Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,33

apex of the tree, I stole a glance at Josiah. Even then, I craved his approval and appreciation. But instead of a smile, he wore a thick scowl. The expression caught me off guard, causing me to slip and fall.

Master Stonewell Sr. begrudgingly took me to the hospital, insisting that I would be useless if it didn’t set correctly. I remember feeling cold and the doctors all providing me with deep-set frowns of disdain. I wasn’t allowed pain medicine, and a large, balding doctor set my arm methodically while another held me down. Josiah watched with morbid curiosity, and that night he snuck into my room to read to me while I tried to sleep and cope with the trauma of the day.

If I were a member of the elite, they would have put me into a healing pod. It cured most breaks but was expensive to use.

Maverick’s clinic felt warm and inviting, despite the medical equipment. I explored the offices briefly, until I found Maverick in a back room, standing over a poor girl suffering in bed. She was drenched in sweat and moaning quietly. Maverick watched her with trepidation and almost didn’t notice me walk in.

Once we made eye contact, he turned silently and guided us both out of the room, allowing her to sleep. He seemed to be overwhelmed with grief. Most knew that those whose bodies rejected the vaccine didn’t usually make it.

“I brought you dinner and a change of clothes,” I whispered. I didn’t want to wake the suffering girl in the back room.

“Thank you, Ashleigh. It’s been a long day.” Maverick gripped his hair and looked around the room while sucking in a deep breath.

“I’m happy to be out of that room. I hate that I can’t help her,” he growled. The Vaccine Rejection was a common phenomenon and couldn't be cured by anything.

“Here. Let's eat and rest a moment. I know this is hard for you, but you’ve got to take care of yourself, too.” I said.

We both sat on the floor outside of her room. Maverick seemed uncomfortable, and it was evident that he wanted to remain near in case she woke up. We ate in silence. I felt unsure of how to help Maverick but seeing him eat eased my worries considerably.

“Thank you for this, Ashleigh. You should be getting back soon. I don’t want you walking around late at night,” he said while rubbing his eyes.

“May I stay? I-I've seen this before.” I said. I prayed the sadness from my past didn’t coat my tone.

“What happened in your experience?” Maverick asked. “You don’t have to tell me,” he quickly added after seeing my sad expression.

“The Stonewells once tried to take on a second Walker,” I started, trying to keep my voice low and steady. “They wanted someone to work in the gardens and perform more complex repairs. His name was Elliot. He was fifteen, and I was just thirteen.” I allowed myself to remember him. He was handsome with long, black hair that swept across his forehead. I remember gawking at him when the Stonewells introduced us. “The Stonewells claimed him. They vaccinated him on his first day. At first, he seemed fine.

“I remember feeling excited to have someone like me in the house. Josiah–my master–was more like a friend, but there was something magical about knowing someone with the same . . . status as me.” Maverick looked at me with sad eyes.

“When he got sick, Mistress Stonewell told me to take care of him. For four days I brought him water, washed him, fed him, and held his hand.” Tears began streaming down my face.

“The night . . .,” I had to pause for a moment, then started again. “The night before he died, he told me that he had never, uh, never kissed a girl. He was smelly and dying, but I kissed him.” I still remembered his soft lips against mine, and how he smiled when I eagerly embraced him. “He requested to watch the sunset, so we stumbled up the stairs of the basement and made our way outside. I fed him soup broth. It was my first and only date.” I chuckled. “He died the next morning.”

“That must have been hard for you,” Maverick said. I considered his words, but there was something so incredibly enlightening about his death.

“I think I’m supposed to feel sad about that time in my life,” I said. “But instead, I look back on those days as a beautiful