Falling Skies Invasion Alone

Meet in the Middle

I stared into the mirror, my fingertips dusting the scar scored onto my cheek. It was like a tight, red worm stuck onto my skin, something that felt entirely out with me. But I couldn't stop staring at it, couldn't stop touching it.

"How you doing?"

I turned in the spot to see Ben leaning against the door to the room, watching me. I smiled softly and ran my hands through my ponytail.

"Uh..." I took a breath and stretched my fingers out. "Okay."

"You're so not okay." He headed towards me. I scoffed when he reached out and cupped my face. I leant against his body and tilted my head into the hold of his palm. "I don't even know what to say."

I didn't know what I wanted to hear.

It had been almost a day since I had woke up. But I still didn't really feel all there. I felt grief, but I didn't know what I had lost.

The set up in Chinatown was so far from our normality that I hadn't really assimilated into it all. I hadn't really left my room except to shower in the communal blocks and to have a quick look around with Maggie earlier on.

"You don't need to say anything." I pecked a kiss at his palm and sighed.

"C'mere." He pulled me to him, letting my rest my head on his chest, soothingly stroking my cheek. With an ear against his heart, I listened to the beats, the familiar, comforting rhythm.

"What have you been doing?" I asked him, encircling his waist with my arms.

"I've been with Lexi. Trying to talk to her."

He had filled me in on his fears, his concerns, his questions. I didn't know where I stood with that. I mean, I felt an innate trust in Lexi, but like him, I felt concern over the set up. How the Espheni just left them alone? How Lexi found me? How she stopped a mech when it came into the area?

"I need a favour." He sighed deeply. I pulled back to look at him, narrowing my eyes. I didn't say anything, he just knew to go on. Ben clasped his hands in mine and began to speak. "I'm worried about Lexi, as you know, and I'm worried about Lourdes and this whole cult type thing that's going on with them. They don't trust Dr Kadar...it's just been Lourdes who's been looking after her. So I don't know if she's actually healthy or not, I don't know if there's any type of legitimate care going on with her. We just a huge fight about it, she accused me of acting like I was superior, like I didn't trust her, like I knew more than her. But we came to an agreement. I don't trust Lourdes to care for her, to test her. She doesn't trust Dr Kadar to. So we meet in the middle. You."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Me. How am I in the middle?"

"Because you are scientific like Dr Kadar and you're realistic and honest like Dr Kadar, but you're caring like Lourdes and you've know her since she was a baby like Lourdes." He reasoned. "I know that you'd put the greater good first. But I also know that you want the best for Lexi."

I pressed my lips together, not saying anything. Just thinking. I hadn't even given a thought to medical duties since I had woken. From what I had seen, and from what I had been told, it seemed scientific medicine had been given a backseat to Alexis' abilities.

"Please, Cassie. She's my little sister." Ben whispered, his voice wavering tiredly.

"Of course I'll do it, Ben. Of course." I gave his hands a squeeze.

His shoulders dropped as he released tension. "I just want to make sure she's safe."

'Safe' physically, or 'safe' to be around? I thought to myself.