Chapter 16. It's time to talk.

A blow to the butt in the face made him come to his senses and look at his tormentors. There were four of them in the room now, and he didn't know their names. They were all wearing masks and tracksuits. The main one was now standing in front of him with a shotgun and moving the barrel all over his body, threatening to shoot something if he did not hear confessions.

Hastings: "I... don't know anything... I'm just an employee"

Harrison: "Stop lying, man. We know that you were clearly a snitch. Admit it, who else have you told about the job?"

Hastings: "No one... I told you so"

Harrison: "Well, well. I'll have to make you think better."

Putting the barrel against his knee, he discharged a volley of buckshot and his leg seemed to be pierced with a red-hot rod. He lost consciousness again from the pain. It all happened so suddenly.

He just noticed that equipment was suddenly disappearing from the warehouse of the government science center. That is, everything was fine according to the documents, but when he decided to check the inventory numbers, he found that half of them were fake. Then he reported to the boss, but no action was taken. The equipment continued to disappear. One day he saw an unmarked car drive up to the building in the evening, people got out and started loading crates. And then he made the dumbest mistake of his life. He decided to follow them…

He was noticed and now he's here. And he didn't have long to live.

By the sound, he heard one of the mercenaries come out into the courtyard, and the others began to discuss what they should do with him next. One offered to just kill him, the other wanted to get the information out first.

There were sounds of fighting outside and a young guy entered the house with his hands in his pockets. He heard the guy shout at them only one phrase, "Sons of bitches in line."

The roar of gunfire drowned out all other sounds. Opening his eyes through the pain, he saw only a few tattered corpses scattered around the room. Now the main asshole who shot him in the knee was lying on the floor and his jaw was hanging on the remains of the skin, and half of the face with one eye was simply removed from the skull, as if it had been sandpaper.

His savior stood in the middle of the room and his hands were unnaturally long, covered with dark skin and blood.

Another guy ran in after him, but immediately slipped and fell to the floor.

Dean was lying on the ground and trying to see at least something. They left the car not far from here, and they walked to this farm. Behind a low wooden fence, there was a plot of land built up with several barns, and a little further there was a master's house. A man in a black jumpsuit was sitting on the roof of one of the barns, with an old Kalashnikov with a telescopic sight resting on his lap.

Another one was walking on a wooden platform in front of the house, it was impossible to see what was happening inside. "Where the hell are they keeping him?"

Watching the house, he did not notice his partner, who ran up and fell next to him.

Paul: "So that's it. There are only two in the courtyard, three more are in the house itself, they keep it in the main room on the ground floor. We'd better hurry."

Dean: "What's the plan? We need tactics!"

Paul: "What the hell kind of tactics do you need, dude? Attack! That's our tactic."

Paul rushed forward and jumped onto the roof of the barn, killing the sentry with one blow. Grabbing the fallen machine gun, he threw it to Dean, who was already nearby.

It was the first time he had held a gun in his hands. From movies and games, he knew how to pull the trigger. No more than that. Having taken up a position, he wanted to aim at another guard who was on the porch. But Paul was ahead of him again, and now there was a corpse lying there. "Damn, how does he manage to do it so fast."

Screams and gunfire could already be heard inside the house. When Dean ran inside, he immediately slipped on a hefty pool of blood and fell off balance, soiling his jacket and sweater.

Paul: "Hey, are you okay?"

Paul was already standing next to him, holding out his hand. Rising, he looked around the room. Hastings was sitting in the center, tied to a chair. One of his knees had been shattered by a gunshot and was now bleeding. He himself was apparently already unconscious.

There was a body lying by the closet, pierced in several places. Judging by the diameter of the hole, it wasn't a rifle. Two more bodies were lying in different parts of the room. One was lying on his stomach and a whole lake of blood flowed from under him.

Dean: "Yes, I'm fine. Let's untie him from the chair and we need to bandage his leg."

There were some rags in the closet that could be used to stop the blood loss. After bandaging his wound, they began to revive the guy. Hastings opened his eyes, but was still unable to explain anything to them. "Okay, all the talking is for later, we need to get out of here."

Hastings hobbled painfully on one leg, supported by Paul and Dean from the sides. There was a machine gun on Dean's other shoulder.

Hastings: "That's it! I can't take it anymore."

They stopped, and Hastings leaned against a tree trunk, breathing heavily. Blood was oozing through the bandage on his leg, and his forehead was covered with perspiration.

Paul cautiously looked around and listened to every rustle, Dean followed his example and also grabbed his rifle and knelt down next to his wounded friend.

Paul: "We have to go. The shooting must have been heard and the cops will be here soon. By the way, it was reported on the radio that some kind of quarantine was introduced in the district. Have you heard about it?"

Dean shook his head.

Hastings swallowed hard and, catching his breath, spoke in a broken voice.

Hastings: "I shouldn't have gotten involved... there. Me... They warned me. Dean... they are... They're up to something... My boss... sells equipment... by some unknown..."

It was extremely difficult for him to speak. With each word, his voice grew weaker.

Hastings: "Dean...Go away... I can't stand it... I myself... my fault... in everything."

His wound really looked very bad. He lost a lot of blood and plus the bones were shattered. Will they be able to bring him to the hospital now? Unlikely. He looked at Paul and nodded at him.

Dean: "Can you carry it on yourself? I'll cover it."

Without saying a word, he hoisted it onto his back and, holding it with his hand, began to quickly go deeper into the forest. Dean tried to keep up and controlled their retreat. The sound of approaching trucks could already be heard from behind.

When they almost reached the town, they came across a patrol that appeared out of the trees at the wrong time. Dean hid behind the trunk of a fallen tree and now looked at the group of soldiers who patrolled this part of the border of the quarantine zone and now stood in their way. Circumventing was not an option. Hastings is already running out and is unlikely to withstand another ten-mile cross-country detour.

Dean: "Well, you go ahead. Why did you get up?" - Dean felt his finger tremble on the trigger. He would have preferred these guys to just go ahead and let them pass.

Now the soldiers are divided. Two of them went to the bushes and two more stood with their backs to them about three hundred meters ahead.

A strong hand was placed on his shoulder and he felt burning breath and a rough, almost animal voice roared in his ear.

Paul: "There is no time. They won't leave. Take down those in front, I'll take care of those two at the bushes."

A slap on the shoulder and a gust of air caused by a sharp throw of the Floor made it clear that they had no other choice.

Shaking himself and throwing aside the last prejudices, Dean pointed the crosshair at the temple of the fighter, who now took off his helmet and was preparing to smoke. The trigger went treacherously slowly under his finger, coming almost to the very end, he made a small jerk and his shoulder felt the recoil. Splashes of something red were visible in the scope for a second. Shifting the crosshair to another soldier, who seemed to be looking directly at him with a frightened face, Dean pressed the hook more confidently and the second opponent was ready.

The creature, which no longer resembled a man, moved forward with the speed of the wind from behind the bushes and, not sensing any more enemies, gave a hand signal. Dean ran up and grabbed Hastings and dragged him towards the houses ahead.

When they ran into the house, dragging their friend, who was unconscious again, he saw Eva and the boy sitting in the kitchen and talking sweetly about something. "A familiar face, I've seen this guy before somewhere." Paul laid the wounded man on the sofa and began to bandage him.

Eva jumped up and ran to them.

Eva: "What happened? Where the hell have you been? Sarah almost went crazy!"

She looked at the bleeding man and immediately understood what was going on.

Eva: "What the hell? Why didn't you take him to the hospital?"

Paul: "He's got a bullet hole. The hospital will make a fuss. Carroll has a doctor friend, we'll take her to him."

Eva: "He won't live to see it, a lot of blood loss. We need to act quickly."

Dean looked at her.

Dean: "And what do you suggest?"

A boy ran up from behind and squeezed between them and went to the sofa.

Nigel: "A... What about him?"

Eva immediately grabbed the guy and carried him to the kitchen, putting him on a chair.

Eva: "You don't have to look at this. Stay here. Although... No"

She turned to Dean and shouted.

Eva: "Dean! Take the child and go upstairs with him. Paul! You're staying with me, you're going to be my assistant!"

Both boys stared at her in amazement. Eva looked strong and determined now, and she really forced herself to obey with her tone. She reminded Dean at that moment of some general or captain of a ship. All she needed for the image was a hat and a saber.

Dean immediately ran up to the boy.

Dean: "Hi. I think we've seen each other before... Do you like to play chess?".

Nigel: "What is this? Eva, can I...?"

She gave the answer before the boy had finished his question.

Eva: "No! March upstairs!"

Eve started rummaging through the drawers trying to find a first aid kit.

Eva: "Paul, where the fuck is your first-aid kit?"

Paul: "I have no idea. Look in the top drawer on the right."

Eva found a hidden box with medicines and bandages.

Hastings was very ill, his leg was swollen and he turned very pale himself.

Eva began to remember everything she had read about medicine. He needs to go to the hospital, but before that he needs to get the bullet out. The medicine cabinet just had syringes and ampoules with painkillers, antiseptics and drugs to stop the blood.

Without agreeing, they began to act together. Paul held the man firmly pinned to the couch so that he would not twitch, and Eva took several cubes of strong anesthetic and inserted the needle directly into the wound.

Hastings jerked, but the hybrid's arms held him in place like steel pistons.

Paul: "Quiet, friend. They'll help you now. Eva, did you work as a doctor?"

Eva: "No. Simply...I read a lot of books on medicine when there was nothing more interesting."

Then she took a knife and treated it with a disinfectant solution.

Eva: "Paul. Take this bottle of anesthetic and water the wound, remove the blood so that I can see where the bullet went through. Next, I'll make an incision and try to get it out. Do you understand me? If so, hold him tight. Hey kid, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to be patient."

Hastings: "Ahhh..."

Eva had to open the wound and take the metal out of the bones with tweezers. It was the first time she had done all this, she knew the theory and now she was reinforcing her knowledge with practice.

They soon finished. Paul hastily bandaged the wound with bandages. Eva undertook to help him take the guy to the doctor.

Paul: "Carroll got in touch. She said that this doctor lives not far from here."

Hastings came to his senses and grabbed Paul's arm and pulled him towards him.

Hastings: "They're looking for me... they won't let me live. You are all in danger."

Paul reassured him: "Dude, I do not know what you have done, but if someone comes here, he will be very hurt."

Nigel heard screams from the living room, but Dean told him not to pay attention to them. Sometimes, to ease the pain, you need to make it even more painful.

He took out of the box an old chess set that had miraculously been left in the house. Having arranged the pieces, he began to talk about the rules of the game. Nigel wasn't interested enough in all this.

Dean made the first move. Nigel tried to figure out what to do next and recalled Dean's story about how different figures walk. "How can you remember all this? A nightmare." Of course, this guy was trying to convey the essence of the game to him, but his language was very difficult to understand, as if he was listening to a tedious lesson at school.

Dean: "Your move is a guy. I'm waiting."

Nigel first took hold of the knight with his fingers and raised the piece above the board, but at the last moment changed his mind and decided to make a pawn move. A voice came from behind, which made both of them jump.

Sarah: "Wait. He set a trap. If you go as a pawn now, you will soon get checkmate from the king."

Dean: "Don't tell him. It's not fair."

Sarah sat down next to the boy and began to tell him in detail about the tactics of the game. She tried to speak in a simple and understandable language for the child so that he would understand all the secrets and not lose his first batch.

Nigel: "Super. Now I think I've started to understand how to play this nonsense."

Dean: "Hey. Let's be more respectful. This game has been around for thousands of years, and it allows you to harden your brain."

Sarah: "It doesn't look like you've managed to harden him."

Dean: "Oh, come on. I almost won then, you were just rushing me."

Sarah narrowed her eyes and made a grimace of disgust on her face.

Sarah: "What? You blew it before you even started. He couldn't beat me, so he decided to take it out on the newcomer."

Dean leaned back in his chair and puffed out his cheeks.

Dean: "I don't want to take it out on anyone. Don't talk nonsense. If you want, let's play. I want to even the score!"

Nigel was looking at them at the time, blinking his eyes and trying to figure out what was going on. Sarah pushed him to the edge, and she took the position of a player. She made her move.

Nigel took on the role of just a spectator of this home tournament between a man and, as it seemed to him at the time, a super-girl. They sat and looked at each other, moving the pieces on the board without looking at them. It was as if both of them already knew how to walk and what the outcome of the match awaited them. A few moves later, Sarah made her last move and checkmated.

Sarah: "Checkmate for you"

Having said that, she got up and left the room. Nigel watched her go and sat down next to Dean.

Nigel: "You had a fight with her, didn't you?"

Dean began to re-arrange the pieces in the correct order for the new game.

Dean: "What makes you think that? We just played a game with her. Now let's play with you again."

Nigel: "I think she's upset."

Dean: "You think so. Okay, let's try it again. Now you go first."

"Come on weakling, you have to do it."

Raising his fist, he knocked softly on the door several times.

There was no answer. Pressing the handle and pushing the door forward, he entered a small, modestly furnished room. A bed, a chest of drawers, a small closet in the far corner and a bedside table.

Everything was empty.

Looking around, Dean wanted to leave, but almost came face to face with Sarah when he turned around. She stood in front of him with her impassive expression.

With a sigh of relief, he stepped back to let her pass.

Sarah pretended not to notice him, closed the door and casually jumped onto the bed.

Sarah: "Why did you come? Or Nigel beat you too and you don't know who to complain to."

She said it in a rather rude and cold tone.

Dean knew that he had seriously messed up and now he had to explain everything to her and try to make amends.

Dean: "No, we got a draw. It's okay."

He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the dresser, not knowing where to start.

Sarah: "So why are you here? Or are you going to play silent?"

Dean: "Are you angry?"

Sarah turned away from him: "Say what you need to say or get out."

Dean exhaled and decided that he had to say it, now or never. Before things go too far: "Look, Sarah, I know I've been acting like an idiot lately. I'm sorry... I should have warned you."

Sarah put her hands under her head and crossed her legs. She pretended not to hear him, but Dean saw from her face that her cheek twitched a little. Coming closer, he took her hand and gently touched it to his lips.

Sarah: "Dean. Tell me, have you thought about me? Even a little bit? You know that if something had happened to you there, then..."

Putting her hand to his cheek, he looked guiltily into her eyes.

Dean: "I'm sorry...We were at the bar when Hastings called me. You know, he's my friend, I couldn't refuse to help him."

Sarah got out of bed and went to the window: "I want you to know that I..." - at these words, she choked a little with a burst of emotion – "... I care about you. You mean a lot to me, and if you were killed there..."

Tears were about to flow from her eyes, and her voice began to falter at every word. Dean came over and put his arm around her shoulders, burying his face in the curls of her hair.

He wanted to tell her that he had realized and understood a lot in the last day.

Dean: "I understand everything... I should have warned you. I promise, next time I will be more attentive to you and careful."

Sarah nodded and walked away from him and began to walk around the room: "Okay. Is that all?"

Dean: "Ah... what else do you want to hear?"

Sarah: "Okay, never mind. But next time, please warn me if you're going somewhere for a long time."

Nigel was spinning and still couldn't sleep. Everything is too unusual. And restless. He heard sirens blaring in the evening and warnings were being issued on emergency broadcasts.

Quite a lot of things happened this afternoon. Three more guys appeared in the house. One of them was injured and soon he was taken somewhere.

Turning over on his other side and covering his head with a blanket, he squeezed his eyes tightly shut and tried to fall asleep again. It doesn't work out. When he opened his eyes, he was literally paralyzed with fear. Right in front of him was a real monster from horror movies. A creature that came from hell's nightmares. Nigel felt like he couldn't make a sound.

The creature took a few cautious steps forward and now you could see his face, it looked like a human, but the skin was rougher and a gray-green shade. Large wide-open eyes with a vertical slit pupil, like those of crocodiles. At the same time, the eyes emitted a faint green glow. The creature had an excellent physique, part of its body was protected by armor plates, and its arms ended in long-fingered hands. There was a sharp claw at the end of each of them, and the wrists and knuckles were also protected by plates.

Instead of hair, there were tangles of thin tubular tentacles.

Coming closer, she stared at him with her impassive gaze, in which it was impossible to read at least some emotions.

It seemed like an eternity had passed, and Nigel was about to say goodbye to life when something changed in the monster's eyes, as if it had come out of oblivion. The look from the glass became more meaningful. And then something happened that he couldn't describe in words. "Transformation" is probably the correct way to call this action. The flesh of the creature began to change rapidly, and now, instead of a monster, there stood in front of him a young guy who looked like he was not even twenty years old. Nigel squeezed his eyes shut and began to shake his head violently, then he began to pinch himself thinking that this was just a nightmare and he was sleeping now. This just can't be happening.

Paul: "Damn it. Sorry. I didn't want to scare you."

The guy was standing with his face in his hands and rubbing his eyes.

Nigel felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest, his throat was dry, and he swallowed and asked.

Nigel: "How are you... Are you doing this?"

The guy opened his face and looked at him with an air of sincere remorse for what was happening.

Paul: "Actually, I'm in control of it. But sometimes, at night, it happens by itself."

Nigel had already forgotten about the dream and was sitting and looking at his new friend.

Paul: "By the way, my name is Paul. And you're probably Nigel? I've been told about you."

Nigel nodded and asked a rather unexpected question for himself: "Does it hurt?"

Paul: "It doesn't hurt. It's hard to explain this feeling. Just a slight chill through the body and it's like you're shedding old skin and changing it for a new one."

Nigel: "It's so cool! And you can do it whenever you want?"

Nigel was already looking at it with admiration.

Nigel: "What else can you do!?"

Paul smiled guiltily, the first time anyone admired his abilities. He usually has to hide it carefully from others. Paul folded his arms across his chest and grunted in surprise.

Nigel shouted "Wow" with delight when Paul let go of a long and flexible whip-like appendage and the vase on the table shattered into pieces.

A moment later, Sarah was at his side. He didn't even notice how she ran down the stairs after hearing his scream.

Sarah: "What's going on?" her worried voice echoed through the living room.

Nigel looked at her with eyes full of delight.

Nigel: "Paul does some really cool stuff. He can turn into a monster and throw tentacles out of his hands. It looks like Venom."

Sarah didn't know what to say to that.

Paul smiled and looked into Sarah's eyes, while the boy noticed green flashes in his pupils, the same, only Sarah had blue ones.

Sarah: "And what the hell did you do that for?"-Paul clearly heard her voice in his head

Paul: "I'm sorry. I didn't control myself. It happens sometimes, like sleepwalking. But the guy liked it."

Sarah: "So we're all very lucky. Can you imagine if he would have reacted differently? What should we do in that case?"

Paul: "Let's not talk about the bad stuff. The guy is delighted, everyone is happy. Everyone liked everything."

Sarah: "Not to me. Now get out of here."

Paul made a displeased face and waved to Dean and invited him to go with him. He shrugged and left the room after his friend. Nigel looked closely at Sarah, who turned off the light and came up to him.

Whispering softly, he asked her, "Sarah, can you do the same?"

The girl sat down next to him and covered him with a blanket: "Go to sleep. It's getting late."

Nigel lay down and looked out the window: "When will all this end? Why did they send soldiers to the city?"

Sarah took a deep breath, "I do not know, baby. But I promise they won't hurt you."

Nigel: "Hey, I'm not a kid."

Sarah covered her mouth with her hand and laughed silently: "Oh, I'm sorry... so you're already a big guy. Okay, I won't call you that anymore."

Nigel: "Do you think they're bad people? They say they were sent to protect us from infection. If they have to protect, then they have to be good?"

Sarah looked at the boy in a puzzled way, she didn't want to scare him, but she didn't want to lie to him either: "They may be good people, I do not know that. But understand me, Nigel, a machine gun will not help in the fight against the virus. Medicines and doctors are needed against infection, not soldiers and equipment."

Nigel considered her words. And she's right, then why do they need guns? After all, there are peaceful people in the city.

Nigel: "Sarah. You didn't answer me. Can you do like Paul?"

Grinning, the girl raised her hand and showed her claws. At the same time, her face became more coarse and unnatural, and her eyes shone brightly in the dark.

Nigel: "Fantastic! You can do that too! It's so cool! And you can do it whenever you want?"

Sarah was a little surprised by his reaction, but she was pleased that he accepted and appreciated her abilities. The boy sat up and took her hand and began to study her carefully. One of his fingers casually touched the claw and a drop of blood appeared from a small scratch.

Nigel: "Ow"

Sarah: "Careful! They can open metal. Did you cut yourself badly?" - taking his hand, she saw a small scratch.

The boy shook his head, "It's okay."

Sarah: "I'm going to give you a Band-Aid. Tell me, why aren't you afraid of me or Paul?"

After taking a few minutes to think, he replied to her: "Well, I know you won't hurt me. If you or Paul were bad, you'd kill me. You wouldn't save me and help me."

When she heard this answer, she went up to him and hugged him tightly. Nigel felt that those hugs were very strong.

Sarah: "Thank you."

Nigel: "For what?"

Sarah: "Just like that... that's it, now run to sleep"

Paul suggested that he sit near the house and have a drink. Dean laughed, reminding them that the last meeting at the bar had ended in an exciting adventure with deadly danger for them. Paul liked this joke and assured his friend that everything would be fine. Not far from the house there was an old basketball court, which had long been overgrown with grass and shrubs. It is more interesting for modern children to play a video game console than on the street. They each took a can of beer and sat down on an old bench.

Paul: "I like this place, it's quiet and cozy here. I like to sit here in the evening after work. Under the beer it is the most. All I needed was good company, but now I have it."

Dean: "Thanks for helping... Although this case didn't concern you at all."

Paul: "Huh, do you think I would let you go alone in my car? Fuck you. It was actually fun. I've been wanting to stretch for a long time."

Dean: "You gave those mercenaries a hard time. It's a bloody mess, don't you hesitate to use force when it's necessary?"

Paul put down the jar and looked at Dean: "Well, they were a threat to me, I had to defend myself."

Dean: "It was cool. High five dude"

They shook hands and bumped into each other's shoulders in a friendly way.

Dean: "How is he?"

Paul: "Eva and I took him to the doctor, he should be fine. And she's cool!"

Dean: "Who?"

Paul: "Eve. She is a very versatile person and knows how to do a lot. Plus she has a kind soul and a cheeky personality, I like those."

Dean turned away and whistled: "Oh, no, dude, don't tell me that...?"

Paul: "Hey, no, I'm not talking about that... come on... it's just... she's pretty interesting. By the way, how are you and Sarah?"

Dean: "What? How do you know that?"

Paul: "Her eyes told me everything."-he smiled and pointed to his pupils-"When she looks at you... they shine"

Dean: "They shine when she wants to kill someone. So you didn't guess right."

Paul: "Fuck, man. I don't understand you. Why are you lying to yourself? You know all this."

Dean: "Don't lecture me, it's not that simple."

Paul: "You know... If only I had a chance... I would take the bull by the horns, not chew snot. Think about it! Time is not unlimited, and any patience has an end. You will lose something that you will never find later."

Dean: "I know, but..."

Paul: "Listen, man. No "But, I'll think about it" and other shit! Answer yourself the question "Do you love her"? If "yes", then go ahead! The time of fucking suffering has passed, stop whining! Take it and do it! You're the creator of your life, dude!..."

Dean: "Look, I'm glad you want to help me and all that. But I don't need advice. OK? Let's change the subject."

Paul: "You have every chance. Last night you showed that you can be a real fighter and I appreciated it! You got one lucky fucking ticket out of 8 billion. Think carefully about my words, I won't repeat them a second time..."

Dean: "Okay, fine. But let's make a deal for the future, I'll solve all my problems myself."

Paul: "Whatever you want, dude, but know that if you don't do it, then there will definitely be someone who will give her what she wants."

Eva was leisurely strolling through the woods near the house, lost in her thoughts. She and Paul took that guy to the doctor and they managed to chat a little on the way. She found him to be a pretty funny guy. But I had to go home and finally try to rest.

Eva: "Are you awake?"

Eve entered the living room, where Sarah was sitting on the couch next to the sleeping boy.

Eva: "You've become attached to him. But I'm afraid he won't be able to be with us for too long. The boy needs an ordinary human family, not a society of monsters."

Sarah: "I think he was missing real friends. What has he seen in his life? Parents are drug addicts, social hostel... some kind of bleak bottom. Nothing good. And now he felt that someone needed him... He saw me as a friend, a protector, an older sister... He saw us not as monsters, but as people. He was not afraid of my true appearance."

Eva: "Wow! Did you show him?"

Sarah: "Paul, asshole. But he liked it. He said it was cool."

Eva: "Understand that even if he accepts us, he cannot be with us for long."

Sarah: "Why?"

Eva: "We are not human. We will not be able to make him a human being, teach him life skills, accustom him to the norms of morality and society."

Sarah: "How are we different from humans? We're not crawling on all fours and barking, are we? We walk, we talk, we live in a house, we eat ordinary food. We're just a little different, we have special abilities, but otherwise we're exactly the same."

Eva: "We had a conversation with him this morning, and it seemed to me that he began to be afraid of me...Damn, I used to dream of having a lot of friends... But now... Apparently I've been through too much shit."

Sarah: "I'm sure he likes you, you'll be a great friend to him too. Don't worry about it."

Eva: "Thank you. You're a wise girl..."

Sarah: "No smarter than you. When we lived with John, we couldn't have children. Dean was probably afraid that we would start mass colonization of the planet."

Eva: "Did Dean deprive him of a reproduction?"

Sarah: "Yes..."

Eva: "Piece of an idiot..."

Sarah: "I don't blame him, I understand why he did it. In his place, I might have done the same thing.

I often think of John when he was around, I couldn't fully appreciate his help. And now that he's gone, it feels like it. He was strong, reliable. I knew that I could always be with him as a small and defenseless girl, I could ask him for anything and he would do it.

Despite his outward rigidity and taciturnity, he had a kind soul."

Eva: "Have you tried with him...?"

Sarah: "Yes. But it was useless, so basically we lived just as friends."

Eve took Sarah's hand.

Sarah: "Dean won't accept me... He's afraid, I can feel it."

Eva: "I think it will pass. He just needs time. You need to talk to him."

Sarah: "We've already talked today..."

Eva: "Don't you want to go for a walk?"

Sarah took a blanket and covered Nigel, getting up, they left the house together and headed towards the woods.

Yes, this chapter turned out to be full of dialogues. I just decided that they all really need to talk.