When the rains may come (Science Fiction)

3. The Wounded Operative.

"You idiot!" Marie yelled at Clint as the two of them rushed towards the living room, Cathy trailing close behind them. "You were supposed to stop him from doing something stupid like this!"

"I tried!" Her husband cried out. "He wouldn't listen."

"Of course he wouldn't--he is a kid. But it's your duty as an adult to knock some sense into him." Marie said. Now they were in the living room and she was grabbing her gas mask before putting it on and running out the front door.

Clint stood staring at the spot in which his wife had been standing. Then he turned to Cathy, a helpless look on his face, his boyishness more evident than ever. His expression seemed to say, "what could've I done?"

Cathy just nervously looked back at him. She didn't have any kind of reassurance for him. Clint sighed and looked away. From the bay window, they could see Zack running down the sidewalk, getting closer to the operative. Clint grabbed his gas mask too and rushed outside.

Cathy moved up to the window and watched the kid make his way towards the hobbling operative and stop a few feet away from him. Cathy felt uncertain about going out after the couple. A moment passed.

Screw it, she thought, donning her own gas mask before going out.

#

"Zack!" Marie was yelling. "Zack, stop right there or you'll regret it!" She rushed over to her son before he could take another step towards the operative. She grabbed the boy by his shoulders and yanked him back.

When Cathy got close, the couple stood shielding the boy from the wounded man. Then the operative unholstered his gun and held it up. Cathy froze in terror. I shouldn't have come out.

The man threw the weapon down on the road and raised his open hand. "I don't mean any harm," he said. "I just need some water."

Cathy saw him flinch under the visor of his gas mask before he sank to his knees. She noticed the big dark splotch on the side of his suit and the way he gripped it.

"He's hurt." Zack said. "We gotta help him."

"Well, yeah we really can't just leave him in the middle of the road." Clint said. "Especially because of the way he is bleeding."

"We gotta take him in, Mom." Zack said. "Or he is gonna bleed to death."

"Shut up, Zack." Marie said. "We don't have any place to take him to. We are guests in Cathy's house ourselves, it's not our decision to make whether we can take him in or not."

They all turned to Cathy.

Oh great, she thought. So I get to decide if the man should die out in the street or in my house. She shook her head.

"What if his wound is infected?" She asked.

"So you're just gonna let him die out here?" Zack asked.

"Hey!" The operative yelled before Cathy could answer. "I'm not asking for any kind of shelter. All I want is just a glass of water."

"We understand what you mean, my man, but that wound can become a real issue." Clint said.

"Don't care if it does!" The operative said, gritting his teeth. "Just get me a glass of water before I die. That's all I ask."

"But we can't just let you die like that. Not when we can help you." Zack said and then he turned to Cathy. The shyness that she'd seen in him earlier was now almost completely gone. "We have to take him to your house."

"No." Cathy said.

"What?"

"That man isn't coming in my house with a wound like that." Cathy paused "We'll take him into the garage." She turned to the operative. "Can you walk or do you need any help?"