We, who Survived

Fern had left the bathroom, allowing me to soak in privacy. I felt strangely groggy and at peace, the desire for freedom a blurry thought in the back of my mind. Whatever Fern had placed into the bathwater was having this effect on me, cancelling out the gut feeling to keep alert and fighting. At least my wound and throbbing ankle felt numb, giving me the mind to savor every second.

“Staying in a bit longer should do the trick for any infections and wounds I didn’t see.” Glancing over the lip of the bath, I saw Fern leaning in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. “There are clothes for you too. If they’re too big, deal with it.”

Opening my mouth, I wanted to say something sarcastically, but nothing came to mind. Shaking my head, I mumbled about the access to hot water as I had seen no heating system like that at the Trident facility or something resembling it. Fern stared at me for a long minute, causing my cheeks to burn and for me to slink further down into the water so only my head would poke out.

“We are close to a natural spring. The bamboo grows there too, making harvesting and fixing to be done with ease. All the huts in this area are linked up to a system of bamboo pipes that are fed by gravitational force. When someone is finished, the greywater goes through the opening into the river from underground piping. Because of the herbs we use with our soaps, the ecosystem is unaffected,” Fern explained, raising an eyebrow. “Did you think we reverted back in evolution? We use the techniques we gained from the previous populations. Do not think so little of us, Space Rat.”

“I did not mean it like that. Things are just different down here than on the station,” I said, slowly sitting up straight again. “We were taught that the humans who were left behind died. We were the only living evidence of our species staying on the station and any hope of survivors was next to nothing. Earth was left to the animals.”

“Your teachers were idiots. As soon as the war ended, the small percentage of us left found our way into the mountains. Bomb shelters from previous wars became our refuge. Everything below the mountains evolved physically while we evolved in immunity and bone structure. Our time here has been longer than you think. You have been up in space for 36 years, yes? Well, we have been down here for 72.”

I stopped breathing at that. 72 years the Earth has been sustainable for human life and we had no idea. Did my father know? Had all the leaders known we could have come back but chose to keep quiet about it? Shaking my head, I rubbed my neck and brought my knees to my chest, hugging them.

“I’m done, I want to get out.” I kept my gaze on the wall in front of me, feeling stupid for the need to say I wanted to get out. Out could mean so many things but not the one I wanted.

“Do you want me to help you?” Fern asked, making me glare at him. He had a smug smile on his lips and eyes shining with that same hunger.

“No, go get the bloody clothes,” I growled. No way was he getting to see more of me than he already had! I would not let that same slip up with Spark happen here.

“Fine, fine. Don’t slip.” He rolled his eyes and left the room for me to wrap the towel around my shoulders, the length of it easily reaching mid-thigh. My ankle felt better, less swollen, and so did my back. Maybe the concoction in the bath managed to clean out the bacteria infecting my wound and therefore giving me that calm feeling. But I did feel a bit dizzy and unsteady on my feet.

“Here, hurry up and change. A friend of mine brought us food and I would like to start eating while it is still hot.” Fern was in and out of the bathroom so fast, I barely even registered what he was saying. When they did make their way through my fuzzy mind, I was hurriedly getting changed into the clothes he gave me as fast as I could without tipping over. I had on a tunic that fell past my hips and hide leggings that were baggy around my calves and needed to be rolled up at my ankles. I also had no shoes now, making me more vigilant of sharp objects and rough surfaces.

Walking into the main room, the shutters were closed and candles were lit in sconces attached to the wall and ceiling. Fern was sat in the larger chair he had made me sit in earlier, his legs crossed underneath him with a bowl in his lap. He seemed to be deep in thought since he did not pick up on my entrance. Only when I stood in front of him did he snap out of it.

He stared up at me with an unknown gleam in his eye before talking. “Your bowls on the table. Don’t expect anything that I eat to be yours as well, you are a prisoner and prisoners don’t get pampered,” He said, beginning to eat the contents of his bowl with a wooden spoon. Nodding, I went to the table and retrieved the bowl and spoon.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, at least I was getting fed. Instead of sitting with him, I decided to walk back to the bathroom and sat on the floor. It was warmer in here than the main room and lacked the daunting presence of Fern, allowing me to think somewhat clearly. I leant against the wall and crossed my legs before sipping at the soup. It was good even though it was a simple broth with chopped vegetables and three pieces of meat. It filled me up and that’s all I was asking for. The warmth in my stomach and the room was making my already dizzy state worse and my eyelids heavy. I was sleepy but the dizziness was making me groan. In this state, I was vulnerable to whatever Fern wanted to do with me.

“Kitten?” Glancing up, my vision lagged before focusing on Fern in the doorway. I became rigid.

“W...w-what?” Even my speech was affected, coming out slurred. Was there something in the soup? No, I felt like this before even eating it.

Fern did not answer me, only coming to crouch at my side. He touched my cheek, rubbing his thumb under my eye. I tried to shy away, but my body did not listen. He then went to pick me up, holding me close to him as he took me out of the bathroom and into the room that had its door originally closed. By then, my eyes were closed, and I was half-asleep in his arms. Thoughts were running through my head about what could happen next until I was placed gently down onto something and a soft layer was dragged over my body before I felt Fern lie down next to me.

“Goodnight Nathan, hopefully, tomorrow you’ll feel better,” Fern muttered.

The first thing I wanted to do when I woke up was vomit. My stomach felt weak and something heavy was thrown over my chest making it hard to breathe. Groaning, I tried to move the object, but it tightened around me, causing me to realize it was someone’s arm. Gritting my teeth, I dug my nails into their skin.

“What the fuck?” Hearing Fern’s growl instantly reminded me of my situation and wanted to hide under the covers if I could move. He was glaring at me, face inches away from mine. “Want to try that again?”

“N-no, but you’re too c-close. I don’t feel well,” Mumbling, I tried to press myself back into the mattress so we wouldn’t be so close. He leaned back, rubbing his shoulder as he continued to glare at me.

Closing my eyes, I tried to take deep breaths to try to calm myself, slowly pushing down the covers as I began to overheat and could feel a lump forming in my throat. Then, I felt something cold touch my lips, water dripping into my tongue between my teeth before it was removed and the sensation was over my forehead. Opening my right eye, I watched as Fern sat crossed legged facing me with a small bowl in his lap. He gently wiped at my face before dipping the cloth in the bowl, ringing it before once again setting it on my forehead.

“Either the infection is fighting back, which I doubt, or you caught a minor strain of the Village Flu,” Fern muttered, dabbing at my face again. “You won’t be able to see my father either way.”

“Why are you doing this? I thought I was your prisoner, so why not leave me to suffer alone or just die as you threatened yesterday.” My voice croaked, the dryness in my throat causing me to cough.

“I have my reasons.” He moved closer, knees slightly touching my side as he dripped water into my mouth.

“Tell me because I have a feeling... You weren’t just doing patrols by chance yesterday; you have been following us since we entered the city.” I waited for him to deny my statement, but his silence made me smile slightly. “I knew I was not going crazy.”

“Winter in the city is dangerous,” Fern began abruptly, making me rigid with his tone. “The animals migrate towards us naturally, allowing for continued hunting and planting of winter crops. I... I have a proposition. You stay here with me and I make sure your people are fed throughout the season.”

“Why would I agree to that on my second day of captivity and in the state, I am in? I can’t even think straight,” I muttered, going into a coughing fit. When it subsided, I allowed myself to smile slightly. “That’s cheating.”

“Just think about it. In two days, if you haven’t given me your answer before then, I’ll ask again.” Fern got off the bed, placing the bowl on a table before coming and pulling the fur blanket up to my chin. “When you wake up, there will be food and tea.”

“Tea?”

“Yes, tea. Now sleep.”

Fern left the room, grabbing his bow and quiver. If I did not feel like I was dying, this would have been the best opportunity to escape. Too bad.