Front Gate
A chilling scene became visible as soon as the lights were focused on the vehicles. They bore brutal signs of a desperate battle - multiple scratches, bite marks all over, and a giant claw mark lodged deep within the left vehicle door, a silent testament to the violence.
Clunk! Thud! All the doors opened simultaneously.
"We need stretchers right now!" Multiple people left the vehicles, filled with urgency. Meanwhile, one of the drivers dashed towards the town hall.
"Ahh, my leg! My hands! My eyes!" Screams reverberated within the vehicles.
The pitiful groans drew the attention of onlookers, alarming them. About four of the participants were severely injured: some had missing limbs, arms, eyes, and other body parts. Meanwhile, seven had some light injuries.
"The stretchers are in the left corner of the clinic. Someone call Sara and Amber as soon as possible, and make a way for me." Maria approached the vehicle with a first aid box in hand.
"You heard her. Let's move out." About ten people dashed towards the clinic.
Maria approached the closest patient, whom she was already familiar with: Jack, one of the group leaders selected during the supply run. He had a deep injury to his left eye, blood was leaking constantly.
"Jack, how are you doing?" She comforted him while cleaning her hands with alcohol before inspection.
"I'm still breathing, Maria." He couldn't help but joke.
"I see you're still in the mood for a joke. Okay, this will sting a bit." She applied saline solution and cleaned his wound with gauze.
Hiss!
Grunt left Jack's mouth as soon as it made contact with the wounds. Fortunately, the procedure didn't even last more than a minute.
"Okay, I'll cover the wound temporarily. You have to hold the gauze." She cut a roll of gauze, folded it till thick, and covered his eye. Then, she approached Rex (another patient).
Argh!
"Help me, Maria. I can't stand the pain." He was screaming for help.
"Rex, I'm here. I'll help you with the pain, okay?" She brought out a vial of morphine and injected it into his veins using a syringe. The morphine acted fast, and his pain was lessened at a rapid pace.
"Thank you, Maria."
"Okay, let's check your wound." She tore through his left shirt and saw a gruesome scene. His left arm: missing parts below the elbow. It seemed as if something had torn through his arms, and blood seeped through the towel covering it.
She couldn't do much there, so she tightened the wound with extra gauze and a tourniquet on top and moved on to the next patient: Fred, a member of Rex's team, who was in even worse condition than Rex. His left leg, missing below the knee. Maria gave him a dose of morphine and gave him the same treatment as Rex.
The last patient: Colt, a member of Franz's group. He had less severe injuries than the previous two; he was missing a few toes. Maria made quick work of him before further help arrived.
***
The Clinic
Aden was deep in slumber during all the commotion. Suddenly, he heard multiple footsteps advancing toward the clinic.
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
He was jolted awake by the commotion and opened the door, rubbing his eyes. "Huh! What's going on?"
A group of people entered the clinic before he could make sense of the situation, and moved to the left corner and grabbed the stretchers one at a time.
Dumbfounded by the events, he couldn't help but ask. "What's going on? Why are you guys taking all the stretchers?"
Jim was among the group, and he responded to Aden's question. "The supply run didn't go according to plan, and some are heavily injured, so we're taking stretchers to bring them back."
Uhh!
"Wouldn't it be faster to bring them in the vehicle?" Aden asked.
Uhh!
Jim was at a loss for words. So, one of the veterans had to chime in. "You're not wrong, kid, but the vehicles have been sent for emergency repair."
"Okay, let's return; we don't have time to waste." Everyone left the clinic with stretchers.
"Wait for me." Curiosity got the best of him, and he was worried about Uncle Ben's situation. He joined the group and left in a hurry.
***
By the time Aden and the group arrived, Maria had already given basic care to the patients.
"Something must have gone wrong during the supply run." Aden thought, looking at the severity of the situation.
"Wait, what happened to Uncle Ben?" He had a bad premonition about the situation.
Aden approached one of the veterans and inquired. "Have you seen Uncle Ben?" The veteran didn't utter a word; instead, his head drooped in response.
The silence was deafening. He refused to accept the answer, so he approached another veteran, but the veteran couldn't meet his eyes, his head drooping.
"That's not possible." Aden refused to believe it. Instead, he dashed towards Tom's house, hoping for some answers.
Despite being busy with the patients, Maria saw Aden's retreating figure.
"Aden." She called for him, but received no response.
Sigh!
She got up and made her way to the clinic with others.
Meanwhile, Aden arrived at Tom's house, but it was empty. A bit of unease and frustration filled him at the situation.
"Where could they have gone?" He thought, while guessing the different locations they could be at. His legs moved on their own as he mumbled to himself about all the possibilities.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar loud noise near the town hall."It can't be."
"That familiar voice, it must be Aunt Lucy." He scurried toward the town hall, filled with anticipation.
Shortly, he arrived in front of the town hall. Inside, the air was thick with hushed whispers and the raw sound of barely suppressed weeping.
"Please tell me it's not true." A mournful woman's voice could be heard within the room. He approached the door and knocked on it.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Who is it?" A stern response returned from inside.
He had never heard Riku's stern voice before, he replied nervously. "It's me, Aden."
Immediately, her tone changed. "Oh! It's Aden. Kid, we are busy right now. Could you come another time?"
"O…" Tom's voice cut Aden mid-way before he could agree. "He's like a family to us, I think it's okay for him to know about it."
"Are you sure?" Riku glanced at Tom.
Tom replied with an upright posture. "It's fine, he's like a brother to me."
Riku agreed to the request, sensing his firm stance. "Very well. You can come in, Aden."
Creak!
The door opened. Inside, Aden found Tom, Aunt Lucy, Riku, and a woman with a child on her back.
Aunt Lucy and the woman were barely holding on. Meanwhile, Riku had a firm look, but he could sense deep grief beneath.
The woman broke the silence. "Can't you organize a search and rescue for them?"
"That's the plan. The settlement needs a leader, and veterans like Ben and Eric." Riku replied, "Most of the members are ready, and the vehicles have been sent for repair, but we still lack the necessary manpower."
"I'll volunteer." Aden agreed, with no hesitation in his voice.
Immediately, Tom objected. "No, you can't."
So, Aden reassured him. "It's okay, Tom. I'm doing this for me and Uncle Ben. Besides, the more time we waste, the lower the chances of finding them."
"But…" He was reluctant about Aden's decision.
"It's fine, brother. Let me help this once." He consoled Tom.
"You know Maria will not agree." Riku's words doused cold water on Aden's determination.
Hehehe!
"I'll persuade her somehow." He gave an awkward laugh.
"Okay, I'll try to gather other people. You all can go home. We have to find those three. Whatever state they're in." Riku stormed out of the room, leaving the people behind.
"I'll go and help Ethan." Aden left the building.
"Thank you, brother," Tom said to his retreating figure.
***
Ethan's Workshop
Zzzz! Zzzz! Zzzz!
Metal shrieked against metal inside the workshop.
Phew!
Ethan wiped sweat from his brow, leaning over the metal sheets, a hacksaw resting beside him. "One done, six more to go. This is so tiring, wish someone was here to help."
Suddenly, he heard a footstep followed by Aden's voice. "Brother Ethan, are you there?"
Hahaha!
"Kid, come here. You're right on time." Ethan beamed, seeming relieved by his arrival, and he handed the hacksaw to him.
"Alright, kid. Here's the sample. Your task is to cut the metal sheets into the same shape and size. There should be seven more of them, okay?" He then hurried inside the small room.
"Wha…." Aden was left holding the hacksaw, dumbfounded.
Shortly, Ethan emerged with a wheelbarrow loaded with the water pump parts and glanced at him. "You haven't started yet? If you do a good job, I'll surprise you with a gift."
"A big surprise? Don't tell me you have car parts?" His proposal intrigued Aden.
"Maybe or maybe not, who knows? If you want to find out, better complete the task." Ethan grinned while tinkering with the water pump parts.
Zzzz! Zzzz! Zzzz!
Soon, the grating noise of metal being cut reverberated within the workshop.
A couple of hours passed. The noise of sawing finally stopped.
"Brother Ethan, I've completed my task. Now, can you tell what the surprise is?" He approached Ethan, who was meticulously reassembling the water pump.
"Go check the box on the cargo bed, it should be on the vehicle, on the left," Ethan replied without looking up, focused on fitting the seal.
"Okay, brother." Aden walked over to the damaged Power Wagon. He ran a hand over the scarred paintwork, lingered on the gouged claw marks, and patched bullet holes.
He took a deep breath and wrestled with the cargo bed latches.
Clang! Clang! Thud!
The tailgate opened, revealing a grim aftermath inside. The cargo bed was slathered with blood and spent bullet casings. However, his attention was on a blood-covered box in the corner: a heavy cardboard box, miraculously intact despite the carnage around.
He grabbed the box, staggering slightly under its unexpected weight. He let the box down and opened it, and found a big surprise. Inside, nestled amongst padding, were exactly what he needed: a functional battery, a full set of new-looking spark plugs, and clean air, oil, and fuel filters.
"Thank you, Brother Ethan." He felt a surge of genuine gratitude mixed with the grimness of how they were obtained.
"Don't thank me, kid. Thank the boys and Franz, who got it back. Ethan finally looked up, wiping grease from his hands. "You can thank me when I get those parts working in that wreck of yours."
"Thank you again, Brother Ethan. The rescue plan will be much easier now." He exclaimed.
Aden's revelation caught him off guard. "Wait, what? What do you mean by rescue mission, kid?"
Uhhh!
"My sharp tongue." He cursed himself, but decided to inform Ethan.
"Aunt Riku is planning to organize a search and rescue plan for Captain Franz, Uncle Ben, and Eric, and I'm participating." Aden disclosed the plan, or at least what he heard.
"No wonder they want me to repair and reinforce the vehicle by tomorrow." Ethan was in deep thought. "Have you talked to Maria about it, kid?"
His head dropped at Ethan's question. "I haven't yet. But I'll persuade her somehow."
"You're no longer a child, and we can't force our belief on you, kid. However, talk to her before you make decisions.
"I know, Brother Ethan. It will be dangerous, but I can't help feeling guilty about Tom's situation," He replied in a soft voice. "I'm doing this for me and Uncle Ben."
Ethan gave a soft pat on his back. "Very well. Come help me with the water pump." With their combined effort, the water pump soon passed its test run without leaks or rattles.
"Alright, kid. You can return now. Come visit me before the mission if Maria allows it, I'll give you something."
"Okay, Brother Ethan. Goodnight." He left the workshop
Sigh!
"Kids grow so fast these days," he muttered, turning back to the waiting repairs.
***
The Clinic
Aden spent more than two hours at the workshop. When he arrived at the clinic, Sara and Amber were finishing dressing the last of the wounds.
He greeted them courteously. "Hello, Sister Sara, Sister Amber."
"Hello, Aden." Both returned the greeting.
He glanced at the patients, now sleeping fitfully under rough blankets, before entering the storage room. Once inside, he saw Maria carefully boiling used medical equipment in a large pot over a burner – the standard, necessary sterilization method.
"Sister, I…." He stopped, the words catching in his throat. He needed to tell her, but facing her disapproval felt daunting.
"Huh! What is it, Aden?" Her sharp ears caught his hesitation.
"Sister…I'm about to say something. Please don't get mad, okay?" He forced the words out, bracing himself.
"What are you talking about, Aden? Why does it feel like you're wading into some trouble again?" Her gaze narrowed instantly.
"It's like this…." He took a deep breath and disclosed everything – the meeting, Riku's plan, and his volunteering.
By the end, Maria hadn't interrupted, but stood silently, watching the steam rise from the pot, her expression unreadable.
The silence was deafening. Aden shifted nervously, peeking at her face, trying to gauge her reaction, but found only stillness.
Finally, unable to bear it, he spoke again, his voice softer.
"The guilt is killing me, sister. Everyone says it's not my fault. How can it not be, when it was my selfishness that got my best friend injured? I'm hoping participating in the mission would be solace for my guilt, and he's also my Uncle."
Maria finally turned, her gaze steady but no longer sharp. "See? It wasn't that hard to tell me the truth, was it?"
"I'm sorry, sister. I couldn't keep my promise of not taking unnecessary risks." He apologized sincerely, looking down.
A faint, weary smile touched her lips. She stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. "It's fine, Aden. What kind of guardian would I be if I let you spend your whole life filled with regret? You can participate only if Ethan fully equips you and vouches for your readiness. And you promise me you will not take stupid chances. Your life is precious, don't forget that."
Relief flooded him. "Okay, sister. I promise," Aden replied vigorously.
"Okay. Now get some real sleep. Tomorrow… tomorrow will be difficult." She got back to her work. Meanwhile, he lay in bed, the weight on his chest eased, feeling strangely elated despite the circumstances.