Let It Shine

Chapter eighty eight: The Days

Monte shut the door before shaking his head and ran his hand through his hair ''Raining.'' he stated and looked to the door's ''What? it was clear a minute ago.'' Monte nodded and went to the small table setting his ritfle down ''Couldn't find a gas station, closest one is further into town there the horde is.'' Monte stated, Evin smiled a bit looking at his leg checking the bangaging, Monte looked over to Alex seeing him colouring in a book Evin had found in one of the room's of the hotel they were currently in, he then looked over to Evin seeing he had his leg up on a chair ''You ok?'' he asked he asked taking his bag off setting it on the table before walking over ''Yeah, just... Elevating it.'' Monte stopped at the chair looking to him ''You sure?'' Evin nodded and put his head back, Monte crouched down and started taking the bandaging off getting Evin's attention ''What are you doing?'' he asked a bit confused, Monte got the bangaging off and looked at it ''Checking for infection.'' he stated looking at the wound.

Evin looked at him ''And?'' Monte looked to him before looking at it ''A bit of redness but, I don't think it's dangerous.'' he stated and moved the old bandaging to the side before getting up and walking to the duffle bag, Alex looked over to Evin then down to his picture. Monte brought a clean guaze and wraps back to Evin before opening them ''What did you call him earlier?'' Monte looked to Evin before looking back to look at what he was doing ''When?'' he questioned, Evin thought about it ''At the docks, when we arrived.'' Monte smiled ''Shīzi, it's uh, chinese for lion.'' he stated holding the wrap closed as he reached to the side picking up the roll of medical tape ''My Gūmā used to call me and my sister that.'' Evin stared at him as he set the tape down and looked to him, Monte shut his eye's coming to the realization ''My aunt, force of habbit.'' he stated and stood up, Evin nodded and looked over to him while Monte moved the empty bags to the side ''There something special about lions?'' Monte looked at him and nodded ''My favorite animal, and my sister got a tattoo of one when she turned sixteen, so my Gūmā figured that's our new nickname.'' he explained and looked over to Alex ''My way of teaching him chinese I guess.'' he stated and went to his bag again.

''Lions?'' Monte looked back and nodded ''Why lions?'' Monte smiled ''Something wrong with lions?'' Evin shook his head ''Just curious.'' Monte thought about it before shrugging ''Not sure, just... They're a symbol of bravery, in the military you're supposed to be brave.'' he explained loosly, Evin looked over to him ''You meaning to tell me there are no soldiers who have fear?'' Monte smiled chuckling a bit even ''No, someone apart of my squad was afraid of heights, but he was our best pilot, he didn't let his fear stop him and soon got over it.'' Evin looked at him before looking forward ''Any soldiers have a fear of, like... Needles?'' he asked and looked over to him, Monte thought about it before shaking his head ''Not any of the soldiers I know, why?'' Evin nodded before shrugging and looking forward ''Curious.'' Monte walked over to him and looked to him ''I mean, I have a fear of thunder storms.'' Evin looked at him and Monte smiled before looking forward leaning on the wall ''Now that I think of it I might have a fear like that because of the military.'' Evin smiled a bit seeing Monte smiling and looked to him ''There are soldiers who are, afraid of dogs, some are afraid of dolphins.'' Evin looked at him ''Dolphins?'' Monte nodded moving a chair over and sat down with the back of the chair against his chest ''Her name was Maggie Santoro, when she was like, twelve, and this is me going off of memory, when she was twelve she fell into a dolphin tank at an aquarium.'' Evin's eye's widned ''Yeah I could see that as a traumatizing thing.'' Monte nodded and looked forward.

Evin looked at him ''I think you should ask him when we find them.'' Monte looked at him eyes widned a bit, Evin smiled ''Not only do I think he'll say yes, I think you guys should make it official because you never know what could happen. Not that I think anything will happen it's just... Times right now are, tricky.'' he stated looking to Monte after staring straight for a bit, Monte was staring at him the whole time before looking down and nodded understanding the urgency on the whole thing ''Then you guy's can properly say those three are your kids.'' Monte turned looking back to Alex ''He go very attached to you after only what, a month.'' Monte looked to him ''What about you and Carson?'' Evin's eye's widened a bit before looking away ''What about us?'' Monte looked at him and sat up straight ''You don't think he'd wanna ''Make it official''?'' he asked, Evin smiled and shook his head ''We.... It's different with us.'' he stated and looked to him, Monte shook his head ''Connor and Timothy basically attached themseleves to you two, just like Alex did with me and Jon.'' he stated, Evin glanced to Monte before looking down as he moved the fabric of his sweater between his thumb and pointer finger ''I'm not saying he'll propose, I'm just saying you can't waste time, not these days.'' he stated and stood up, Evin looked over ''You used my words just.... Said them better.'' Monte smiled and turned looking to him as he went to his bag.