To Be A Hero

Chapter 49: Monster

"Aw, who's a strong girl, then? Hey? It's daddy's big strong girl," Sam says.

"Aw, she's smiled," Maxine says. "She smiled at you."

"It was a burp," Paula says, her lips pursed.

"How do you know?"

"Because my baby is not smiling for the first time when I'm not there."

"Oh, no. No, you're right," Sam says with a small sigh. "She's too young to smile. It was just a burp. Look, she's doing it again, though!"

"If you'd taken my advice, Dr. Cohen, you'd be here to see this," Janine says sternly, and Paula rolls her eyes in response.

"You can't keep me in cotton wool, Janine. We're all useful to Abel, remember? We may be new parents, but Maxi can treat patients, Sam's an operator, and I can run. I mean, you had no objections to Five coming on this mission, and she's got two new children to look after."

"For the last time, Phineas and Adora are not my kids," I groan. "Milo and Penelope are mine, but not the other two. Just because I rescued them doesn't mean I adopted them. And I went out on missions after I adopted my three anyway. I'm perfectly able to run."

"As am I. And it feels good to be out. I'm better. Sam made me better."

"I have super-powered blood," He says, laughing as though he still can't quite believe it.  "I mean, that's like, a childhood dream come true."

Paula nods. "Yes. There's some irony in knowing that what I needed was an injection from you to heal me."

"Oh, no. You're making it weird now."

Janine sighs in annoyance. "Would you please just-I am trying to guide Runners Five and Twenty-three through a mission. I'm trying to keep them safe."

You say that, and yet you didn't let us bring any weapons.

I think I argued with Janine for about twenty minutes before we left this morning about me at least bringing my axe, but she refused. And I don't really understand why, considering we might need them where we're going. But I hold my tongue, knowing that aggravating her would not be wise.

"Okay, alright," Sam sighs. "Just, well, you know Sarah likes it when you make those faces at her. Can you just...?"

"I'm working, Mr. Yao," She replies.

"Well, this is work, kind of. It's, um... ah! 'Employee sleep improvement facilitation.'"

"Fine."

Paula and I both smile when we hear Sarah coo in delight.

"Okay," Maxine says, "time for us to get Sarah down for her nap."

I hear the coms shack open and then close again. I tsk, a bit miffed that Janine decided last minute that she would be our operator instead of Sam. I argued with her about that too, because she said Sam would be operator and she would be there as aid, but she changed her mind because she says it's best if she is operator and she can focus better when she is alone.

"Runner Twenty-three, Runner Five, you're nearly at your destination," Janine announces. "We're attempting to learn how someone has been controlling the semi-sentient zoms, particularly the one that I allowed to kidnap your baby."

Paula frowns. "Janine, it wasn't your fault."

"It was my responsibility, and it's also my responsibility to ensure nothing similar ever happens again. So, when I heard rumors of a group in possession of tame zoms, I felt it worth investigating."