Well, I was going to wait for 8:00, but I had it finished, and I didn't really see the point of waiting, so here you guys go. Early release
55.6% of readers chose to [B. Push for Gary to stay.]
"Sir, this man gave us a ride here to help you." Thomas spoke in the most respectful tone he could force himself to use. "You can't punish him for our mistakes. He was only trying to help."
Will's hard expression softened a bit. Thomas had that effect on people. It didn't always change people's minds, but Thomas' opinion most often influenced the other ones. Will mostly only got angry at Usui and Parker. His rage almost never extended to Thomas. "Look, I'm sorry, soldiers." He said. "I get you did what you thought was right, and I understand where you're coming from, but I want you to understand that this time...you were wrong."
"We weren't wrong, sir." Usui contradicted him. "We wouldn't have gotten back in time to save Max. And you know that. We stayed there until the police arrived and then we left. We didn't have enough time to get back."
"Maybe so, but at the very least, you could have tried."
"We couldn't have just left Parker there, sir." Thomas told him, still expressing his point. "He was injured."
"Max is dead, soldier." Will told him. He massaged his temple and looked down to the necklace hanging on his chest. He sighed and looked back up at the three of them. "Look, just send that guy away and we can call this all a wash."
Usui turned to Gary and nodded. "You should go. You're not a soldier. Civilians aren't really supposed to be here."
"Oh really?!" Gary laughed sarcastically. He rubbed his slicked back hair with his palm. "Listen, you guys talk about me like I'm some bird you can let back into the wild. Why don't I get a say in my own fucking trial?" The room stood silent for a moment and he seemed surprised, as though he expected a response. When he realized he wasn't getting one, he continued. "I came up here to drop you guys off. I came in to say I was sorry for hitting your man on the road. I never had any intentions of staying. I have to get back to my wife. So, am I free to leave, or does this guy have to call a recess first?"
"Well then, the choice becomes clear." Will laughed. He turned to the other men in the room. "Ousawa, if you could show this kindly gentleman the door."
"Yeah." Usui said, rubbing his hand over the head that had lost its greasy mop of black hair. "Come on, dude."
Usui walked towards the door of the morgue, wanting to get out of the aura of death that surrounded them. Gary followed closely behind. Thomas turned before they left the room and spoke to them. "Hey Gary." He turned right around to see what Thomas would say to him. "Stay safe, man."
"You too...man..." Gary replied awkwardly, realizing he didn't even know the names of the two men he gave rides to. He shut the door softly behind him. Thomas genuinely meant it. Although Gary seemed a bit arrogant to him, Thomas could tell he was a decent man. Something in the back of his head told him Gary would accomplish great things.
"Garter..." Will spoke after the door was closed. The light shining through the window in the corner of the room was dimming as the light of the day did. The dust particles floating through the room made it clear the morgue was not the cleanest. Thomas didn't want to think what it was from. "Garter, I hope you know we're friends. Our squad been together longer than most high school friendships."
"Yessir." Thomas replied. "We're friends."
"And I feel bad when I have to yell at you guys, but when you do things like that, I am still your Sergeant. The army has to come before that. I hope you understand." He sighed. Thomas felt a sense of sincerity in the man's voice that wasn't usually present. "I just want you to know it's not personal, okay?"
"Okay, sir."
Will cracked a small smile through the side of his mouth. "You're different from them Garter. You're a good man. Perhaps too good for your own sake. But you're an idealist. The world's not going bend to you just because you brake for birds. Sooner or later, you're gonna have to choose."
"Choose what?" Thomas asked.
"You're gonna have to choose if it's worth it; doing the right thing." He walked over to the other table where the devoured body of Max laid. "You're in the army now, Garter. I train ya to hold a gun, and that gun's not gonna brake for birds."
"It's not that simple..." Thomas sighed, letting his eyes fall into contact with Will's. It felt very uncomfortable and informal, but Will let it slide. Thomas, for the very first time, looked deeply into Will's brown eyes and saw a sorrow behind them. One he hadn't seen before.
Max's eyelids rose slowly, revealing blank spots where his blue eyes had been. What was left of his arms began to reach towards Will's face, in a pathetic attempt to grab him. The watery moaning the thing made was very unsettling. Thomas found it disgusting seeing a man with most of his torso missing, still seemingly alive.
"It's not that simple?" Will picked up the knife he had embedded it into the table and drove it deep into Max's head without losing eye contact with the soldier. The dead man's groan ceased and its arms fell back to the table. "It never is, Garter."
Well, I was going to wait for 8:00, but I had it finished, and I didn't really see the point of waiting, so here you guys go. Early release … more
55.6% of readers chose to [B. Push for Gary to stay.]
"Sir, this man gave us a ride here to help you." Thomas spoke in the most respectful tone he could force himself to use. "You can't punish him for our mistakes. He was only trying to help."
Will's hard expression softened a bit. Thomas had that effect on people. It didn't always change people's minds, but Thomas' opinion most often influenced the other ones. Will mostly only got angry at Usui and Parker. His rage almost never extended to Thomas. "Look, I'm sorry, soldiers." He said. "I get you did what you thought was right, and I understand where you're coming from, but I want you to understand that this time...you were wrong."
"We weren't wrong, sir." Usui contradicted him. "We wouldn't have gotten back in time to save Max. And you kno… [view original content]
Well, I was going to wait for 8:00, but I had it finished, and I didn't really see the point of waiting, so here you guys go. Early release … more
55.6% of readers chose to [B. Push for Gary to stay.]
"Sir, this man gave us a ride here to help you." Thomas spoke in the most respectful tone he could force himself to use. "You can't punish him for our mistakes. He was only trying to help."
Will's hard expression softened a bit. Thomas had that effect on people. It didn't always change people's minds, but Thomas' opinion most often influenced the other ones. Will mostly only got angry at Usui and Parker. His rage almost never extended to Thomas. "Look, I'm sorry, soldiers." He said. "I get you did what you thought was right, and I understand where you're coming from, but I want you to understand that this time...you were wrong."
"We weren't wrong, sir." Usui contradicted him. "We wouldn't have gotten back in time to save Max. And you kno… [view original content]
Poor Max, we never know that guy... well lets pass on.
I am not please of Thomas he become more and more soft a 'damn pussy', if you make him cry... it will be some pretty drama, and I really hope Gary will know what happen to his wife still more drama if he can still see Ashley with big hole in head... poor guy, he will be so crush
Well, I was going to wait for 8:00, but I had it finished, and I didn't really see the point of waiting, so here you guys go. Early release … more
55.6% of readers chose to [B. Push for Gary to stay.]
"Sir, this man gave us a ride here to help you." Thomas spoke in the most respectful tone he could force himself to use. "You can't punish him for our mistakes. He was only trying to help."
Will's hard expression softened a bit. Thomas had that effect on people. It didn't always change people's minds, but Thomas' opinion most often influenced the other ones. Will mostly only got angry at Usui and Parker. His rage almost never extended to Thomas. "Look, I'm sorry, soldiers." He said. "I get you did what you thought was right, and I understand where you're coming from, but I want you to understand that this time...you were wrong."
"We weren't wrong, sir." Usui contradicted him. "We wouldn't have gotten back in time to save Max. And you kno… [view original content]
Thomas reveal is a girl.
Gary kill him self when he see what happen with hes wife.
A horde of zombie come to military base force them … moreto leave the car/hammer won't work they will take tank.. but Will die in order to buy them so time.
Thomas and Usui will go to their family.
Grace will meet Gary dead or alive maybe stop him before he commits suicide .
Rosalyn and Isaac trying to run from crazy doctor... they will got capture later but no util they meet new char maybe...
so there will remain story of Ivan, Zayne that will possible to meet with other introducet characters.
I can't predict future or know what you thinking but I can tell there will be awesome.
Poor Max, we never know that guy... well lets pass on.
I am not please of Thomas he become more and more soft a 'damn pussy', if you make… more him cry... it will be some pretty drama, and I really hope Gary will know what happen to his wife still more drama if he can still see Ashley with big hole in head... poor guy, he will be so crush
Thomas pulled his long dark green sock off of his foot and let the tiny hairs beneath poke free. He sat in his bed and pondered the events of that day. With what had happened to Parker, and Max getting killed...then waking up again...Something told Thomas the world would never be the same again. He knew in his heart that tomorrow would be different from today. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing...
"You, uh...You think Parker's gonna be okay?" Usui asked, pulling his shirt off of his torso to reveal the lion tattoo running across his chest. Thomas always asked him why he had that, and he'd never received an answer. All Usui ever said was that he regretted it. "He's a real ass, but I can't stand to see him die like this."
"I think he'll be fine." Thomas lied. He really didn't know anything for sure anymore, not since he'd joined the army. "Parker's strong. He's not gonna let something like a car crash kill him."
"Man, I hope so..." He sighed, climbing up his bunk bed onto the top bunk that remained empty for him. He slept just above Parker's bed, which was going empty tonight. Thomas slept on the right side of the room on the bottom bunk. The last bed...that one had been empty for months...
Thomas pulled on his loose night shirt he'd slept in for the past week. He'd wash it, but Will always told him, "Clean clothes are a luxury that you won't be able to afford on the battlefield, so don't set your expectations high and wear clean clothes when you're off it." He laid down on his bunk and rested his head on the thin cotton pillow he'd been given. He pulled the sheet over his body and closed his eyes.
"Do you think your parents are proud of you?" Usui asked, staring down at Thomas, forcing him to wake up again. "Like, have you ever wondered, if they knew exactly what you do, day after day, would they be proud of you? Cuz' I know, my father would be pissed at me."
"I like to think so, yeah." Thomas replied, sitting back up on his bed. "They were definitely approving of my joining the army."
"I don't mean joining the army." Usui corrected himself. "Any idiot with good muscular build and a distaste for pot can do that fine. What I mean is, the things you do everyday... Both of us... We were both the oldest children. Our parents gave us the most attention because...well...we'd been around longer. Well, now both of us are gone. I don't even write anymore. Do you?"
"I don't write." Thomas sighed. "But I'm thinking about starting to. I've wanted to tell them how it's going, but with how I left them... I don't know if they'd want to talk to me."
"Your parents?" He frowned down at his friend, and hopped down off his bunk to the ground, taking a seat on the floor. "Hell, your parents would have taken you back with open arms if you killed someone in cold blood like that Everett guy on the news. They love you, Tom. I wish I could say the same about my dad."
"That's a straight up lie, and you know it. Just because he sent you away doesn't mean he doesn't love you." Thomas snapped back. Usui's father, Rei Ousawa, was always a very stern figure in the boy's life. Often, when Thomas would go over to his house for play dates and hangouts when they were older, Rei was a bit of a disciplinarian when it came to times to arrive and leave. If not everything went exactly according to schedule, he would become very angry. This caused him to seem cold at times, but if there was one thing the man was not, it was unloving. "The only thing he wouldn't be proud of is you saying that about him."
"I just...I wish things could go back to normal."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, before I decided to be a badass in high school." Usui laughed through his throat, causing a mild cough that had been there for days. "I wish I could go back in time and slap this kid until he did his homework. We shouldn't have gone into the military, Thomas. It's a damn nightmare here."
"It is a nightmare." He gestured towards the bed he was sitting on. "But this nightmare is what puts everyone you care about in their beds every night. That's what I keep telling myself. We're protectors. Guardians."
"We are survivors..." Usui said, repeating Will's line from earlier that day.
After a moment of silence between the two, Thomas repeated it. "We are...survivors..."
"Parker ain't a survivor..." He added, dropping the tone of the conversation a couple notches.
"Don't say that, Usui." Thomas frowned. "He'll pull through it. My uncle took much worse when he got in a car crash. Rod through the abdomen, dude. Right past a kidney. He lived straight through it. He was even awake for the surgery."
"Was that...Warren...John...?"
"John."
"Right, right."
Usui and Thomas truly had been friends their whole life, and very close ones as well. Thomas' other connections never seemed to last as much as this one. People said the two of them looked awkward together, saying each of them were the odd ones out, and in some aspects they were right. Usui always assumed their hatred of the two was based on race, and denounced their names on a dime for it, but Thomas thought it something a bit deeper... Neither of them knew English as children.
Usui's family came from Japan when he was young, so that made sense, but Thomas... When he was only a baby, his parents decided they'd talk only Nigerian, the language of their people around him until he was old enough to learn English too. They thought learning Nigerian would spare him from the hateful words that were told to him at school. For the first few years, it worked, but eventually, Thomas learned on his own, from exposure. One day, in third grade, on the playground, Thomas had been kicking rocks and spotted Usui across the yard, mimicking his actions. The two ran up and tried to talk to each other, but when they found they couldn't, they only found another way to play: hopscotch. That was how they became friends.
"I wonder how Shino's doing." Usui spoke to himself. Shino was Usui's younger sister at the age of 14...or at least she was when they left home. She would be 16 now. She would have been driving if not for the wheelchair she had lived in since before they moved to America. Later, Thomas found that the girl had been in a car accident when she was only a baby, and lost feeling in her legs. The doctors felt as though life in a wheelchair was easier than life as an amputee, so she rode in one. She was very versatile with it too. She once competed in a wheelchair race and won. Thomas remembered going to see that match. It seemed like so long ago.
"I'm sure Shino's doing fine, Swee." Thomas told him with the reassurance in his voice he was famous for.
"She's living with father. Of course she's not fine." He chuckled.
"You shouldn't be so hard on your old man." Thomas scoffed. "If he raised both of you into adulthood on his own, I think he earns the right to get a little grumpy once in a while."
"Eh, maybe, but I-"
All of a sudden, the door to the bedroom creaked open and Will strode through. His beard had begun to grow on him. He was one of the odd men who's beards grew so fast they almost had a full one by nightfall. He'd most likely shave it the next morning. "All right, cupcakes, enough chitchat. Let's get going to sleep. We got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. After the mission in the morning, we're getting stationed."
"Stationed?" Thomas asked him. "Stationed where?"
"Stationed in South Korea. We're part of a peacekeeper group there. Our allies there informed us of a threatened attack from their northern buddies."
Great. The Koreas... Out of all the places halfway around the world they could have gone too, the pointer finger had to land on the Koreas. Thomas heaved a sigh. He'd never much enjoyed the Koreas since they watched a documentary about the North Koreans hatred of Americans. Thomas thought he was done with hate after he got out of school.
"Hey, at least it's not Vietnam, right?" Usui laughed.
"That's a plus side." Will managed a chuckle. "Anyway, you two should get to bed. If Parker's feeling better, he should be here by morning. His injuries sustained weren't near as bad as they thought. He merely had a broken nose and a cut on his forehead that needed stitches. No broken bones. Oh, and it may be a while before he's seeing out of that eye again."
Thomas couldn't help but smile. The thing in the back of his head had been right. Parker was okay. He knew it. "You're kidding right?" He laughed.
"I ain't kidding." Will smiled back. "He should be here when you wake up."
"Sweet!" Usui exclaimed. Thomas found it strange the man was so willing to welcome back a man who had fought so hard against him in the car ride earlier that day.
Will began to walk out of the door and stopped just before he closed it. "You both try to get some sleep. Tomorrow, we're gonna save the world."
When the door closed, the lights went off and Thomas relaxed back into bed. Usui climbed to his bunk and crawled into place there as well. Sleep had always been Thomas' favorite part of the day. It meant not being bound to anything. Sleep meant freedom.
"See ya in the morning, Tom." Usui said, rolling over on his cot. "What Gary said was right."
"Night." Thomas was confused by his comment, but passed it off as though it were nothing. He rolled over in his bed, and attempted to close his eyes and drift to sleep, but his mind wouldn't allow him. Minute by minute passed by and he still laid awake. He really couldn't comprehend the meaning of Usui's statement, and kept turning it over and over in his mind, trying to find the meaning that wasn't there."
Thomas flipped himself over on his bed and stared up at his friend who slept on the other side of the room. He wanted to ask what he meant, but was afraid of waking him up if he did. And he needed sleep just as much as anyone...
Chapter 7: Family Issues
Thomas Garter
Thomas pulled his long dark green sock off of his foot and let the tiny hairs beneath poke free… more. He sat in his bed and pondered the events of that day. With what had happened to Parker, and Max getting killed...then waking up again...Something told Thomas the world would never be the same again. He knew in his heart that tomorrow would be different from today. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing...
"You, uh...You think Parker's gonna be okay?" Usui asked, pulling his shirt off of his torso to reveal the lion tattoo running across his chest. Thomas always asked him why he had that, and he'd never received an answer. All Usui ever said was that he regretted it. "He's a real ass, but I can't stand to see him die like this."
"I think he'll be fine." Thomas lied. He really didn't know anything for sure anymore, not since he'd joined the army. "Parker's strong. He's not gonna let something like… [view original content]
Chapter 7: Family Issues
Thomas Garter
Thomas pulled his long dark green sock off of his foot and let the tiny hairs beneath poke free… more. He sat in his bed and pondered the events of that day. With what had happened to Parker, and Max getting killed...then waking up again...Something told Thomas the world would never be the same again. He knew in his heart that tomorrow would be different from today. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing...
"You, uh...You think Parker's gonna be okay?" Usui asked, pulling his shirt off of his torso to reveal the lion tattoo running across his chest. Thomas always asked him why he had that, and he'd never received an answer. All Usui ever said was that he regretted it. "He's a real ass, but I can't stand to see him die like this."
"I think he'll be fine." Thomas lied. He really didn't know anything for sure anymore, not since he'd joined the army. "Parker's strong. He's not gonna let something like… [view original content]
Chapter 7: Family Issues
Thomas Garter
Thomas pulled his long dark green sock off of his foot and let the tiny hairs beneath poke free… more. He sat in his bed and pondered the events of that day. With what had happened to Parker, and Max getting killed...then waking up again...Something told Thomas the world would never be the same again. He knew in his heart that tomorrow would be different from today. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing...
"You, uh...You think Parker's gonna be okay?" Usui asked, pulling his shirt off of his torso to reveal the lion tattoo running across his chest. Thomas always asked him why he had that, and he'd never received an answer. All Usui ever said was that he regretted it. "He's a real ass, but I can't stand to see him die like this."
"I think he'll be fine." Thomas lied. He really didn't know anything for sure anymore, not since he'd joined the army. "Parker's strong. He's not gonna let something like… [view original content]
I will give you the original history and happenings event that you can evolve... you will understand tomorrow
this is prof the parasite come from asia !!!
waiting for introduction of more characters Ivan Zayne if they aren't dead yet :P
Comments
Alright, this schedule I can get used to
It'll be less random haha. I may not always be able to follow it, but if I can't, I'll let you guys know
Alright good
It'll be slower but more structured
I think it'll still be a good story
Thanks
Well, I was going to wait for 8:00, but I had it finished, and I didn't really see the point of waiting, so here you guys go. Early release
55.6% of readers chose to [B. Push for Gary to stay.]
"Sir, this man gave us a ride here to help you." Thomas spoke in the most respectful tone he could force himself to use. "You can't punish him for our mistakes. He was only trying to help."
Will's hard expression softened a bit. Thomas had that effect on people. It didn't always change people's minds, but Thomas' opinion most often influenced the other ones. Will mostly only got angry at Usui and Parker. His rage almost never extended to Thomas. "Look, I'm sorry, soldiers." He said. "I get you did what you thought was right, and I understand where you're coming from, but I want you to understand that this time...you were wrong."
"We weren't wrong, sir." Usui contradicted him. "We wouldn't have gotten back in time to save Max. And you know that. We stayed there until the police arrived and then we left. We didn't have enough time to get back."
"Maybe so, but at the very least, you could have tried."
"We couldn't have just left Parker there, sir." Thomas told him, still expressing his point. "He was injured."
"Max is dead, soldier." Will told him. He massaged his temple and looked down to the necklace hanging on his chest. He sighed and looked back up at the three of them. "Look, just send that guy away and we can call this all a wash."
Usui turned to Gary and nodded. "You should go. You're not a soldier. Civilians aren't really supposed to be here."
"Oh really?!" Gary laughed sarcastically. He rubbed his slicked back hair with his palm. "Listen, you guys talk about me like I'm some bird you can let back into the wild. Why don't I get a say in my own fucking trial?" The room stood silent for a moment and he seemed surprised, as though he expected a response. When he realized he wasn't getting one, he continued. "I came up here to drop you guys off. I came in to say I was sorry for hitting your man on the road. I never had any intentions of staying. I have to get back to my wife. So, am I free to leave, or does this guy have to call a recess first?"
"Well then, the choice becomes clear." Will laughed. He turned to the other men in the room. "Ousawa, if you could show this kindly gentleman the door."
"Yeah." Usui said, rubbing his hand over the head that had lost its greasy mop of black hair. "Come on, dude."
Usui walked towards the door of the morgue, wanting to get out of the aura of death that surrounded them. Gary followed closely behind. Thomas turned before they left the room and spoke to them. "Hey Gary." He turned right around to see what Thomas would say to him. "Stay safe, man."
"You too...man..." Gary replied awkwardly, realizing he didn't even know the names of the two men he gave rides to. He shut the door softly behind him. Thomas genuinely meant it. Although Gary seemed a bit arrogant to him, Thomas could tell he was a decent man. Something in the back of his head told him Gary would accomplish great things.
"Garter..." Will spoke after the door was closed. The light shining through the window in the corner of the room was dimming as the light of the day did. The dust particles floating through the room made it clear the morgue was not the cleanest. Thomas didn't want to think what it was from. "Garter, I hope you know we're friends. Our squad been together longer than most high school friendships."
"Yessir." Thomas replied. "We're friends."
"And I feel bad when I have to yell at you guys, but when you do things like that, I am still your Sergeant. The army has to come before that. I hope you understand." He sighed. Thomas felt a sense of sincerity in the man's voice that wasn't usually present. "I just want you to know it's not personal, okay?"
"Okay, sir."
Will cracked a small smile through the side of his mouth. "You're different from them Garter. You're a good man. Perhaps too good for your own sake. But you're an idealist. The world's not going bend to you just because you brake for birds. Sooner or later, you're gonna have to choose."
"Choose what?" Thomas asked.
"You're gonna have to choose if it's worth it; doing the right thing." He walked over to the other table where the devoured body of Max laid. "You're in the army now, Garter. I train ya to hold a gun, and that gun's not gonna brake for birds."
"It's not that simple..." Thomas sighed, letting his eyes fall into contact with Will's. It felt very uncomfortable and informal, but Will let it slide. Thomas, for the very first time, looked deeply into Will's brown eyes and saw a sorrow behind them. One he hadn't seen before.
Max's eyelids rose slowly, revealing blank spots where his blue eyes had been. What was left of his arms began to reach towards Will's face, in a pathetic attempt to grab him. The watery moaning the thing made was very unsettling. Thomas found it disgusting seeing a man with most of his torso missing, still seemingly alive.
"It's not that simple?" Will picked up the knife he had embedded it into the table and drove it deep into Max's head without losing eye contact with the soldier. The dead man's groan ceased and its arms fell back to the table. "It never is, Garter."
End of Chapter 6
Awesome chapter
Yep. Next chapters another Thomas chapter
Alright
Great chapter!!
Anyone care to make a prediction? Or is it too early?
Thanks.
Hmm...it may be a bit too early, at least for me :P
Same :c
Hey why did you get banned by the way?
Ah. Best hold off then.
I bumped a thread from 2004 c:
Oh lol they ban you for that?
Haha, that's the first thing I said when I found out. It makes sense though
Poor Max, we never know that guy... well lets pass on.
I am not please of Thomas he become more and more soft a 'damn pussy', if you make him cry... it will be some pretty drama, and I really hope Gary will know what happen to his wife still more drama if he can still see Ashley with big hole in head... poor guy, he will be so crush
Thomas reveal is a girl.
Gary kill him self when he see what happen with hes wife.
A horde of zombie come to military base force them to leave the car/hammer won't work they will take tank.. but Will die in order to buy them so time.
Thomas and Usui will go to their family.
Grace will meet Gary dead or alive maybe stop him before he commits suicide .
Rosalyn and Isaac trying to run from crazy doctor... they will got capture later but no util they meet new char maybe...
so there will remain story of Ivan, Zayne that will possible to meet with other introducet characters.
I can't predict future or know what you thinking but I can tell there will be awesome.
Interesting ideas. The thing about Gary was my original idea, but I changed it. So good job! And Thomas isn't a girl lol :P
Yeah. I suppose you can think that, although Thomas doesn't stay a pussy.
I won't be near a computer for the release time, so expect the release at noonish.
Chapter 7: Family Issues
Thomas Garter
Thomas pulled his long dark green sock off of his foot and let the tiny hairs beneath poke free. He sat in his bed and pondered the events of that day. With what had happened to Parker, and Max getting killed...then waking up again...Something told Thomas the world would never be the same again. He knew in his heart that tomorrow would be different from today. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing...
"You, uh...You think Parker's gonna be okay?" Usui asked, pulling his shirt off of his torso to reveal the lion tattoo running across his chest. Thomas always asked him why he had that, and he'd never received an answer. All Usui ever said was that he regretted it. "He's a real ass, but I can't stand to see him die like this."
"I think he'll be fine." Thomas lied. He really didn't know anything for sure anymore, not since he'd joined the army. "Parker's strong. He's not gonna let something like a car crash kill him."
"Man, I hope so..." He sighed, climbing up his bunk bed onto the top bunk that remained empty for him. He slept just above Parker's bed, which was going empty tonight. Thomas slept on the right side of the room on the bottom bunk. The last bed...that one had been empty for months...
Thomas pulled on his loose night shirt he'd slept in for the past week. He'd wash it, but Will always told him, "Clean clothes are a luxury that you won't be able to afford on the battlefield, so don't set your expectations high and wear clean clothes when you're off it." He laid down on his bunk and rested his head on the thin cotton pillow he'd been given. He pulled the sheet over his body and closed his eyes.
"Do you think your parents are proud of you?" Usui asked, staring down at Thomas, forcing him to wake up again. "Like, have you ever wondered, if they knew exactly what you do, day after day, would they be proud of you? Cuz' I know, my father would be pissed at me."
"I like to think so, yeah." Thomas replied, sitting back up on his bed. "They were definitely approving of my joining the army."
"I don't mean joining the army." Usui corrected himself. "Any idiot with good muscular build and a distaste for pot can do that fine. What I mean is, the things you do everyday... Both of us... We were both the oldest children. Our parents gave us the most attention because...well...we'd been around longer. Well, now both of us are gone. I don't even write anymore. Do you?"
"I don't write." Thomas sighed. "But I'm thinking about starting to. I've wanted to tell them how it's going, but with how I left them... I don't know if they'd want to talk to me."
"Your parents?" He frowned down at his friend, and hopped down off his bunk to the ground, taking a seat on the floor. "Hell, your parents would have taken you back with open arms if you killed someone in cold blood like that Everett guy on the news. They love you, Tom. I wish I could say the same about my dad."
"That's a straight up lie, and you know it. Just because he sent you away doesn't mean he doesn't love you." Thomas snapped back. Usui's father, Rei Ousawa, was always a very stern figure in the boy's life. Often, when Thomas would go over to his house for play dates and hangouts when they were older, Rei was a bit of a disciplinarian when it came to times to arrive and leave. If not everything went exactly according to schedule, he would become very angry. This caused him to seem cold at times, but if there was one thing the man was not, it was unloving. "The only thing he wouldn't be proud of is you saying that about him."
"I just...I wish things could go back to normal."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, before I decided to be a badass in high school." Usui laughed through his throat, causing a mild cough that had been there for days. "I wish I could go back in time and slap this kid until he did his homework. We shouldn't have gone into the military, Thomas. It's a damn nightmare here."
"It is a nightmare." He gestured towards the bed he was sitting on. "But this nightmare is what puts everyone you care about in their beds every night. That's what I keep telling myself. We're protectors. Guardians."
"We are survivors..." Usui said, repeating Will's line from earlier that day.
After a moment of silence between the two, Thomas repeated it. "We are...survivors..."
"Parker ain't a survivor..." He added, dropping the tone of the conversation a couple notches.
"Don't say that, Usui." Thomas frowned. "He'll pull through it. My uncle took much worse when he got in a car crash. Rod through the abdomen, dude. Right past a kidney. He lived straight through it. He was even awake for the surgery."
"Was that...Warren...John...?"
"John."
"Right, right."
Usui and Thomas truly had been friends their whole life, and very close ones as well. Thomas' other connections never seemed to last as much as this one. People said the two of them looked awkward together, saying each of them were the odd ones out, and in some aspects they were right. Usui always assumed their hatred of the two was based on race, and denounced their names on a dime for it, but Thomas thought it something a bit deeper... Neither of them knew English as children.
Usui's family came from Japan when he was young, so that made sense, but Thomas... When he was only a baby, his parents decided they'd talk only Nigerian, the language of their people around him until he was old enough to learn English too. They thought learning Nigerian would spare him from the hateful words that were told to him at school. For the first few years, it worked, but eventually, Thomas learned on his own, from exposure. One day, in third grade, on the playground, Thomas had been kicking rocks and spotted Usui across the yard, mimicking his actions. The two ran up and tried to talk to each other, but when they found they couldn't, they only found another way to play: hopscotch. That was how they became friends.
"I wonder how Shino's doing." Usui spoke to himself. Shino was Usui's younger sister at the age of 14...or at least she was when they left home. She would be 16 now. She would have been driving if not for the wheelchair she had lived in since before they moved to America. Later, Thomas found that the girl had been in a car accident when she was only a baby, and lost feeling in her legs. The doctors felt as though life in a wheelchair was easier than life as an amputee, so she rode in one. She was very versatile with it too. She once competed in a wheelchair race and won. Thomas remembered going to see that match. It seemed like so long ago.
"I'm sure Shino's doing fine, Swee." Thomas told him with the reassurance in his voice he was famous for.
"She's living with father. Of course she's not fine." He chuckled.
"You shouldn't be so hard on your old man." Thomas scoffed. "If he raised both of you into adulthood on his own, I think he earns the right to get a little grumpy once in a while."
"Eh, maybe, but I-"
All of a sudden, the door to the bedroom creaked open and Will strode through. His beard had begun to grow on him. He was one of the odd men who's beards grew so fast they almost had a full one by nightfall. He'd most likely shave it the next morning. "All right, cupcakes, enough chitchat. Let's get going to sleep. We got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. After the mission in the morning, we're getting stationed."
"Stationed?" Thomas asked him. "Stationed where?"
"Stationed in South Korea. We're part of a peacekeeper group there. Our allies there informed us of a threatened attack from their northern buddies."
Great. The Koreas... Out of all the places halfway around the world they could have gone too, the pointer finger had to land on the Koreas. Thomas heaved a sigh. He'd never much enjoyed the Koreas since they watched a documentary about the North Koreans hatred of Americans. Thomas thought he was done with hate after he got out of school.
"Hey, at least it's not Vietnam, right?" Usui laughed.
"That's a plus side." Will managed a chuckle. "Anyway, you two should get to bed. If Parker's feeling better, he should be here by morning. His injuries sustained weren't near as bad as they thought. He merely had a broken nose and a cut on his forehead that needed stitches. No broken bones. Oh, and it may be a while before he's seeing out of that eye again."
Thomas couldn't help but smile. The thing in the back of his head had been right. Parker was okay. He knew it. "You're kidding right?" He laughed.
"I ain't kidding." Will smiled back. "He should be here when you wake up."
"Sweet!" Usui exclaimed. Thomas found it strange the man was so willing to welcome back a man who had fought so hard against him in the car ride earlier that day.
Will began to walk out of the door and stopped just before he closed it. "You both try to get some sleep. Tomorrow, we're gonna save the world."
When the door closed, the lights went off and Thomas relaxed back into bed. Usui climbed to his bunk and crawled into place there as well. Sleep had always been Thomas' favorite part of the day. It meant not being bound to anything. Sleep meant freedom.
"See ya in the morning, Tom." Usui said, rolling over on his cot. "What Gary said was right."
"Night." Thomas was confused by his comment, but passed it off as though it were nothing. He rolled over in his bed, and attempted to close his eyes and drift to sleep, but his mind wouldn't allow him. Minute by minute passed by and he still laid awake. He really couldn't comprehend the meaning of Usui's statement, and kept turning it over and over in his mind, trying to find the meaning that wasn't there."
Thomas flipped himself over on his bed and stared up at his friend who slept on the other side of the room. He wanted to ask what he meant, but was afraid of waking him up if he did. And he needed sleep just as much as anyone...
[A. Ask Usui what he meant.]
[B. Try to get some sleep.]
[A. Ask Usui what he meant.]
WOW I am curios...
Sweet. This is the first of many calm chapters.
[A. Ask Usui what he meant.]
Awesome Chapter!!!
Thanks
[A. Ask Usui what he meant.]
I wanna know ;-;
Lol I didn't know it would swing this far.
I will give you the original history and happenings event that you can evolve... you will understand tomorrow
this is prof the parasite come from asia !!!
waiting for introduction of more characters Ivan Zayne if they aren't dead yet :P
I'm interested. XD
Also, your doing a great job with the story so far. Keep up the good work!
All the parts how many chapters will they have?
And there are two Leos or you hadn´t changed the Characters waiting to be introduced list
Well, Part 1 is leaning towards 20 or so chapters right now.
Thanks
You are correct thank you. I edited it.
Lol Ivan and Zayne will come later. Don't expect them for a while.