He had not meant to intrude – neither had he wanted to be parading around while Jake broke the news of Sergio's death – but it was impossible to look away when the only true sign of emotion was in front of him.
Adra expectedly fell to tears. Now Harris was reminded of how genuinely distraught a person's reaction was in light of suffering the loss of a loved one, summoning the distant memories of his own life.
Jake could only watch as Adra collapsed on the ground, perhaps finding it difficult to comfort her considering his involvement in contributing to Sergio's death. However, not long after, matters were made worse in the form of the little boy Harris had encountered before. Unlike his mother, the boy retained the same rebellious look, despite the fact that he couldn't have been more than twelve years of age.
Before he knew it, Harris found himself huddled inside the Helicopter Plaza – as the place had been named – listening in on the itinerary of the central boulevard. There was no permanent person in charge.
Rescue helicopters would radio in their arrival, at which point the current person in charge would evacuate alongside the selected group of people. Until the next rescue round, another group searched for food or other necessities. As they had only just arrived, Jake and Harris were excluded from evacuation.
But the troubling news was the knowledge that Adra and Salem were part of the scavenger group for the next round. Even more surprising was the fact that the little boy was wholeheartedly in favor of it and had already been prepared.
Jake's desperate attempts to convince the people otherwise proved futile. Adra herself couldn't be convinced; apparently, Salem was much too adamant. He'd taken the news of his father's death much better than his mother. The boy had shed a few tears before hardening up and firmly joining the others to finalize the scavenging plan.
In the hours that had followed, Jake's efforts to communicate with Salem hadn't been reciprocated; the child had evidently decided upon getting over it quickly, something Harris found difficult to understand. He had been at the mercy of time in order to get over his own loss.
The night passed away in discomfort. Harris found it unsettling being among many people after so long and was having a hard time shaking away the feeling that something big was imminent. He went over by the barriers for a walk and found Adra there, staring wistfully in the distance.
"I suppose I have to get used to this now," she said after a few moments.
"I'm sorry," said Harris.
"A big part of me already knew he wasn't with us anymore. I never said it to anyone because it felt easier to lie to myself."
"I know the feeling."
"I can see that you do... who was it?" Adra asked slowly, easily making out Harris's melancholy.
"Does it matter?"
"I suppose not, we all lose people..." She wiped her eyes against her sleeves. "Did-did he suffer?"
"No, he didn't. It was over soon. He remembered you both even then."
Adra wept while listening to him. Although she composed herself relatively quickly.
"That's the hope, isn't it? To see your family in your time of dying, we weren't there but I'm sure he saw us. I pray to God he did."
"If I could wish for you to have one last goodbye with him I would."
"I wouldn't want to meet him only to know he'd be gone the next moment," Adra said, her cries ceasing.
"But you never got to say goodbye, never got to see him again."
"I didn't need to say goodbye. We loved each other, we both knew it. This loss of mine will stay with me forever but so will he."
"I don't see how that works," said Harris rather callously, his thoughts shifting back elsewhere. "When you've spent your lifetime with someone but you never get to say goodbye... that's-that's just-"
"You must have lost someone very dear to you." Adra interrupted, silencing him. To his surprise, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's not that... it's been a long- I just don't see how you can..." He fell silent again, unable to formulate the words that perplexed him so much.
"It's not about forgetting that person existed," continued Adra, her hand pressing his shoulder gently, "It's about learning to remember them. At least that's how I see it."
"You learned all that within a day?"
"No... it took me a whole life."
It was Harris's turn to look directly at her. Despite not being able to completely understand her, there was a trace of a lost meaning in her words. Something, he suspected, he would have to look back for, but he had decided back then not to do that.
"What about you two, how have you managed to survive this long?"
"Jake left us with supplies, he'd told us to head straight for the bus if we saw it coming. If it wasn't for Jake, we would never have made it this far."
"It goes the same for me." Harris concurred, not willing to share Jake's role in her husband's death. "But what about Salem? He doesn't seem to be, well..."
"That's what worries me, too. I have no idea what's going on in his mind. He-he didn't even react at his father's death." She said wiping her eyes again. "Invio's turning him into something no child should ever be."
"You'll be out of here in a little while, and he'll get better."
"But where do we go from here?"
As to that, Harris had no clue.
The next day came with the possibility of rain high which, according to Jake, was a good thing as detection from the troops outside the barriers was low. Salem remained persistent in heading out to scavenge. Jake eventually took it upon himself to act as the boy's guide and resolved to join the group.
Harris had planned on staying back but was unexpectedly approached by Salem to come along. Unlike his demeanor with Jake, to whom he mainly remained simple and reserved, Salem was noticeably soft-spoken around Harris. Not wanting to let the child down, and wanting to make him feel as content as possible, Harris agreed.
There were four groups of three, Harris, Jake, and Salem comprising one. As they had a child with them, their parameter was only a short distance away from the central boulevard. Jake ruffled Salem's hair in good humor but was only given a wry response in return. Instead, he chose to walk with Harris.
"Did you used to live here?" He asked.
"No, I'm new."
"How come? I don't see why anyone would want to visit."
"I didn't really know where I was coming from." Harris winked.
"So you came by accident? Why would you go somewhere you didn't know was like?"
"Have you been to the place we're going now?"
"No."
"Then why are you?"
"Because I didn't want to stay back there."
"Exactly," Harris replied winking again, making the boy smile. "Tell you what, how about I show you where I'm from once we leave Invio?"
"Sure," Salem replied enthusiastically.
"You could make a lot of those drawings you love, Salem," said Jake in an upbeat tone.
"Right," Salem replied offhandedly before turning back to Harris. "What're the places you could show me?"
"Well, you know, Jake here could show them to you, too."
"I want you to."
"Okay, then," Harris said awkwardly. Jake looked taken aback by the cold shoulder he had received.
They reached their destination in under ten minutes. It was a convenience store, not unlike the one with the bandits. The trouble was the door was blocked from the inside. Jake suggested looking for an alternate entry route.
"No, I can get in." Salem interrupted. "I can crawl in through here."
"No way. You have no idea what or who's in there."
"I've done this before," replied Salem coolly.
"Doesn't matter. You're not-"
"I'm not asking your permission. I'm telling you I'm going in."
Jake fell quiet at the rude interruption, not having seen it coming. Salem disappeared in the small hole at the bottom of the door. Jake's hand flinched for a moment before drawing back.
"What the hell?" He asked in frustration. "What's with him?"
"Maybe he doesn't like being told what to do."
"No, he's been like this with me ever since we got to the central boulevard, something's the matter."
"Well, if he's angry at you, telling him what to do won't help matters."
"So what, I should just let him go alone? You remember the bandits, don't you?"
"Yes, but these people have been staying here for some time now. Adra and Salem included. They must know more than letting a twelve-year-old wander off."
"Oh, what do they know?" Jake brushed him off like a concerned parent.
"How come you're so protective of the boy? You seem to have a sort of parental flair to yourself." Harris said, half joking and partly observant.
"I think I hear something." Jake pressed his ear against the door. "They haven't taken him, have they?"
"He's just unblocked the door," said Harris in amusement at Jake's fatherly instincts.
"Oh," he replied embarrassedly. "Great work, Salem." He held his hand up as if going for the high five but it never came.
They stepped inside the store to find it well set for stocking up.
"Don't eat it. We're here to take food back for the others." Salem said sternly to Jake, who had merely picked a packet up.
"I think there might be weapons up there." Salem pointed above a demolished staircase. "I can get there if someone gives me a boost."
"No, you are not to be handling weaponry." Jake scolded. Salem unaffectedly produced a knife from his pocket – the one Harris had seen brandishing the first time he had seen the boy – and showed it to Jake.
"Do you want to know what I had to do with this?"
"Look, I know-"
"Forget it." Salem snapped. Jake sighed at the boy's defiant stare.
"All right, stand on my hands and I'll lift you up." Once Salem had reached the higher landing, Jake joined him, making the child grimace in annoyance.
Harris stayed back, having a transceiver in hand to keep in contact. He could hear Jake's continued attempts at resolution with Salem as the two disappeared.
"How'd you learn to climb so well...?"
"I'm sorry for leaving you..."
"I would love it if you stayed with me after we leave..."
Meanwhile, Harris fell back to his own thoughts. His time in Invio served as a reminder that a new place did not mean a new start. It also resurfaced the remembrance of what he had tried to escape from. His brother's face flickered for a brisk moment when he realized a car had driven past the store. Harris leaped into action.
"Jake, a car just drove by here," he voiced in the transceiver, "We should get out of here quick."
"Got it. Come on, Salem."
"Don't tell me what to do! I don't need your help."
"I don't want you getting hurt."
"It's not your problem."
"I just want to help."
"You didn't help my father!" Salem's voice erupted. "I'll never see him again... I didn't say goodbye... Ego numquam dimittet vobis!"
"I tried to help-"
"Liar! I saw you! You brought those bad men to our house. You took my father away. Fregisti ordinem nostram progeniem."
"I'm sorry. Truly." Jake whimpered.
"I don't care!"
"You can stay with me. You and Adra and me and-"
"Shut up! What do you know about family?"
"Habeo coniugem et filium redditis..." Jake murmured, Harris had no clue what he meant. "See this? He gave it to me."
Salem quieted down. From the sounds of it, whatever Jake had shown him had had an effect. The transceiver cut out once again, this time for a prolonged period. After painstaking moments of wondering what had happened, the signal came through.
"You wanted to see...?" Salem's calmer voice was heard, after a small pause. "And you want me to give this to him?"
Harris's curiosity was only furthered by the ticking sound returning, the one from Jake's watch. He looked up to see Salem, who silently moved away. Jake followed with a morose expression on his face.
"I get it. But no, I don't want to," said Salem.
"I get it, too," Jake replied. He gave Harris a sad smile and exited the store with the boy, leaving him wondering what had happened.