"My little girl…" A gruff voice draws Cole's gaze away from the sandbox; full of sand and toys. Her innocent gray eyes find a tall man, dressed in a business suit. The top of his head was bald, and he has round ears, a pair of thick dark eyebrows, and dark eyelashes surrounding his gentle brown eyes. A large nose, and dark lips that spread into a bright smile; above his pointy chin."DAD!" Cole dashes toward him, leaving the crowded school playground."Baby". He coos, holding out his arms as she runs into them."Oh god, people are staring". A tall teenage girl nears with a nervous look. Clutching the straps of her backpack."Rosey!" Cole's infant voice echoes as she peeks over her dad's shoulder. After he picks her up for a hug."Ro-sa-lie baby…" Their dad tries to correct.Rosalie shifted uncomfortably, nervous under the stares. Every kid and parent was looking their way. "Let's go. Please. Dad?" Rosalie whispers, her similar gentle brown eyes shift down. She decides to pretend to be
Over the days, the weather got warmer. Vincent and Eris were hard at work, while Tuck spent afternoons skating within the halls. Often, he left to enjoy the sunny day. However, he always returned to see Cole.Vincent secretly worried Tuck was having too much play time with the patient. As he was much more athletic than Cole...Then one morning, he walked in to find the pair practicing the Warrior Pose and other less challenging exercises. Cole had a smile and hardly had to stop to catch her breath. Unlike the first week, when she could barely get across the room without panting. Today she wore a candy-blue two-piece yoga outfit. Her toffee-brown locks are spun in a pair of buns. While a dimpled smile stretches on her pink lips. Today marked the 103rd day, and Cole's was healing well.To Tuck's surprise, Cole lowers herself into a full split."How are you doing that?" Tuck stares from where he posed; on his yoga mat. Then he stood straight and watched as Vincent entered the room. "Come
A moonless night fell over the Floridian home. Cole delighted in viewing starry constellations, so much that she was unaware of the grieving veterans. Some self-quarantine, while others wander the night. Heaviness in their hearts, there seemed to be no end to the pain.Worn with guilt and sorrow, Natalie hides within the cherry painted walls of her office. Where her bereaved state is first discovered by Eris. He desired to comfort her, however, all Natalie desired was a drink, and Eris provided it.Many hours into the night, Eris and Vincent pronounced the death of another patient. A veteran who was the husband of Sadie Santana, their group's only science engineer."How did he get sick?" Natalie questions in private, glancing at both doctors. Grief and exhaustion wears in her tone as she leans back in her chair. A drink in her hand did nothing for the severity of stress that weighed on her soul. In vain, she made every effort to prevent more infection. An outbreak was consuming everyth
"Vin… Vin… BLONDIE!" Tuck's voice calls eagerly from his right. Vincent stirred awake, lifting his head to see that Tuck was pointing at his wrist. Where a similar tech wristlet was beeping away."Could you turn that off? Jeez…" Tuck groans, rubbing his tired eyes as he is about to return to bed."Oh god…" Vincent stares at his wristlet, which showed an increase in his patient's heart rate. "Why is she awake?" He mumbled, forcing himself to sit upright. "It's 1am… Cole's never up this early.""She's probably having a nightmare." Tuck guesses, throwing himself back in bed.Vincent chewed his lip as he thought about it. Eventually, he laid back down and silenced the wristlet.--"SOMEONE!"Eris opened his eyes, instinctively pulling out his pistol from his clutter. Natalie did the same as she slipped from their bed and entered the hall."That was Cole!” Tuck came out of his room but was yanked back in by his collar."Don't leave the room". Vincent blocks him quickly and shuts the door.N
Cole sucked in a breath, and without another thought, threw herself forward.Flashes of her past flood her mind. Like looking at shiny gold treasures in a chest. Cole remembered the moments when her parents smiled, when her sister giggled, when things were simple, safe and beautiful…Her ears filled with distant flutters of bird wings. Until the flutters became pops again and murmurs became shouts."COLE!"All at once, her gray eyes opened, and the full moon’s glory filled her vision."COLE WHERE ARE YOU?" A voice shouts. Cole's heart pounds as she realizes it was Tuck shouting for her. She frantically looked around, seeing that she had indeed landed on the terrace. While her attacker lay unconscious on a broken table; which was crushed under his weight."COLE!"Another shout makes Cole turn her head to the right, finding the house door. Right away she knew Tuck was checking every room on the third floor.The floor creaked, drawing her gaze left again, and Cole's gray eyes went wide. A
"There's time for that later". Went Vincent, as he looked her over for other injuries before slipping on an extra mask over her face. "Take deep breaths. Don't think about anything else".Cole breathed in and out; feeling his gentle touch on her arm. "You're going to be okay…"A moment passes. Then another, as Cole mentally processes what happened. Turning her head to see the man, Lucas, lying in a pool of his own blood with a piece of a chair leg nearby. The wooden thing was stained at one end. Immediately Cole knew what the Doctor had done…“Oh… Oh he’s dead…” Cole repeats as her breaths become harder."Breathe Cole". Vincent touches her cheek. Guiding her vision away from the sight when her breathing becomes feverish."V-Vin… M-My window". Cole tries to speak, starting to feel the pain in her bones. In her mind, she remembered the trio that broke into the house."I know". Went Vincent. "They broke in. It'll be over soon"."Come here". Vincent carefully lifted Cole to sit up. One han
Natalie's scream pierces through noises of gunfire. The sound reaches Eris, who rushed from his spot near the front door. Into the living room, where Natalie was pinned under a man who hasn't met him yet.Eris yanks him off, slamming him to the floor and beating him in a rage. Natalie got up, firing shots toward the yard as she neared Eris. "They're retreating! Eris! Those bastards have our supplies!"Standing up straight, Eris stood over the unconscious man and glanced at the window. Then at Natalie. "You're injured". he says, looking at a bullet wound in her left arm."It's just a flesh wound". Natalie sniffles as she casually reloads her silver pistol. "I'll be fine…" She exhales, but Eris could tell she was trying to hide her pain."Let's go get our stuff back". Natalie takes the lead and heads for the door.--Curled up on the floor, Cole holds her sore stomach while the intruder reaches down for the weapon. Only to be shoved into another wall. Cole turned her head to see Vincent
Cole lay in bed, eyes open and staring blankly at the white ceiling. The room was filled with morning light. She breathed lightly, waiting for whatever analgesic Vincent gave her to finally kick in.Eventually, it did. The soreness in her bones was nonexistent, except for some slight stinging in her right thigh.A bag of blood dangled to the left of the bed. The intravenous tube extended carefully to the bed. Vincent eyed the blood as it traveled through the tube. Cole observed the side of his face that was partially protected by the mask. A red streak on his skin showed beneath his jaw. As if someone had attempted to strangle him…Cole turned away before he could see her face. Hoping he didn't notice tears spill from her eyes. She breathed deep and willed herself to stop. Though her heart remained sore.The sting of fluid didn't help as Vincent started cleaning her smaller injuries.Once it was over, Vincent put away his kit and ordered Tuck to stay with the patient. Whatever was goin