Coming Undone

Chapter 32

"Do we have any more masks?"

Juan frantically sifted through another locker, plucking out a pair of oxygen masks as a human trotted by with an armload of them. Runt stood by, waiting inside the safety of his suit as the bunker very slowly used up its air. The bunker wasn't as safe as Runt had hoped. In fact, as his stomach tied itself into a thousand more knots, he was starting to realize it was a death trap.

"Last one I could find." Juan said, pulling a third out of a locker. "We don't have enough for everyone. Some people will have to pair up."

Runt nodded and shifted uncomfortably.

The situation was bad enough, being trapped in the bunker. Now they were fighting the clock, running out of air as they tried to decide what to do, and how to do it.

Jonah approached from Runt's right.

"Hey, Runt." he said.

Runt gave him his attention.

"We're getting a plan together. We need any weapons, armor, hardsuits, anything like that you've got. Where can we access that?"

Runt chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment. He knew the bunker kept a small handful of weapons, but he didn't know where. The others might have already taken them.

"Sorry, I dunno." Runt replied. "Juan, you know where we could get more guns and stuff?"

The Rojax looked up at the ceiling and thought.

"Uh... yeah, probably. Can you take care of the masks?" he asked, holding them out.

Runt took them.

"Yeah, show Jonah where we keep stuff. I'll get everything else handled."

Juan nodded and started to lead Jonah away, leaving Runt alone with an armload of masks and a soul full of apprehension. He swallowed his concern and began to walk back to the main hall. Quixxa intercepted him on his way there.

"Hey, Runt." She said, her backpack on tight and her sidearm strapped overtop of her shirt.

She looked over her shoulder, and stopped right next to him.

"We got a way out of here?" she asked.

"We're working on it." He said. "Don't worry. We're going to be fine."

Quixxa adjusted her backpack and dug something small out of her pocket.

"Look, it's not 'we' I'm worried about. It's you."

She extended her hand and laid a capped syringe atop the masks he was carrying.

"I'll be fine." She said, her eyes searching his, serious and unblinking. "I want to make sure you are."

Runt nodded and took the syringe in hand.

"Yeah... I'll try."

"Don't try. Do." She said emphatically. "We're almost out of this mess. Don't lose it now."

Runt nodded, swallowing again as her warnings made his anxiety start to sound its alarms. Knots stared to tie themselves in his intestines, his suit's heads up flashing an icon that said it was stabilizing tremors in his hands.

There was something wrong. She seemed to know it too.

Runt hoped it was just the drugs.

"I'll be alright." he reassured her. "Really."

She smiled at him.

"Yeah, I know. You might look a bit nervy, but I know you. Tough as nails. Keep it frosty Runt." She said, slapping his armor as she walked away.