To Be A Runner

Chapter 22: Comfort

"Okay, Runner Five. You've been out there long enough," Sam says after the CD ends. His voice sounds a bit shaky, and I can hear Maxine crying again. "Since you're a good ways away from Abel it'll take you a while to get back, so you-you need to turn around now so you can make it back before it gets dark."

'Just a second,' I reply as I rummage through the bins of the old shack I stumbled upon. After making sure no zombies were hiding in the corners I started to check it out, and in turn found one of those portable CD players which I plan on giving to the doctor. I just have to find the headphones first.

"Five, you need to starting heading home now. I'm not going to go through another night run again." His voice is more stern now, and slightly irritated.

'I'll be fine. I will only be a minute.'

"Runner Five-"

Click.

I know I'm going to get an earful when I turn my headset back on, more so since he was talking to me, but the deed's already been done, and his talking wasn't helping any with finding those headphones.

It takes about half a minute in silence to find them. I'm quick to shove them in my backpack and make my leave, turning on my headset the second my foot leaves the shack.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I hear Sam practically scream in my ear, making me wince. "Do-do you know what could've gone wrong and I wouldn't have been able to tell you?"

'I was gone for literally one minute, Sam.'

"A-and a lot of things can go wrong in one minute. Don't do that again, even if it's for... for five seconds. Don't do it."

'Okay. I won't,' I reply quickly, rolling my eyes.

"Don't give me that attitude. I can tell by just how you tap on the mic."

"That's a bit odd how you know that," Dr. Meyers cuts in with a watery voice.

"I know all my runners like that," He nonchalantly says.

"But Runner Five has been here for what, two months? Two and a week maybe?"

"So?"

"It's a little odd that you know her so well already."

"I don't think so. What do you think, Runner Five?" He asks, and I shrug, although I don't think there are any cameras for him to see me do the action.

'No one at Mullins really seemed to notice my emotions that well. I think maybe two people did, but I really did not show that much emotion to begin with,' I answer. 'And the only people that cared how I felt at-'

I stop immediately, almost letting out information I do not want to be known. They can't know about the AMTB. They can't. Not if they have a slim chance at looking at my files, and seeing how some of the people here are with their cunning little selves-there actually is a chance they could hack into the database and find my file. Then I'd really have some explaining to do.

"I thought you said you didn't have any friends at Mullins."

'I... didn't. Not really. Those two were just friendly people and the ones I cared about... I was talking about before I was at the base. When I was out on my own. I had some friends then, but I'd rather not talk about it.'

The lie is an easy one, hitting the mic as easy as it would've been to slide off my tongue. 'But no, I do not think it's weird. Just new."

"Ha! See, doc, Five doesn't think it's weird. Although I am the first-well, one of the first-to notice."