Raidne (Part II)

 Raidne woke suddenly.

"Settle down, you're safe, just exhausted."

"Where am I?" Raidne asked, sitting up quickly, displacing a tattered sheet.

"You're at FST.  Private Yarrow and Slaughter brought you here after you're engagement."

"What's an FST?  I'm not a soldier you know."

"Forward Surgical Team.  You needed four bags of lactated ringers. When you're out there, you need to remember to hydrate."

Raidne's head swam, and she steadied herself against the cot.

"Yarrow's been chewing my ear off about you since you all returned, you know."

Raidne sighed.  "Yarrow's an ass."

"Yes, he is, but it's all an act.  They took his sister, you know."

"Oh, shit.  And he's not an Active?  Usually it runs in the family."

"He's adopted.  But I didn't tell you any of this, by the way."

Raidne nodded.

Sloughwitz knocked on the doorframe.  "Is she okay?"

"Yes." the corpsman said.  "Just tired.  You can talk to her now."

"Can we have the room?"

"Can I say no?" the corpsman said, on his way out the quonset hut.

Sloughwitz looked furtively around.  "That was fucking AMAZING."

Raidne blushed a bit.  "Thank you."

"But we have a problem.  You passed out after only affecting seven of them.  There's no way we're going to be able to do much if that's all you can do." Sloughwitz said, matter of factly.

Raidne sighed.  "I was on the sleepers for six years when they had me.  The only reason I was able to escape was because I have rolling veins, and the idiot thre kept missing it."

The corpsman laughed from outside.

"Damn it, Huxley"

"Sorry, Sarge"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Sloughwitz asked.

"It's like a muscle.  You gotta exercise it.  This was only the 3rd time i've been able to do it since I escaped, not counting my actual escape.  And I slept for almost three days after that."

"I see."

"We gotta get the rest of them out." Raidne said, flatly.

"I know.  Our little test worked pretty well though, didn't it?" Sloughwitz said, cracking a smile.

"Yes.  It did.  I especially enjoyed watching your men mow them down."

Sounds of a scuffle rang through the small quonset hut.  PFC Yarrow barged it.  "Is she..."

"Yes, she's fine, PRIVATE."

"Can I talk to her?"

Sloughwitz looked at Raidne, and she nodded.

"Fine, keep it short.  She needs rest.  We're done here."  Sloughwitz said on his way out.

"That was the craziest thing I ever saw!" Yarrow said.  "I uh, have a question, though..."

"No, I didn't do anything to you after I shut you up.  You are just, uhm... a boy." She said.

Yarrow blushed.  "No, you... I mean, How did you learn to do that?"

"Why do you want to know?  Do you want me to teach you to sing?" She said, smirking.

"Uh, no.  Because... Well, you gotta promise not to tell anyone."

Yarrow held out his palm, closed his eyes in concentration.  A small flame danced in his palm

Raidne stared.

"I've been able to do that ever since i was a kid.  It gets out of control..."

"...when you get angry or upset?" Raidne finished.

"Yes! It's kind of why..."

"You're such an asshole all the time?"

"Yes.  If I make others angry, they won't make me angry, and they won't get hurt.  Like... Like mom did."

Raidne nodded.

"Look, I'm not sure how much I can help.  I'm still figuring all this out myself.  But your secret is safe with me.  But you should tell..."

"I've lied about it since everyone's looking for actives.  They took my sister.  And i'm still not sure who I can trust."

Raidne nodded.

"Hi, My real name's Emily.  But I like Raidne  She was one of the Greek Sirens"

"Nice to meet you, Emily.  I'm Peter."