Chapter 34 Regroup
THIRTY-FOUR
REGROUP
Julia
Two days after the water incident, Olivia and I hunker down for the night in the tent we’ve been assigned to in the unattached woman’s section.
She lies beside me, trying to get comfortable within the plastic blankets we’ve been provided, trying to fall asleep while I pet her hair.
Since waking from her coma, she’s mostly been quiet, and when I do get her to speak she just gives me one word answers.
She says it hurts to talk now that she’s no longer receiving painkillers…
but I can’t help thinking she’s depressed.
I know nothing about Olivia’s life prior to her ship’s crash but from what I’ve gleaned, she’s lost someone close to her—and knows they’re gone—because she hasn’t tried searching for anybody.
When we arrived at our tent a couple of hours ago, there was a barrage of questions from dozens of other refugees: who we’ve seen, what ship we were on, were there others with us who didn’t make it, and more.
Everyone wants information. Any information.
Except her.
Finally, she manages to find sleep, her breath slowing into an even, peaceful cadence. Sighing, I pull off my boots and rub my feet.
I’m thankful to be free of the infirmary and the ever-constant aura of illness.
I could’ve left it sooner, except I would have had to leave Olivia behind, and I want to do what I can for her while I’m able.
I ended up convincing the head nurse to let me remain until she was ready with a bid to help out with the patients.
It didn’t take much convincing, the soldier-medics manning the infirmaries were eager for extra hands. Everyone’s overwhelmed.
Because I took to it so well, I’m going back there first thing tomorrow morning.
Olivia and I have both been assigned ‘jobs’ to earn the little amount of rationed supplies they’re willing to give us.
Though Olivia does not have to start her duties for another several days, mine will continue from where I’ve already found my feet.
I’m more than fine helping. I just have no intention of playing soldier anymore. But they don’t have to know that I used to be one of them. I’ll pretend well enough in their presence.
Some of the soldiers want to defect too, I can tell, and what’s worse, I’m certain many already have.
The light inside our small tent, which is sectioned down the middle to save room for the next two unattached female refugees to arrive, grows dim, washing away the last of the day’s colors.
I tug my boots back on and pull my legs under me to stand.
With no cots to sleep on and only plastic to shield us from the ground, I don’t think I’m going to get much rest tonight.
I’m feverish… uncomfortable. My body is tingling.
I need to walk until I’m so tired that sleeping is the only option.
Stepping out of the tent, I peer at the rows around me and the small campfires in between.
Groups of people linger around them, ranging in size.
Some raise their heads and eye me as I glance around, checking if there are any soldiers nearby.
Seeing none, I shake out the tension in my shoulders and turn left, striding down past the last of the tents that are still in process of being set up.
Two men, refugees I assume, due to their civilian clothes, look up at me from where they’re sorting their supplies.
Without saying a word, I walk past them and into the cleared-out space beyond, where a series of ruins and crumbling buildings remain unallocated.
Though much of the old facility has been cleared out by machines, there are still at least a dozen or so buildings like these within the barricade.
I don’t know how large the encampment truly is yet, but I’ve at least figured out the barrier spans farther than the active part of the base.
Double-checking that no one’s watching me as I go, I duck behind the ruins of the first building and jerk back when I come across a female soldier squatting on the other side.
She sees me and startles, twisting away from me. Thankful for the growing darkness, I turn away as well. “Sorry.” My lips flatten as I try to decide whether to flee or talk my way out of this.
But the soldier stands, zips up and storms away. I watch her disappear with a shrug and trek deeper into the ruins, traversing several abandoned buildings before I finally make it to the barricade itself.
Touching the thick logs lined up next to each other, I drag my fingers to the dried muddy substance that’s sealing the gaps between them.
Walking along the wall to my left and farther away from the tents, I search for an opening that I might be able to look through. But everything is completely sealed.
I pause to dodge behind a partially-collapsed wall when several drones fly by and watch them follow the wall in the opposite direction.
They disappear around the bend where I first approached the barricade.
Then another two appear and follow the same path, patrolling the top of the wall.
I can hear another two on the other side.
As the last of them fly away, I debate whether or not to call out for Krellix.
With a sigh, I lean back against the wall, wondering what the hell I’m doing and cursing under my breath.
The demands of my body are too strong for good sense, though.
Reaching down into my pants, I cup my sex.
Rubbing my clit with the pads of my fingers, feeling my bare skin because I still don’t have any underwear left, I let the pleasure my touch brings fuel me.
My heart thrums, and my breathing deepens. My fingers circle faster.
Krellix.
His name doesn’t leave my lips but I form it all the same.
Pushing my back into the wall, I press hard against my clitoris, picturing golden abs, velvety scales shaping toned muscles, and a thick, knotted cock dripping with precum and smelling delicious.
The nerves between my legs pulsate, fluttering brutally, and I slide down the wall as I come into my hand.
My lips part with a silent moan as I roll my hips and press my clit down against my palm, hoping to elongate my quick climax.
But instead I hear the sound of drones flying along the wall again and yank my hand free. Rubbing my damp palm on my thigh, I swiftly get to my feet. Fortunately, one orgasm was enough to take the edge off my relentless arousal.
As the sky continues to darken, I follow the wall for a while, gradually accepting that there’s no way outside the encampment on this side.
Giving up when I start to hear soldiers in the darkness ahead of me, I make my way back to my shared tent with Olivia.
Lying down in the plastic covers next to her, I listen to her rough breaths, trying not to think about what I just did.
Eventually my body relaxes until I follow her into sleep.
The next morning, I’m helping a dehydrated refugee drink water when I hear shouting coming from outside the infirmary.
A glance at the head nurse shows him busy with another patient, so I duck out to see what’s going on.
Following the sound brings me down the path opposite the water containers, and I make my way towards the front of the original infirmary, where the soldiers are treated.
It’s closer to the entrance, and I eye the barricade’s opening as I get nearer, briefly ignoring the injured soldiers being transported through it.
Seeing the forest far in the distance, I hope for a glimpse of something I know won’t be there. Even if it was, I wouldn’t be able to see it.
“What happened!?”
“It’s those fucking nagas! Those fucking snakes got them!”
“It’s been months since the last attack, what happened?”
My attention shoots back to the soldiers now within the infirmary pavilion. No one’s paying attention to me as I slink closer to listen to what they’re saying. Regardless, I quickly duck around the side when I see several officers, including Graft, approach the front of the large tent.
They head inside together and, straining my ears, I make out some voices.
“Tell me what happened.”
Everyone seems to go quiet, even those tending the wounded, as one of the soldiers begins to speak. Leaning towards the heavy tarp, I can only make out a little of what’s being said.
“Nagas…out of nowhere—” the soldier sputters “—too many… Ran…”
“Did you get a good look at them? Do you know why they attacked now?”
“Hey, what are you doing there!” someone shouts at me from the main pathway
Lurching back, I run in the opposite direction, but heavy footfalls give chase. Glancing over my shoulder as I flee around the back of the infirmary pavilion, I stumble into the dirt path behind it. I lunge across it into the rows of tents on the other side, hoping to lose the soldier between them.
“Stop!”
I weave through the tents, avoiding other soldiers as I race for the opposite side and into another set of ruins beyond.
Like all the crumbling buildings around the encampment, these are cement, big and blocky in design.
Dashing for the first one, I dodge around the far side and immediately stumble to a stop at the edge of a large opening in the ground.
Backing up before I fall into it, I slide along the wall to see further in.
There’s a series of spotlights around the entrance, illuminating the improvised stairway down.
Machines and crates are piled at the right side, with a large prefab trailer set up behind them.
Hearing voices inside, I crouch and wait for someone to come along.
But as I creep along and no one does, I get my bearings and start sneaking back toward the refugee infirmary. I’ve risked enough already.
Because I’ve just found the hole Shelby fell in. The place Celeste went in to save her comrade…
Now, that same place can be walked down into, completely opened up.
Glancing around again to make sure I’m unseen, and hoping the first soldier gave up on me, I dart between different tents on the way back.
I wait to return to the refugee infirmary until the path in front of it is clear.
As a group of older men lugging lumber towards the barracks passes by, I use them as cover to dash across and inside.
I stumble right into Benjamin’s chest.
“You,” he says, catching my shoulders.
“You,” I say back. It’s odd and startling, seeing him again, especially after the last few minutes. “I’ve… been searching for you and Quinton but didn’t see you, couldn’t find you. You guys never came by to see Olivia.”
Benjamin pulls me aside as the head nurse gives me a stern look from where he’s sitting by another patient in the back. He’s noticed I’ve been away too long.
“Quinton and I couldn’t leave our tent until we were assigned jobs. We tried to come to check up on her but we kept getting stopped by soldiers on patrol. I was coming to see her now, only to find out she’s been moved to a tent—and that you’ve been with her.”
He releases my shoulders and I give him a smile, because despite everything, I’m glad to see him. “It’s good to see you. I’m glad you made it.”
“What happened to Krell—”
“You need to get back to work!” The head nurse shouts, and my eyes skip over his name tag again because I keep forgetting it. “Now! You can flirt after your shift is done.”
Mustienoul. That’s his name.
I look back at Benjamin. “I guess we’ll talk later.”
He nods. “Later. I’ll come find you.”
I watch him leave before getting back to work as ordered, not meeting Mustienoul’s frustrated gaze.
Grabbing a clean empty cup, I fill it half-way, unsure who needs the liquid more: me, or the patients.
I walk to the nearest person trying to get my attention, hoping I can make someone else’s day a little bit brighter.
Because until I find out whether it was Krellix who attacked the soldiers, or something else… I’m not going to be able to rest.