THE DOZEN

REPLACEMENT.

Subject One pursed her lips, shoulders rising with a prolonged, deep inhale as her mind raced in an attempt to formulate a response that would be taken seriously but wouldn't seem too assertive. "I know getting to Washington is important," she started with as much confidence as she could muster, eyes darting around the bus to avoid eye contact with the members of the group who turned to face her, "but, since we're in the area, I want to stop at my house."

"I hate to be the one to say it, but we're not going to make twelve stops that'll do nothing but reopen old wounds," Jasper told the young girl, arms crossed over his chest. "Our best bet is just getting to Washington while we all still can, and then let the military handle everything."

Military. The word stood out to Subject One. Those in the military frequently carried weapons, and weapons, more so in this world, granted a better chance of survival. Survival seemed to be the number one thing on Jasper's agenda, and that train of thought led to her bold response of, "My mom was in the military, and I'm almost sure that she kept a few guns in the house. No matter what happens there, we'll all get more out of it than just the eleven-year-old's peace of mind."

Dazed, Jasper's eyebrows rose. He blinked over and over again, struggling to fully process the young girl's response. She was barely eleven, but spoke casually and confidently, as if she had done what they were doing multiple times and knew exactly how to do it – like an adult. "Um... Yeah," Jasper finally replied with a short nod, "we'll set a course for..."

"Lancaster, Pennsylvania."

∘∘∘∘

Of course, she wouldn't want to make sure the house wasn't crawling with dead ones, Jasper thought. She was far too indulged in her own matters to question if the house was even safe. The young girl immediately stormed into the house without a second thought, and while she vigorously searched for her parents, he vigilantly sought what could be left of them.

Neither found what they were looking for.

Instead, Subject Three found the young subject standing in an absolutely silent room. A baby-blue border outlined every inch of the room, matching the rug and crib of the same color. Pictures within decorated frames lined the walls, showing two happy parents with a newborn son in the mother's arms. And her eyes seemed to be glued to every one of the pictures. "What, was this your brother's room?" he spoke up, alerting the young girl of his presence.

"No," she monotonously replied, not bothering to turn and face him. "They had a son."

"So..." he trailed off, the corners of his mouth curling into a slight smirk, "your brother."

"I didn't know I had one," she breathed out with a small sigh, her shoulders rising and falling with the huff. "I-I guess they had him after, um... after they gave me to the people back in the science place."

One child lost, so they simply had another. Subject Three could comprehend the reasoning behind it, but he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to do such a thing. He'd never give up the first child, to begin with, no matter what. Not when his own abandonment smothered him with such crippling loneliness – that was something he wouldn't wish on even his worst enemies. "I think the word you're looking for is replacement," he remarked in response, leaning against the doorframe.

"I know the word," she was swift to assure him, barely turning her head to the left so he could see just a slight inch of the side of her face. "I just... I didn't want to say it... or hear it."