To Be A Hero

Chapter 48: Rockabye

I snuggle in a bit closer to Sam, my eyes just barely fluttering open. After three days of running, and knowing tomorrow I'll be gone literally all day, I've been trying to get as much rest as possible.

But it's really hard since my pillow keeps squirming around.

"Stop moving," I groan, squeezing my eyes shut once again.

"Sorry," He says, although even with my eyes closed I know he's smiling. "You know, just because you have nothing to do today doesn't mean I'm free to let you sit here and cling to me like this. I have a run to cover in about a half hour."

I really do have a spectacular whine worked up in my throat, but it fades off into nothing when I open my eyes and see him looking down at me with a half apologetic, half amused look that makes me huff, my heart skipping a beat.

"You can't look at me like that," I grumble. "It makes me not want to be mad at you."

"Are you mad at me?"

"I mean, I didn't like that you woke me up. I don't get to sleep in that often, you know."

He gives me an apologetic smile-a genuine one-and presses a chaste kiss to my lips, and I almost choke on my own breath from the surprise. "I know. I'm sorry. But I seriously do have to get ready for this run. I know it's just a supply mission, but you know how Janine's been on edge about everything lately."

I don't say anything, mostly because I know he's right. Janine's been interrogating Tom for the past two days now, but she's having him in her farmhouse rather that the psychiatric detention room, and there are some times  screams are loud enough to escape the walls. People have been avoiding that part of Abel because it sounds so bad.

I don't know what Janine's doing to him, but it's not pretty. Maybe the truth serum hurts when it's injected... maybe it just hurts altogether. Maybe those children made the same screams after they ate the yummy bubblegum flavored tablets that were given to them.

I flinch at the thought, and Sam notices. He gives me a concerned look, but I just pull him closer to me.

"Can we just stay like this for a few minutes more? Please." I give him a hopeful smile, and he rolls his eyes.

"Fine. But only for like, five more minutes, alright?"

"Stop pretending you don't enjoy this," I murmur, shifting slightly as I rest my head on his shoulder.

"I-I'm not. But I just don't want to be unprepared for a mission like this one just because it's small. On the big ones-well, I'm usually not told much about the important runs until you're already out there running, but when I do get mission briefings, I usually try to go over them and all that a little early."

"Well, you can go over your notes early when I leave tomorrow on my road trip."

He scoffs. "Road trip. Ellie said that as if you were going to be gone and not home until after Christmas or something. You'll be gone in the morning, and back around nine at night. You'll be exhausted, but you won't be gone for longer than a day."

"Yeah, but you'll miss me when I'm gone."

"I don't see how. I'm going to be your operator."

"Seeing me on a screen and being in the same room with me are different things," I say, sending a pointed look at him. "At least, it's different for me."

"It is different, but I'll have a close eye on you and Paula, and I'll keep you both safe, and you will be back in here, with me, like this, by tomorrow night."

"Yeah... I guess you're right," I say with a yawn, although something about just where we're heading tomorrow makes my chest tighten uncomfortably. Of course, I don't tell Sam that, because it could just be nerves or something. I mean, I felt distrust towards the Ministry for a long while, and they actually seem pretty decent. I mean, they're still shady, especially Steve, but at least they aren't the type of people that will stab you in the back at any given chance.