Clad in Blue:
Thinking of Max in the infirmary reminded me of another X5 who wasn't 100% right. A month or so before X5-452 had fallen ill, I had been checking in on the X5 group at about midnight. The image that came up on my TV monitor wasn't what I'd expected. Most of them were sleeping, but a few were gathered around a cot. I couldn't see too well, but it looked like the boy on the cot was having fitful dreams or something that were causing him to tremble.
The other three X5s who were awake were speaking, so I flipped on the mike to listen in.
"What do we do?" asked X5-452
"They see him like this, you know what'll happen." Replied X5-599.
"They'll send him to the Nomlies." X5-493 chipped in.
Something wasn't right. I stood up, deciding to go check on things. Somehow, as I was rising to leave, my gaze rested on an old card of the Mother Mary. My mother had given me that card years ago. I really wasn't much for religion, but something was telling me to take it with me. I pocketed the card and hurried off.
To give those kids a little more sense of security, and just in case someone else was watching through the cameras, I took a quick detour past the janitorial closet. I donned the typical, all-blue uniform and dragged the mop and bucket along with me.
I opened the door to Block 12 quietly and stepped inside. They were all in their cots; "sleeping", I'm sure. I pretended to unlock a closet, as if to start to clean; funny how they didn't wonder what I was doing in there at that hour. I then proceeded to "accidentally" notice the trembling boy. I walked over to him. Again, something inside reminded me about the card I'd pocketed earlier. I walked up to the cot, took out the card and put in between his hands. Amazingly, his trembling stopped. His eyes opened and he looked at the card.
"Pray to her, she'll protect you." Were my only words. I slowly exited the room, mop bucket in tow. The door clicked shut, and I paused, listening for the sound I knew I would hear in a moment. The scamper of little, quiet feet and whispered voices came to my ears.
"What'd he give you?" Asked X5-493.
"You can see her heart."
"She's beautiful."
"The Blue Lady, who is she?" X5-452 sounded curious, but wary.
"She's watching over us." I smiled to myself. I guess X5-493 had found religion.
I leaned back against the wall and shut my eyes. The sigh I was about to release was cut short, for the image behind my eyes was one of yellow, glowing almond eyes, laughing mockingly.
Thinking of Max in the infirmary reminded me of another X5 who wasn't 100% right. A month or so before X5-452 had fallen ill, I had been checking in on the X5 group at about midnight. The image that came up on my TV monitor wasn't what I'd expected. Most of them were sleeping, but a few were gathered around a cot. I couldn't see too well, but it looked like the boy on the cot was having fitful dreams or something that were causing him to tremble.
The other three X5s who were awake were speaking, so I flipped on the mike to listen in.
"What do we do?" asked X5-452
"They see him like this, you know what'll happen." Replied X5-599.
"They'll send him to the Nomlies." X5-493 chipped in.
Something wasn't right. I stood up, deciding to go check on things. Somehow, as I was rising to leave, my gaze rested on an old card of the Mother Mary. My mother had given me that card years ago. I really wasn't much for religion, but something was telling me to take it with me. I pocketed the card and hurried off.
To give those kids a little more sense of security, and just in case someone else was watching through the cameras, I took a quick detour past the janitorial closet. I donned the typical, all-blue uniform and dragged the mop and bucket along with me.
I opened the door to Block 12 quietly and stepped inside. They were all in their cots; "sleeping", I'm sure. I pretended to unlock a closet, as if to start to clean; funny how they didn't wonder what I was doing in there at that hour. I then proceeded to "accidentally" notice the trembling boy. I walked over to him. Again, something inside reminded me about the card I'd pocketed earlier. I walked up to the cot, took out the card and put in between his hands. Amazingly, his trembling stopped. His eyes opened and he looked at the card.
"Pray to her, she'll protect you." Were my only words. I slowly exited the room, mop bucket in tow. The door clicked shut, and I paused, listening for the sound I knew I would hear in a moment. The scamper of little, quiet feet and whispered voices came to my ears.
"What'd he give you?" Asked X5-493.
"You can see her heart."
"She's beautiful."
"The Blue Lady, who is she?" X5-452 sounded curious, but wary.
"She's watching over us." I smiled to myself. I guess X5-493 had found religion.
I leaned back against the wall and shut my eyes. The sigh I was about to release was cut short, for the image behind my eyes was one of yellow, glowing almond eyes, laughing mockingly.