Uhg... Sorry about the late update. I was sick all night and slept all day, and I still feel like crap But anyways, here's Chapter 10 for you guys... Hope you like it =)
Disclaimer: I do not own FS, but I do currently own a very icky flu.
I sighed as I stared down at Dai, waiting for him to wake up so he could tell me what he knew about the humans in Porter's camp and if any of them got away. I heard footsteps approaching and glanced at the doorway from the corner of my eye to see Hal, Margaret, and Jimmy entering the room. "Weaver's holding Tom in custody." Hal growled as he entered the room, not even noticing me. I suddenly felt very self conscious about the injuries on my face, turning my head so they could only see the uninjured side.
"What?" Anne questioned in alarm.
"Danner's locked him in the boiler room." Jimmy confirmed. "Tom was asking about the drugs he was taking and… he lost it." Jimmy said with a sigh and I frowned. What drugs, I thought incredulously, wondering if Ben knew anything about it and wishing I hadn't chased him off.
"I'm not surprised." Anne said and Hal sighed.
"I… I don't think Weaver wants to hurt your dad." Jimmy said insistently. "I don't know why he's doing this, but he's a good man."
"Good man or not, he's endangering everybody here." Anne pointed out.
"We gotta get my dad out."
"Maybe I can help." Jimmy offered and I moved my head minutely towards them, keeping my wounds hidden still.
"Maybe I coul-"
"No." Anne cut me off, everyone else only just then noticing me. "You're staying right there, Alyssa… Can you three get him out of there yourselves?" Anne asked, turning back to them while I glowered at her in annoyance. Hal was eying me and I could tell he was wondering why I was there, but I just turned my head away and focused on Dai again.
"Yeah, we should be able to." Jimmy said with a nod.
"Alright…"
"Anne, Dai's waking up." I called when I saw his head and eyes starting to move.
"Get Tom and bring him here." Anne ordered before turning and walking around the cabinets to Dai and me. Hal nodded, the three of them turning and leaving the infirmary as Anne examined Dai's injury again. "…Don't think I didn't notice what you did." Anne said calmly after a few minutes of silence.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I said simply in response.
"Yes you do… You made sure that Hal didn't see your injuries. Why?"
"Because they are currently freaky, and he needs to be focused at the moment, not worrying about me." I replied easily.
"The scars will be minor, Alyssa." Anne said soothingly.
"I don't care about the scars!" I snapped at her and she frowned at my reaction. "Just drop it." I hissed and she sighed heavily.
"Fine…" She said, falling silent for a few minutes. "Are you feeling better?"
"I was." I growled and Anne looked down at Dai instead of at me. I looked as well, seeing that Dai's eyes were open. "Oh, you eavesdropper!" I accused without any bite, relief wiping away my previous aggravation.
"Hard not to eavesdrop when you're literally talking over me." Dai murmured, his voice weak.
"How are you feeling?" Anne asked him clinically.
"Like I got impaled." He said and I laughed softly.
"You should have ducked." I teased and he rolled his eyes.
"You try dodging a piece of Mech shrapnel."
"You don't see me bleeding from a hole in my abdomen, do you?" I retorted and he chuckled weakly.
"Don't aggravate the wounded. It's bad bedside manner." Tom said as he strode into the room, Hal, Maggie, and Jimmy behind him.
"I hear you're the one doing the aggravating." I countered and he chuckled softly.
"He's weak, but he's talking." Anne informed Tom, who strode over to stand beside me.
"I know you're hurt, Dai, but this is important. I need to know about Porter." Tom said urgently.
"An hour after I reached Porter's post, the Skitters and Mechs hit. Porter was pinned down… Probably dead by now." Dai said and I felt myself go cold.
"Dead?" Jimmy repeated questioningly.
"Dai… This is important… What were Porter's orders?" Tom asked.
"The other regiments… they never reported in. Runners went out and never came back. Porter said that without confirmation the 4th and 5th were alive, the attack should be aborted." Dai said.
"You told all that to Captain Weaver?" Tom asked, glancing at me.
"All of it… this mission is no good." Dai said and I clenched my hands into fists, anger filling me.
"He knew that they were swarmed by aliens, and he still sent me out there alone?" I ground out and Tom looked up at me.
"He's not acting like himself, Alyssa. I'm sorry you got hurt because of it." Tom said calmly, and I saw Hal's confusion.
"I could have been killed! I nearly was!" I snapped at him, inadvertently turning my head when I did. I saw Hal freeze, seeing the wound on my face, and I winced. Without another word, I walked around Tom and out of the room, heading towards the room I was staying in. I strode in and went over to my bed, looking at the book that sat on it. It was dark blue with royal blue vines designed into it, and I lightly brushed it with my fingertips before picking it up and putting it in the duffle bag that also sat on my bed.
"What happened?" Hal's voice informed me that he'd followed me into the room. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, then turned to him and reopened them.
"I got caught." I said as Hal walked closer, his steps slow. "A Mech chased me, I got it down, but then a Skitter jumped out in front of me. I had to swerve around and nearly crashed in my attempt to get away from it, but it reached out to grab me and clawed me." I explained, my voice getting weaker at the end as he stopped right in front of me. He raised his hand up to cup my cheek, careful to not touch the wounds, and I felt myself relax at his touch.
He abruptly dropped his hand, though, when we heard approaching footsteps. Jimmy appeared in the doorway, looking straight at Hal. "Tom's got a plan, and he needs you there, Hal." Jimmy said before looking at me. "Any extra help would be great." He added before whipping around and leaving again.
"Duty calls." Hal said, turning around and heading to the door, pausing at it to look at me. "You coming?" He asked, flashing me a smile to inform me that all was forgiven.
"I would, but I wouldn't be of much use." I said and he shrugged.
"Alright. I'll come find you when it's over… Wish us luck."
"I see you guys were successful." I murmured to Hal as he led me to the gym.
"Yeah." Hal said and I glanced at him.
"You're quiet… What's wrong?" I asked but he just shook his head.
"Not now… I'll talk to you about it when this is over." He said and I frowned deeply, but nodded.
"I don't need to tell you people what's at stake." Weaver's voice drifted through the gym as Hal and I walked in. "We've all been living on the edge since these alien things came. Tomorrows assault on Boston was meant to be our first strike." Hal and I slid into the front line of the crowd, Hal on my left and Anne to my right. "A coordinated attack with the support of two other Massachusetts regiments. However… Colonel Porter lost contact with these regiments several days ago."
"And now it looks like the Colonel himself might have been lost. Dai brought back the Colonel's last orders… Abort the mission, unless we can confirm the existence of these other units. We still don't know if these other units exist… or if they intend to carry out the attack as planned. But I know… that if there's a breath left in any of those men, they will do their damndest to carry out this attack."
"And if that happens, despite Porter's orders, the 2nd Mass has to be there to back them up. But this attack, as critical as it is, cannot be our only objective." Weaver looked down for a moment before speaking again. "We have a responsibility… and obligation, to protect our civilians. And sometimes, in our desire to strike back, we forget that they represent our future." He went on, his voice softer and almost… emotional.
"So I'm asking for volunteers. I need fifty fighters for this mission." Hal shifted at my side and I glanced at him, but his eyes were on Weaver. "If you're with me, meet me out front." He said, then raised his head high.
"I'm in." Someone called, and other started to call out their agreements, too, shifting and walking out to the exit. I looked at Hal, seeing him watching the others, and I saw something in his actions and his expression that I forced myself to ignore, turning to Anne.
"Are all your medical supplies packed?" I asked her and she nodded.
"For the most part. Lourdes is getting the rest." Anne said and I sighed.
"I hate this feeling." I said to her, seeing Hal walk over to his dad from the corner of my eye.
"What feeling is that?" Anne asked and I rubbed the right side of my forehead wearily.
"Dread."
"Tom, you're staying?" I asked as I walked up to him.
"Someone has to lead them." He said and I nodded.
"Glad it's you and not Weaver." I said jokingly and he chuckled.
"Yes, well-" Tom paused for a moment, looking at something over my shoulder. "Hal!" Tom shouted just as Hal drive by on a dirt bike. Hal slowed to a stop, looking exasperated, and I felt my insides clench. I thought back to the indecision on his face that I'd ignored in the gym, feeling my dread grow. Hal parked the bike and stood up, walking up to Tom.
"You were right about Weaver, but when you get down to it, he was right too." Hal said with a sigh as he stopped in front of Tom.
"They've got enough fighters. You don't have to do this."
"Yes I do." Hal said instantly with calm determination. "I actually do.. and you gotta stay here and take care of the civilians, just like you've been taking care of me, Matt, and Ben this whole time… and I gotta do this… for mom." Hal said and I looked away, feeling like an intruder. "and for Ben."
"There'll be other battles."
"Not if we don't show them we're not backing down. We've got to hit them with everything we've got." Hal argued calmly. "Make them rethink this war… Weaver can get us to Boston, and once we get there, we're going to blow that structure straight to hell." Hal said, taking a few steps back as he spoke.
"Nothing I can say to you, huh?" Tom asked in a grudgingly accepting manner.
"You can wish me luck."
"…Good luck." Tom replied after a moment and Hal strode forward once more, hugging his father tightly. I turned away, wanting desperately to deny what was going on, to just leave and never have to see him go. "Good luck." Tom repeated emotionally as I started to walk away, but I only got a few steps away when I felt a hand close around my wrist.
"Alyssa-" Hal began, but before he could get another letter out, I whipped around, but my hand on the back of his head and pulled him down a bit, kissing him fiercely. He froze in surprise for a moment, but quickly broke out of it and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him tightly and kissing me back with equal vigor. The kiss was passionate, but it felt like only a moment had passed before we broke for air.
"I'll come with you." I blurted out, but he immediately shook his head, his hand cupping the uninjured side of my face.
"Cecilia needs you… Besides, Dad will be too busy to look out for Matt and Ben himself. He'll need help." Hal murmured and tears threatened to fill my eyes, but I fought them down stubbornly.
"You talk like you aren't going to come back." I pointed out with a weak smile.
"If I come back, I'll do all of that… but if I don't, I'm asking you to do it." He said softy.
"Of course I will, Hal… You didn't even have to ask." I assured him weakly.
"Cecilia needs you, no matter what happens." Hal said pointedly and I gave him a bitter laugh.
"So I have to choose between you two?" I asked bitterly, his eyes softening, and he leaned down to press his forehead to mine. "I won't do that." I said, my own voice determined now. "When you come back, Hal, I'll be here waiting, and we'll leave for the next hide out together with Cecilia, Ben, Matt, and Tom." I said firmly and he smiled softly.
"Deal." He agreed and, our foreheads still together, I pulled a familiar object out of my pocket. With a quick movement, I reached up and hooked the necklace behind his neck, the black metal circle with two claws inside of it hanging down onto his chest. He pulled away, looking down at it and then raising an eyebrow at me.
"My dad wore that until the day he died, and I'll have to hunt you down and kill you if I don't get it back." I said lightly, smiling at him. "How's that for incentive to return?" I asked and he chuckled.
"It'll do." He said playfully.
"Alright! We're moving out!" Weaver's shout broke through the tense atmosphere, and Hal leaned down. His lips pressed against the corner of my left eye, right between the two gashes on my face, and he pulled away a second later.
"See you." He said quietly, taking several steps back.
"See you." I returned weakly, watching as he climbed onto his bike and took off, following the cavalry.
"He'll be back." Tom said matter-of-factly, stepping up beside me. "He's too stubborn to die." He added and I let out a tired but genuine laugh.
"Yeah, you're right." I agreed with a smile.
Poor Alyssa =( Oh well, at least we all know Hal comes back, right? xD
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