Hatchetfield Stories

Kiss Me, You Coward

Emma's heartbeat picked up as Becky started filling a syringe. Of course, this wasn't something she wanted to be awake for, but the thoughts of her professor hit her hard.

Becky smiled calmly, sensing her panic. "I'm going to put it in your good leg, okay? Just a small pinch, and you'll just feel a little sleepy."

Emma rolled her eyes, she hated how she was spoken to like a child, though she realized Becky probably had no clue how to work with adults in situations like this.

She flinched as the needle broke through her skin, but just like Becky had said, her eyes became heavier, and Tom guided her to lie down on the table as the world faded away.

*** *** ***

Emma groaned, her eyes blinking open. Immense pain radiated from her leg.

"Tom, I think she's awake. The sedative might be wearing off."

"Shit."

"Okay. Emma, don't move your leg. We're just going to put you back under. Tom, there's more sedative on the desk; fill the syringe, get the air out, and put it in her good leg." There was a gloved hand on her leg, holding it in place as surgical tools continued to dig in the wound.

Emma lifted her head to see what was going on, but the sight of the retractors keeping her leg open, or the bloody surgical tools, did little more than make her nauseous as she was dragged back into unconsciousness.

*** *** ***

When Emma woke up again, she was laying in a bed, tucked under the soft sheets.

What she didn't expect, was to find Paul sitting next to her.

Suddenly wide awake, she sat up. "Paul! You made it!"

"Woah, Em, good morning to you too." Paul laughed, taking her hand. "I'm glad to see you're awake. When I left you after the crash, I was certain I would never see you again."

Emma smiled at him, but winced as she lay back down. "God, my leg hurts."

"Let me get Becky, she told me to find her when you woke up."

It wasn't long before he came back, Becky following him closely.

"Hi, Emma! How are you feeling?"

"Like someone chopped my fucking leg in half."

"That's... not entirely untrue, your bones and muscles were damaged pretty badly."

"We're you able to fix it?"

"I'm not a surgeon," Becky said, grabbing a pill bottle and shaking a few tablets out. "So I'm not too sure if I was able to fix your leg, but at least you're not bleeding out anymore. Now we just have to look out for any signs of an infection." She handed Emma the pills and a glass of water, and Emma took them gratefully, her leg throbbing.

"When we were almost done, Lex came rushing in, saying there was a man climbing over the gates. Tom went to investigate, and he found Paul, who had come back here to hide." "Yeah," Paul said. "I went back to the wreckage, but you were gone. I thought those things had found you, and came back here to find someplace safe. Tom mentioned you, and I realized you were still alive. I sat right here, next to you, for an hour before you woke up."

"What time is it?"

"It's ten in the morning," Becky said. "The surgery took until well after sunrise, and I gave you some antibiotics, before Tom carried you to this room. I figured a bed would be more comfortable to wake up in than the table in the lab."

"So what do we do now?"

"We aren't doing anything. You're not leaving this bed anytime soon. Unless help arrives, of course."

"So we wait."

Becky sighed. "Tom and I did a tour of the house, there's more than enough room for all eight of us, and it's safe here. As safe as you can get during the apocalypse."

Emma nodded. "You might want to change the security code, though. If professor Hidgens-"

"We already did."

"Okay."

"Now get some rest, I'll check in on you later. Call me if you need me."

With that, Becky left the room. Emma turned to Paul

"Destroying the meteor didn't work?"

Paul shook his head. "I didn't do it. the air was filled with spores, and I didn't want to risk it. I went back to the helicopter in hope of finding you there, still alive. But you were gone. I thought they found you."

Emma smiled. "But they didn't. And I think you still owe me a kiss."

"Emma, you're high on pain meds."

"Kiss me, you coward."

Paul laughed, and they shared a long kiss.

"You should get some rest," Paul said when they broke apart, his cheeks bright red. "Give your body some time to heal. I'll be right here."

And he did. He stayed right there, next to her bed, for weeks to come, until they'd eventually get saved, and sent to a small house in Colorado. Together.