Super Troopers

Night Six

The Corporal led the group through the building, he didn't want to risk walking out in the open again. They walked through the building stopping at every door, corner on missing pieces of a wall so the Corporal could stop and check for an out of sight attacker. Once the room was cleared the Corporal let the boys walk through.

Jonathan locked eyes with the Corporal as he walked past him leading the boys into the next room.. The Corporal could tell Jonathan was growing weak, he pushed him to leave to soon. The Corporal went to the front of the line to lead them off again, The Corporal gave a quick turn and shot Jonathan a questioning look and Jonathan shook his head.

The Corporal kept walking, keeping his steps big but slow. Before Riley even knew it they were at the end of the building. The Corporal stopped, 'Everyone ready to run?' he questioned them, but keeping eye contact with Jonathan. Riley, Nicholas, Tucker and Adam nodded in his peripheral vision. After a few moments Jonathan nodded also.

The Corporal ran across first to the next building then signaled for the boys to run across next. Tucker ran first, crossing the gap in a few long bounds, then Adam followed in the same manner. Nicholas took a cautious step out into the open before taking short quick gallop like steps across the old alley way. Riley looked up at Jonathan who gave him a nod and a pat on the back.

'See you on the other side.' Jonathan said as he watched Riley run through the clearing, Jonathan watched Riley run into the building only to see his head pop out of the entrance waiting patiently for him. Jonathan took a deep breath and bolted to the entrance, that was really more of a person sized hole in the wall.

Jonathan leaned up against the wall struggling for air. When Jonathan stood he wobbled and before he knew it Riley had him propped up on his shoulder. Riley nodded at the Corporal who was giving him an unsure glance. The Corporal sighed and started walking through the building with his boys following him in a new order, Adam was right behind them, then Nicholas, then Tucker and then finally Jonathan hobbling along leaning on Riley's shoulder.

They made their way to the center of the building and the Corporal stopped them. He set his pack down and pitched his tent. The boys followed him in this, the Corporal watched Riley set Jonathan down and then refused his help pitching their tent. Riley was so skinny and frail, but yet he was so strong and independent.

The Corporal remembered Jonathan telling him about Riley's life, he watched in awe as the boy worked by himself without asking from help from the four other capable people. Riley tended to Jonathan and Jonathan only that night. When the Corporal found some food at the very bottom of his pack Riley gave his portion to Jonathan, along with his water. Jonathan sighed as Riley helped him into their tent that night, he'd never felt so helpless in his life. Riley had given him everything that day, and that night too. Jonathan laid down uncomfortably on his sheet, Riley threw his sheet over him and then provided his pack as a pillow to keep him elevated.  Riley sacrificed all he had to Jonathan that day, and he never felt more comforted by this thought.