Road to Arcadia: the Path East

Chapter Twenty-five: Direct Flight

There was no further correspondence between Kai and Alayna the rest of the night.

She was preoccupied by her squad leader responsibilities, anyway. She only spoke to inform him of the unlucky soul he had to wake from slumber to take the next round and relieve him of duty.

The advantage of taking the first shift allowed him to spend the rest of the night on the bus in undisturbed sleep. He wasn't sure if the pounding in his feet would allow him to relax, but he had worn out enough energy reserves to pass out as soon as he was laid out on the bus seat.

The next day began just before the break of dawn. The light was faint, but it was welcomed. As long as the sun was peeking through, today was going to be better than yesterday.

Kai had developed a habit of rising when the sun did while he was out on the road, only to have that reinforced by his time on the R&R. For whatever resistance his muscles gave, he never had a problem with jumping up the moment the call came. He and the rest of the squad moved quickly, despite their exhaustion and limited hours of sleep. The townsfolk needed some more coaxing.

The plan for today was simple--simple enough Baz didn't have to give a formal briefing. They would gather up the locals, cleaning up and clearing out of the cafegymatorium and loading them onto the buses. One bus would make last minute pick up stops while the other would swing by the hospital to gather any of the injured that wanted to make the journey to Arcadia.

There were a few who decided against joining the R&R on the return trip. One changed their mind and decided to come along instead. Baz wasn't bothered by it. She didn't try to swing the rescued civilians one way or the other. Whoever wanted to come would have a seat. Whoever didn't--well, that was their prerogative.

Kai was back on Deon's bus for this assignment, helping the rescuees with last minute pickups while Baz and crew headed to the hospital. The night's rest allowed him to easily comb through debris, finding the last minute vitals under the direction of anxious townsfolk. It took time away from seeing those who went through the worst of it.

He didn't know why the Baz squad was paying extra mind to keeping him away from the ugly stuff on this assignment. Maybe they were afraid of spooking him on his first trip. Maybe they thought his skin wasn't thick enough yet.

He pushed the thought out of his mind for the day. Even if they didn't want him to see the blood and guts, there was still plenty of intensity to go around.

When they finished the last pickup, they joined the rest of the squad at the hospital. The building wasn't anything like he was expecting. It wasn't the hospital of his hometown, a towering building climbing stories into the sky with a threatening yet relieving aura. There was no constant flow of people in and out of the building. It was quiet, hardly even two stories tall. If this was the town's lifeline, life in this town was as robust as a dandelion.

Baz was already outside, waiting to board the bus. She hopped on the moment the door squeaked open.

She didn't address Kirk as she boarded, instead eyeing up all the passengers she didn't know the names of. This bus weighed in at just over half capacity, people evenly divided between the top and bottom levels. Kai stationed himself on the first, sitting in the front row behind Deon in the driver's seat. Jey was all the way in the back by the supply closets, keeping a quiet eye on things while Yulia stayed on the upper level, making sure the rest were taken care of.

Baz reached for the walkie connected via a cabled coil, the same one Deon usually used to communicate with their squad leader. She reached over to adjust a setting above the dashboard before holding it to her lips.