Gray Blood

Sacha’s POV
“Alright, now does anyone have any questions? No? Alright, now when you make it into the carrier, you stay in the main hall where you have been brought but go over to the side of the wall and hold on when we move. It’ll be a bumpy ride.” Everyone nodded in agreement and seemed to understand but I was still a bit confused. I looked over at Sean and Warren, who were speaking to each other in low voices in an intense conversation.
That’s...a little weird.
I crawled away from David and sat in between Sean and Warren but they hardly seemed to notice I was there.
“I never thought about it that way.” Sean nodded and smiled at me. “Hey Sach. You feelin’ better?”
“Not really. You?”
“I feel like shit.” I nodded and frowned. Warren put his hand on my shoulder and frowned sympathetically.
“I’m sorry about...everything.” I punched him.
“That’s for yesterday!” He rubbed his arm.
“I guess I deserved that. Sorry again.”
“Whatever.” Next time, I’ll get David to hit him. Speaking of David, I looked over at him and noticed Jordan sobbing on David’s shirt. Alex got up in anger and stormed off, running into the distance.
David got up with Jordan wailing in his arms and he walked outside of the group. The guy talking pushed through everyone and ran over to David.
“Where do you think you’re going? You can’t leave!” David bobbed Jordan up and down as he muttered to the guy something unintelligible while handing Jordan over but he pulled on David’s shirt uselessly.
“DON’T GO! DON’T LEAVE ME!”
“Jordan I’m not going to leave you! I promise! I just have to go for a quick second-”
“NO! YOUR GOING TO LEAVE ME ALONE!”
“Don’t be scared Jordan! Simon will take care of you! I’m just going to get your brother and I promise I will coming running back to you! Ok? Don’t cry Jordan ok?”
Jordan sniffled and finally let go of David. David smiled and stroked his head.
“Okey dokey.” David sighed happily and relaxed.
“Okey dokey,” He copied, turned and walked away.
*****
David’s POV
Alex had managed to run all the way across the camp in just a few minutes. Quick kid. Must’ve done track when he was younger or something.
When I walked up to him against the wall, he muttered,
“Go away.” How do I reply to that? A lump gathered in my throat and I sat down next to him.
“Ugh....what’s bothering you?”
Alex looked up at me angrily.
“Like you’d care. Or know.” I sighed.
“Try me kid. You’ll be surprised what I know.” Alex looked at me sadly and I leaned against the wall next to him, dreading the worst.
“I’m still trying to get over losing Evie-”
“I know she loved you-”
“Don’t interrupt me! You don’t even know what I’m talking about!” I nodded, trying not to anger Alex anymore than he already was.
“Mom and dad are gone.” I get it now. It all makes sense to me. “I’m the oldest one alive in my family now.”
“And you told Jordan that.”
It wasn’t an accusation. It was a statement and Alex knew that, as we looked each other straight in the eye.
“I had too. I have the right to tell him what I feel is important.”
“But you didn’t have to say your parents were dead so soon.” He jumped back in shock, reading my face before becoming angry again. “He’s to young to take that kind of shock you know.” And there he went.
“So we aren’t? David, we’re only a few more years older than him and we’re still young! Just because we understand the world more than he does, doesn’t mean that we all don’t suffer the same! Our parents are gone! Dead!” He winced as he said it. “I don’t need you to tell me whether or not I should tell my brother that when your not even family!”
“It’s just friendly advice.....”
“But your not his uncle. Your not our brother and your not our dad.” My heart sank. I’m still not a dad. Maybe this is a sign that I’ll never be.
Alex looked at my face and stopped. I looked straight back at him, the both of us trying to figure out what the other was thinking, even though it was obvious.
“I don’t mind that your taking care of us David. I really like hanging out with you a lot cause you keep us safe. Jordan and I both know that.” He smiled at me, obviously calmer and he lay his head on my shoulder without looking away. “And even though he calls you uncle and I call you...well David, we......well he thinks of you as ‘new dad’ and I.....sorta.....well I’m still getting to know you.” I smiled and he sat on my lap. “But unless we’re secretly related, I feel it’s important I tell him since I lost my parents since I know what it’s like...and you don’t.”
I didn’t know if I could tell him. I haven’t told anyone about my parents, not even Sacha, yet it felt important to say because it was...Alex.
“Alex........you know my parents were......not very good at parenting me.” He looked at me questioningly. “I mean, my mom...it’s not her fault what happened -” My fault. It’s all my fault. “-but my dad didn’t love me like your dad loved you, Evie, and Jordan. He was...busy.” Every single day.
“Always David?”
“Yeah. I remember he’d always tell me when I was little, ‘Sorry David. Can’t play now. To busy.’ That’s the most he would say to me every single day.”
“That’s all he would say to you?!?”
“If I was lucky. Otherwise, I’d just get a ‘bye’ and he’d leave me.” Alex’s mouth dropped.
“Your mom loved you though right?”
“Sure she did. She just couldn’t take care of me.”
“I’m sorry.” He held my hand, squeezing it slightly.
He didn’t feel sorry for me, that was obvious. He felt guilty for not understanding that we were on the same boat.
“I understand Alex.” The conversation ended there and we sat there relaxably in silence. That’s when I noticed how alike me and Alex really we were.
But the peace was over as soon as it started, because in the distant, I heard it. The memories of my past reappeared when I heard the Boom!
“What’s going on David?” Everything snapped inside of me when I heard his voice. I didn’t want to remember the past but I didn’t want to come back to reality. I shook the horror away, staring into Alex’s face. Making a decision.
I picked him up.
“I’m getting you out of here! Time to go!”