?

"We've stopped something similar." Now that's Meeko. "Remember last year when Jenny was standing too close to Kytes when he was doing his version of gardening—?"

"Meeko," The strict tone of Corrin's voice stops him. "that's different. The radiation that made contact to Jenny's system came from Kytes's R. Ability, not from the atmosphere. This may not have been from the atmosphere, but it came from a Rabid, which is almost as bad. In a sense, our radiation is friendlier. "

Jenny, who wasn't there when I left earlier, cuts in. "And if you remember, Corrin had to amputate my finger to save me. How long do you think Lori could survive without an entire leg?" She spat.

I heard Lori laugh a little. I finally peeked in, he looked weaker than he was earlier. Meeko looks troubled, and Lexie's crying. "I'd be dead before the day finished." he muttered.

And I feel cold, putting a hand over on the wall to stay standing. Did I hear right? Lori might—

"Don't downplay anything, bro. You're laughing, but I know you're scared." Meeko frowned deeply, his upper lip trembling. "don't take it lightly."

Lori looked at his brother, and now I can see he had a hard time breathing. "I'm always scared, Mesh. But I hide it so I wouldn't scare you guys." he reached a hand over to squeeze his brother's shoulder. "it won't help if you were."

"I rather be fucking scared than lose my only family left!" Mesh gripped that hand. "so don't hide it!"

Lexie rubbed her eyes. "Corrin, please," she begged. "you can't let Lori die!" she sobbed and I'm shaking now.

My heart is pounding hard, hammering out of my chest. I concentrate on how loud it sounds in my ears. Concentration. That is something I know how to use. My Red Watch tells me that I'm doing fine, keeping my Renergy checked.

"While I can heal, decisions like Life and Death isn't really within my control." Corrin sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I wished it was."

Meeko grumbled. "Well, cure or no cure, I'm not just gonna stay put and let Lori die!" He scowled. "If you guy's won't do something about it, I will!"

"Tough words from a tough guy," Jenny scoffed. "But there's not much any of us can do without a cure, idiot."

"So what?! You just expect me to accept the fact that it's hopeless?! That's insane!"

"Insane or not, this is the consequence of not being careful! Rhys gave us enough warnings for the worse scenarios. Being his best friend, you should've taken it seriously. Aside from instincts, his warnings kept us alive. Caution Meeko. Do you know the word? We don't like it anymore than you do, and I agree when you say that we need to keep looking for something that'll help, but for the moment, it's beyond us!"

Corrin interrupts. "Enough," he scolds her. "Jenny, while you make good points and I know you don't always see eye to eye with Meeko, you're being a little harsh now. Please try to be a little sympathetic."

"Right," Jenny sighed, "Sorry."

Meeko didn't respond, he just turned back to Lori, collapsing on him. "I'm so sorry, Lori... I should've taken better care of you... It's my fault..." He sobbed. "I can't... can't lose you... What am I gonna do without you?" Lori placed a hand on Meeko's shoulder, not saying a word.

"Okay, I think that's enough." Trey sighed, rubbing his head. "Lori needs to rest."

Corrin nodded. "Trey's right. We'll continue when Rhys returns. With his help, we might have more brain power." he sighed. "but if Cody were to find out..."

"Don't let him find out," Meeko said quickly. "I don't want him to blame himself,"

Lori nodded. "It wasn't his fault," he agreed.

"Fine," Trey groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I don't want that either... But you know how I feel about lying and keeping secrets, so you owe me Meeko."

I back away from the door, dropping the cloth, and hardly noticing. Then I took off running. My room is on a higher level than Corrin's infirmary, so I have to go upstairs. I don't think anyone notices or minds that I'm running. Someone is always running and I don't want people knowing something's wrong, especially if Meeko wants to keep Lori's condition a secret.

I blink back tears and slam the door to my room. No one'll think that's strange. I think they'd be more worried if I didn't slam it. I fell on my bed, which was really just a mattress, and buried my face on the pillow. I howled. I've always thought Lori was invincible. Like Trey, and Corrin , and Meeko and everybody else that's been with us for as long as I can remember. For anyone to die... For that anyone to be Lori... I didn't think it could happen.

Later, I stopped crying. I don't do anyone good when I cry. So I decided to look for Jack. He's a good friend. He might help me get my mind off this. The fear of death, the guilt, the worry.

Then I pass Rhys's research room. It's usualy filled with Rhys's Corps but for some reasons, it's cleared out and three people were in now.

"There's really no need for research, Trey. If we cannot extract a cure from our own resources, elsewhere is recommendable."

""But where would we look first, Rhys? We don't have a lot of time to check everywhere."

"Yes, I understand that it's not a luxury we have." Rhys sighed. "So I've been considering that place since you brought up this matter to me." he stares at the floor.

Lexie gasped. "You can't really be thinking..." she didn't have to finish.

"No in the hell way, Rhys. I won't risk losing you, as well."

Rhys frowned deeply, and that much emotion was rarely on his face. He was always so collected and controlled. "But if we lose Lori... More to the point, if Meeko loses him... I fear what it might do to his sanity. You're not exactly aware of how much his brother means to him." he protested. "It's not obvious, but he is really emotional and his tantrums are really heart breaking. I remember when his parents died..." he shook his head. "The underground may have figured out the cure we need. Look, I'll go myself."

"That's not exactly selling your idea," Trey scrunched up his nose. "I don't even like sending you to hunts anymore. What are you gonna do if they shoot at you?"

"They may not. If we come in few numbers, we will not appear hostile. It's all about negotiations..."

Trey makes this hard, stern expression that makes Rhys quiet. "I'm not budging on this one, Rhysell. Look, your research and inventions has always been enough. It will have to do."

"Will it?" Rhys asked. "If I can't save my own best friend's brother, what kind of friend am I?"

"Please Rhys..." Lexie begs. "Don't push it."

"But Lexie, Meeko..."

Trey interrupts. "... Will not lose his brother, because you'll be able to pull through as you always have. Even if he did, and let's hope not, he'll need you around to help him through it even more."

"... Very well." Rhys sighed deeply, resigning. "there's no arguing with that logic. I'll do all that I can to devise a cure immediately. But it will still take time."

. . .

So this was it. Something useful I can do to save Lori. I ran up to the rom where Lexie compiles all the maps she's created or other old ones that's been there since. We always take them with us when we evacuate. I took one that had the UNDERGROUND SETTLEMENT D12 labeled on it. It was hard to read, but they taught us how to at training so I should be fine if I bring a compass. I made sure to take one that won't be affected by the radiation. I hurried down to the lobby. No one will notice me gone. There's a lot of people here. More than a hundred. They'll think I'm blending in the crowd. I nearly made it out when I hear Meeko calling

Uh oh! "Hey Meeko!" I beamed, like nothing's wrong. "What's up?"

Meeko just stares at me and crosses his arms. "... You're off to find a cure, aren't you?" he walked up to me.

Busted.

"Look, Meeko, I... I just have to, okay? It was my fault. You gotta understand!"

"I'm not gonna stop you."

I blinked. "You're not? Really?"

"Really. I'd come along if I could. But I... I can't be away from Lori right now." he bit his lip. "I'm scared to be..."

I feel relieved. "So you're letting me go?"

"Yes. But just one thing. Remember, they're dangerous." Meeko looked stern and serious. "they don't like us and if they think you've been changed by being up here, they'll probably like you even less. Don't let them see your R. Ability,okay?"

I beamed. That's easy. I just have to concentrate. "Okay!"

"And another thing," Meeko embraces me tight. "Be careful. If anything were to happen to you, too..." he didn't finish that. Meeko pulls away and gave me my bow and arrows.

I smiled brightly. "I'll be back, Meeko. And I'll find a cure to save Lori, too so don't worry!" Those were the last things I said before I set out on my first mission alone.