Against all odds (Reg Slivko - Thomas Mann Fic)

The smell of death

The group walked in silence to the west, climbing a hill. Slivko walked behind Meg with his M-16 ready. The girl was next to that old white beard man; Slivko didn't remember his name. They were talking, maybe about science. Every time the girl turned her head to say something to the man Slivko get a glance of her face. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. Everything had gone so well: they were alive and together. He had to effort to hide the smile that appeared on his face when remembering their kiss. That was a win.

The group slowed down as they approached the top. Around them, long, sharp curved bones seemed to grow from the ground. Slivko felt as if he was walking between the ribs of a giant beast. Plants had grown all over it making it look like a creepy garden ornament.

Slivko got distracted by the bones and crash with Megan. The girl smiled, but she was so pale that he feared that she would faint right away. He put an arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer; she rested her head on him. The air felt rare. Slivko looked up and a smell came to his nose. It was disgusting.

Meg, of course, felt dizzy. She knew what that creepy smell means. She thanked God that she hasn't eaten anything in the last hours and took some long and depth breaths. Slivko kissed her on the head and squish her shoulder to cheer her up. It felt like going back on time, to good times, before the war, before the breakup, before that crazy mission. She rested her head on Slivko's chest, wishing she could stay there forever.

But they had to keep moving.

When they finally reach the top they found out the source of the smell. In the valley, two giant skeletons were in the middle of a decomposition process. The earth around it was dry and dead and a white vapor moved between the bones like a ghost.

"What the hell is this place?" Slivko asked.

"This is what's left of Kong's parents" Marlow answered.

Meg started coughing, the smell threatening to close her throat. Slivko took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. She took it, giving him thanks with her eyes, and began to breathe through the fabric.

"The crash site is just on the other side of this valley. We'll cross through and make it to the highest point west" Packard announced.

"This place is a real no-no, sir" Marlow said trying to make the Colonel enter reason.

"I'm not leaving Jack out there!" defended Packard "Now who is with me?"

Meg looked around begging that someone be brave enough to put Packard in his place. But that didn't happen. Soldiers won't disavow their Colonel, and scientists maybe were too afraid of him. And was also the guilt; what if Chapman was truly alive? Could anybody live with that doubt? «Damn it!» Thought Meg; Packard had a point.

"We can make it," Conrad said.

"You're mighty right, we can make it. Now, stay sharp. Keep an eye out" said Packard and the group started moving again.

But Meg stayed stuck. A bad feeling stopped her, the same feeling that she felt before getting up on the helicopters. Something was wrong and she refused to go forward.

"Hey" Slivko saw her pale face again and hug her. "We're going to be fine"

"Is everything ok?" Randa asked approaching the couple.

"I think she is sick," Slivko said.

"The fumes are strong" Randa put a hand on Megan's forehead. "There's no fever"

Meg felt that she had been teletransported to some parallel universe. Bones, corpses and giant beasts were the least; the strangest thing of all was being between those two men. With her head resting on Slivko's chest, she could listen to his heartbeat; while felt the warm of Randa's touch on her forehead. «I should introduce them,» she thought. But the very idea made her sweat cold. Formalities were not her strength. In fact, if the situation was different and they'll be on the commodity of their living room, the stress wouldn't be less.