Year 6 (First Draft) #Wattys2016

-Chapter 36-

  

   Waiting out the bombs took an eternity, and by the time we were all able to safely come out of our rooms earlier, at least a day had already passed. We have spent the remainder of the today, searching what is left of the building for any injured men who were not able to get out of the rubble. As of now we have only found two, and they both have only minor injuries.

   "You sure you're okay?" Kane asks for the tenth time, passing me a water bottle. "And Amelia? Is she alright?" He runs his hand over her head, and I marvel at how much she has grown even in the last month. It's pretty hard to believe we've been here for nearly that long. It seems like only yesterday I was on the run; chasing Kane and his men on the streets. So much has happened since then, good and bad.

   "I'm sure," I say. "But we really should clean those gashes on your arms," I continue, reaching for his wrist. He doesn't resist when I pull him over to a cement slab, and pull out the first-aid kit in my pocket that we were all given earlier. I sit next to Kane, handing him Amelia. She doesn't throw a fit, happy to have Kane's undivided attention. Kane lets me guide his arm to my lap, and I assess what I'm going to be dealing with.

   I pull out an alcohol swab, and rip open the package, my nostrils stinging from the chemical smell. Kane grits his teeth, already anticipating the sting. Dried blood covers his whole right arm, and I almost can't tell where the gashes start and where they end. I just begin to clean, taking breaks so that I don't overwhelm Kane. He stays perfectly still despite the pain, and I am thankful for it.

   "Hey, hand me one of those," Kane says, setting Amelia on his lap, careful to prop her up just right. She gurgles, happy to be getting to move around a bit. He points to one of the alcohol swabs, and I grab it out of the kit, passing it to him. He rips open the package, then motions for me to turn a little to the left. I turn, and he cups my cheek, tilting my head to the side. His thumb slides along my jawline, and I hear his breath catch. His arm must be hurting, I tell myself.

   "You have a little cut on your chin," He informs me, dabbing at it intently with the swab.

   "I can feel it," I say, wincing.

   "Sorry," Kane says sheepishly. "Thanks for cleaning up my arm." He looks down at it, flexing it, then nods with approval.

   I survey what's left of the building around me, but there isn't much to look at. The bombs destroyed more than I thought, leveling at least half the building. A lot of the rooms are still intact, so for now we can stay here, but I can tell Kane has already started thinking about where we will all go in the near future. This hideout-as nice as it has been-is no longer a safe option; not for long.

   "Charlie said that some of Paul's workshop caved in, but nothing of great importance was lost. And most of the living quarters are perfectly fine," Kane's Adam's apple bobs, and I wait for him to continue. "It's like they knew we were all in the, main room... Did you notice that too?"

   I nod, having thought about it myself. Of all the places to start bombing, why would they start with the room where we had all happened to be right at that exact moment? It does seem a little strange, but I decide it isn't worth dwelling on right now. We have much more important things to be concerned with at the moment.

   "I think we should all convene and discuss where we want to go from here," I say standing, taking Amelia back. "I bet plenty of nerves have been rattled."

 

   "No, sorry, I'm afraid that's not going to work," Andrea says distastefully, looking over my shoulder as I work on typing up a plan. "We need somewhere safe to say. The Year Movement may be able to house us all."