"Here they come." John Henry announced as he started the car.
John quickly looked out the window to see Alison leading Derek to the car. Alison jumped into the passenger's seat. Derek opened the backdoor and stopped. He just looked at John in utter confusion.
"John, what are you doing here? What happened to you leg?"
"Not now." John said quickly. "Let's go." Derek jumped into the seat and the door closed behind him. "John Henry, let's get to the safe house."
"John!" Derek was reaching towards a pistol John had left on the seat next to him.
"Derek, it is not Cromartie." John said quickly as he pulled the Glock away from his uncle's reach.
"He is on our side." Alison said as she turned around in her seat.
"That doesn't make me feel any better." Derek said as he pressed himself against the seat. He still seemed confused and unsure.
John ignored his uncle and turned to John Henry. "How quickly before we are there?"
"I'm in the traffic lights now. We should have a clear path all the way there. My brother does not yet have control over those or the cameras of the city. We should not draw Skynet's attention as we drive."
"Good. Get us there quickly."
Derek had demanded answers the whole way to the safe house. John had remained silent the whole drive. Alison had tried to answer his questions as best as she could but she didn't have all the answers Derek wanted. Once they were safe inside, and John had been carried to a chair where he could relax his wounded leg, Derek was told the whole story.
"Well, that explains the leg, this Medal I thought we had destroyed, and the copy of me I saw. So what do we do now, John?" Derek asked as he leaned forward on the couch.
"Fight. Once my mother has put together her new team, we will rejoin them. That should give me a little time to heal up. That is when we will attack Skynet. Derek, you and John Henry will be in charge of intelligence. Derek, stake out the warehouse, don't be seen. John Henry, see to some satellites. If we can scope out their actives at all times of the day, we will have a better shot at winning."
"I will move the satellite now. I should have visual access within twenty-four hours." John Henry said as he stared off at the wall.
"Sir, what about me?" Alison asked.
John looked at her. "You will become my hand and legs for now. I don't know when Catherine Weever will be back, but until then, I need you here."
"Yes, sir." A slight smile graced her lips. She looked at the floor and then back up at John.
John returned her smile and then leaned back into his chair. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he attempted to make himself comfortable and in the less amount of pain as possible.
"Derek." John opened his eyes and looked at his uncle. "I am glad you are alive. When we came up those stairs and saw you dead, I nearly broke. I've missed you."
For John, the next week was very slow. His movements were limited and very painful. Unless he needed to go to the bathroom, John didn't move from the chair. Derek and John Henry spent very little time at the safe house as they spent their time watching the warehouse. They would leave early in the morning and return late at night. That mostly left Alison to take care of him. While she was quick to help when John needed her, Alison struggled to get John where he needed to go. It was easier for her to bring things to him.
For Alison, adjusting was difficult. She was always looking over her shoulder. She would carry a weapon on her person at all times. When there was nothing to do, she and John would clean and reload the weapons that Derek had brought home from his weapon locker. In the evening, Alison would made small meals for herself and John. At night, she would scream out with the nightmares of the war that had consumed so much of her life. However, this didn't wake anyone up as both John and Derek were consumed with their own nightmares.
After a few days of this routine, Catherine Weever showed back up. She pushed open the front door and walked in without much thought. John, upon hearing the front door open, pulled out his Glock and almost put a round into her before he realize who it was and turned the safety back on. Catherine just raised an eyebrow.
"Where are the others?" She asked as she moved toward the couch and sat down.
"Derek and John Henry are scouting the warehouse. I've asked Derek to plan out a way to blow that place to hell. John Henry is hacking into the official records to find us a blueprint of the building and the areas around it. Alison is in the other room. She needed some sleep. She has been out for a few hours now."
"I guess it will be good to have a plan in place. It should no' be long before your mother gathers the rest of her little band. She and Mr. Ellison have gone in opposite directions in hopes of finding Martin Bedell and Lauren Fields. How is your leg?"
"It hurts."
"Let me have a look at it."
John nodded his head and Catherine moved beside his propped up leg. She began unwrapping his bandages and examining the stitchings. She gently examined the healing flesh under his knee and then moved down his shin and finally his foot. She looked at if for a moment before reaching out an gently probing it. John took a sharp breath.
"It is healing well." Catherine said. There are no signs of infection and I think there will be minimal scarring. The bones also seem to be healing well in your foot. As long as you are careful and stay off of it for the time being, you will make a full recovery. You are very lucky."
"How long do you think I will need to stay off of it?" John asked.
"Maybe another five to ten weeks."
"Great." John said with a sigh. "So where have you been for the last week?"
Weever began bandaging John's leg back up as she said, "I went back to my company. Kaliba operators seem to have taken over my building. I simply took back my property. We will need to recreate the computers in the basement so John Henry can stay activated once your Cameron gets her chip back. Sarah has much of my equipment. We will need it all before we make the attack on Skynet. My son can battle Skynet virtually. That will distract him long enough for us to infiltrate and terminate the AI."
"Not a bad plan." John slowly rubbed his wounded leg. "Once we have confirmation that Lauren and Martin are with my mother, we will make ourselves known. That will probably give us another week. Once we meet up, we will take a month or two to plan everything and that should give me the time needed to heal up."
"Very well."
