2 "New Hope?"

"About 2 weeks." Carter walked over to my bed, and looked at me.

"2.. 2 weeks?-" I sat up, quickly, but all that happened was pain hitting at my back.

"Hey. Be more careful with that wound." Veri crossed her arms, her tone was cold.

"?.."

The two were acting weird, throwing glances at each other, as if they were scared to tell me something.

"You and Carter aren't going to the new area. We got too insufficient funds, and it's too dangerous for ye' to go with that leg."

"So, we won't leave, ever?"

"At the moment." She said.

"At the moment?"

"Yes, at the moment." She frowned, looking up at me.

Carter chuckled and we both looked at him, confused.

"What's so funny?" Veri glared at Carter, as he just couldn't help but laugh.

"You two are just pathetic." He'd hold in his laughter.

"Oh you talking about yourself?" I frowned, as he started laughing again, clearing his throat afterwards.

"Enough. You two aren't children. Get hold of yourself. When you two are well and fine, you shall go to the marked place and place our initials."

She said, her tone was quite cold, and her gaze was shallow.

I looked at Carter, as he was nodding, clearly annoyed, his arms crossed.

"Okay. I'll go do my work, now." He'd say, glancing at me, giving me a simple smile, and walking away from the bed and out of the room.

"You.. Know Carter well, right?"

She nodded.

"Pretty much, yeah." She said, with a shrug.

"Oh."

"Do you want to know more about him?" She'd ask, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed.

"Well.. What was he like in the past?" I asked, and she'd shrug.

"Carter isn't as much of an open person as you think he is, so I don't know." She said, and I just rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed because I asked that.

"What was he like- I mean when you found him?"

"Well, the moment we found him, he was well- uh.. Holding a gun, trying to raid some people's bases. He was hurt, so we just took him in." She said.

Carter came back, yawning.

Me and Veri turned our heads in order to face him. He glanced at us, giving me a small smile, and I smiled back. Veri cleared her throat, standing up, and dusting off her clothes.

"Well, I'll get going. I have a place to lead." She'd walk towards the door, grabbing the door handle and walking out.

As soon as she left, me and Carter started chatting. His voice seemed to get more and more distant with each time, and my eyes got heavy.

I looked out of the window, staring at the dull sunlight.

"Mommy!" A faint girl's laughter was heard all around, it was a sweet laughter. It was a pure, gentle laughter. Like a warm little hug.

"Mommy! Mommy look!" The little girl handed a small, blue butterfly to a woman, that was currently holding a watering can, watering her flowers.

"Oh my, honey. It's so beautiful." The woman looked at the butterfly in her hand, as she put down the watering can.

"You good?" Carter said, as I snapped back into reality.

"What? Uh- Yeah! Yeah, I'm perfectly fine." I turned to him, as he sat on the edge of my hospital bed.

He sighed. "How'd you get that?" He pointed at my scar on my left eye.

"Oh it's just a scratch." I shrugged.

"Looks pretty serious to me. What happened? And what do you mean by "it's just a scratch?" He asked.

I sighed.

"Well, it was an accident since I was a small boy. I accidently broke a glass bottle, and a shard scratched my eye."

"Oh." Carter softly muttered.

"It's not my only scar. I got a scar on my stomach too." I said.

"Can I see?" Carter asked.

"Sure." I said, and I lifted up my shirt, so that the scar would be in plain sight.

He'd look at the scar, and gently brushed his finger on it. He'd look up back at me, pulling away his hand. I pulled down my shirt.

"If you yet again, don't mind me asking, how'd you get that one?" Carter chuckled awkwardly.

"It's not that old. I got it when I was protecting my mom and our hideout from rookie raiders."

He shrugged.

"Oh. I guess that kind of makes sense."

I sighed, as Carter looked at the hallway.

"It's nice just to sit here, with nothing on your mind, huh?" He chuckled, and I nodded.

"I wish the world was normal again. I wish.. I wish I could just hold my mother and brother just for even a second." I said, and he patted me on the back, smiling.

"Well, I'm sure they are in a better place than this." He said.

I sat up, and I looked at the wound. Carter looked at it, chuckling.

"Well, another scar to ye' collection, hm?" Carter chuckled and I chuckled too.

"Well, I do like to collect scars." I nodded and the two of us just started laughing.

I chuckled and Carter looked at me. It felt as if he just saw through me. I cleared my throat and looked away.

I stood up, and Carter looked up.

I took a step, but my legs were still too weak to move, so I only fell onto the cold ground. He helped me up, wrapping his arm around my waist, and gently helping me walk.

"Careful, okay?" He said, and I nodded, as he helped me walk.

I walked to the bathroom and I nodded to him.

"I'll be fine by myself now." I smiled and entered the bathroom.

Carter waited by the door, as I washed my face with cold water. I sighed, and looked up in the mirror.

My pale face and the enormous eyesbags under my eyes made me look as if I was infected or something. My dark hair fell onto my face, short yet still reached under my eyes.

I opened the door, and sudden pain shot up at my wound.

"Argh-" I exclaimed, as Carter rushed to me and helped me up.

He helped me walk back to my bed, as he sighed.

"You gotta be more careful, okay?" He sighed as he sat down beside me.

Carter was the only person I could at least trust even if it meant that he'll betray me. The apocalypse made everyone loners, or wandering in a group of people, whom you don't even know and don't even know when will they kill you.

"Well, I have an idea- you want to get some ice cream? I heard they have some hidden in the freezers." Carter smiled.

"Well, I can't really walk. If you get some for yourself, get some for me, maybe?" I'd smile, as he nodded and walked out of the room.

I looked at myself in the mirror on the wall.

There was a small bandage on my left side of the face. Weird. The mutant dog haven't even jumped on my face. Just my back, but my stomach hurt from the weight too.

I looked down at my wound, it was big and slightly red. It hurted to even look at it.

Carter came back, a cup of ice cream was in his hand. I smiled, taking the cup from his hand, and grabbing the little spoon.

I put a small bite of ice cream into my mouth, as the flavour melted in my tongue. Vanilla ice cream. It was a luxury to even have this at your possesion.

"God I haven't had this in over 6 years." I smiled as Carter chuckled.

"Well, I've been stealing the ice cream for at least over a year now." He'd smile, as he put a spoonful in his mouth.

I looked out of the window.

There was something in the distance.

"What is that-" I said, as a bird flew through the window.

Carter and I jumped back, as we grabbed a couple of face masks to protect ourselves from the toxicity.

Carter picked up a scapel, as he picked up the bird.

Carter looked shocked. The shocked expression changed soon to a more-like scared frown.

"What- what is it-" I asked, worried.

"It's- it's not mutated." He looked at me, as I dropped the ice cream.