Blue // Ben Parish // The Fifth Wave

Chapter 9

A few days have gone by and I successfully ignored Ben, sure it was hard as Hell, but I did it.

"Alright you guys, I'm patterning your squad up today", Reznik says. "Nugget with Chip, Oompa with Dumbo, Flint with Zombie, Ringer with Blue, and Teacup, you're going to be with someone from another squad. Just come with me"

"Hey partner", Ringer said coming up to me.

"Let's just get this done and over with", I say.

Oh I'm gonna twist this girl like a pretzel for messing with my man.

"And Fight!"

I'm on the mat with Ringer, She throws a punch at my head. I duck and block it. I stood up straight and swung my leg under Her's making Her fall to the ground. She grabbed my leg, but instead I kick myself out of Her grip. We fight for several more minutes, and all eyes were on us. Everyone was done, but we were both too competitive to surrender. She punches me in the jaw making me stumble and fall on my back. So, I wrap my legs around Her's and pull Her down. My legs still around Her's so she can't get up.

"And Blue wins!" Reznik calls.

I get away from Ringer and brush myself off, "You're better than I assumed", Ringer said.

"Maybe you should stop underestimating me", I said and walked off the mat over to Jace.

"Did you get hurt?" I ask Him as I crouched down to Him.

"No", He says. "Although I didn't win"

"There's always a next time Champ", I smile and grab His hand so we can walk out.

"I won!" Teacup yelled charging in. "Against a twelve year old boy!"

"Damn Teacup!" I called and high-fived her.

She laughed giving me a high-five.

"Alright guys, back to the bunks", Ben announced.

I was already on my way, so I just continued to the bunks. I place Jace on the floor and let Him do whatever He pleased. I decided to continue reading To Kill A Mockingbird, regardless it being Ben's favorite book. I'm just about three fourths through the book, and that's when Nugget interrupted me.

"Hello Private Blue, sorry to interrupt. But is it okay if I ask you a few questions?"

"Yeah sure go ahead", I said placing the book beside me and moving over do Nugget can sit. 

"You were in the wilderness longer than any of us. Correct?"

"Correct", I said.

"Did you see a girl that looks like this?" He asks pulling out a picture. "She probably had a teddy bear with Her"

How am I supposed to tell Him I witnessed that girl being shot on the highway. I saw Her try running but fall in the middle of the highway, dead. How am I supposed to tell Him that?

"What does She mean to you?" I ask.

"She's my bigger sister, Cassie Sullivan", He says. "She promised me She'd come for me"

"Well, I saw Her", I said my mouth drying out. "I think She's safe, just give Her time"

He nods, "Thank you!"

"Here", I say reaching into my backpack and giving Him a chocolate bar, "Don't tell anyone it was from me"

"Okay", He smiles and hugs me. "Thanks!"

I smile weakly as He bounces away, the least I can do is give a kid fucking candy when I lied to Him.

"Five minutes to freshen up then we're heading out to train some more!" Ben calls.

I groan and roll my eyes and brush my hair into a nicer ponytail. I check in my backpack seeing my eyebrow razor and excuse myself to the bathroom. I look in the mirror and start doing my eyebrows, I don't care if the world is ending, I'm dying with fleeky eyebrows. I put on a lip moisturizer and head back to the bunks.

"Let's go", Ben commanded.

We walked to the training grounds outside, "Today we'll be doing something different", Reznik says. "Your squad will be focusing on upper body strength, for the younger kids, you'll be on something like monkey bars. Except it's over water, the water is shallow so don't worry. Bigger kids will be doing pull ups and mountain climbing with only your arms and my legs. Got it?"

"M'am yes M'am", We all say.

"Start"

I go over to the mountain climbing, Ben was harnessing me up. It was weird feeling Him touching me.

"Okay you guys can start", Ben says.

I look over at Ringer and start up the mountain. I was halfway up when I hear screaming and water splash.

"Chip!" Someone yelled.

I look over seeing my son in the water, face down.

"No!" I scream and lowering myself down as quickly as possible.

"We need a medic!" Ben and Flint were yelling.

Ben was holding me back, but I push from His grip as I cry running into the water and pulling Jace out. There was a gash on His head, and I couldn't find a pulse. I was sobbing by the time the medic came, taking Him away on a stretcher.

"I need to go see Him!" I called.

"You need to calm down", Ben suggested.

"That's my son!" I whispered, but a rather loud whisper. "I need Him right now!"

"Okay I'll go take you-"

"No", I say snatching my wrist from His hand. "I don't need you!"

Tears all in my face, my eyes red, my clothes all wet, I'm running down to where Dr. Pam keeps the patients. Please don't tell me He's staying in the morgue. My body shivers from the wet clothes sticking to my body.

"He's alive", She says. "He's in a coma"

"There's a difference between being alive, and having a machine do the breathing for you", I say. "Which one is it?"

"The machine is doing the breathing for Him", Dr. Pam sighs.

"Is H-H-He gonna wake up soon?" I ask.

"I'm not sure sweetie, His chances are quite slim. Now why don't you go wash up?"

I feel my heart rip apart as I nod going to the bunks.

"Is everything okay?" Dumbo asks.

"He's in coma", I cry. "And He might not wake up, He's technically not even alive, that dumb machine in doing the breathing for Him"

Everyone in the squad has a sad look across their faces, even Ringer. I grab His teddy bear and throw it across the room as a piercing scream leaves my mouth. The teddy bear hits a vase making it fall to the ground and break.

"You need to calm down", Ben said coming over to me and hugging me.

At this point, I let Him hug me. I needed comfort. I cry into His chest, "Let's get you washed up", He says and picks up my body and my backpack making my way to the bathroom.

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Word Count: 1151