Lunch in the Mess Hall had been Joshua's favorite - Mac n' Cheese but he hadn't shown up. Max made a mental note to find out why. First, she checked his apartment.
Empty.
Next, she checked H.Q. but no one had seen him. Puzzled, Max made her way to his favorite painting spots. Nothing. She racked her brain for ideas.
The Nursery!
She shook her head, wondering why she hadn't thought of it sooner.
As Max approached the repurposed restaurant she heard Joshua's strong voice singing an old Manticore cadence call, childish voices backing him up. She smiled to herself. She opened the door and stopped dead in her tracks before she began laughing, deep belly laughs until tears streamed from her eyes.
Joshua sat criss-cross applesauce among a group of children, flowers woven into his long hair. Some were common wild flowers found growing within T.C. Others were silk flowers scrounged from abandoned houses. Strings of yarn and ribbons of various colors had been braided in as well. The children all sang as they marched around him. The big dogman rocked back and forth, a huge grin on his face.
"Max, there's a…" Alec stopped beside her and took in the scene before him.
"Little Fella! Medium Fella! Sing. Sing with us!" Joshua unfolded himself and came bounding up to them. He bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited for them to join. The mini-Transgenics stood watching the 'grown-ups'.
"Oh no. I left Jody songs way behind in Manticore." Alec began to bow out.
"But Medium Fella knows ALL the marching songs." Joshua began to whine in his throat.
"Please?" Max chimed in, looking up at Alec with those big brown eyes. Joshua began tugging at Alec's sleeve.
"Ugg. Okay, but only ONE." With an exaggerated sigh, he slipped out of his jacket and threw it over a chair nearby.
Alec led the mini-Transgenics, Nomalie Joshua and Freak Nation's '09er leader in a call and response cadence songs, changing up the words to funny things until the whole room was a riot of giggles. Joshua let out soft howls of happiness. Two of the children with canine in their DNA cocktail joined him. By the end, Gem had come to check on the group. She stood by the door, arms crossed as she shook her head and smiled.
"Alright, little soldiers, march to the counter for your afternoon snack." In a line, the mini-Transgenics filed past the counter, singing. Max, Alec and Joshua brought up the rear.
"Sit in the story circle while you eat and if you're good Max might tell us a story." Gem winked at Max.
And when I retire.
I'm gonna be a Texas ranger,
Drive around in skin-tight wranglers!
Texas ranger, skin-tight wranglers.
(Looking at you, Jared Padalecki. lol)
