Sorry, sorry. I know it's been quite some time since I've updated.
Apologize for making you all wait. Hope this will make up for it.
Marguerite glanced at Roxton, received an affirmation and quickly hurried after the scientist.
'Challenger!'
Challenger turned and Marguerite was taken aback. There were tear-streaks on his face.
'I don't want to think about it, Marguerite,' he said, voice shaking with controlled emotions. 'If I get too personal, if I try to imagine what the lad has been through, I would do more harm than good. Every time I look at him, I wonder if there was anything I could have done to spare him from all this torment.'
Marguerite was silent, letting the older man vent out his pent-up guilt and frustrations. She placed a hand on his arm, trying to cheer, trying to comfort, trying to keep the grief at bay.
'I'm boring you, aren't I?' Challenger murmured after a while.
Marguerite's laughter was tinged with sadness. 'It's engaging enough to keep me awake.'
Challenger smiled; a woeful attempt, but it was a smile nonetheless.
Roxton's gaze shuttled between Malone and Veronica. Veronica had been sitting quietly in one corner, too quietly in fact. She had a faraway look about her, like she was deep in thought. Either that, or she was wallowing in self-reproach.
Malone, well. he had so far remained in the same position, but his breathing was no longer ragged. Roxotn hoped that meant he had calmed down.
'He told Jakum to take me to safety,' Veronica said, her voice was amplified in the relative silence.
'Jakum dragged me into the forest. We hid in a hollow trunk, and he gagged me to keep me silent, all the while explaining how this was for the best, how it would be better to have reinforcements. That Ned would stand a better chance if I went to get help. He convinced me. I don't know how, but he did.
'Was it really for the best, Roxton?' Her voice was laden with doubt and her eyes held a deep inner anguish. 'If I had gone back to get him straight away, maybe-'
'If you had, you'd both be dead.'
Veronica fell silent, the conflict within her playing over her face.
'You did the right thing.'
'I could have done better,' was her last thought before Marguerite and Challenger's re-entrance pulled her from her musings.
'Should we leave him alone for the night?' Marguerite asked.
'Someone should stay to watch over him, just in case.' Challenger trailed off, leaving the rest to interpret his silence.
'I'll stay,' Veronica said quietly.
'Will you be alright?'
'Yes,' she didn't look up.
'Thank you Marguerite.'
Roxton quietly ushered the other two out of the tent.
'She needs time to think, and be with Malone.' He looked for understanding, and was thankful to find it.
'It's going to be rough for them, it's just a question of who comes out unscathed.'
'Neither will George,' Roxton said sadly. 'Not after today they won't.'
Marguerite glanced at Roxton, received an affirmation and quickly hurried after the scientist.
'Challenger!'
Challenger turned and Marguerite was taken aback. There were tear-streaks on his face.
'I don't want to think about it, Marguerite,' he said, voice shaking with controlled emotions. 'If I get too personal, if I try to imagine what the lad has been through, I would do more harm than good. Every time I look at him, I wonder if there was anything I could have done to spare him from all this torment.'
Marguerite was silent, letting the older man vent out his pent-up guilt and frustrations. She placed a hand on his arm, trying to cheer, trying to comfort, trying to keep the grief at bay.
'I'm boring you, aren't I?' Challenger murmured after a while.
Marguerite's laughter was tinged with sadness. 'It's engaging enough to keep me awake.'
Challenger smiled; a woeful attempt, but it was a smile nonetheless.
Roxton's gaze shuttled between Malone and Veronica. Veronica had been sitting quietly in one corner, too quietly in fact. She had a faraway look about her, like she was deep in thought. Either that, or she was wallowing in self-reproach.
Malone, well. he had so far remained in the same position, but his breathing was no longer ragged. Roxotn hoped that meant he had calmed down.
'He told Jakum to take me to safety,' Veronica said, her voice was amplified in the relative silence.
'Jakum dragged me into the forest. We hid in a hollow trunk, and he gagged me to keep me silent, all the while explaining how this was for the best, how it would be better to have reinforcements. That Ned would stand a better chance if I went to get help. He convinced me. I don't know how, but he did.
'Was it really for the best, Roxton?' Her voice was laden with doubt and her eyes held a deep inner anguish. 'If I had gone back to get him straight away, maybe-'
'If you had, you'd both be dead.'
Veronica fell silent, the conflict within her playing over her face.
'You did the right thing.'
'I could have done better,' was her last thought before Marguerite and Challenger's re-entrance pulled her from her musings.
'Should we leave him alone for the night?' Marguerite asked.
'Someone should stay to watch over him, just in case.' Challenger trailed off, leaving the rest to interpret his silence.
'I'll stay,' Veronica said quietly.
'Will you be alright?'
'Yes,' she didn't look up.
'Thank you Marguerite.'
Roxton quietly ushered the other two out of the tent.
'She needs time to think, and be with Malone.' He looked for understanding, and was thankful to find it.
'It's going to be rough for them, it's just a question of who comes out unscathed.'
'Neither will George,' Roxton said sadly. 'Not after today they won't.'