To Be A Runner

Chapter 21: Alternates

I stand in front of the gates in my running gear, ready to head out once more. The Township has its regular murmurs and watchers, but I can't blame them. Most of the people gathering to watch never get to leave these walls. This is the closest thing to the outside they can get. The Township is their safe haven, but also their prison.

I grin widely at the still closed gates, anxious for this particular mission to start. After weeks of questions and over pondering we're finally going to get some answers.

"Don't do anything crazy and die on me, okay?" Caleb jokes with a grin, although I can still see the seriousness in his eyes. After me telling him about my run at the university (I left out some of the ahem, minor details) he's been the last to see me leave and the first to be waiting once I return. Usually Milo,Willis, and Penelope join him, but they are in school at this very moment.

'I'll be fine.'

"Heard that one before." He rolls his eyes before letting out a pained grunt,  trying to discreetly put his hand on his chest.

I furrow my brows and stare at him in concern. 'Are you alright?'

"Yeah, yeah. Just feeling little out of breath." He forces out a very fake chuckle to which I give a harsh glare in return.

I've begun to notice more and more things like this happening to Caleb over the past week. Not this exactly, although I remember the one time I saw it before, but he gets out of breath easily somedays, and becomes dizzy and disoriented on others; Then there are days he's just fine and is helping with the construction of our home buildings or joining me on the jogs I take on the town's makeshift track.

My hard eyes bore into his wide ones, and he turns his gaze toward the ground finding it much easier to look at than me right now. The glare lingers for a few seconds as Caleb avoids facing my eyes, until I harshly poke his shoulder.

'You better not be lying to me.'

"I'm not. I'm not," He chants holding up his hands in surrender.

My eyes are still narrowed in a sharp glare, but I drop the face as soon as Dr. Meyers' quiet voice flitters through my headset.

"So, can we uh..."

"Yeah, yeah, that's fine," Sam answers, his voice somber and... sad almost. It's not something I'm used to nor is it something I like. "I'll tell them-well, how long do you think you'll need?"

'I'll see you later,' Caleb signs to me and sends me a small smile that almost looks forced. I nod silently, my eyes lingering on Caleb's figure as he turns and briskly makes an exit.

"Just a normal run should be fine," She replies, and I find my face contorting to one of discomfort at hearing the lack of optimism in her voice.

"I'll tell them it's a meds run. I know you guys are okay with supplies at the moment but I'll just say you're running low on um..." His voice trails off as he thinks silently, "condoles? Bandages? ...Condoms?"

I suppress a grin and feel my face heat slightly at his attempt to lighten the tension filled atmosphere.

"Tell them we're running low on penicillin alternates for people with allergies," Dr. Meyers tells him with a voice that's not as heavy as before. "It's true anyway."

"Okay. So then, my corrugated iron shack is yours as long as you like. And uh... call if you need me?"

"I'll be fine."

Funny how I said that only seconds ago and it meant something completely different.

"If I could find a way to let you use the equipment completely alone-" Sam starts, but the doctor cuts him off.