The Aftermath

S4E2: Reborn

Three Years Later:

Chris squints his eyes as the sun's unforgiving glare seeps it's way through the blinds. He grunts irritably as he quickly hides under the covers. He attempts to go back to sleep but ultimately fails.
He finally sits up in his bed, still in this groggy state. His eyes are shut, practically in denial of the morning's arrival. He stretches out his limbs while letting out this obnoxious yawn.
Upon first glances, Chris's build has gotten a lot more defined. He's a lot more tone, muscles almost overpowering the glint of his bright blue eyes. He has stubble on his face, and his hair is in a wild frenzy.
Chris finally leaves the comfort of his bed, absolutely dreading the start of his day. His blankets are practically rolled up into a ball as his bedsheets lay scattered out on the floor. It looks like a twister hit this place.
Chris catches a look of his bedroom in the mirror, disgusted at the sight. He grunts in annoyance as he quickly sets his bed before running off towards the main living area of his suite.
"Hey sweetheart! Did you sleep well?" Debbie asks cheerfully.
Chris almost laughs at that question. Doesn't she see how jumbled he is? He gives off a simple nod while walking to the shower. He yanks on the doorknob only to find out that it's locked.
"Watcha want?" Jeannie yells, the water from the shower head muffling out her words.
"When are you going to be done?" Chris mumbles while rubbing his eyes.
"I just got in here my man. You might be waiting for a little bit," Jeannie practically yells.
Chris stops his whining once he notices Rose walking in with Lily, his niece. She has the most adorable, innocent face he's ever seen. Waking up to that every morning is the highlight of his day. He would do anything to ensure her safety.
Rosie's pregnancy went well, despite the harsh conditions she went through in order to walk foot in this sanctuary. Even though Sarah wasn't here to help deliver the baby, Jess took care of everything while alongside other supporting nurses.
Chris finally gets out of his stupefied state once laying eyes on Lily's bright smile. A smile that can capture the heart of anyone. Her laugh however, now that's the highlight of his life altogether.
Rosie walks into the room, displaying confidence despite it being early morning. She looks over at Chris with a broad smile. This apocalypse truly has gotten him even closer to his siblings. He has no clue what he'd do without them.
"You heading out?" Rosie asks curiously.
"Yeah. I'm just gonna suck it up and go shower in the communal area," Chris says irritably.
"There'll probably be no one there anyways. Just be quick and you'll be fine," Debbie says while picking out a change of clothes.
This atmosphere that feels so natural to them now hadn't before. They've longed for the day where they'd return to a life of normalcy. A life where they can live freely with no major repercussions. It feels so surreal.
"Go show your body off Chris! Let's get it!" Jeannie yells from the shower jokingly.
Everyone laughs in response to Jeannie's insanity. Well, everyone except Chris who simply rolls his eyes. Having a regular family life like this allows him to finally let his guard down again. He doesn't have to live in constant worry like before.
Chris opens the door and looks back at the living area. His whole family is here. They're here with him. Not many people can say that nowadays. He takes one final glance at Lily who's holding on tightly to Rosie's hand.
It warms his heart to see the mother and daughter bond that they share. The world practically stops once Lily gives off a simple wave. A sight that can fill any person's heart with joy.
"See you later my little angel," Chris says in his childlike voice.
He waves goodbye to his family as he walks out the front door. At least the start of his day wasn't as dreadful as it was out in the unknown. He would live everyday in fear out there with the mutants. Everyday could be your last in this cruel world.
However, he doesn't have to worry about that here. He can finally be his normal self again. It'll be like the good old days. It's almost like the blast never happened. Going forward, he'll try his absolute best to live life to the fullest. Not just for him, but for the rest of the group.
Myracle dashes through the hallways, dodging people left and right. She's never looked this lively. It's almost like she's having fun. It's like she has no worry in the world. Her face lights up once she lays eyes on the communal showers.
Myracle abruptly starts running while formulating the correct words to say to Chris. Is this the right spot that Rosie told me about? Should I come back at another time? Will he mind me barging in like this? Myracle thinks to herself as she pulls open the door.
       She starts to speak but quickly stops once she gazes at Chris. He has a towel wrapped around his waist, water dripping down his skin. His body glistens as his eyes twinkle, giving him a fresh, new look.
       Myracle tries to contain herself, but she can't help but catch occasional glances towards his abdomen. She's never been this flustered before. She's showing this open and vulnerable side of her that's hard to believe. It almost looks like she's hungry.
       Chris tries to brush off her obvious stares, but he merely blushes at the thought. However, he's not looking at her with the same comforting look as usual. His look is filled with discomfort and regret.
       "What'd you need to talk to me about?" Chris asks bluntly.
       He's acting a lot colder than usual. Myracle notices instantaneously. She knows why. It's her fault that he's acting this way. She just wishes that she never spoke so carelessly to him that night. If she just kept her mouth shut, then maybe things would be different.
       "Oh, right! I stopped by your place before, and Rosie forgot to tell you something. Also after that conversation is over, I was wondering  if we could just walk together when we meet up with the rest," Myracle asks nervously.
       Myracle's informal and timid request surprised Chris. Normally she doesn't act this way. She's normally much more assertive and serious when it comes to everyday life.
       "Sure, if that's what you want. I'll meet you outside in a second, just let me get changed," Chris says softly while turning his back to her.
       Myracle can't help but prolong this moment as she stares at his defined muscles. He's also got on prescription glasses that the residents here provided him with. The prescription's not perfect, but the look suits him.
       Myracle vacates the showers quickly, trying to erase that tempting image of Chris's practically naked body. She wipes the sweat off her brow as she slides down the side of the wall. Her cheeks show a tint of pink as she practically hides away in embarrassment.
       A couple of minutes pass before Chris comes out of the showers. By this time, Myracle has finally calmed down. They walk in silence for a moment, the awkward tension sneaking its way in.
       Myracle absolutely despises this seemingly never ending silence. She just wants Chris to speak to her normally again. She looks at Chris longingly, only to notice him not giving her any attention.
       "I'm sorry okay! Is that what you want to hear?" Myracle asks desperately.
       "You said it was a mistake. You said that night was a mistake," Chris says with a saddened expression, stopping in his tracks.
       Myracle doesn't answer. She knows that her words took a toll on their relationship. She knew how wrong the words sounded, but she didn't mean it like that. It was a simple misunderstanding.
       "I didn't mean it like that, and I agree, it was a stupid thing to say. I meant that knowing my luck, this decision will probably be a mistake as well. It was stupid," Myracle says without making eye contact.
       She knows that response wasn't enough to calm Chris down. She's always been terrible at apologies. It's the one thing that she isn't fully confident with. Who knew that'd be her downfall.
       "Myracle. You were my first. You realize that right? We shared a moment a week ago. It just seemed like you didn't care about it," Chris says while crossing his arms.
       Myracle gets choked up as she watches Chris grow disheartened based off her terrible mistake. She remembers that morning, waking up next to Chris felt so right. She's never been intimate with someone like that before.
       "Let's keep going. Rosie's probably wondering where we are," Chris says while walking off.
       Myracle has barely enough time to register his words. She quickly escapes her thoughts, following Chris around aimlessly like a newborn puppy around their mother.
       She wants to rekindle their relationship as soon as possible. She wants to be with Chris no matter what. He's special to her. She was able to let her guard down with him. He was her first too.
       Myracle and Chris don't share another word as they walk down the stares in complete silence. The only sound they can hear is the echo of their footsteps along with the door slamming shut behind them. 
       They continue like this for a moment before finally laying eyes on Rosie and Jeannie in the main lobby. Jeannie waves the two over excitedly while Rosie simply laughs at her sister's odd behavior.
       Myracle greets them all respectfully as usual. However, Chris doesn't answer right away. It's not everyday where he sees Rosie standing there all alone. It's just Rosie. She hasn't been outside without her daughter since she's been born.
       "Where's Lily?" Chris asks curiously.
       "That's what we wanted to talk about! She's dead! I killed her," Jeannie says jokingly.
       Rosie playfully punches Jeannie's arm as she laughs hysterically. A rare moment like this is enough to make Jeannie cry tears of joy. Mostly because of her uncontrollable laughter, but it's still a lovely memory nonetheless.
       "The real reason is that I need a break. Jeannie mentioned the idea of playing basketball or something," Rosie says while plopping down on the leather couch.
       "I'm down, but don't you hate basketball? Also who's going to watch Lily if we're all out? Mom's at work you know" Chris says with a bewildered expression on his face.
       "Don't worry I already took care of that, and yes, sports can burn in hell, but I need a break from Lily. I love her to death, but she's a pain right now. Plus, I can just read a book," Rosie chuckles.
       They all vacate out of the hospital, returning to the basketball courts. Although three years have passed since the incident, they're immediately reminded of that night as they step on the basketball court.
       Chris takes a deep breath before stepping into the court, the same court where Ricky's blood was splattered on the concrete. The blood has finally faded away, but not for Chris. That image is instilled in his mind.
       "Hey guys! What are you doing?" Ryan asks as he hesitantly walks into the courts.
       "These losers are playing basketball. Wanna watch them struggle with me?" Rosie says while reading her novel.
       Ryan answers by sitting down with a clear view of the basketball court. He has this sinister grin portrayed on his face. He's thinking of something, Chris knows that look.
       Chris can't help but laugh as he watches Ryan struggle to maintain his composure. Suddenly, he realizes the reason. Just like the old days, Ryan's returning to his normal, joking self.
       "Rosie he's going to make anime references the entire time. Are you sure that you're okay with this?" Chris questions her motives.
       "Who's the shadow and who's the light?" Ryan says with a wicked smirk.
       Rosie and Chris chuckle to themselves as Jeannie warms up with Myracle on the basketball court. She's honored to still have the opportunity to spend time with her family. Everyone else in this group is practically alone. We're their family now .
       Imagining a life without her family is quite frankly impossible. She doesn't like to show her emotions off too much, but she would be devastated if anything were to happen to them. She's lucky to have siblings in the first place in this apocalyptic world.
       "Hey nerds! Stop talking about television shows and come play basketball," Myracle says playfully.
       "Nah I'm fine over here. By the way, it's anime. Clearly you're not an intellectual," Ryan says in an egotistical tone.
       Chris chuckles as he walks into the court. He hasn't played a sport in god knows how long. Even when things were normal in high school, he still didn't play. He was primarily focused on music and his future. This thought never crossed his mind.
       He shakes away thoughts from the past, enjoying this moment right now. Not everyone can say that they got to play a sport with both their family and friends nowadays. People long for the opportunity to have a meal with their families again. He needs to sustain this comforting atmosphere anyway possible.
       Back at Chris' room, Jess, Ricky, and Skyy all wait around nervously for Debbie's arrival. Ricky's pacing back and forth while Jess is fooling around with Lily.
Ricky's nerves are through the roof. He's never taken care of a child before. He has no way of knowing if he's doing a good job. Skyy struggles to maintain her composure as she watches Ricky walk around frantically.
"Ricky calm down. Rosie wouldn't have chose you to take care of her daughter if she didn't trust you. You've got nothing to worry about," Skyy says reassuringly.
"Well, if you're an idiot, I'll call you out on it Ricky," Jess says bluntly.
Ricky sits down on the couch while grasping at his head. This situation is way too stressful for him. He can't stand it when people rely on him for important tasks. It merely reminds him of all his past failures.
Memories of his family's car crash and Jill come rushing back. No matter how random these occurrences were, it was still enough to convince Ricky that it was all his fault. He's seen that disappointed look all of his life. He doesn't want to see it now.
"This is going to be horrible," Ricky mumbles to himself.
Sweat rapidly drips down Chris' face as he dribbles by Myracle and Jeannie. They decided to play a two on one which has proved to become overexerting for Chris. His movements manage to get by both competitors, but he's running on empty.
"That was a crazy vanishing drive!" Ryan yells from the sidelines.
Rosie chuckles slightly while Chris tries to shut Ryan's comical words out of his brain. He has to focus. He hasn't been placed against his sister in a long time.
Jeannie and Chris would always tend to compete with one another when they were younger. They were practically inseparable. However, time becomes a factor which ultimately resulted in their competitive ways coming to an end. The apocalypse certainly didn't help either.
Chris finally dribbles by Myracle, heart racing. He locks eyes with Jeannie. They know what's about to happen. It's been a long time since it's happened, but they're finally competing with one another once again.
Chris fakes her out, making a daring shot while Jeannie closes the gap. He finally releases the basketball from his hands, form practically perfect.
He can feel the level of gameplay that Jeannie's performing at. He smiles. She's finally returned to her normal, adventurous self. They've all come so far in this cruel word. They're finally getting a satisfying life out of a life that seemed hopeless and bare in the past.
Chris falls to the floor after taking the shot. The fall hurt, but he's running on complete adrenaline. He holds his breath as he watches the ball travel towards the hope. He jumps up excitedly as the ball sinks into the hoop.
Myracle and Jeannie are out of breath, but they're still smiling. Jeannie would never have smiled like that in the past if she lost. This direful world has forever changed these people.
"Great game Chris!" Myracle says cheerfully.
"Yeah I think you even managed to entertain Rosie," Jeannie says in between breaths.
"Nope! I liked my book though" Rosie says as she stores away her novel.
Chris chuckles at Rosie's humor. It absolutely baffles him that both of his sisters are complete opposites. Jeannie brought out the athletic and tenacious side while Rosie brought out his nerdy and musical side. He still misses those days where he can spend the afternoon with them both.
"You killed it out there fam!" Ryan says positively.
"Did this at least provide more enjoyment than watching Lily with the others? I know that you and Rosie don't like sports," Chris says after finishing the last droplet of his water.
"I'd rather spend time here than with them," Ryan says jokingly.
Chris walks off the courts with Ryan, not thinking about the incident with Ricky and Matthew for the first time in a long time. Chris recoils from Jeannie's sudden actions as she flings her arm around his shoulder, acting all clingy. He missed her playful side.
       Meanwhile, Lily can be seen running around with a wide, innocent smile portrayed on her face. While she laughs hysterically, the world around her is turned upside down
       Skyy and Jess work on retrieving Lily as Ricky frantically digs through the dresser in search of clothes. Ricky looks like he's facing an existential crisis as he chooses between the different pairs of clothing.
       "Ricky! Where the hell are you!" Skyy yells as she practically holds Lily down.
       Skyy immediately starts to please Lily by giving her attention. She displays such an angelic smile as her giggle rings through Skyy's ears. This moment reminds her how much she desires to have kids in the future. It's a blessing to her.
       "Ricky get in here with those clothes! Debbie will be back any minute," Jess says ferociously.
       "I think I got it," Ricky says nervously.
       He comes out of the bedroom like a bat out of hell, practically tripping over himself in the process. He stares at Jess and Skyy like they're harsh judges at a competitive event.
       "Is that all you could find?" Jess says almost too aggressively.
       This reminds them all of how easy they've had it ever since entering the is utopia. After exiting the bunker, they were used to a life filled with deception and stressful decisions.
       Bringing this feeling back also serves as a reminder of past events. They can barely stand the feeling of stress taking over their everyday lives. They have trouble dealing with emotions as it is.
       An hour passed before Lily finally settles down. Although she was the cause of all of this unwanted drama, she looks so innocent and sweet as she quietly sleeps. They can't take their eyes off her. They don't often see a peaceful child in this world.
       Their faces light up once they see Chris and his whole family enter the room, along with Ryan and Myracle. Myracle and Chris are covered in sweat, but they've never looked happier. They finally had a normal hangout like they used to in the past.
       "Hey guys! Did all go well?" Debbie asks curiously.
       "Yeah it went well. We hit occasional bumps in the road, but it worked out," Jess says while twirling her hair.
       Ricky can't stand holding in his hidden frustrations. He knows that Lily is a child, but he didn't realize how quickly Jess and Skyy would flip the blame onto him in the heat of the moment. His respect for Rosie only increased at this point.
       "About time! I was getting yelled at while you guys were frolicking outside," Ricky says angrily.
       "You probably deserved it," Ryan chimes in, a wicked grin displayed on his face.
       "Yeah shut up Ricky!" Jess says rascally.
       They collectively laugh at Ricky's expense as he talks about his babysitting experience. They all make their way to the cafeteria with a lively attitude about them. Their group feels fresh. Nothing can possibly break their bond.
       Chris looks around, his expression growing more serious. This situation seems off to him. Not having Simon or Matthew's presence affects the chemistry of the group. He doesn't understand how no one else notices this sudden divide.
       Simon walks around the hospital aimlessly. He can tell that something's off with this sanctuary. He hasn't been able to get that secluded office out of his mind. Who's this leader anyways?
       He stops short once he notices his so-called friends in the cafeteria. They're all laughing and communicating freely while Simon suffers on the inside. It hurts everyday to wake up in a room where he doesn't feel safe in.
       He can't stand the hole that Sarah left after her death. He's relatively gotten over it, but he has occasional memories reveal itself upon him from time to time. He can't talk to anyone about his skepticisms anymore. They won't care. They won't believe a word he says anyways.
       Simon finally gets rid of that image of betrayal. He can't believe that his group isn't noticing his isolation grow. They're growing apart, and he knows it. He longs for the day where he'll return to his normal, joking self. A sanctuary can't fix his emotions.
       Simon quickly ducks under a window as he hears an argument grow just beside him. The argument is going on between two women. He seemed to have wandered by a door without realizing it.
       He gazes at the door, and his eyes widen at the realization. This is Ms. Sullivan's office. The same office that caused his trust issues to skyrocket. He leans in closer, listening to the argument unfold before him.
       "How are we going to deal with this?" A woman asks nervously.
       Simon has most definitely heard this woman's voice before. She sounds young, his age. She's way too young to be dealing with this stressful environment. This would make Simon stir crazy if he was working at this level.
       "Our deadline with the opposing camp is coming up. We need to get it together," an unidentifiable voice says rather calmly.
       The room goes silent, it makes sense. That woman's voice was way to mellow for Simon's liking. It sounds like she isn't taking this situation seriously.
       Simon can't make out the next few words as the heavy footsteps grow closer towards the door. He quickly rises, trying to act like an innocent bystander in the shadows. He seems to be doing a good job with his actual friends.
       The woman who storms off is Tara. She wipes away the tears from her eyes as the overwhelming stress starts to slowly take its toll. This sanctuary clearly isn't trustworthy.
       Simon walks off, speculating about possible scenarios in his head. What did she mean by deadline? Why was she oddly calm? Are we in danger? Simon thinks to himself worriedly as he resides back to his room.
       Looks can be deceiving. That's the only thing Simon learned from his life. The bunker failed so why wouldn't this sanctuary fail. The rest of his group think that they're living in a peaceful utopia. However, this hospital contains secrets. Secrets that want to stay contained. This isn't a utopia, it's a dystopia.