Seven
Fred was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the television screen, flicking through channels hurriedly.
He'd moved the TV from the living room to his bedroom so he could watch it without disturbing the children. Most of them were asleep now, except for a few extra cautious ones or those who still felt responsible-- like Colossus, he refused to so much as blink, forcing himself to stay awake.
Nothing helpful had showed up on the television so far. It was late enough that all the stations were showing infomercials or some banal program that hadn't survived in an earlier time slot.
He wasn't going to get anything out of the TV until morning news came on but he refused to rest. He didn't think he'd even be able to rest, at least until he had an inkling of an idea what to do with the children. They didn't belong here. They belonged where there was someone to protect them, but places like that seemed to be rapidly disappearing.With all the teachers gone from the school he wasn't even sure if he should send them back there.
He wanted them somewhere safe, somewhere where he wouldn't have to feel like they needed worrying about, of course he was always worrying about them anyway, it didn't really matter where they stayed. So . . . he wanted them somewhere where he wouldn't feel responsible for them. Nope, that wasn't true either, he always felt responsible for them. He wasn't sure where he wanted them. It wasn't so much that he wanted them gone he just wished there was someone else to look after them. He had no right trying to keep an eye on nineteen kids. Let alone the fact that he had no DESIRE to keep an eye on nineteen kids.
Suddenly there was a knock on his door. "'Scuse me?" a young girl stuck her head in his room. "Nadia's cell phone just went off, Emily called to say they're gone."
"What?" Fred slowly froced his mind to make the shift from the TV to this real person.
"Emily called Nadia on her cell phone. The men are gone. They left with a few students and some stuff . . . part of . . . Cere--Cere--Cere . . . " the child stood there struggling with the word. Caught between tears and smiles.
"Sh," Fred said. "It's okay." He stood from the bed and ushered the child gently back to the living room.
They all looked at him expectantly.
"We can get back on our own," Colussus offered.
Fred paused for a minute, trying to decide what he wanted to do, what he could do, what he NEEDED to do. "No," he said. "I'll come with you."
He would stay with them and the rest of the students at the school until some who was a bit more capbable got back.
Fred was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the television screen, flicking through channels hurriedly.
He'd moved the TV from the living room to his bedroom so he could watch it without disturbing the children. Most of them were asleep now, except for a few extra cautious ones or those who still felt responsible-- like Colossus, he refused to so much as blink, forcing himself to stay awake.
Nothing helpful had showed up on the television so far. It was late enough that all the stations were showing infomercials or some banal program that hadn't survived in an earlier time slot.
He wasn't going to get anything out of the TV until morning news came on but he refused to rest. He didn't think he'd even be able to rest, at least until he had an inkling of an idea what to do with the children. They didn't belong here. They belonged where there was someone to protect them, but places like that seemed to be rapidly disappearing.With all the teachers gone from the school he wasn't even sure if he should send them back there.
He wanted them somewhere safe, somewhere where he wouldn't have to feel like they needed worrying about, of course he was always worrying about them anyway, it didn't really matter where they stayed. So . . . he wanted them somewhere where he wouldn't feel responsible for them. Nope, that wasn't true either, he always felt responsible for them. He wasn't sure where he wanted them. It wasn't so much that he wanted them gone he just wished there was someone else to look after them. He had no right trying to keep an eye on nineteen kids. Let alone the fact that he had no DESIRE to keep an eye on nineteen kids.
Suddenly there was a knock on his door. "'Scuse me?" a young girl stuck her head in his room. "Nadia's cell phone just went off, Emily called to say they're gone."
"What?" Fred slowly froced his mind to make the shift from the TV to this real person.
"Emily called Nadia on her cell phone. The men are gone. They left with a few students and some stuff . . . part of . . . Cere--Cere--Cere . . . " the child stood there struggling with the word. Caught between tears and smiles.
"Sh," Fred said. "It's okay." He stood from the bed and ushered the child gently back to the living room.
They all looked at him expectantly.
"We can get back on our own," Colussus offered.
Fred paused for a minute, trying to decide what he wanted to do, what he could do, what he NEEDED to do. "No," he said. "I'll come with you."
He would stay with them and the rest of the students at the school until some who was a bit more capbable got back.