Extra Curriculum

John checked Jeff for any other weapons. It was hard to do while his Stealth Boy was still active. Thankfully, they never lasted long. He chose him in the cage and made sure it was locked, nice and tight.

He took a seat on the furthest bench. Making sure Cat wouldn't lead any prying eyes in his direction. He looked under his robe with a pair of tweezers. He targeted the gash on his arm. Using his garb as a cover; he managed. It wasn't an easy job; he dug the bullet out of his arm. He took the time to clean it with supplies from his hidden satchel. Wincing in pain, he then wrapped it up. It was meticulous. He wanted to heal, not just a temporary solution.

Cat was respectable enough to leave him to it. He was thankful. "Here," he said. Sliding her over a bottle of mysterious liquid. It was like a paste, but not?

"What is this?" she asked, opening it up, and smelling it.

"It's a personal recipe. It wipes away blood and speeds up healing. Don't use it all. It's difficult to make. But, it will help. I just needed to make sure I had enough for myself. He might sting a little when he wakes. It's normal."

She hesitantly scooped up some on her fingers. The texture and feel were all kinds of weird. Cat only tested it at first but, yes! It was cleaning the blood effectively. She got more and more. Filling all his cuts and bruises. After a while. Mike almost looked good as new!

She just had to ask, "What is this stuff?"

John drew himself closer, now that he was no longer bleeding. "I told you. It's a secret! It would lose its majestic allure if I answered that."

She handed him back the rest of the bottle. "Thank you again, John. I couldn't have done it without you. I know that."

He chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. It's okay. I wasn't doing anything else. I am rather directionless at the moment. Besides, I don't want to let the raiders win."

She gently rubbed Mike's head. "I don't want to stay here. But moving him wouldn't be a good idea either. What are we going to do?"

John just leaned himself back, looking at the still raging storm outside the school. "Well, the best thing we can do is wait out the storm. Traveling with me and Mike, both being wounded, is just a disaster plan. I don't think anyone will come here, besides." he looked over, Jeff promptly hunched over in the cage. "We have their leader. Whatever that means."

Cat stood up, gently putting Mike's head against the ground. She took a seat by John on the bench. "Fucking, Christ. What was I thinking? I was about to come here with a wooden stick and make demands."

"Well, we all do reckless things in moments of fear; especially when it's someone we can't lose, no matter what," he answered, the best he could.

"Yeah, I know. I am just grateful you weren't there to kill me." she laughed, nervously.

"How did you two get caught, anyway? These raiders seemed less organized than ones I've seen before."

She only sighed, putting her hands on her face and leaning forward in shame. "W-we were looking for things to surprise each other with. Our anniversary is in a month. We like to prepare early. They caught us by luring each other to each other. We fell into a trap." she almost teared up. "They were talking about all the despicable things they were going to do to us! Then we would be separated in the slave pens, they-"

John stopped her. "It's okay, you don't need to continue. I understand. Mike is safe now, see? He just needs to wake up."

Without skipping a beat, Cat asked, "Why did you help us, really?"

John only said, while looking down at Mike. "You don't want the answer to that."

She confidently said, "Try me."

He sighed, "You see, I-" "There was so-" "The one per-" he swallowed really hard, choking up three times in a row. "I am, sorry, Cat. I cannot. For my sake"

That only got her more interested! "Okay, I won't press the matter. But you helped me. I and Mike would be dead, or worse."

John only said, silently. "That's why I helped you."

She smiled and changed the subject. "Do you think Jeff will be up first, or Mike?"

John looked over at them both. "I hope Mike. Jeff can rot in there for all I care."

She hinted, "We shouldn't just leave him alive…" pointing at Jeff in the closed age.

A groan from Mike interrupted their next thought! "Aw, what the hell happened…Cat!"

She jumped for joy and contained herself from hugging him. "Oh my God, you're okay! How do you feel? Can you move?"

He looked over his body and cringed, trying to stand up. "I feel like I got trampled by a herd of Brahmin."

John introduced himself. "Hello, Mike. Glad to see you kicking. I am the stranger that helped your wife and saved you from becoming a slave, or worse."

Cat stepped in and kept Mike's attention. "Yes, this is John! He helped us both. We are alive because of him, Mike. I know you are always skeptical about strangers but-"

Mike instantly spat out. "But what does he get out of this? Noone does heroic acts for free, John. Are you here to drag us to an even worse slaver? Eat us? Or rob us of all the non-existent stuff we don't have?"

"I'll let your accusations slide for what you have just been through." He leaned in, eye level with Mike's own. "If I wanted you both dead; you would have both been already. So, stop your conclusions and be thankful I risked my neck. No payment or anterior motive behind these intentions."

Mike only scoffed at John, slowly working his way to his feet. "Yeah right!"

End Chapter 6: