He Was Almost Absorbed By The System - Part Two

Chapter One Hundred And Eighty Five - Life And Loss

Aston's squad did not return triumphantly, bringing with them just two bolts of cloth (one having been left behind) and reddened, tear stained faces. At first, those on base wondered why? This squad usually came and went with such noise and fanfare it was a wonder they did not attract every zombie in the city! And then they counted numbers. Where was Hilton?

A group of girls who happened to be walking to the greenhouses that morning paused to watch the despondent squad, before one by one falling to their knees and wailing their grief. Men close by wondered what had happened and when they caught sight of the infamous squads crestfallen forms, they shook their heads and bitterly carried on with their day.

The squad made their way to the general's headquarters, the old switch board building and were met with men and women who shared with them their pain in silence, thinking of their own fallen comrades, before taking the cloth from their loose grasp. Lucian was standing before the door, his soft skin pale and eyes puffy from grief and lack of sleep. He gave the squad a brave smile, which broke Mabel first and she came running to embrace him in her arms and wept enough for them both. The men patted him on the back before entering the building to give their report to the general.

That was the extent of their goodbyes for Hilton. They could offer him no more. Lives were lost too often and the base would be in a permanent state of mourning should they act out every funeral and recall every lost person. But that did not mean that they would not weep for him in their hearts.

Kyan too had shed his tears. Although he had heard vaguely from the Master that Aidan still lived, he would not divulge in what condition, so Kyan could only take comfort in the fact that he was not lost forever... even though he no longer could live in this world. With him. Kyan could not chase him either. The five outsiders were still here, still needed to be sent safely on their way. Kyan could only bitterly bite his tongue and live on.

It was not that this had not happened in the past, Kyan had lived several years without Rush, although he had been unaware of their shared history at that time and he had also survived Adam for a while, where he was aware. That latter time had been as difficult, but he knew that Aidan waited for him in the Master's space. It was the not knowing, not being able to say that Aidan was well, that the corruption had not taken root in his soul that was hurting Kyan now.

He threw himself into a routine, just to get through each day. Waking up, tending his plants, making potions and retiring to his bed, dreaming of the time when Hilton warmed the mattress beside him. Mabel had to ask Virgil to watch him when she could not, for he often forgot or rather chose not to eat. In turn, Virgil learned a little about the secret garden in the basement. Kyan told him how the plants could not touch sunlight for they would turn into monstrous forms that would attempt to feed from them rather than the other way around.

Virgil did not truly believe him at first, as sceptical as any ten year old could be. How could a plant hurt a human? But then, the light was once reflected into the hidden greenhouse via an ill placed piece of metal and open front door and one of the plants began to grow rapidly before his eyes, it's leaves turning jagged and sharp. Kyan calmly cut it down with an axe and made sure that the greenhouse was more secure in the future.

Days past into weeks, weeks into years. Kyan formally took on Virgil, his younger sister, Elsie and another girl with plant based abilities as apprentices. Their jobs was to take care of the special herbs that made up the potions that were so important to their lives. The Prevention of Zombification potion, the Growth Accelerator potion (for speeding up the vegetable growth) and the Water Cleansing potion, which both cleaned and sterilised water better than the machine and boiling, though the machine was still used in conjunction.