Page 8 of Semi-Human

I wake up stiff and sore, but well-rested. It takes me a few seconds to remember the shitshow on the hill and why I’m lying out here with aches across my body. I glance around, but I don’t see River. There’s still some fire burning, but it will die soon. I move to sit, grunting in pain. There are fruits next to me and a bottle of water.

I don’t understand how he could have left me here without weapons. The smoke from the campfire is easily visible above the trees. “River!”

I hear nothing, so I call louder, “River!”

The water in the lake stirs close to the shoreline. Seconds later, River’s head pops out. He waves at me. “Hello, my prisoner!”

I shake my head, taking a mental note to ask him to stop calling me that.

He swims toward the shore elegantly, and when he starts to walk, I hold my breath. With each step, more of his body becomes visible. His skin is completely smooth, decorated with small scars. His chest is well-defined, his pink nipples hard from the cold. His stomach is flat with traces of abs, and his cock is—I sharply look away, having thought he’d be wearing underwear.

River comes closer while I watch the dying fire. “Why are you blushing? Because of my penis?”

I almost gasp at his bluntness. “I didn’t think you’d be naked.”

“Do you shower with clothes on in your Hive?”

“No.”

“Well, then.”

I only look at him after he’s put on his underwear. The drops of water on his skin glitter under the sun.

“How long were you down there?” I ask.

“Hmm, twenty minutes? I was thinking and watching the fish.”

He sits down, still shirtless. The small, pinkish scars across his torso are long-healed. I try to spot if there’s anything… less human about him, not quite sure what I’m looking for. But the more I look, the more normal he seems, until I feel guilty for expecting otherwise.

River points at the fruits next to me. “Chokecherries. Plums. Currants. Elderberries.”

“Thanks.”

I take a plum. It’s delicious.

“How do you feel?”

“I think my fever’s gone, but I won’t be able to walk fast.”

I take off River’s coat to check on my burn. When I start to pull up the sleeve, I yelp at the sharp pain. The fabric has gotten glued to the pus, and it’s pure agony to pull it off. I bite my lip until I succeed. It looks bad—healing, but bad.

“Do they have a doctor where you want us to go next?”

“They should have medical supplies, but I can be the doctor.”

I don’t like the sound of that. “You know how?”

“Mother knows, so I know.”

“You two share knowledge?”

“Yes, but only what she wants to share.”

I take another fruit, the sugar waking me up. “Can you communicate with her whenever you want?”

A touch of sadness reaches his eyes. “It’s harder than it used to be because of Father. He took over most of the satellites, and he’s trying to take over more. I can’t speak with her out here, but it will be easier when we’re closer to home.”

I don’t know much about satellites, just that they were useful once from space. I didn’t think they were still up there. “What is Mother like?”

It feels weird asking that. She’s not real, though she once was. I can’t quite wrap my head around it.

He crosses his legs. “She was the first voice I heard when I was born.”

“You remember so far back?”

“I remember everything. There were twenty babies in my wave, but nine of us were weak and died. Mother is… she’s kind, and smart, and sad. She and Father had plans to make everything better, but it all failed.”

I don’t want to open old wounds, even though he wasn’t alive when the war between our people took place, so I ask instead, “How do you speak with her?”

He turns around and raises his copper hair, revealing his nape. There’s a small bump there, but I’m not sure I would’ve noticed it otherwise. “It’s under my skin, connected to my brain. They put it there shortly after we’re born and show signs of good health. It grows alongside our brain, and this is how I can speak with Mother and the rest of my people when they’re not too far away.”

I try not to picture an alien device in my skull. “I don’t suppose you can take it out if you want.”

He lets his hair fall and turns to face me. “Take it out? Why would I want to? My soul is in there.”

I snort. “Your soul is not in that thing, River.”

He twitches his lips in annoyance. “All my memories and thoughts are in there. What’s a soul but memories and thoughts?”

I’m taken aback by how agitated he sounds. Since I’m not an expert in souls, I let it go and reach for more fruits. I’ve eaten all of these before, but they never tasted this good, as if he knew exactly which ones to choose. “I haven’t seen you eat,” I say.

“I don’t need to eat much because my body is very good at utilizing food.”

He takes a few currants and pops them in his mouth. “But I still eat if I’m hungry.”

I nod. “How long until we reach our next destination?”

“We can be there by nightfall, but we’ll need to walk slowly because of your injuries, so it’s more likely we’ll be there by noon tomorrow.”

“Are we going anywhere near Denver?”

He shakes his head. “Even I don’t go near that place, but we might see it from afar.”

We pack our things and head off, but not before River turns toward the lake and calls, “Goodbye, fish!”

He’s crazy, I think, yet I smile to myself and shake my head. I offer him his coat back, and he says I can keep it for now. I’m worried I’ll need to lean on him again, but I manage to walk by myself with the help of a large stick I use as a cane. We leave the lake behind and walk through the woods until we reach a wide, paved road with a sign that says Interstate 25. There are old cars there that no one will ever bother removing.

River hums as he walks, his steps light even though he’s carrying most of our gear, including the weapons. After more than an hour, he says, “Let’s take a short break over there. I need to check something.”

I follow him into the woods and soon notice the growing whirring of a machine. “A purifier?”

“Yes.”

The structure is over twenty feet tall, completely black. I’ve seen them up close before, but never accompanied by one of those who built them, though River wasn’t alive back then. Not all purifiers are identical, but they’re typically dark, made of metal, and have a tall, rectangular shape. It took the Semi-Humans about two years to clean enough radiation to make it possible for humans to return to the surface. There were many Doomsday survivors who didn’t have the privilege of living in a Hive or other bunkers, so they either died or mutated.

River walks around the structure, running his hand over the walls in what I can only describe as fondness. He crouches in front of one of the walls and motions me to come closer, which I warily do. I try to crouch next to him, but it hurts, so I settle for leaning slightly.

“You see this?”

He points at a small gap, enough to slide the tip of your finger inside. I wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t pointed it out.

“I see it.”

“Give me your hand.”

I’m about to ask why, but if he wanted to hurt me, he had enough chances by now. He holds my hand and brings it close to the gap. “Slide one of your fingers inside for six seconds.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Why would I ask you to do that if it was dangerous?”

I don’t have a good answer, so I do what he asked. The metal is warm inside the gap. I count to six and remove my finger. Almost immediately, part of the wall slides to the right, revealing a panel with a screen and a keyboard.

“What is this for?”

“It’s the control panel. I’m checking that this station is okay.”

“Do we still need them to work? The air’s fine.”

He nods and avoids my eyes. “We still need them, yes.”

There’s more to the story, but I don’t think that prying will give me answers. He’s been forthcoming so far, yet I’m not deluding myself that he’s telling me everything. He gives me just enough to make me invested and, yes, curious. The same kid who eagerly waited every week for Dino to open his shop and give a glimpse of the outside world is now being given a chance to discover more than any other Hiver.

“Why are you showing me this?” I ask.

“When there’s trust, there’s cooperation; Mother’s words.”

He presses on some of the buttons on the panel, making numbers appear on the small screen. I don’t even try to make sense of what I’m seeing. When he’s done, he slides his finger into the gap, and the panel is once more concealed.

“Are any of the ones who built the purifiers still alive in your village?” I ask.

He stands up and cocks his head. “Alive? They died many years ago from the radiation.”

I’m taken aback. “How? They were immune.”

I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t know that.

He shakes his head. “My people aren’t immune to radiation. Maybe they were supposed to be, but they died of tumors and diseases. By the time our second wave left the lab, most of the first wave was already dead.”

I cross my arms, a shiver sliding down my spine. The Semi-Humans were made to die for us, even though it was likely unintentional. I feel heavier knowing that, somewhat guilty. “I’m sorry,”

I say. “I didn’t know it happened like that.”

He nods. “I know that you were told different things. History is written by those who survived to tell it.”

“Mother’s words?”

He pats my shoulder. “Very good, but she might’ve heard it from someone else.”

We continue walking on Interstate 25, the clouds blocking the sun from spreading warmth. My pain is manageable, but I’m worried my trigger arm won’t ever be the same. If I can’t shoot, I’m useless—it’s as simple as that. Ever since I joined the Defenders, I’ve carried a fear of getting injured and becoming a burden. As an orphan, I don’t have a family to count on, which means I will need to depend on the kindness of strangers.

“Why are you sad?”

River asks after we ditch the concrete road because of too many cars in our path.

“I’m not.”

“I can tell.”

“Can you read my thoughts?”

I’m only half joking.

“It’s how you breathe and carry your shoulders. Are you sad because of me?”

He genuinely sounds concerned.

“It’s not because of you. I’m just worried I won’t be able to shoot like I used to. Not much point in a sniper who can’t hit a target.”

“Your burn isn’t very deep. You’ll be fine. I’m a doctor, remember?”

He picks a berry from a bush and gives it to me. “Medicine.”

“Thanks, doc.”

We call it a day when it starts to get dark. I don’t think we’ve made much progress with my slow walk, but River doesn’t complain. Like the previous night, he takes care of the campfire and the cooking. I feel useless, but I’m exhausted enough to let it go.

“Denver,”

River says, pointing to the distance. I can see the skyscrapers that remain of the old city. There’s some light here and there, but most buildings are likely still abandoned. If one day we were to take over Denver—a crazy notion—the Raiders would become a shadow of what they are now. They have different factions that clash and fight across Colorado, but they try to keep that away from their city as far as we know.

I feel agitated having the city in my line of sight, but River seems confident he can spot any possible danger. As he works on cooking us a rabbit, he suddenly turns his head toward the woods.

“What is it?”

I whisper, instinctively reaching for a weapon I don’t have.

“Stay calm. It’s just a bear.”

My stomach clenches. Just a bear. I survived bear attacks before, but I know some who were less lucky.

“Put out the fire,” I hiss.

“No, it’s fine.”

He stands up as if waiting for a guest. Shortly after, the silence is cut by the rustle of branches as something big moves toward us.

“River, I’m afraid of bears.”

I have been since I came across a grizzly during my early days of training. I stared at that huge beast and lost my bladder like a coward.

“Only crazy people don’t fear bears,”

River says. “I’ll ask him to leave.”

When the beast finally appears, I’m relieved it’s a black bear and not a grizzly. Those are much smaller, though the one walking toward us is bigger than average.

I hold my breath as River steps closer to the bear and says, “Our food won’t be healthy for you. Please leave. Josh doesn’t like bears.”

The bear huffs and snorts, but River stands his ground, seemingly unbothered, though I’m likely scared enough for both of us. After some more huffs, the bear turns away and walks back into the trees.

I wipe my brow and slump with my back onto my sleeping bag. “Shit, that was close.”

River returns to cooking the rabbit. “That wasn’t close. I have scars from when I came close to some of them. They’re not always so calm, but this one was well fed.”

“How do you know?”

“Their stomach grumbles when they’re hungry. It’s loud.”

I’ll have to take his word on that, but I have also seen his scars, standing out against his smooth, pale skin. They might be the only thing that makes him resemble a warrior. Other than that, he seems delicate—from the way he looks to how he speaks and walks. If I hadn’t seen him in combat, I would have thought him weak.

“Did you fight many Raiders?”

he asks from across the campfire.

“That’s pretty much all I have been doing for the last three years. Mostly around the Hive, but sometimes we go deeper into Raider territory for missions. Focusing solely on defense didn’t turn out great for us during Skyfall.”

He frowns. “Did your sky fall?”

Since I rarely speak with anyone outside of Unity, I forget that what was an impactful event in my life isn’t common knowledge across Colorado. I consider changing the subject, but I want him to know why I joined the Defenders and why fighting Raiders means so much to me. I tell him about the day of the attack, about being close to where they breached our defenses and witnessing people slaughtered around me. Finally, I tell him about losing Ruben.

“How old was he?”

River asks quietly.

“He was fourteen. I was twelve, and Caden was sixteen.”

I smile through my sadness. “Ruben had the weirdest sense of humor. He was always getting into trouble at the orphanage, but if he thought I was in danger or needed help, he’d be there in a heartbeat. Caden is the same, but he might be a bit of a jerk about it. It’s part of his charm.”

“They sound like good friends.”

He sits straighter and announces, “The next Raider I kill will be for Ruben.”

I can’t help but smile. “I think Ruben would’ve liked that.”

Our gaze remains locked until I clear my throat. “How’s the food going?”

“What? Oh, two more minutes before I make your stomach happy! All the bears around will be jealous.”

All the bears?

“You should practice the harmonica later,” he says.

“I'm not sure I have a knack for music.”

He waves his hand. “Don't worry about it. I’m a great teacher.”

“How many people have you taught?”

“Only Finn.”

“And is he good now?”

“He’s horrible, but that’s because he’s impatient. Are you impatient, Josh Bennet?”

“Well, I guess a sniper can’t afford to be impatient when every bullet counts.”

“Do you like being a sniper?”

I nod. “I do. It can be brutal if you don’t have the stomach for it, but I like having to think before taking action. I used to worry that being a Defender would mean not using my brain, but you can’t survive without planning and analyzing every single situation.”

“Did you always want to be a Defender?”

I feel uneasy thinking about the chain of events that led to my enlistment. After Skyfall, almost every kid around my age began to feel the pressure to support the Hive, making my dream of becoming a librarian seem childish and selfish. Older kids from the orphanage began enlisting, and I remember eagerly waiting for them to return from the battlefield with stories of victories, only to witness fewer and fewer of them returning each time.

“I didn’t always want to be a Defender,”

I say, remorseful for the younger Josh who had a different life planned.

We’re about to eat the rabbit when I jolt at the sound of distant explosions. I sharply turn to see fireworks above Denver. They light up the night sky in pink, yellow, and green. “What are they celebrating?” I ask.

“They’re probably having contests in their arena. They like to watch people fight, sometimes against wild animals.”

I shake my head. “Sick fuckers.”

But I still watch the fireworks until the night is once more dark and quiet.

*

The following day starts with a drizzle, then turns into a flood. We find a cave to hide in, sitting close since there’s not enough room. The small space is filled with the scent of wet soil, but I like it.

“I don’t mind walking in the rain,”

River says, “but you might catch a cold.”

“You can also catch a cold.”

“That’s never happened before.”

I cross my legs carefully since my ribs tend to hurt more at specific angles. “Don’t you mind your things getting wet?”

“My bag is waterproof.”

“But your clothes aren’t.”

“I just walk naked.”

I would have thought he was joking, but I can tell he’s not. “You walk around naked where people can see you?”

“I don’t do that when people are around.”

He nudges me with his elbow. “I’m very shy.”

I smirk. “Yeah, sure.”

“Your belly wants food.”

He opens his bag and pulls out fruit and dry meat.

“I’m not sure how I feel about you knowing what my body needs.”

“I don’t know everything your body needs.”

It’s starting to feel like River has a button he can simply press to warm my face. It would have been irritating if I didn’t find myself slightly enjoying it. I want to see if I can make him blush in return, but something tells me I’ll be wasting my energy.

As we wait for the rain to stop or at least ease up, River tells me about some of his adventures on the road. He likes to talk with his hands, waving them as if trying to paint a picture in the air. I lean back against the cave’s wall, listening as he talks about faraway cities I only heard about by name.

With the raindrops in the background, I doze off, and when I wake up, my head is resting on River’s shoulder. I hurry to raise it and rub my face. “Sorry.”

“Your head isn’t heavy.”

He hurries to add, “But not because you’re dumb.”

“Thanks. I think the rain is stopping.”

We leave the cave and resume our walk through the woods, stepping in mud until it’s time to stop for the night.

The following day, we finally reach our destination around noon, and I frown in confusion. “What is this place?”

“Molly’s Burgers, like the sign says.”

The place looks like an old diner from one of Dino’s photo albums. People stand around, drinking and talking while an upbeat song plays in the background. The lights that still work around the faded Molly’s Burgers sign blink red and blue.

“Are you saying that this place has supplies for my burn?”

“They have lots of stuff. Come.”

I grab his arm. “They’ll recognize you as… you know.”

He shrugs. “Some have seen me here before, and those with a problem will either leave or try to play tough.”

I follow him, my eyes darting from face to face. I’m not used to being outside without my squad, and nearly everyone around seems well-armed.

The place inside is crowded, but there are a few empty booths. The scent of fried food is strong in the air, but not unpleasant. We sit in one of the booths, and River puts our bags next to him, as well as the weapons. The music is louder here, but I like it.

“Do you have restaurants in the Hive?”

River asks.

“A couple. They mostly serve what we grow in our greenhouses, so the menus are pretty limited. Do they accept nova here?”

“Why, you have any?”

“Hmm, no.”

He laughs. “Don’t worry about it.”

A stocky woman wearing a red apron comes over. Her hair is blonde and curly, and she wears glasses—a rare commodity. “What will it be, you two? Holy shit! Don’t scare me like that!”

I tense, preparing myself for a scene, but River slips out of his seat and hugs the woman.

“How’ve you been, Red?”

“Keeping busy.”

He flashes me a smile. “Got myself a prisoner.”

“Oh, did you now?”

She winks at me as if River is just being silly. “I haven’t seen you here before, good-looking. What’s your name?”

“Josh.”

“Well, any friend of Red’s. I’m Roberta—not my real name, but I like how it rolls off the tongue.”

“I’ve met your old friend, Buck,”

River says and sits back down.

“Oh my. Haven’t seen him in years. Is he up to no good?”

“Yes. I almost killed him.”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t. He’s a lost soul, that one.”

She places two handwritten menus on the table. “You two have a look-see, and I’ll be back in a flash to take your order.”

“How do you know her?”

I ask once she leaves.

“She’s the owner. Molly was her grandmother. I stopped here for food two years ago and heard she was having problems with a local gang, so I offered to help. Now, I don’t need to pay.”

He picks up the menu. “Ooh, they have the almost-real-cow burger. That’s good.”

“What’s in it?”

“Almost a real cow, I suppose. And they get their water from a well out back, so you can drink it.”

I glance around, noticing the looks we’re getting—some bluntly hostile. It makes me edgy.

“Relax,”

River says and touches his knee with mine. “Let them look. Can you imagine someone with hair like mine without being enhanced? All the glares without the perks!”

As far as I know, people with hair like his have been killed at birth for so many years that there aren’t any left, at least not in Colorado. “You could wear a hat.”

He gasps. “A hat? Don’t you like my hair?”

“I… yes, it’s fine. Your hair is fine.”

Roberta comes back to take our orders. We both ask for the same burger, with baked potatoes on the side and two glasses of water. She writes down our orders, then quietly asks River, “Have you heard anything about something happening out west? Something bad.”

River glances at me. “What have you heard?”

She leans down. “I don’t believe every rumor I hear, but this one came from different sources. They speak of an army in the west that takes over territory. Some mentioned massive soldiers who can pick up a grown man and toss him like a bottle.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t like the look in your pretty eyes, Red. Am I wrong to think you know what I’m talking about?”

River nods grimly. “It’s true.”

Roberta sighs and looks around her restaurant in concern. “Well, it’s been rather peaceful here in the last few years. Guess we’ll need to brace ourselves for a storm.”

“You probably should, but you know I’ll try to protect this place. Is Hank here? We need supplies.”

“Yeah, he’s out back, the turd.”

When she walks away, River says, “Hank will have things for your wound.”

“Okay.”

I take off the coat he gave me because it’s warm inside, grimacing as I move my arm. “Listen, I want to send a message to my Hive.”

River leans back. His hair is almost as red as our seats. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. If they send someone after us, they might try to attack.”

I feel he’s less concerned about being attacked than about needing to respond. “I’m not important enough for them to send anyone to find me, and by the time they get the message, we’ll be farther away.”

He crosses his arms. “Well, I’ll need to see what you write. You might tell them horrible things about me. I have a reputation to keep.”

I can’t tell if he’s joking or not. “Fine, you can see what I write. Do you want us to head to High Hope from here?”

“Yes, it’s about three days away. I have a friend who lives there. Have you ever been?”

“No, but I heard it’s beautiful. We don’t usually leave the Hive’s territory unless there’s a specific mission.”

“Can’t you take a break or a vacation to travel?”

“We don't do things like that. We’re at war.”

Though, as I look around me at people who can go wherever they please, I wonder if our war with the Raiders is enough of a reason to keep us so secluded. Since most of my life has been inside a mountain, I consider simply stepping outside a precious privilege. Maybe it should no longer be enough.

River claps. “Our food.”

This has got to be the biggest burger I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know how to hold it, so I start with the baked potatoes, which are delicious and buttery. “I thought you didn’t eat much,”

I say as River takes a big bite of his burger, leaving grease on his chin. I hold back the urge to wipe it for him.

“I’ll just have a few bites and probably poop it out quickly.”

I almost choke on my food. “Gross.”

He laughs. “You’re embarrassed by my penis and my poop? You Defenders are soft.”

I look down at my plate, heart beating slightly faster.

He bumps his knee with mine. “You can tell me to shut up if you want. I’m more used to talking without words.”

“Are you used to talking through your thoughts?”

He chews on a potato. “It’s more like a transfer of data. It’s faster and simpler. We can share images and memories instead of explaining things in length. In my village, there are some who haven’t used their speaking voice in years. I like to talk when I’m home, but some say I talk too much.”

There’s a touch of sadness in his smile.

I wonder how much of an anomaly River is in the eyes of his people. Simply by walking freely among humans, he’s challenging their way of life.

“Eat your burger before it’s cold,” he says.

Despite my wariness about what I’m truly eating, it’s undoubtedly the best burger I’ve ever tasted. “It’s incredible.”

“Don’t let anyone say I don’t take good care of my prisoner.”

I’m about to tell him to stop calling me that, but he says it with such fondness that I can’t bring myself to do so. I take another bite, noticing how the sunlight coming through the window makes the honey in his eyes pop.

I’m halfway done with my burger when River waves Roberta over. “Can you help us get a letter to Josh’s Hive?”

She raises an eyebrow at me. “A Hiver? Oh my, we never get you folks out here. You got anything as tasty as my burgers in your Hive?”

I wipe my mouth with a napkin. “No, ma’am.”

“Good. Now, what were you saying about a letter?”

“I want to let my people know I’m okay. I’m from Unity, northwest of here.”

She rubs her chin. “Let me think… yeah, okay. We have a supplier that works with the Hives. He’s supposed to come here in a couple of days. Need something to write on?”

“Yes, please. Thank you.”

She brings me a piece of paper and a pencil. I’m worried my letter won’t make the journey, but I have to try. Knowing that River will be checking my words, I write, “This is a message from Private Josh Bennett. Please make sure either Caden Anderson or Dino Lopez sees it. Long story short, I’m alive.”

I don’t want to tell them I’m with a Semi-Human, but how will I explain not returning?

River sees my hesitation and says, “Write that you were injured and were saved by a caravan heading north. You’ll stay with them until you’re stronger, then return.”

I nod. “That’s good.”

I write down what he said and add at the end, “Don’t try to find me. I’ll come back when I can.”

River calls Roberta, who promises to bring the letter to the supplier the second she sees him. My arm hurts from writing, but I needed it to be in my own handwriting. “Can we go see that Hank guy? I can’t eat any more.”

We take our things and get up, exiting through the back entrance to what was once a parking lot. There’s a wooden shed there and food stands next to some clothes racks. While people browse the goods, a big man with a rifle strapped to his shoulder stands and watches like a hawk. His dark beard is messy, reaching his chest.

“Hank?”

I ask River.

“Yes. He’s not as tough as he looks.”

Hank squints when he sees us approaching. “You again? What do you want?”

“Something without fleas this time.”

Hank laughs. “I should kick your ass, Red, but it won’t help. Who’s that?”

“Josh. He has a burn on his arm. We need bandages and something with aloe vera if you have any.”

“Aloe vera? That shit’s expensive.”

“I can cover it. He also has bruised ribs, so painkillers will help.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

“Some clothes and food. We’ll look around while you get the rest of the things for us.”

Hank goes into his shed while we browse for clothes. I notice that most of the people have left since we arrived, but it makes it easier to look in peace. I pick up a beige jacket that doesn’t seem too worn, a pair of faded blue jeans, and packs of underwear and socks. I’m sure that others have worn these items before, but I can’t be picky.

Since we don’t want to carry too much weight, and River is confident in his hunting skills, we only take a bit of food, mostly spices and cooking tools. By the time we’re done, Hank signals us to follow him into the shed. It’s bigger than it seems from the outside, and it’s clearly not meant for Hank to live in based on all the products lying around. On the table, he’s arranged elastic bandages, a pillbox, and a tube with the faded words ‘aloe vera.’

“How many pills?”

River asks.

“I can spare six.”

“Okay. Can I bandage his arm here?”

“Be my guest.”

“Sit on the table,”

River tells me once we’re alone.

I sit and carefully raise the sleeve of my shirt to my shoulder.

“I’ll need to clean it first,”

he says. “It’s best to bandage it without the oozy stuff.” He wets a bit of cotton wool and carefully rubs it on my burn. I hiss and shut my eyes, biting my lip. When he finally finishes, the cotton wool is soaked in blood and green pus. He squeezes some aloe vera onto his palm, then rubs it gently over my burn. He’s standing so close that I can’t help but feel the warmth of his breath against my face.

He picks up the elastic bandage—a rare commodity—and wraps it tightly around my burn. “That’s better,”

he says. “We’ll check about changing it tonight. You should take a pill for the pain.”

I eye the small box. We Defenders don’t like taking any sort of substances when we’re on duty. I may not be armed, but I still view this as a mission. “I’m good for now.”

“It’s not dangerous.”

“Will it make me less sharp?”

“Maybe, but you don’t need to be sharp with me around.”

His confidence irritates me. It feels as if he’s dismissing my years of hard training. “I’ve been surviving just fine without you, River.”

“But you’re injured.”

“I wonder why.”

I slide down from the table and step outside. It seems I haven’t yet forgiven him for not interfering sooner while those Raiders tortured me.

River goes to pay Hank for our purchases, then returns to put our things in the bags. “Can you go ask Roberta for two bottles of water?”

he asks. “Take this.” He hands me my new beige jacket, and I return his blue coat, unable to meet his eyes.

As I walk back into the diner, it strikes me that I can use the opportunity to escape. How long will it take him to notice me gone, then track me down? I shove the notion away; I’ve seen him fight, and his senses are sharper than any predator’s. I don’t want the rest of our journey to carry a cloud of suspicion, and I did give him my word that I'd come to his village.

I approach Roberta at the counter. “Mind if I ask for two bottles of water?”

“You sure can, but since I have you here…”

She signals me to lean closer, and I do. “I’ve seen Red coming and going for two years now, and he’s always been alone. I don’t care about that prisoner shit you two have going on, but I want you to promise me you’ll take good care of him out there.”

“I don’t think he needs me to take care of him.”

She pats my cheek. “There’s more than one way to take care of someone, hon. Now, let me grab you those water bottles. Seems like you two have a long way ahead of you.”