unfortunate ➸ primeval

Chapter 8

Lester's soldiers arrived within the hour to begin boarding up the house and making it secure, ensuring nobody suffered a fate like Quinn's little brother and his friend, and no one suffered the trauma like Ryan Mason did.

Exiting the incredible house for the last time, Clara leaned against the railings on the porch next to Quinn, sending him a grateful smile.

"They never found my brother's body," he sighed. "Maybe the creature didn't get him. Maybe he went through the, uh. . ."

"Anomaly," she filled in for him.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"You know," Jenny intervened from behind them from where she had been listening, hands in her pockets. "That was a long time ago now, Danny. Maybe it's time just to let him go."

"Maybe you're right," Danny nodded curtly, before shoving his hands in his pockets and wandering off, as did Jenny.

Connor came out the house, hanging up the phone as he did so. He grinned at Clara knowingly. "I just phoned Cutter," he elaborated. "Told him he was right about his prediction."

"What did he say?" Clara asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well, his words exactly? Something like: of course I was right," Connor imitated in a very bad Scottish accent, causing Clara to snort loudly.

On the way out of the house, Clara split off from Connor and found Danny staring up at the house, as though he was saying his final goodbyes. "Jenny might not be right, you know," she interrupted his thoughts, making him jump.

"How so?" He questioned, composing himself quickly.

"I know what it's like," she told him. "Losing a little brother. Only, unlike you, I know what happened to mine."

"What happened?"

"He was killed," Clara sighed, blinking rapidly to stop herself from crying. "By creatures similar to that one."

"I'm sorry," Danny said sincerely. Clara waved him off.

"Don't be," she dismissed good-naturedly. "It was eight months ago, now. And yeah, time makes it easier, but I'll never let him go. Not until the day I die, and we'll be reunited again."

"What's your point to all this?" Danny asked, though not unkindly. More curious.

"Don't let your brother go," she finished. "Get over him, yeah. But don't let him go." With that, she walked away and back to the cars that would transport her back to the ARC, leaving a very startled Danny Quinn behind.

——

Returning back to the ARC, Clara found herself apprehended by Captain Becker the moment she stepped into the hallway. "Clara," he interrupted, taking her firmly by the upper arm. "Professor Cutter wants you to see something."

"Okay. . ." Clara trailed off, unsure as to what was going on. If Nick wanted something, why couldn't he just get her himself?

Letting herself be dragged by Becker, she found herself in the medical bay the ARC had to offer, glancing at the white sheet covering a large lump underneath. Clara inhaled sharply as all horrific thoughts came to the front of her mind and horrible scenarios flashed before her eyes. Shaking her head, she ridded herself of them.

"What's this?" She asked, gesturing to the lump.

Becker let go of her arm and approached the sheet, gently peeling away the upper half so Clara could see what - or, who - lay underneath. Her hand flew to her mouth as she stepped closer to the bed the body was laid on, and she felt her brows furrow.