Wasp

Chapter 15: James

James:

Before they left it used to be different, a small town of survivors was where James and Jane grew up. It was nice there, considering the circumstances. There were gardens where they grey flowers and food, a small farmyard full of two headed goats and oversized chicken, Shops selling all kinds of things that people had scavenged from the wasteland, houses and shacks which were made out of bits of scrap which were perfectly liveable. But it was life, and as kids do both James and Jane got bored they wanted more.

Their father had always told them to "never go out in the dark, there are monsters out there" but they thought they could handle a few make-believe monsters. So they left, in the dead of night, packed their bags and left. They didn't know why but I guess 16 year olds just want an adventure, something new.

James had stolen his father's gun, the one he still used to this day and forever feels the guilt of stealing. Jane had stolen some old knives from the kitchen and two pistols which she strapped to a belt on her waist. Now, they were off, running, sprinting. Over the fields, through the ruins, wading through the bog and finally as the morning sun arose they stopped, they were now free.

Years later they were still wandering, they'd had their few scrapes in the past. Raiders, burners, even the odd deathclaw but they were still alive and kicking. That was...before, Jane came down with something, started coughing up blood and eventually struggled to walk any further. They finally stopped in Edinburgh, a nice place and not too many raiders. James searched out doctors and medicine, anything that could help Jane, most of them turned him down saying, "It's too far for one girl." or even "I'm not selling medicine to a dead girl." But he kept searching he didn't want to give up, he couldn't give up.

They always vowed to look after eachother but now James was going to lose his sister, and it was all his fault. She could have got help if she was back in town, but James stole her away from it and the life she could've had.

About a week past and she was still holding on, her skin was pale and she was getting thinner by the day and James had almost given up. But one more chance, a doctor about a days trip away, if he could make it in time then maybe Jane had a chance. So he set off.

James walked and ran as fast as he could, he hadn't run this far in this little time since they first left the town. But his efforts payed off and he made it. He banged the side of his fist on the door and shouted for the doctor, nothing. He looked through the lock in the door and their appeared to be a blood trail leading up the staircase. He threw all his weight onto the door in an attempt to open it, finally it gave way and swung open. James ran up the fancy blood coated stairs and into what he assumed was his office.

"DOCTOR!" He shouted bursting into the room, "M-my sister she's real sick, she started coughing up blood and...and" the Doctor turned round sadly and looked James in his ocean blue eyes. "What are the rest of her symptoms?" The doctor asked in a monotone voice. James listed off all her symptoms and after a moment of silence the doctor replied, "She's got lung cancer boy, she's gone." James looked at him in silence, paralysed by the words he said. His dad always said that his mum had died in a battle...or blowing up raiders, or fighting for freedom but now James knew how she really died and why he wasn't allowed into her room for months. Janes condition ran in the family.

James quickly ran back, he just wanted to be there, be there for her. Finally he reached Edinburgh again, slammed through the door and dropped his bag. He slid over to where the bed was and his sister reached out to hold his hand. "I know what I've got, Mum had it and...you were too young to understand. I'm sorry, I can't look after you anymore and you have to make it. But James, promise me this, you can't ever give up ok, you can't give up." She coughed and wheezed, trying to hold onto that last strand of string before she fell into the abyss of death. "I love you..." She said, her eyes went glossy and she stared into nothing, Jane was dead.

James sunk and cried until he felt sick. He grabbed one of her pistols from the side and put it to his head, the cold barrell of the gun on his scalp. Just as he was about to pull the trigger he remembered what Jane had said, "Don't give up." And now he knew he couldn't, he'd made a promise. He gently lifted up the body of his sister and took her into the garden to bury her.