Whimper

The girl sits in a polished room and watches the blue sky fly by. The windows around her are clear and the tiled floor shines. Her clothes are changed, mask off, and her arm is covered with thick gauze. Her gaze is solemn. Clouds brush along the outside.

"Nice view, isn't it?" a man says.

The girl turns her head. There is a blonde-haired man with blue eyes observing the world outside the window. The girl says, "It's nice to be able to go home."

"This craft is speeding away over a thousand miles an hour. We'll be to America in no time," he says. The corners of the girl's mouth turn down. "It's a good thing we traced your EHT so quickly."

"I wouldn't be going home if you hadn't," she says. She pauses. "Are you going to tell me what's going to happen next yet?"

"I don't know for sure what's going to happen next," the man says. "I don't want you to be disappointed if I tell you something that turns out to be untrue."

The girl's brow furrows. "I don't care. Just tell me."

The man only laughs. "Pushy, aren't you?"

"Always. That's how I survive."

They sit in silence. The man leans forward in his chair and props his chin in his hands. The girl stares out the wide window. Birds fly in a V-formation in the air and disappear in a split second.

"What's going to happen to Haruto?" the girl asks. "Give me your assumption."

"He's going to be tested and see if we can get a cure for the human-killing pathogen. Somehow he's unaffected by it and we need to know how."

"Where's he going to stay?"

"I don't know. That's been undecided."

"Fine." The girl sits up straight and squares her shoulders. "He'll stay with my family."

"You are unauthorized to make that decision," the man states.

"The new culture will be less of a shock to him if he stays with someone he knows, thus decreasing the likelihood of depression and anxiety," the girl says simply. Her gaze is level against the man's expressionless face. "My father is a scientist and my mother is a doctor. We can observe him within our own walls and I can do my job collecting jewels and silver for the Assembly so we can start making a currency for the new world like I'm supposed to. Also, my brother and sister are in the elite military, so we will have no problem defending ourselves if dangerous situations arise. My family is clearly the best choice for this."

A brief quirk of a smile flashes across the blonde man's face, but his face smooths again.

The girl raises her eyebrows. "Tell the leaders this is happening."

"Alright." The man sits up and folds his hands in his lap. "Any other demands?"

"I want out of this room. It's boring. What's your assumption on the time I can be let out?"

"When you're declared mentally and physically stable. They still think you've been in quite the shock."

A wry smile twists a corner of the girl's mouth up. "Okay. Now I have another question: what are we going to about the Y Quadrant?"

"That I can't answer because I have no assumption at all."

"Fine. I can wait for that answer. I know that's a complicated matter."

The man swivels in his seat once and leans back. He expels his breath. "Any more questions?"

"Can I see Haruto?"

"No."

"Is that an assumption?"

"No, it's a fact. You're not allowed to leave this room." The man swivels in his chair again. "And from what I'm told Haruto is not leaving his as well."

"Fine. I believe that is in fact an assumption, however."

"A very educated assumption."

"Okay, I have one last demand."

The blonde looks at her. "What is that?"

"Please leave. I'm done asking you questions and want to be left alone."

A smile cracks across his face. "Alright, I will do that for you; that is one thing I can say is truth. I will be back in the evening to check on your mental and physical stability. But I have something to say to you, Persephone."

"What?" She turns.

"Funny how the world ended, don't you think? Seven billion people and now we're less than one billion," the man says. "It took us off one by one in a creeping infection. It didn't end in a bang."

The girl frowns. The man gets up off of his chair.

"It's something to wonder about," he says, and leaves the room in a swish of a sliding door.

But a buzz sounds a few seconds later.

The girl stands and frowns. "It better not be the EHT man," she mutters. Then she says loudly, "Come in."

The metallic door slides open and someone steps inside.

The girl's eyes widen in surprise, but a wide smile stretches across her face. "Not a very educated assumption," she says under her breath.

The boy stands there. "Persephone-san, ohaiyo gozaimasu," he greets and smiles. He is wearing a clean shirt and jeans. His thinness is very visible in these clothes, but there is color in his high cheekbones and his hair is glossy and combed. His hands are behind his back. "Purezento ga aru."

"What does that mean? Nan desuka?" the girl asks.

The boy only smiles. He steps forward and bows slightly, and then moves his hands in front of him. A small box is in them. "Douzo," he says.

"Is this for me?" The girl shakes her head. "I can't accept that."

"Douzo." The boy's dark eyes crinkle with his smile. "Daijobu dayo. Tanoshii purezento da."

The girl watches him for a moment longer. He nudges the box forward and dips his head again slightly. Then, she takes it in her hands. The box is blue with a gold bow. She unravels it and lifts the lid. Inside is a plastic bag.

She takes it out of the box. "It's a sandwich."

The boy begins laughing. The girl puts it back in the box and her face changes with a multitude of expressions. First her eyes widen, and then a smile appears, but last her brow furrows. "Haruto, I don't know what to say. This is the most confusing thing I've ever received."

"Joke desu," the boy says.

"My goodness. Haruto, you're... you're weird. You're normal. You're..." The girl shakes her head and smiles. Her eyes begin to glisten. "You... Never mind. Thank you. Arigatou gozaimasu."

"Douitashimashite. You are welcome." He smiles. But then it fades a bit. "Persephone," he starts.

"Yes?" She wipes her eyes.

The boy shifts a bit and reddens, but he backs away and bows deeply. "Hontou ni iroriro aritgatou gozaimashita. Kansha no kimochi de ippai desu. Kansha no kotoba mo arimasen. Osewani narimashita. Anata wa watashi no inochi o sukutta desu."

The girl blinks. "What does that mean?"

The boy straightens and swallows. "Thank you."

"That was a long thank you. What is the word for that? Takusan thank you?"

The boy laughs. "Ah, no." His blush deepens. "Takusan no imi wa a lot da. "

"Then what did that mean? What do you say, uh, imi wa nan desuka?"

The boy turns his head down and opens and closes his hands. "Eigo no kotoba wa wakirimasen." He chuckles weakly. "Ah... You... You..."

"Yes?" The girl smiles softly.

"Thank you. Thank you for saving my life."

The boy looks up at her and fumbles with his hands. The girl only takes them gently in hers. The boy blinks a few times.

"No," she says. "Thank you for saving mine."