To Be A Hero

Chapter 13: She Will Be Loved

I shiver, wrapping my blanket tighter around my shoulders. I crack open one eye, seeing Sam fast asleep in front of me. We're both sharing the cot in the coms shack, which is a first. But after everything that's happened yesterday, we were exhausted and desperate for sleep. Unlike most nights where we argue over who sleeps where, we both crashed on the cot, where we've both been fast asleep until the cold woke me up.

Janine's been looking at that Netrophil list Owen and I found yesterday. I'm not sure what we're going to do with it, since most of those people on that list are probably dead, and Netrophil is one of those things that you really have no idea what they do or what they're about. All we know for sure is that they're weird conspiracy nuts who are ultra dangerous, and, according to the Ministry, want to dominate everyone because they don't see any point not to since the world has ended.

I rub my face. There's so much to worry about, but the thoughts seem to fight over what should have my focus. I have this to worry about, along with Moonchild, and Milo who is still not talking to me unless we're having Bible study, and I can't forget about Nicole, and of course there's the entire search for the cure and-

I try to sit up, the blanket slipping from my shoulders, but as soon as I do, Sam's hand grabs me and pulls me back down on the cot. I let out an 'oof' in surprise, a second before I hear the radio operator groan sleepily.

"Go back to bed. It's too early for you to be getting up." His voice is low and hoarse from sleep, and I try ignore how incredibly attractive it sounds as I turn on my side to face him. His eyes are still closed.

"You don't even know what time it is," I say softly, laughing.

"Doesn't matter. Still too early. Now shut up and go back to sleep," He grumbles. "You need the rest. You have a supply run today."

"And what if I need to get up so I can stretch and get dressed for said supply run?" I ask with a smile.

"We haven't slept in that much." He pauses, cracking an eye open. "Have we?"

I give him no reply, just a small smile, so he sits up quickly to look at the clock on the wall, sending me an unamused look when he sees the time. "Not funny. It's not even close to you having to go on that supply run."

I giggle as he runs a hand through his messy hair. "We still need to get up though. Well, I do."

"Why?"

"Because a lot of the times I'm asked to help with kitchens, since I can cook... fairly decent. Plus since we went into that library with Ellie, runners have gone there and have taken some cookbooks. There's some sort of like, milk-less waffle that I tried out, and apparently I'm the only one who made it right, and it's been about... a week and a half?-since I made them. So they'll probably be sending somebody to come ask me to make them."

He flops back down with a groan. "That's not fair, especially when it's so close to your birthday."

I laugh at his dramatics. "I don't turn eighteen for another twelve days, and I wasn't even here in Abel when I turned seventeen, so working in the kitchens isn't all that bad."

"I know! I wasn't happy you weren't here when your birthday came around. Like I know you were on that Comansys ship with Caleb, but..." He trails off when my smile vanishes. "Oh. Sorry."

I quickly shake my head. "No, don't be. I brought it up in the first place, and you were just saying what happened. It's history. It's fact."

"Doesn't mean I have to talk about it."

"It's fine."

"It's not. Not when you're still not over it."

I look up at the ceiling, before shifting my eyes to look at Sam, his face inches from mine. "I don't think I ever will be."