41Thank you all so much for the story follows and favourite but most of all, thank you for the reviews! I can't even begin to describe how amazing a feeling it is to wake up and see that not only have people read something that you've written, but that they actually enjoyed it and want more! Wow. So thank you and here is Chapter 2. I hope it lives up to your expectations Please could I be a pest and request that you maybe leave me a review letting me know what you think or anything in particular you'd like to see or any character you think that should or could play a bigger role? Hope you enjoy as always Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: Sadly I still don't own Falling Skies and I'm beginning to think I never will… ha and unfortunately because I don't have Sky I can't even watch season 2 so this is how I'm getting my fix.
Throughout the following two days there was not much change in terms of Hal's recovery, he woke several more times, still slightly addled with fever and continued to ramble nonsensical words about his mother and the rest of his family. As people sat around him keeping watch, nobody was ever entirely sure if he even knew that he wasn't alone. Ben was a constant within the tent as were Anne and Maggie. Dai came and went regularly as did Weaver. Each one knew what Hal meant to the 2nd Mass and to each of them individually. Each one wished for his recovery to be a successful and quick one but the waiting was torture for everybody.
On the dawn of the third day Hal's eyes opened once again but this time they weren't as glassy as they had been since the attack that had wounded him. This time when Hal opened his eyes Anne reached for a glass of water that was frequently replenished with fresh cool water every few hours in case he awoke. Without speaking she held it to the boy's lips and allowed him to take a small sip and then took it away so that he couldn't greedily drink more and choke with not having been able to drink for a while.
"You back with us now Hal?" Anne smiled warmly at the slightly confused boy that lay in the cot before her.
"Wha' happened?" Hal's voice was a gruff slur but the words were still decipherable.
"You got hurt during the last attack. We patched you up as best we could, but in future, if you get hurt please tell someone." Anne lightly chided the eldest Mason son, knowing that both of them knew she was being deadly serious, but both of them also acknowledging that a Mason would never admit a weakness.
"Yeah, tell someone next time, you dumb jock. Glad you're finally awake though." Ben jokingly told Hal who, up until the sound of his younger brother's voice had not even realised that he was present, turned his head sloppily.
"You look like shit." Hal whispered, his mouth turning up a little in the corners as if he were trying to smile, yet it showed on his face like a grimace.
"Boys, boys, boys, anyone would think you enjoy these little jabs at each other." Maggie giggled even though nothing about the situation was at all funny but it was just nice to see that Hal was awake and everything seemed almost normal for a minute.
However, any happiness soon evaporated when Hal began to writhe with agony on the bed, his face contorted into a look of pain.
Through the groans and cries made by Hal, Maggie, Anne and Ben could make out words that were being repeated over and over by the boy on the bed. Words that scared them all, like; mechs, skitters, found, waiting, watching and danger.
As quickly as it began the agony Hal was suffering ended and the boy was left panting at the painful exertion of what had just happened. Barely able to open his eyes fully to look at the occupants in the room he fell back into oblivion leaving everyone wondering what the hell had just occurred.
Some miles away walked an exhausted and scared Matt; he missed his family and hated not being able to see them. He liked Lourdes but she wasn't family. She wasn't the person he wanted beside him at that moment in time. Just as the civilians were about to rest for a lunch break before starting to walk again, there was an alien like noise from beyond the tree line that made the hair on everyone's neck stand on end. It certainly wasn't the noise of a mech or skitter but it was unlike anything they had heard before. Crouching down to avoid detection the closest to the noise in the group of hundreds waited, each and everyone of them hoping against hope that whatever was causing the noise would just go the other way. For once it also seemed that lady luck was on their side because the noise was heard no more. Instead there was silence and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Then it happened. They heard a rustle in the nearest copse of trees and they all prepared for another battle. However nobody was ready for the sight that met their eyes when it was in fact a dishevelled Tom Mason that stumbled out of the wooded area.
Without even a single second's thought of what he was doing and the possible danger he could be in Matt raced to his father's side and hugged him as tightly as he possibly could. Even when his confused father tried to shake him off, he adamantly and stubbornly refused to let go.
Lourdes and the rest of the civilians closest to the reunited father and son also stood up to face the man that they had come to admire and look up to, waiting in silence for him to say something, do something.
Tom felt the bundle of warmth that encased his body up to the waist and he didn't at all consider it a threat. Although it did take him a lot longer than it should have to realise that it was in fact the warm and safe body of his youngest son. With a tight but happy smile Tom gazed at Matt whose own smiling was glowing like a 100 watt light bulb.
Nobody was quite sure what to say to Tom Mason, they wanted to trust him but each individual felt some fear of the man before them, the one that they once trusted with their lives. Lourdes had managed to coerce Tom into letting her check him over for any injuries and she was in the process of patching him up when the 2nd in command spoke for the first time.
"Where are my boys?" The voice from the man was still calm and quiet as it always seemed to be but Lourdes and Matt, who was still somehow clinging to his father with his small hands, could both decipher the terror in the man's voice.
"We haven't seen them in a few weeks now." Lourdes whispered averting her eyes to the small band she was applying over a wound in Tom's arm.
"What happened? Please tell me they're okay!" Tom looked anxiously at the two figures beside him, hoping that one of them would dispel his worst fears.
"We left before they did Dad. We think they got away okay but they were supposed to meet us a couple of days ago. Anne's with them but nobody's heard from Weaver since you and he left." Matt whispered with a voice that sounded wet from the arrival of tears.
"Tom we'll find them okay? They've survived so far and I'm sure they'll be okay wherever they are. As soon as you've had a good meal and some rest and you're feeling up to it we can go and find them somehow." Lourdes tried to reason with the man before her knowing that her voice had to sound believable and one of authority to ensure that he listened to her.
"We leave in four hours then." Tom rambled as his eyes began to droop.
"No offence Tom but you certainly don't look your best. It's already early afternoon and in four hours it'll be starting to get dark. So why don't we let everyone get some proper rest and take a break for the rest of the day. We can set up camp here, get everyone refreshed and set off at daybreak tomorrow to find your boys." Lourdes knew that what she was saying made sense and was glad to see that Tom's body was already succumbing to its need for sleep. Making her way away from Tom she went to find some blankets for the father and son and took them back to find Ben curled around his dad. With an affectionate smile on her face she covered the pair and left them to rust.
Lourdes walked around camp with a heavy heart, knowing full well that Tom Mason's return, whilst replenishing some lost hope with the group, also brought some doubt and it was obvious that not everyone wanted the man to be around them. The whispers that were hushed instantly as she wandered by were a clear sign of that. Yet as conflicted as she was herself she knew that they needed this man. He had been the reason they had all survived for so long before his disappearance and she needed his guidance. She just hoped that when morning came and the civilians went on their trek to find the rest of the Mason family, that there would be no trouble, there was already enough of that with the alien's presence, never mind the Second Massachusetts fighting amongst themselves.
Matt lay beside his father and for the first time in a long time he was able to drift off to sleep with a smile upon his face. His heart was lighter than it had been in weeks. At that moment he cared not the troubles of the future but simply chose to revel in the fact that he back by his father's side.
When daybreak dawned Matt and the group of civilians set off going back the way they had been coming in order to meet the fighters they knew were somewhere between themselves and the school. A contented silence lay over the group for once and it was pleasant. Everyone was happier than they had been for an age and nobody cared enough to make any comment about Tom's presence. Maybe it was something that would be brought up and dealt with in due course but the rest they had had all been able to have the previous day had set spirits high.
Walking back on themselves did start to irritate the group by mid afternoon however and small arguments began to break out amongst the group over petty, insignificant things. Matt couldn't care in the slightest though, he was happy enough to be walking alongside his dad, telling him all about what he had missed when he had gone to meet Weaver in Boston. Lourdes walked with them, just listening to the young boy who jabbered away, his mouth moving continuously, watching with a small grin as Tom's eyes met her own and rolled them almost mischievously as a response to his son's chattering.
Time passed and ground was covered, the group had set a good pace and didn't stop to set up camp until the sun was already beginning to set.
Meanwhile, not much had occurred during the day as far as Hal was concerned. Nothing else had thankfully happened within that camp either. There had been no sign or sound in the surrounding area according to the lookouts. Hal had been asleep most of the day which had allowed for Maggie, Anne and Ben to leave the tent and walk around, stretching after having been sat in the tent for so long.
Ben was alone in the tent when Hal opened his eyes. At first his older brother did not acknowledge the fact that Ben was there which allowed Ben to observe his brother who was normally so guarded. Ben was worried also however because Hal had become a soldier within this war and it scared him to see his strong and fearless brother so unaware and oblivious to his surroundings. Unable to watch any longer, Ben cleared his throat, alerting his brother to his presence, deciding to ignore the jump of surprise that Hal made when he was shocked to find he wasn't alone.
"Thirsty?" Ben asked trying to make the whole thing less awkward.
"Yeah." Hal's voice was still low but to Ben it seemed a bit stronger than it had been the last time he had heard it.
Raising the cup to Hal's lips he allowed the boy to drink sloppily, allowing the boy to get his fill, which ended in water dribbling down his chin. Hal moved his head away from the drink to signal he was done and Ben replaced the cup back on the bench by the cot.
"How are you feeling? It's good to see you awake again." Ben smiled affectionately at his brother: truly glad that Hal had woken up. Ben had been scared after his brother's seizure that something was majorly wrong and especially with the fever he hadn't been sure that Hal would recover.
"Been better." Was the short and blunt reply emitted from the sick boy who had already shut his eyes once more.
Ben took the hint and just waited in silence for his brother to drift off to sleep again once more.
Hours passed and Maggie and Anne were back in the tent keeping Ben company. A murmured conversation was playing out between them about general camp life when something made them turn their attention to Hal. The boy was still asleep but his wound had started glowing, or more specifically, and something that was discovered on a closer, more wary inspection, something within the wound was glowing. The pale blue light that emitted from the hole in the boys chest was all the warning they got but none of them were quick enough to react to what happened next.
Hal's eyes shot open, an unseeing look shone in the brown orbs, as he wrenched himself from the stretcher with an energy none of them expected from him.
Anne tried to stop the boy from over exerting himself but as soon as her hand came into contact with his arm Hal pushed her backwards. Maggie caught her just in time and watched with stark disbelief as Hal stormed from the tent. Together the three dashed after the boy watching as he moved closer to Weaver. Weaver had heard some commotion and was beyond speechless when he saw Hal moving towards him with a defiant look upon his face. In the madness of what he was seeing Weaver did not even notice the blue light coming from within the boy.
As Weaver got close enough to hear the boys breathing he spoke, "Didn't expect you to be up this soon, son."
He also did not expect the fist to fly at his face and with the shock of the attack he was not able to stop himself from falling.
Dai had been asleep and had missed Hal waking up but he automatically awoke when he heard the sound of a fist hitting flesh. Just as he opened his eyes to see Weaver fall to the ground he grabbed the weapon he slept with by his side and jumped to his feet, raising the gun in the direction of Weaver's attacker, but he was equally as speechless as the rest to find that the assailant was none other than Hal Mason.
"What's going on?" Dai asked warily, still reluctantly pointing the gun at Tom Mason's son.
The group waited for Hal to respond, all of them expecting him to either give a good reason or apologise and shake himself rid of any confusion. None of them however was expecting a voice, very unlike Hal's own, to be emitted from the boy's mouth.
"This is our vessel. Hal Mason is gone. You listen to and follow us now. We are the ones who you will obey. And you will not take arms against us or we will kill this lowly vessel and infect many, many more." The voice was dark and induced a quaking shiver within all who heard it. As the voice continued talking the blue glow became brighter.
Dai held his gun even tighter, taking aim at Hal's eye level, but not actually prepared to fire.
"Human, your lowly weapons will not kill us, but they will kill those we choose to infect, so we suggest you decide now. Decide now whether to kill the boy or let him live, but know that we are here to stay until we decide otherwise, and there is nothing you can do to prevent that." The voice continued to speak with a slithering eeriness that filled the group with a sinister atmosphere.
Just as Maggie was preparing for the worst, waiting for an attack to strike or a Mech to appear, the voice stopped and Hal dropped to the ground like a falling stone. This time however, nobody dashed to aid the boy, instead they left him laid on the floor in a heap. Weaver had recovered enough to have the sense to draw his own weapon which was now pointed at the eldest Mason who he was sure was unconscious but he was not going to be stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.
Ben was the one who took the first step towards his fallen sibling. Cautiously he encroached on the deathly still figure laid before him, closer and closer he stepped, praying the boy would not awake suddenly and lurch at him. Wishing with all of his might that when his fingers reached his brother's neck he would still find a pulse to indicate Hal's life, Ben valiantly stepped closer, crouching down and subconsciously taking a deep breath as if to prepare himself for the worst. It seemed like, for the few seconds it took to wait for confirmation that Hal still had a pulse and beating heart, the world stopped. Silence almost in the form of peace encased the fighters. Everyone waited with baited breath and relief flooded through everyone's veins when Ben confirmed Hal was still alive.
At this Maggie stepped forward to join Ben at his brother's side and there she gently rolled the boy onto his back using her foot. The fact that the wound on the boy was no longer glowing with the eerie blue light also helped to relieve the group from the memory of what had just occurred.
To Weaver and Dai who had just been woken up none of what had just happened felt real. It had all been like something out of a horror movie or a nightmare. Luckily it was all over, for now, anyway.
"Please tell me I just imagined all of that happening." Anne's voice shook a little with unmasked fear at everything that she'd just witnessed.
"I have no idea what just happened but something did." Maggie replied, gazing at the boy she'd come to have feelings for.
"Let's move him back to the tent and then we can try and think what the hell we do if that happens again." Weaver's voice seemed to have aged since he had last spoken. Everybody noticed the dark look in his eyes when they rested on the prone boy who lay on the floor.
"Dai, could you and Ben take him back with Maggie please? And Weaver I am going to look at that lovely shiner that you've got forming on your face so don't argue." Anne was the first to properly pull herself together. She didn't know what on earth had just happened but all she was sure of was that Hal Mason would not be harmed at the hand of anyone in the Second Massachusetts. Instead she vividly recalled the last conversation she had had with Tom Mason in which she had promised to look after his beloved sons if he were not to return from the Boston mission. That promise that she made had been sealed with a kiss, the sweetest kiss she could recall, and that was a promise she would never break. She waited and watched as Dai and Ben cautiously but firmly lifted Hal and carried him back to the tent. It wasn't until he was out of sight completely that she turned her attention and focussed it back on their leader. He too was staring at the tent that the small group had just entered. His forehead was creased with a worried stare and it was one that Anne was able to read easily.
Breaking herself from the almost trancelike state she had just fallen into Anne moved towards Weaver and led him away from the tent until it was out of sight. Then, in silence, she started to treat the bruise and broken skin on the side of his jaw. Both of them encased in silence and wondering how to deal with everything that had just occurred.
Really hope this chapter was okay! next update will be soon!