The sun was high in the sky now, and there was the quietest of snores coming from a rather large bush.

George stopped in his tracks and looked around. John and Lafayette collided with him from behind, and George turned to glare at them quickly before turning back to the bush. The three of them crept closer, their hands resting on their pistols.

George pulled out his gun and nodded at the other two. They pulled the bush apart to reveal the inside, and George aimed his pistol right at—

"Alex!" John cried.

Alexander woke with a start. He blinked up at the three of them in momentary bewilderment. Then he saw the gun pointed straight at him and cried out, swearing furiously.

"What the heck!?" He yelled, scrambling into a sitting position. George hurriedly put the gun away and gave him an apologetic look, then he asked, "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright! You just pointed a gun at me!" He cried. Then he looked around them. He frowned. "Why am I in a bush?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." John held out a hand, and Alex took it. He pulled him to his feet.

As Alexander steadied himself, Lafayette looked him over. "Why did you not come back? And why are you so far from camp? I thought you just went out to relieve yourself."

Alexander went pale slightly. He swallowed, then, with a shaky voice, stammered, "Um, th— the monster— the thing. It saw me and— well, I ran.." Alex went paler still as he stared up at George, who had an unreadable expression on his face. "I— er, I'm sorry I didn't g—go back, I.. I just—"

"Its alright now," George said gently, barely refraining himself from calling him "son". He put his hand on his shoulder instead, and Alexander stiffened slightly, but didn't say anything.

John and Lafayette nodded in agreement. "You got lucky, though," Lafayette said, grimacing. "It.. Killed Dr. West."

Alexander blinked, then went even paler. "It.. Did? How are you sure?"

"Well, we studied the marks it had," Lafayette said, pulling him out of the bush. "It was terrible."

Alexander let out a slow breath. Then his eyes spotted their injuries, and George heard his breath catch in his throat.

"Did.. Did the monster do that, too?" Alexander asked weakly. He looked like he was in incredible pain, but George could not understand why. He narrowed his eyes at him, and Alex glanced at him and trembled.

"Yes," John sighed, picking at the cloth on his forearm. "It attacked us. You're lucky you got away, Alex—that thing is ferocious."

"Ferocious.." Alexander repeated under his breath.

"And utterly dangerous. We need to find a way to catch it so we can kill it before it kills anybody else." George slipped his pistol back in its holster. He looked up to see Alexander staring blankly, his face white as sheet.

Concern washed itself over the General's heart, and he whispered, "Alexander, are you alright?"

Alexander snapped out of it immediately. He looked up at the General and whispered, "Yes, sir."

George stared at him, then nodded uncertainly. They all turned around to head back into camp.

The walk back was rather uneventful, because Alexander was eerily silent. He said nothing as his friends talked and tried to converse with him, with him only shrugging and nodding or shaking his head in response. He did not laugh nor smile. And after a while, they just gave up and fell silent, too.

It pained George's heart to see Alexander like this. He just wished he would tell him what was going on. Perhaps he'd be able to help him.

Alas, Alexander was not his son. George was not his father. Alexander would never let him in the way George wanted him to. This only seemed to deepen the pain, and he pushed the thought away.

Because right now, he had a monster to catch.