by Nathan Ward
“We’re breaking some rules here, boy!” He claimed as he wandered over to the closest cubicle and pulled down what was left of his uniform.
This is the closest we will ever get to normality, was the thought that ran through his mind as dark yellow urine flowed into the bottom of the toilet bowl in a powerful stream, triggering a surprising sense of satisfaction which the Captain conveyed through a glorious grin that would have given the Cheshire cat a run for its money...
Back inside the medical complex, the group had already stripped away what was left of their gowns and crimson soaked leathers, Kevin knelt down on to the warm tiled surface and begun handing out the brand new uniforms from under the cupboard. The uniforms were the casual white leathers that were issued to the human UNA soldiers, Steph gave a look of disapproval as Kevin handed over her set.
“I just can’t escape these things” she said, stood with the same leathers in her left hand, just ripped and blood stained from her misadventures.
“Be glad they’re not the navy ones, besides white is a holy colour…” Michael replied, wearing nothing but his dirty underwear, reaching for his uniform being handed over by Kevin.
“I suppose you’ve got a point there,” Steph smirked, slipping her legs inside and pulling the white leather up and over her shoulders, then to finish up with a final tug of the zip which fastened the uniform around her chest, “Maybe we’ll get a shower tonight…never thought I’d be considering that!”
Michael turned to Steph in excitement.
“Blimey that would be fantastic,” he said, as he pulled his leathers over his stomach and around his chest.
The two girls and Kevin were a little slower suiting up but they got there eventually, finding it fascinating how the uniforms had boots built into them, it must have been a surprising delight after just an hour earlier being in fear of losing their lives within the destruction of the tower, now they were rediscovering comfort, almost enough to wipe away the horrors of all they had lived through – if only it were possible to ever forget...
As soon as all their zips clunked to the top of the uniform they piled in and wrapped their arms around each other, they didn’t want to let go, Steph could see so much happiness in their eyes – it was a pleasure to see, especially for Murdock who arrived back inside the medical complex to catch a glimpse of them.
The Captain had also stripped away his uniform and was completely stark naked as he wandered across the room to grab a hold of his new set of leathers.
“Nothing we’ve not seen before now is it,” he claimed as he felt a number of eyes burning against his flesh.
“I’m comfortable to say I’m a heterosexual, Captain. But man do you have a fine set of abs!” Michael added, handing out a compliment that was pleasantly received.
“You’re too kind, Mike,” he replied, stepping in to the warm fabric then pulling the leather up and around his muscular body.
Murdock now looked brand new, like a day hadn’t passed since Steph first cast her eyes over him - apart from the dark bushy beard that had grown in place of the clean shaven face, but the beard made him look much older and far wiser, even Murdock himself had thought that as he left the women’s toilets and caught a glimpse of his reflection, perhaps it was going to be a permanent fixture, he’d considered – but now there were matters that needed addressing as chit chat and humour were flushed from the room.
“Now you’ll be wondering where we go next and yes, I do have something to ask of you all.” Murdock looked each and every one of the group directly in the eye and they exchanged the very same look of understanding.
“Our wounded are in desperate need of medical attention which neither of us possess, not to mention me and Steph came from a community of people who are waiting for us across the country in a small outpost not far from Norfolk.” He paused to take a breath, once again glancing at Kevin and his daughters to make sure they were still behind the idea, then he continued to explain.
“What I need to happen is this, I need you Michael with the navigational abilities of Steph, who will recognise the outpost, to fly there. We extract our people and bring them back here, to our safe house, until we can begin branching out and populating the city - but that’s not all. Kevin, you can help out by taking a second UNA wasp air ship which will be stationed on the roof to assist in the extraction…”
Kevin felt the pressure of the task suddenly press against his chest, he took a deep and aggressive breath of air then voiced his concerns.
“I can’t fly something like that, I know it’s the same situation, but I can’t,” he explained as fear shone in his gaze.
“Yes you can, your daughters will help you and I’ll show you how to do it! A five minute guide to becoming a world class pilot, how about it? This will not be as scary as it sounds, I promise” replied Murdock.
He had hoped his words would calm Kevin who was blatantly terrified, the sweat was pouring from his brow and his hands were beginning to shake, but then as Murdock approached him and placed his hand upon his shoulder he begun to settle, remembering all he had done for him and his girls, and he caught the look of confidence in Murdock's eyes and gave a slight nod.
“Ok, let’s give it a crack.”
Murdock smiled then led the three of them out of the complex and towards their mode of transport which awaited them on the roof, while Steph and Michael returned to the streets where the war bird was peacefully perched and ready for its flight.
Chapter 47: United and Times Gone By
The roar of the aircraft's jet engines rumbled against the nearby buildings as they took to the skies and departed towards the east of England where the surviving community had been in hiding and waiting Murdock's return, however he had not gone with either Michael in the War bird or Kevin in the UNA wasp carrier – Murdock had remained at the medical complex with an idea burning away in his mind like a hot coal. Suddenly it could burn no more and he made his decision – there was no time to waste...
He marched back inside the medical bay and ran straight over to Joy, who was laid up on a bed furthest from the entrance. She was still unconscious and wearing the dirty off white leathers streaked with blood stains.
Murdock knelt at her side and looked down at her, he was glad that a white sheet wasn’t to be pulled over her face, even though she looked like she ought to be in agony with the black and blue covering her skin.
“I can’t help but feel guilty, Joy…I know it was your choice and that I warned it was going to be dangerous…”
“But…we….might not…have won, otherwise...” said Joy under her breath. Murdock's eyes lit up with renewed hope.
“You had me worried, honestly - I’m so glad you’re still with me!” he added, reaching for her hand, grasping it softly and stroking the back of it gently with his fingertip, “Can’t quite imagine a future without you, although…I also can’t help but sense that things are going to change rather soon.”
“Why…do you…think that?” she asked.
It was clear by her struggle to speak that this conversation was taking every effort she could muster, she was weak and fading fast, but then as she cast what was left of her sight on Murdock's roughened face, despite how close she felt she might be drifting towards death, butterflies came back to life in her stomach as she looked into the eyes of the man who had captured her heart – it was entirely his, even if he didn't know it...
“Murdock?”
He didn’t respond, he simply turned away to glance out of the window as the sun shined through it, brightening the room.
“I guess its because I don’t know what’s going to happen, there’s a lot still to manage and people are the most complicated beings to walk this Earth,” he finally explained, turning back to look Joy in the eye.
“You won’t leave me…will you?” Joy feared, clutching her side as a pain shot up it, “Murdock? Don't...leave -”
“Of course I won’t, are you okay? Let me have a look at you…”
&n
bsp; Murdock removed Joy's hand from her stained uniform and a river of crimson begun to leak from an exit wound down on to the medical beds surface.
“Jesus, Joy!” Murdock exclaimed in a subtle panic, reaching for some instruments laid out on the side closest to him.
“I’m okay, really…”
“You bloody aren't!” he responded, taking a set of scissors to her dark grey phase 2 uniform and cutting a panel away where the blood was pumping from.
As he removed it, the surface of her stomach appeared to be engulfed in tears, slices and stabbing wounds – the blood loss was catastrophic, Murdock knew he had to act fast as Joy had become most vulnerable in a matter of seconds.
“The agent, what pocket?” he demanded, speaking clearly with ascendancy.
“Please, there’s…there are others who need it more than me…” Joy cried with no self worth, just the thought of the agent going to waste when it was probably the last vial in existence.
Murdock rummaged through her pockets until he felt the cylindrical shape that the agent was contained in – disregarding all she had said.
“Joy, there’s no one I can think of who deserves this more than you. I will always owe you a debt, you saved my life and now this is my chance to save yours because if you don’t take this, you WILL die. You understand?”
“You owe…you owe me nothing, Murdock,” she muttered weakly, reaching for him, placing her hand against his rough bearded face.
Then fell a moment of silence, all that could be heard were distant rumbles as loose debris fell into the streets from buildings that were left in a state of disarray, crumbling as fires cooled and winds swept through.
Murdock lowered his head so Joy could reach him, he closed his eyes and let her run her fingers through his hair, the closeness of him was a clear comfort to her. And he wanted her to live. He knew that Lynch needed it more, but to him it was down to who deserved it, there wasn’t anyone he’d love to help more than loyal, irreplaceable Joy...
“Is Josh still out of it?” he asked, with his head buried against Joy’s uniform. She turned her head to look for Josh, it was more than of a challenge than she had anticipated, trying to find where in the room he was laid - but before she could spot him she felt a stabbing pain press into her flesh. Murdock had administered the agent while she was looking away, he pressed the injection trigger firmly then pulled it from her skin.
“You might be wondering how I got the scars, well let's just say that stuff works a treat. You deserve the new lease of life!” Murdock claimed as he moved in and planted a kiss upon Joy's head.
It was only a matter of minutes before she fell in to a deep sleep, a symptom of the agent which helped with the curing process. Thankfully as Joy entered the land of nod, Josh begun to awake – the least damaged of the three and he’d not seen a thing. Murdock popped the used injection needle into a chromed bin as he made his way over to him, ruffling his hand through his hair upon approach.
“It’s good to see you, my friend,” Murdock said as Josh cast him a frustrated smile. “I feel like death!”
As he spoke, Josh wiped away dried dirt from his forehead but still tried his best not to move too much, there were still a few wounds from the incubator tubing that pained him, but nothing that couldn’t be stitched and patched up.
“Would you like some water, mate?” asked Murdock, already stepping towards what seemed to look like a sink.
“Please.”
Josh begun to look about the room, then finally set his eyes on Lynch, they widened as the unexpected image processed through his mind.
“Poor bastard, what on earth happened to him?” he asked, just as Murdock had finished pouring his drink and was making his way back over to him.
“He made the ultimate sacrifice, took himself out in order to stop the UNA troops advancing. Saved your life…”
Murdock sat against the bed and handed over the cup of water to Josh, he took a quick sip then met the Captain’s gaze.
“Will he survive?”
“Your bet is as good as mine, but help is on the way…so is your daughter.”
At the thought of his child, Josh smiled and Murdock was sure he hadn’t looked happier in all the time he had ever spent with him.
Murdock:
“Eventually, after what felt like a lifetime of waiting in silence with the sound of occasional groans from Lynch and the odd slurp of water from Josh, the war bird and the wasp arrived back, dropping off the first of the community who came wandering in with curious eyes.
Occasionally we had a flurry of ex nurses and doctors come to the aid of our wounded. Captain Lynch got the treatment he deserved and was thoroughly looked after until more could be done. That day we all made many friends and tightened bonds where familiar faces were reunited.
I can still remember when Joshes pal Gary arrived, I’d never seen a man run so fast and embrace like that, almost brought a tear to my eye but then I was distracted by the moment, the sight of her caught me completely off guard. There she stood, just as I had always imagined her, like no other…My heart fluttered, it felt like a dream I guess...”
As masses of the community poured into the complex all he could see was her beautiful face beaming from behind the crowd, Sasha was at a stand still, in complete awe of him like the first time they ever felt attraction. Murdock ran as fast as he could, pushing aside fellow comrades until he could grab a hold of her and lift her above his head.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and lowered her head towards his, resting their foreheads together and staring into each others souls.
“I love you…” said Murdock, blind to the people around him, for all that mattered was her and her only. A bright redness begun to glow from Sasha's cheeks and then she repeated the very same words:
“I love you… more than anything in this world!”
They couldn’t take their eyes off one another, they breathed heavily as both their hearts raced before sharing a long and passionate kiss, it felt never ending in the moment, like time had come to a stop while Murdock spun on the spot, turning like the hands on a clock – binding those who had been torn apart by the monsters that were now just remnants of a past that in that moment, felt like nothing more than a fading bad dream.
The two of them were like diamonds among pebbles, their love for one another shining brightly as the droves of people were piling around them and dispersing all over the complex like excitable children who hadn’t been let loose for weeks – while Murdock and Sasha remained in a tight embrace at the centre of the pleasant chaos. When he finally put her down, her gaze remained locked with his.
“So you remember me now?” she asked as Murdock looked her up and down, checking over the state of her uniform.
“You’re not hurt are you?”
“Just a few scratches here and there, no change. I…could do with a shower, are there showers here?” she asked with excitement in her eyes as no one had taken a shower in what felt like months... Then that train of thought shifted to one of concern as Murdock's eyes strayed away elsewhere, and his face conveyed sudden building fury and rage.
“Nathan, I can explain!” she said urgently, realising who he had seen:
Captain Jordan had arrived holding a small body in his arms, he was stood under the archway with Steph at his side and she looked broken, with tears trailing down her cheeks. She was holding on to the small humans hand as Jordan carried her inside the complex, but Murdock couldn’t contain himself as he begun to advance towards the man that he had considered an enemy of his group.
“BASTARD!” Murdock roared as Sasha scuttled in front of him, pressing against his chest and placing her hands on his shoulders.
“Murdock, stop! You don’t understand what happened!”
But the Captain brushed aside her attempt to calm the situation, as he continued to march on, gritting together his teeth and glaring in to the eyes of Jordan as if there was no tomorrow- at least, not for one of them if the fight he was
ready for ensued...
“Murdock, control yourself! Please, you have come so far!” Sasha begged.
Then as he arrived within reaching distance of Captain Jordan, Steph stepped in front of him and pressed herself between Jordan and Murdock's thunderous force. “You look at me, Murdock…” Steph said, with her bottom lip trembling and tears dripping from her chin.
He pulled away slightly and lowered his gaze to the body that Jordan was holding on to, it was Jennifer, Steph and Joshes only daughter – she didn’t look as if she was breathing.
“Is…Is…she, Steph?” he trembled, shaking as he wrapped his arms around Steph, supporting her with his shoulder where she suddenly broke out in an uncontrollable sob.
“Jordan…isn’t to blame, he isn’t to blame for this I promise…” Steph cried, holding tightly around Murdock’s neck, her tears streaming from her face, down the back of his white leather uniform as she spoke in a voice broken by emotion.
“I just arrived a fraction late…” claimed Jordan, who was immediately shut down by Murdock.
“SHUT YOUR FACE!” he ordered, with saliva dripping from his lip.
“Murdock…” Sasha came forward and knelt beside Steph, in front of his field of vision as some of the people begun to crowd around them, blocking Joshes view as he realised his wife had returned.
“Murdock, we attacked his land, we stole what wasn’t ours...”
“It wasn’t his either, none of this is anyone’s!” Murdock interrupted.
“Let me finish!” yelled Sasha, moving closer to the Captains’ face, “If we hadn’t driven him out, the UNA would have come and instead of one life being lost, no one here today would be alive! If Jordan didn’t develop a thirst for our blood he wouldn’t have come, he saw who we really were in that moment and he saved us…he SAVED us from extermination, Murdock! The UNA must have been tracking us and we led them to our safe place, if anyone is to blame it’s us, I’m so sorry Steph.”
