Alright everybody, after over a month and a half of getting this bastard ready, it's finally finished. Now, a lot like chapter 7 and 9, I'm not completely satisfied with how this turned out, but it still turned out better than I initially was expecting. For those of you that find any kind of problems with this chapter, I would like to take this time to remind you all that I am not all that experienced with writing filler. It's potentially new ground for me, but hopefully this will be the kind of experience that can help make me better at it. You've all come to know the drill by now, read, leave reviews, and recommend to our foreign brothers and friends. Chapter 11 will be much easier and less time-consuming to get out there to you all, so you won't have to worry about that. School had a lot to do with this chapter taking so long as well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Hello again everybody. Well now we're officially in a part of the story that should actually be considered more important than just mindless action: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TIME! I'm just gone get this out in the open now: for the next couple chapters of this story, don't be expecting a whole lot of action. But don't worry, it will pick back up before too long. However, my fellow readers and authors, don't forget: Developing the plot and the characters within that plot is the true essence of storytelling! In the meantime, read, review, recommend, and enjoy.

UPDATE: 4/22/2011: I apologize for having gone over a month without updating this. I should have you all know, I am not experienced in writing filler. Up until this point, I still had plotlines to help me, but not this time. That is why I'll also apologize in advance if parts of this chapter come across as poorly thought out to you. Anyway, enjoy. I don't own HOTD, that belongs to the Sato Brothers. All I own is this story.

UPDATE: 4/26/2011: After over a month of trying to write this chapter, I've decided to make this a two-parter. I've basically come up with the idea that if the events of a chapter go beyond the span of one day, those chapters will be divided into two parts. I hope you will all still be able to enjoy what is to come in the future now that this guideline has been set for future chapters.

Kapitel Tio: Ge Oss Fristad Del En (S: Chapter Ten: Give Us Sanctuary Part One)

Otroligt. (S: Unbelievable) That's the only possible way I could begin to describe just where Takagi-san's mother and her men had taken us. Standing at the very top of the hill this entire neighborhood had been built around, there stood a mansion-like complex the likes of which I had never seen or heard of before. The sheer size of the entire place left me completely winded as we all took in what was to be our new temporary surroundings, even Alpi had been left completely dumbfounded, but you never would've noticed either way since he rarely ever spoke at all to begin with.

All around us, the sheer organization that stood behind those electric gates was almost impossible for me to take in so quickly. All around us, there were men in uniform bustling about with large supply trucks and buses dotting the area. To the left there were multiple tents in the yards with people dressed in civilian clothes running about, and to the right there were more uniformed men running back and forth from the vehicles to the mansion carrying massive boxes filled with who-knows-what, none of them paying any of us any mind at all. Either way, after having gone so long without finding any other survivors, this was quite a spectacle to be seen.

"This is incredible." I heard Bjarte say breathlessly as we heard the gate come to a close behind us. "When did you get all of this set up? It hasn't even been three days since everything fell apart." he went on looking absolutely everywhere in amazement, almost like a small child who had just walked into the worlds greatest candy store. "Once everything had started, it didn't take long for a lot of these people to find their way to us. My husband and his organization are rather well known in this city, and it took almost no time before we all began to set up this shelter and send search parties for any other survivors. Once we had rescued all the people in this neighborhood that were still alive and uninfected, we also began to send recovery teams to retrieve any food or medical supplies, or any other equipment we may need for the times to come." Takagi-san's mother had begun to explain as she started to show us around the grounds.

Before she continued, she immediately turned her attention to the two of her men that were carrying Ditlev on a single stretcher they had brought with them when they rescued us. "You two, bring that boy to the doctors' tent at once." she commanded, and both men bowed down to her and were immediately on their way as if on a queue. "The rest of you, round up some of the mechanics and help them bring that Humvee back to us." she went on almost immediately as she turned her attention to the rest of her men that had come with us. They too simply bowed and went to wherever they were told without a single sign of hesitation. Once they had all gone, she turned her attention back to us, smiling softly. "The rest of you, walk with me for a minute. There are some things that I need to see to around here, but in the meantime I'll give you a quick look around the compound so as you don't get lost during your time here. Also, I'm sure some of you may be confused and have some questions that may need answering." she had gone on to explain to us as she began to make her way towards the mansion itself, with the lot of us keeping pace behind her.

Switching my gaze from the rather amazing leader of our rescuers, to the entire camp of civilian tents and then back, it gave me something to wonder about, which I unfortunately couldn't keep to myself. "To have a mansion and a compound of this kind of size and overall grandeur...how exactly were you able to get your hands on this place?"

In the short time I waited for her to give me an answer, I caught a glimpse of Takagi-san, and the look she was giving me seemed like both a threat and a warning, almost as if to say I was now treading on ground I wasn't welcome on. "Well, some of it came as a result of financial offerings from my husbands' supporters, but mostly from some of my past experiences working on Wall Street." she answered quite modestly, and with the exception of Takagi-san herself and Alpi, the rest of us were rather surprised.

I know it's not much of a big deal nowadays in the world we now live in, but when I was younger, my mother would always go on about her desire to one day work in what was considered the home of the modern stock market world; or have me go into it myself in her place, and I never would've guessed that I would meet someone who came from it in such unexpected circumstances.

As much as I wanted to respect Takagi-san's advice and just leave my questions at that, there was just one more thing that had been bugging me for the last several minutes after I had finally taken notice of it: all those men in matching uniforms who acted on her every command without a moments hesitation. I had also noticed their uniforms all bore the Japanese flag and some characters I had never seen before, and the same was for all their buses as well. "I hope you'll forgive all these questions, but I'm a little curious as to who all these men are."

Again, she took my question without any sign of offense and was rather casual with her answers. I was glad we were at least dealing with someone who didn't think herself better than others due to immense wealth. "Those men are all my husbands' supporters." Now that that had been cleared up, there was only one more thing left to know. "What exactly did your husband do back when things were still...normal?" By this point, Takagi-san was just looking at me with either utmost loathing, or sheer anger that I was ignoring her warnings and most likely digging a grave for myself. At least, that's what I assumed she was trying to convey at all. I was never good at reading people, especially girls, and something was now telling me I would soon come to regret it.

"He's one of the leaders of a political organization." she replied in a surprisingly straightforward way, but the way she said it almost sounded like she was saying that that was all I needed to know. By now I had figured that if even she wasn't willing to go into any further detail on the subject, now it was time to just leave it. "The majority of the civilians we've rescued have all been sheltering together in those tents you've no doubt noticed by now. It's also where we ration whatever food we're able to find, and as I've mentioned already, where we have our doctors treat our wounded. Unfortunately, the only injuries anyone gets anymore are bites, and we already know too well that there's nothing you can do for that." she went on to explain as she pointed out the massive campsite for those of us that hadn't noticed it yet already. "As for said civilians, normally we would give them shelter in our home itself, but with the ever-present danger of all the cities public services, such as electricity and fresh water being shut down, we've had to use most of the house as a 'base of operations' of sorts. We need to keep up communication with any remaining law enforcement or rescue teams across the nation for as long as possible."

At the mention of a possibility to communicate with law enforcement, I suddenly felt a spark of hope as we made our way into the mansion itself. "I'm sorry for all these questions I've been asking, but I just can't help but ask: does anyone have any idea how things are going throughout the rest of the world? Has anyone you've been able to contact got any access to that kind of information?" As I asked her this, I had tried as hard as I could to keep myself composed, but as I had begun to think of just how close we could've been to finding out how our families possibly were, I had begun to let my desperation show.

"You're afraid for your own families. You don't need to apologize for that." she said softly as she led us up the stairs. "I'm sorry to say that none of the people we've been in contact with have access to any such information. The only details we have in regards to the rest of the world is what you've no doubt heard on the news, before they fled the country." I could only answer with a disappointed sigh as we had begun to make our way down an empty hall lined with doors and windows that overlooked what was one of the most beautiful looking gardens I could've ever imagined. I was still consumed with that damned familiar grief, but I was desperate for anything to take my mind off of it, even just a little bit.

"Excuse me, I apologize if I sound ungrateful by asking you this, but if all the people you rescue stay in that camp out there, why exactly are you showing us around this place rather than the compound itself?" Bjarte asked confusedly as he poked his head into one of the doors for a second. Takagi-san's mother remained silent for a few seconds before she began to make her way down the hall once more. "You all protected my daughter in the time that has passed since this all started. I feel the best way I can be able to express my gratitude at this time is to provide you with what little shelter there is to provide in this house."

I'll admit, when I first heard that, the idea of finally sleeping in a real bed for the first time in days sounded like a godsend, and almost everyone else seemed to share at least some of my sentiments, but what caught my eye more was Takagi-san's glare directed towards her mother. Something about it...really didn't seem right to me. It seemed less like gratitude and more like...anger. What she could've possibly had to be angry about was beyond me, but I felt things were going just a little too well for us at that time to just bring it up and ruin everything. I wanted to try and make this last as long as possible.

It had taken almost an hour until we had finally made our way throughout most of the compound and the mansion itself. Along the way, we had learned that Takagi-san's father had taken a large number of their men with him out into the city on a major supply run, and wasn't expected to return until tomorrow. As much as I had come to fear that going into what I wanted to call 'the dead zone' was pure suicide, I really didn't want to cause any more worry amongst my friends than I was sure there might've already been.

By the time it had come to an end and we were back at the door to the mansion, she had also taken care to tell us that there was a serious lack of spare room due to all the survivors and workers and their equipment, and that we were to share whichever rooms we would take for ourselves. By this point, I for one couldn't have cared less, and if anyone actually did have a problem with that, then it was their loss. "I wish there was more time so I could help answer any other questions you all might have and show you around a bit more, but there's important things that need to be done that require my attention, but I trust you're all familiar enough with the overall layout of the compound by now so as you won't get lost." was what she had officially ended our unofficial tour with as she had begun to make her way past us out to the bustling numbers of her men who had been unloading massive boxes of who-knows-what from a line of trucks.

I have to say, every time she said anything to us, this woman amazed me more and more. She had the unquestionable presence and the air of a natural leader, someone who would take charge even in the most desperate situations and make even the toughest men tremble in fear. Yet, at the same time, whenever she spoke, the look in her eyes that accompanied also gave off a natural loving and maternal edge to the mix as well.

As she passed us, I caught wind of Alpi whispering to Bjarte: "Hei Bjarte, luuletko että hän voisi tietää, jos tämä paikka on baari?" (F: Hey Bjarte, do you think she might know if this place has a bar?) Just as I was ready to give him an earful for asking such an inappropriate question at such a time as this, I suddenly heard Takagi-san's mother speak for me. "Ja mitä ihmeessä joku ikä on baari?" (F: And what on Earth would someone your age need a bar for?)

I'll tell you this right now, when I had suddenly heard Takagi-san's mother speak nearly flawless Finnish right the hell out of nowhere like that, I nearly felt like I had gone deaf and my mind was playing tricks on me, and the rest of us were pretty much the same, especially Alpi. Can't blame him, he probably never would've dreamt he'd find a fellow Finnish-speaker in Japan of all places, and for a second, he looked like he had been slapped across the face by his own mother; but while the rest of us could only look on in surprise, he had managed to get his composure back rather quickly.

"No, ajattelin, että jos mitään noista asioista siellä oli hyökätä tänne, tai kun aika tulee, että meidän täytyy mennä sinne uudestaan , tunsin joitakin Molotovin cocktaileja ei satu olla valmiina." (F: Well, I figured that if any of those things out there were to attack this place, or when the time comes that we have to go out there again, I felt some Molotov cocktails wouldn't hurt to have at the ready.) he explained himself, sounding unusually nervous under the stern eye of this woman that was just full of surprises. She just looked down at him with a look of suspicion before she gave him an answer. "Vaikka teidän syy järkevää, olemme jo toteuttaneet tällaisen suunnitelman huomioon ja käytetty mitä alkoholi oli tässä yhdiste tehdä tasainen tarjonta olisi tällainen tilanne koskaan syntyä." (F: While your reason makes sense, we have already taken such a plan into consideration and used up whatever alcohol there was in this compound to make a steady supply should such a situation ever arise.) she said with as much of a serious edge as was needed to make Alpi know that the answer was 'no' and that was the end of discussion.

Without wasting even another second, she turned back to her men and went off without a word, leaving the lot of us on our own. It was then at that moment that we realized that we had absolutely on idea what we were to do next. Up until this point, we had always had at least a vague idea of where to go or what to do, but now we were left in the dark.

aaa

Finally finding us within the walls of our first real shelter, I must say I had felt absolutely ecstatic. For the first time in nearly three days, we would finally be able to let our guard down and not have to pay any kind of consequences for it. I was aware that we would eventually have to go back out there to check on everyone else's families, and even then, we weren't going anywhere until Ditlev would recover; but all the same, there was a brief time at the start that I would never want to leave this place. Takagi-san's mother had proven both a confident and capable leader, while also presenting herself in a way that wouldn't unnecessarily intimidate the wrong people. Honestly, I had felt no downside to this whole thing.

Yet, something interesting to point out was that around the time we had gotten to the only remaining hall in the mansion that had any free rooms for us, I had caught the faintest glimpse of something through the windows that viewed the gardens. It was just out of the corner of my eye, so chances are just as good that I was just imagining things, yet something inside me told me that there was something of great interest out there, and that this wouldn't be the last time I'd come across it.

As we had been left to our own devices at the entrance to the mansion, Rei had started to groan in pain, catching me and Takashi's attention instantly. It didn't take very much time for both of us to realize just what it was, and we began to make our way back inside. "Guys, we're going to see to Rei, so...just do whatever you think you can do around here, alright?" I said to the others in exasperation before the doors shut behind us. Deep down inside, I was reeling over the fact that Rei had gotten injured and there was nothing the rest of us could be able to do about it. However, even moreso than her, I was also extremely worried about Ditlev. I had then decided that once I was convinced that Rei didn't need any of our help, I would check on him to see if any of the doctors in this place had any idea how he was.

We went for the very first door in the hallway that had our offered rooms, and making sure that we were both on the same page, and not doing anything to make her pain any worse, we both laid her down on her stomach on the one bed this room had to offer. I then made sure to get rid of any unnecessary weight from her no-doubt suffering back as I undid the strap that kept her rifle attached to her, carefully placing it against the wall, within her arms reach should she have ever needed it.

Looking down at her as she was clearly trying her best to ignore her pain, I glanced up to Takashi as he kept looking over her, clear and undeniable worry written in his eyes. "Well, I'm not a doctor, but I don't think I even need to be to say that she's been putting a lot of strain on her back for a while now, and unfortunately, neither of us have been helping a lot with preventing that. I'm going to get some ice, and afterwards, you should probably keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't try to leave. She needs to stay in bed for a while." I explained to him as we both took special care in removing the protective elbow pads and kneepads she had been wearing.

After I had left the two of them, I made a beeline down the stairs and through the door, and then right back into the camp for all the other survivors. There were tons of people bustling about, so it had taken me a while to find the medical tent, thankfully marked with a red cross on the side. Getting inside, I revealed several rows of beds that were all nearly empty save for a couple people, and Ditlev of course. Looking at these people, I could see that their injuries were usually a broken limb or some kind of head injury. Thinking back onto what Takagi-san's mother had said earlier about them now knowing all-too-well the futility of treating people who had been bitten, it gave me goosebumps. Just that very thought of knowing your entire life as well as your probability of survival were officially nil once one of Them got Their teeth into you.

"Excuse me young man, you can't be in here. This tent is for doctors and official compound workers only." one of the doctors had suddenly yelled at me angrily in what I could only assume was English; not that I could've blamed him for thinking I spoke it as I was the only white European here. As another doctor had grabbed my arm and was starting to drag me out, I had managed to get a word out to them. "I'm just here to get some ice for another friend of mine with a hurt back. That's it!" Once I had spoken, everyone stopped, and after whispering amongst themselves for a little bit, they gave a single nod, and the one who had me in his grip let go and soon came back, dropping a bag of ice in my arms. "I apologize if I came across as too aggressive, but in the beginning when we had everything set up, we had been getting people with bites, and their hysterical loved ones constantly barging in to try and force us to try and save them, despite the overall futility of such actions. I hope you understand that we are trying to take precautions against such madness ever happening again." the doctor who was apparently their leader explained to me in a much calmer voice. Not knowing what really to say to them, all I could give them was a single understanding nod before I made my way back out.

Without another word, I made my way back into the mansion and I was on my way back up the stairs. Once I was back in the room, pulling a seat up next to the bed, I took a deep breath in for what was to come next. "Alright, now here's what we have to do. Rei, we're going to use this ice to try and at least numb the pain. Unfortunately, we have to apply direct contact, so..." I swallowed the lump in my throat as I braced myself for whatever reaction she or Takashi were going to have. "We're going to have to lose the shirt. Once we get that out of the way, we'll just have to keep applying it to all parts of your back for the next few hours. Afterwards, you won't feel a thing for quite a while."

While it wasn't the fullest extent of the reaction like I was expecting, she at least reacted in a way I was expecting. She looked very apprehensive of the idea of having to nearly strip in order for us to do this, yet she didn't say anything to adress it. Takashi himself looked rather embarrassed, or perhaps it was nervous, I'm not entirely sure. All I know for certain was that I was as embarrassed as the both of them were. At the start of this day, I obviously never would've guessed I'd be acting like an amateur surrogate doctor for anybody. Had I been thinking clearly, I would've done what the others no doubt would have, and just get Marikawa-sensei to take care of it herself.

It took the two of us a little time to fully prepare ourselves for this, but once we were ready, it was thankfully over in a matter of seconds and we had gotten her shirt unbuttoned and discarded. Fortunately she didn't react like most teenage girls normally would and completely freak out at being so exposed in front of us, though I'm sure she was damn close to doing so. "Now because your back is so sensitive right now, the cold will sting for barely a minute, then it'll be fine, so I suggest you just take a deep breath and relax." I said in my best attempt to be soothing as we both got it situated right above the center of her back. Thankfully the whole process had gone much smoother and faster than I had been expecting, and it was over as quickly as it had started. She had started whimpering at the start, no doubt from the previously mentioned biting cold, but she was soon quiet and was breathing calmly now. Now all that was needed was to wait. Or at least that's all Takashi needed to do now.

"Listen, Takashi, I'm going to go to the medical tent to check and see how Ditlev is doing. Could you be able to keep an eye on Rei for a while?" I asked as I made my way for the door. "Well, there isn't really much else for any of us to do now, so sure." I heard him say as I shut the door behind me. As I made my way through the compound for the camp again, I was suddenly stopped by a couple of the compound guards. "Can I help you, gentlemen?" I asked nervously under the piercing glare of these men who all looked like they would've been more fitting in a military setting rather than something like this.

"Our leader, Takagi-sama, may have neglected to inform you and your friends of this, but I must ask that you relinquish your weapons to us." the man in center stated in a fierce, humorless tone as the other two simultaneously threw their arms out, as if gesturing me to just fork my guns to them on the spot. As much as I really didn't want to get into a conflict with these guys, I was understandably apprehensive to this. "With all due respect, why exactly do we have to give you our weapons?"

"It's by order of Takagi-sama. All the people we rescue from outside the fences, if they have weapons, we need to confiscate them. Think of it as your way of contributing to the survival of all the people here." he answered me, never once betraying the strict commanding tone he had been carrying with me. As much as I felt his explanation was full of holes and needed a much better reason, I still didn't feel like raising the chances of us all getting into trouble with the guards. For that time, I felt it would just be best to do as I was asked, and think of a way to get around it later. So without another word, I removed my rifle, my pistol, and my wrench and handed one to each of them. Once I had shown them I had nothing else with me, the three of them made their way back to the mansion without even a small grateful bow.

As I continued my way through the camp to the medical tent, I kept thinking about what had just happened. While I may have been perfectly content with giving them my weapons for the time being, I wasn't as sure about the others. Alpi would sooner die than let anyone else touch his beloved rifle, and Kouhta-san wouldn't be much different. The others might have been different, but I wasn't willing to leave those odds to chance. As I was about to enter through the front, I was suddenly met with an exhausted looking Fritjof walking out and nearly running into me.

"Oh, Bjarte. Sorry about that." he quickly started apologizing with an embarassed smile, forcing me to just brush it off with a sleight of the hand. He always got like this when he'd accidentally get in someone else's way. That was one of the downsides to him being so formal, he always felt inclined to go out of his way to apologize to anyone and everyone. I personally didn't mind it, but it always drove Alpi nuts. "It's okay, man. I was just going to check on Ditlev and see what the doctors have found out." I explained to him with a half-hearted smirk as we both sat on the grass against the side of the tent.

"Yeah, I was doing the same thing." he replied with a weak attempt at a chuckle before he slowly bowed his head down. "It's now of all times...I can't help but just look back on all those times I called him a stupid child. I was always going on about how hopeless he would be when out on his own." By this point, Fritjof had started to weep, keeping mostly to himself, and yet through all the noise that had come from all the natural hustle and bustle, to me, it sounded out as clear as day. "In all the time we've gone out there, having to fight Them, if anything...Ditlev has proven to be the most collected of the rest of us, and I was the one acting like a terrified child. When he wakes up from that coma...if he wakes up, the very first thing I'm doing is apologizing for all those insults."

There was nothing I was able to say to him that I don't think he already knew. I was just as worried for Ditlev as he was, and while I wasn't showing it, when Fritjof had brought up the idea of whether or not he would ever wake up to begin with, I was crying inside. For all the years I had ever known Ditlev, he had been like the brother that I never had, and if he were to never make it out of this nightmare, it would feel like something irreplaceable had been torn right out of me. I waited as long as I felt I needed to for Fritjof to recompose himself, and that's when I decided to give him the heads up I had been wanting to give everyone when I would get the chance.

"Listen Fritjof, before I got here, some of the guards here told me that they had to confiscate all our weapons, calling it a contribution to survival. I already gave them mine, but I want you to tell the others when you find them. Tell them they need to hide the rest of our weapons somewhere safe, somewhere the guards won't find them, alright?"

Fritjof looked up at me confusedly as he got back onto his feet. "I don't really see what the big deal is, Bjarte. They're only confiscating our weapons, it's not like they're just going to flat out take them." I could see where he was coming from with this argument, but that didn't ease my mind any further. "Fritjof, I really don't want to argue about this. I'm sure that when the time comes that we have to go back out there, they'll just give us back our weapons, but I still don't entirely trust the people here. Just do what I'm asking you to, and tell everyone to hide whichever of their weapons they still have somewhere safe."

Fritjof still just looked at me with a hint of confusion, but just when I thought he was going to argue with me further, he just sighed and began to continue on his way past me. "Fine, I'll tell whoever I find, but I still think you might be looking a little too much into this." I never responded to his closing words, I just kept telling myself that he was wrong, and that I wouldn't come to regret taking this precautionary step. I finally stepped back into the medical tent, and nothing seemed to be different this time. The doctors didn't take notice of me, so I felt it was alright for me to make my presence known. "So, does anyone have any idea how Ditlev is doing? Any idea what's wrong with him?" I asked loudly in order to get their attention as I began to approach our unconscious Dane.

"Well, we did whatever we could with what little equipment we were able to help procure from the hospital, but we feel we have a good idea of just what's wrong with your friend." The oldest doctor answered as he signaled for the other doctors to attend to any of the other injured, and then once they were gone, he motioned for me to come with him to a few large computers that had been set up on the opposite end of the tent. I didn't recognize every single one, but I did notice a simple looking X-Ray. The doctor made his way to the X-Ray as he grabbed a few photos from a nearby table, clipping them to one of those lights used for seeing X-Ray photos. Such a sketchy description is the result of my never paying attention in any health classes back in school. For that, I apologize.

"First, we decided to go with an X-Ray to see if there was any sign of skull fracture or brain damage. On the first few shots we hadn't found anything worthy of concern. At one point we found what looked to be a hair line fracture, but upon physical inspection, it isn't any recent injury, but more of a scar from something past." That had honestly caught me off guard when he first mentioned it. I had never once heard of Ditlev getting any kind of head injury like that. However, it did bring to mind a time when we were younger when his mother had told me that he and his father were staying with some other relatives in Poland for a few months. Perhaps that had been a cover-up for when this had happened. Before I was able to dwell on this any further, I realized the doctor hadn't yet finished, so I brought all my attention back to him, desperate for more details. "It was a rather complicated process to figure this out without an MRI at our disposal, but there didn't appear to be any form of swelling or hemorrhaging, or even any internal bleeding inside his skull." So far, I had liked what the doctor was telling me, yet it still didn't completely answer as to why he was unconscious for so long to begin with.

"Well, that's really good to hear, doctor, but that still doesn't explain why he's been unconscious for so long." I stated as we both made our way to Ditlev's bedside. "Well, as bizarre as it may seem considering all the possibilities, your friends' only cause for unconsciousness was simply the violent impact he sustained in that Humvee of yours that the guards had just recently brought back into the compound." As the doctor explained this, he cleared away a few locks of Ditlev's hair, to reveal a set of bandages that were wrapped around his forehead. "The extent of his injuries was a rather large laceration across his forehead. We were able to disinfect the wound, clean it and get it closed up in order to stop the bleeding. While his injuries may have been treated, it is going to leave a rather noticeable scar, although considering the way things are nowadays, that will be the least of his worries." He had finished with a weak chuckle in an attempt to lighten up the mood. When he had realized that I wasn't laughing, he decided to give me the reassurance I had been looking for.

"Either way, there aren't any signs of brain damage or skull damage, permanent or otherwise. I must say, your friend got extremely lucky. The chances of sustaining such relatively minor damage in a full impact to the skull are almost literally a million-to-one. Now, I can't guarantee to you when he will regain consciousness. It could be in the next few hours, or it could be in the next few days. All you need to know is that in regards as to how he could have turned out, he'll be just fine in the end."

There were literally no words that I could have used to express my gratitude to the doctor for giving me this peace of mind. All I could do was just shake his hand, give him a modest 'thank you', and make my way out so that I could leave them back to whatever business they could've had. Stepping out into the cool afternoon air, it felt like an unbearable weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and suddenly everything felt good for the first time. I was definitely going to tell Fritjof the next time I'd see him. He would definitely need the good news now that he had felt so overcome with guilt for the past.

Yet, I myself felt then that I needed some time to truly relax and take in the actual peace that I now had. For the first time, I was actually safe from any threat of Them, and damn it all, I was going to cherish every second of it. Looking around, I couldn't find a sign of any of my friends around, but I was sure I'd come across someone sooner or later. In the meantime, I felt that I could take a little look around the entirety of the compound, and get a much better feel for the place.

aaa

Treasures, each and every last one of them. I was standing amidst what was possibly the single largest collection of books I had ever come across. I had decided to look around the rest of the mansion after my run-in with Bjarte at the camp, and the majority of what I had beheld was places teeming with guards who had been busying themselves with organizing boxes of who-knows-what. I kept thinking back to what Bjarte had warned me about with these guys, and so far, I was pretty sure none of them had noticed me yet. Luckily, I didn't have my submachine gun with me. I had accidentally left that in the Humvee, but I still had my sidearm on me, hidden in my pocket beneath the hem of my shirt. I felt that it would be safely out of their line of sight so long as I didn't tuck my shirt in, which I never did before to begin with.

Now…now I was standing in a true treasure vault of knowledge and imagination. The very first thought that had occurred to me when I saw this place, was that if the rest of the world was really going to go to hell from now on, this would be one of the very last libraries left standing, and I was now intending to cherish every instant I could get to browse through whatever was here. I swear, if you had seen this place like I had, you too would've thought that this library held every piece of literature and text of every form that had ever been written since the founding of the modern language. At that time, I had felt like a small child at Christmas morning that had just gotten more presents than anyone in the household…and it felt good.

Treasure Island, David Copperfield, War & Peace, Moby Dick, The Old Man at Sea, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, The Decameron, and so on and so on. Every classic novel and essay dating back to the Renaissance was now finally within reach of my fingertips. There was nobody else in this entire room with me, I was alone, I was safe, it was silent and peaceful in here…I was in my own little piece of paradise. If there had only been a computer in here as well, I never would've wanted to leave.

Just as I was about to pull out a copy of A Tale of Two Cities, I suddenly caught the faint sound of someone struggling from behind me. Turning on my heels, I was surprised to see Alpi was making his way past the open entrance with one of the duffle bags from the Humvee slung over his shoulder, a look of strain turning his face red. I decided that I needed to see just what was going on and that I would come back to this literary goldmine later. Following after him, I looked around to make sure there weren't any guards around, as Alpi still had that old rifle slung over his back for all to see.

"Alpi, vad fan gör du?" (S: Alpi, what the hell are you doing?) I asked him once he had stopped to apparently catch his breath. For once, he actually didn't jump and have his rifle aimed at my head when I had come up to him from behind. He just looked at me and continued to walk. I was about to ask again, when I could just barely make out the sound of glass gently hitting against glass coming from inside the duffle bag. I then remembered when he had been asking about a bar earlier, and it all then occurred to me just what he was doing.

"Alpi, har du stjäla molotovcocktails Takagi-sans mamma sa att de hade lagrade?" (S: Alpi, did you steal the Molotov cocktails Takagi-san's mother said they had stockpiled?) I asked in an angry whisper as he continued on as if he hadn't heard a word I said.

"No olen etsinyt noin yhdiste aikaa, ja törmäsin alkoholi ei ollut koskettanut. Näyttää sinun oli pitää kiinni näistä varten erityinen tilaisuus tai jotain. Joko niin, nappasin tämän duffeli laukku Humvee kun he toivat sen, ja otan tämän jemma turvallisessa paikassa. Kun on pimeää, minä aion palata niihin ja tehdä niin monta Molotovin kuin pystyn." (F: No. I've been looking around the compound for a while now, and I came across the alcohol that hadn't been touched. Looks like thy were holding onto these for a special occasion or something. Either way, I grabbed this duffle bag from the Humvee when they brought it in, and I'm taking this stash somewhere safe. When it's dark, I'm going to come back for them and make as many Molotov's as I can.) he whispered back to me, his words laced with clear and undeniable impatience as he turned a corner that led to a darkened hall that had only a single door at the end.
As much as I feared that Alpi's little plan would be discovered by one of the guards, I couldn't argue that this was a good idea in theory. It then reminded me of the warning I needed to give him. "Alpi, lyssna på mig en stund. Jag sprang in Bjarte en liten stund sedan, och heme att vakterna här är ute efter att konfiskera våra vapen och lagra dem också. Nu kanske han bara agerar paranoid eller inte, kanske jag är genom att tro honom, men jag tror att när du dölja dessa flaskor, bör du dölja ditt gevär och sideam också, bara för att vara säker." (S: Alpi, listen to me for a minute. I ran into Bjarte a little while ago, and he told me that the guards here are looking to confiscate our weapons and stockpile those as well. Now maybe he's just acting paranoid or not, maybe I am by believing him, but I think that when you hide those bottles, you should hide your rifle and sideam as well, just to be safe.)

Alpi never gave me an acknowledgement that he understood what I was trying to tell him. He just stopped in his tracks for a few seconds with his back turned to me, and then he started to continue on his way, pushing the door ahead of him open. This time, I didn't even bother to follow after him. Just before the door had shut, I swear I could've heard him mutter a kiitos (F: thanks) to me. Whether or not he would actually take my warning into consideration and try to tell the others, I didn't know. I just went back the way I came back to that library, constantly thinking about whether or not we had a reason to worry about the people here or not. I kept wanting to convince myself that I didn't care, but deep down, I did...and I felt that in some way, Bjarte was right to worry.

aaa

I didn't know whether to believe Fritjof or not. Were the guards here really looking to take away the guns we had fought so hard to obtain? Our sole means of survival out there? I didn't know, and like Fritjof had confessed, he himself didn't know for certain either. If this hadn't been a case of ensuring our own survival, this wouldn't have bothered me as much. Yet, that wasn't the case anymore. If they intended to take my birthright away from me, it would be after they'd pry it from my cold dead fingers. My father had passed that gun down to me when my big brother refused to take it himself, and perkele (F: dammit), I was going to keep it by my side at all times no matter what, especially in the world we now lived in.

Thinking back to my family, I had to stop for a minute to wipe those accursed tears from my eyes once more. I was getting so sick and tired of never getting any closer to knowing how my homeland was doing during all of this. I felt that if things kept repeating like this: getting my hopes up only for them to be dashed away without any mercy, I felt I was going to fucking lose it before this was all over. If only somebody had any online connection with anybody in Finland, or a satellite phone at the very least, that would put my mind at ease, at least for just a little while.

No, no, there wasn't any time for me to dwell on that now, I knew that much. I needed to focus on getting these bottles out of sight before anyone would catch me that I didn't want to. Thankfully I was near my secret hiding spot. I would just need to get the bag and my guns hidden, and then it would be over just like that. At least it would be over until later that night, and I would need as much time as possible. Not only would I need to make sure nobody would be coming in to surprise me at all, but I'd also need to make sure the Molotovs I'd make would actually work right. Perhaps I could use the sheets from one of those spare bedrooms upstairs to substitute for rags. I'd also need to get my hands on some matches or a lighter in case we'd have to use all of these on short notice. There were so many details for me to take into consideration.

Now, me being a Finn and listening to tales of the exploits of my great grandfather back in the Winter War, I don't suppose it would surprise you to know that I take our innovation in warfare quite seriously. My father and my grandfather would always go on about how one day the Russians would come to reclaim our land one day. Of course it's now that I realize they would always go on like this when drunk, but in the past, I would hang on each and every word. It's because of their rantings that I had so much practice with that old rifle in the first place, and took so much interest in all different forms of firearms. It's also how I had learned from my father how to make Molotov's.

Thankfully, the alcohol I had managed to grab was all definitely flammable. Whiskey and vodka mostly, but they would definitely be enough. Now I was slowly pushing open a door that thankfully led out to where I had been hoping it would: the garage. The Humvee was the very first thing I had noticed, and luckily nobody was around at the moment, and the garage doors had all been closed down. I took extreme care to walk lightly, just in case any mechanics were still there and I just couldn't see them. Gently shutting the one door to this place behind me, I was practically walking on my heels to avoid making any noise while having this really heavy bag slung over my shoulders, plus the added strain to my legs wasn't making my stitches feel any better either.

Almost no time at all and I was already with my back against the side of the Humvee, no sound but my own heavily beating heart, and the muffled sounds of the outside just behind those garage doors. No footsteps, so for all I knew, I was still in the clear. I looked through the windows, and it looked like the guards had already cleared out the rest of the duffle bags. What little had been left of the ammunition, all our food and water and whatever remaining weapons. While I was glad that Fritjof and I, and possibly a few of the others, still had our own weapons with us, it also occurred to me that the guards were aware we still had our weapons, and if they suddenly found us without them, it wouldn't be long till some kind of suspicion would be raised about us hiding them. Perkele, I can't believe neither me or Fritjof hadn't taken that into consideration before.

Well, there wasn't anything any of us could do about it now. All I could do was just hide them where I was gonna hide them and take it from there. Getting the door open, I slid the duffle bag, my rifle, and my pistol and holster underneath the rear passenger seats. I remembered once reading the military-class Humvees had empty spaces underneath the rear seats in order to store extra cases of ammunition. Well, it was the best spot I could've picked on such short notice. Once I had the door closed and made sure nobody was around who might've been trying to sneak up on me, I looked through the windows to make sure nobody else would be able to see any of it. Good, it was far enough under that nobody could possibly see it. Perfect. I'll admit, after the last couple days I had been through, now I felt completely naked without my rifle with me, but I just kept reminding myself that in times like this, necessary sacrifices had to be made.

Now it was time for me to leave. I made my way back through the door, almost running back the way I came, looking every single which way to see if anybody was around. That was the only remaining obstacle. There weren't any other doors to anywhere else in the mansion here, so if someone were to spot me, it would only be natural for them to assume I was coming back from the garage, and if that happened, then my whole damn plan was shot.

The few minutes it took me to get back to the main hall felt like the longest minutes of my life, almost literally having to look over my shoulder with every step to make sure nobody saw me. It was like I was living every childs dream of being a secret agent, only this was the closest thing to a nightmare. But soon I was back in the main hall, and for all I knew then, I was finally in the clear. For all I knew, Fritjof might've also went to tell all the others so they could find their own hiding spots as well. If that was the case, then I could finally have a moment to just finally get some peace and quiet.

As I had gone through these thoughts, I was making my way up the stairs back to our hall, anxious to claim which room would be mine and I could just let all that had happened to us today just finally go away, despite how impossible it seemed to let go of very nearly dying only a few hours ago. Even now, I still can't believe that it had only taken those few hours for me to have almost completely forgotten just how close we had all gotten to getting killed, and how easily we had been able to cope with our sudden surroundings. Albeit, we still had Ditlev to remind us of just where we had come from, but it was rather surprising to see how easily everyone else had adjusted to suddenly not having to fight anymore that day. Me personally, I was more than determined to not forget about what was just outside those walls, and if I had felt like taking the initiative, I would've seen to it that the others wouldn't forget either. It doesn't take a lot to prove to you that we had come way too close that morning, and I was going to make sure we didn't let something like that catch up with us again, I was going to make sure we would be more well-equipped and prepared.

Besides Bjarte, judging from what I had seen when we first came here, the only one of us that wasn't looking to just forget everything that had just happened and take it easy here was that Takagi girl. Something told me that if I wanted to think up a future plan for when we're ready to get out of here, I would need to talk with her. Easier said than done, I know that much. Just as that idea had come and gone, I turned the corner into the hall only to be met with nearly colliding into another person, just because I had been too busy keeping my eyes glued to the floor, dwelling on ideas that would possibly never come to fruition, knowing the luck we'd had so far. Before I was able to just quickly make my escape before the angry shouting started, I felt a strong and steady hand grab onto the sleeve of my shirt; but instead of the angry Japanese shouting I was expecting, instead I was greeted with that soothing yet stern female voice speaking nearly flawless Finnish. "No, hei taas. Ja juuri kun olet menossa niin kiire?" (F: Well, hello again. And just where are you heading to in such a hurry?)

I could all too clearly hear the suspicion laced around her words, and I didn't dare look back at her over my shoulder. I just had a lingering feeling in the pit of my stomach that my plan was now officially shot. I had spent so much time making sure nobody saw me to begin with that I moved in a hurried pace, and that was all it took to show that I was hiding something. Perkele.

aaa

Nightfall. It still amazes me sometimes how quickly time can go past you when you're actually in a pleasant state of mind. It couldn't have been any later than noon when we had been rescued, and it still felt like it had only been a couple hours before night had come. Perhaps it was because winter was just around the corner, I don't even remember anymore. All I know is that by the time I had finally managed to just let all the concerns I had before just disappear into the back of my mind, the skies were nearly black. At least in the meantime, I had managed to get a much better feel for the place. Although, while I was at least able to finally calm my nerves after so long, a feeling that had been scratching at the back of my head wouldn't go away no matter where I went. I couldn't shake the feeling that at multiple spots around the compound, I was being watched. I didn't know if that was really the case or not, if I really was being followed, or I was just paranoid after having spent so much time out there beyond the gates. Nevertheless, I didn't want to end up regretting ignoring this feeling, so I ended up spending the rest of my time out on the grounds constantly looking over my shoulder. So I might not have been able to put my mind completely at ease, but the time spent out there was still something I had really needed.

By the time I was back inside the main hall of the mansion, a lot of the hustle and bustle of the compound had actually come to a stop. There were still guards roaming everywhere outside, but a lot of the civilians I had seen throughout the day were back in their tents, and I hadn't seen any of the others at all since I had left the medical tent. As exhausted as I had become by that point, I figured I would check on everybody and see how they were holding up before hitting the sack myself.

Before I was about to head back up the stairs, I suddenly caught the faint sound of something falling against the floor. It sounded like it had come from the hall to the right. I knew for a fact that none of Them could've gotten into the compound without any of the guards or anyone else noticing, but there was still a part of me that got extremely paranoid when I caught slight sounds in the dark. It's ridiculous I know, but that doesn't make it unjustified.

As I made my way down the hall, I suddenly heard the sound multiple objects collapsing on the floor. Dammit, now I wish I had at least something at all at hand so I could defend myself. As I was about to round the corner to where that sound had come from, I was suddenly met with a startled gasp from someone I hadn't yet seen, nearly causing me to leap back halfway across the hall in shock. "Bjarte-kun, you startled me." I had suddenly heard Saeko say before I was able to do anything else.

Looking back at her as I got back on my feet, I instantly noticed that she had an unconscious Fritjof with one arm over her shoulders. "Yeah, sorry about that. I heard a noise over here, and for a second, I actually thought one of Them was in here." I quickly lied with a nervous grin as she just smiled back at me, beginning to walk back down the way I came, pretty much forcing me to follow her. "Yes, I accidentally made that noise, so I'm sorry if I frightened you. I had been wondering where Fritjof-kun was as everyone else had already started retiring to their rooms. I found him sleeping in the library with a copy of Great Expectations draped over his face. When I pulled him up, I accidentally knocked over a pile of books he had near him, that's all."

I just gave a light little laugh as a response. I had nearly forgotten just how much Fritjof loved reading books, whether they be fiction or not. It was one of the things he loved almost as much as computers, and if you knew him as well as I had, that would be saying something. "Yeah, I'd been exploring the compound all day, and I haven't seen any of the others once, so I was just about to go check and see how everybody was doing before retiring myself." I replied as we both made our way back up the stairs. Saeko gave a quiet little laugh, keeping mostly to herself as I stopped at the very first door. "I must admit, Bjarte-kun, it really is a reassuring sight to see you show that kind of concern for everyone's well-being, whether it be of the body or the mind. Although, I honestly don't think you'll have to worry about anyone waking up in the middle of the night, delusional and violent or not."

I still don't think Saeko had meant any malice in that choice of words, but regardless, those words still struck a major chord with me, something that I had been desperately trying to ignore all day since we had gotten here. Had she been implying that I would eventually snap like I had back at the fence? Completely delusional and ready to kill absolutely anything that moved regardless of whether they were Them or not? Was she mocking me? Calling me weak? Suggesting I didn't have what it took to survive out there? That I was a bigger danger to everyone than even Them?

I still don't know whether she even realized the extent to which her words had affected me, no matter how well I had been trying to hide it. Before I could've even asked, she was already about to disappear behind a door of her own, before she stopped and looked back at me. "Bjarte-kun?" I still had so many of these suspicions and questions burning away at my mind when she had called my name, but I had tried to keep my calm demeanor for just a few seconds more as I was now anxious to hear what she had to throw at me next. "Yes?"

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air between Saeko and I for a few seconds, and I'm not sure if it was just the lack of light that was playing games with my eyes, but I thought that for a second, I saw Saeko's cool and collected shell break for a second as she actually looked away from me nervously before she recollected herself and said what she had no doubt been meaning to for a while now.

"I just wanted to apologize for last night." she had started quietly, and at first I actually had no idea what she had meant, but she had decided to keep going by the time I had actually remembered what she was talking about. "When we were still in that house, and I was trying to tell you all of what we would need to do in order to survive. I struck you when you had argued with me, and I realize that I shouldn't have acted so harshly..."

As I listened to her go on like this, I'll admit, I still had some resentment for that and I was glad to hear her apologizing for it; but at the same time, I couldn't bear to hear someone like Saeko practically beat herself down with words for her own actions which were, in all circumstances, actually justified. "It's alright, Saeko. You don't have to apologize for that. The fact is that, at that time, you were right to do what you did. You simply had the best interests of our group at heart when you told us to ignore the people that were out there, and I was acting irrational, and you did what any competent leader would do when facing an unstable partner in a desperate situation. I appreciate what you're trying to say now, but just know that I don't hold any resentment for what you had to do, and if it makes you feel any better, I forgive you."

For a minute, Saeko didn't say anything to me, she just stared at me with a look that I could only describe as a mild form of surprise. At first, I actually had started to think I had said something she didn't want to hear, but when I myself was about to apologize, I had heard her quietly laugh to herself, and it was rather comforting to see her smiling again. "I'm happy to hear that, Bjarte-kun." I just made a weak attempt to laugh with her now that we had come to this unusual understanding, and soon it was back to that awkward silence again. "So, I guess I'll see you and everyone else in the morning."

Saeko gave a single nod in response before she finally disappeared from my sight, and all that sounded was the shutting of the door, leaving me all alone in the hall once again. Now all that was left for me to do was just check on everybody else, and then I could finally get a good night's sleep. I was so exhausted at this point, I felt I should've just left it to faith that everyone was fine and just called it quits right there; but a pesky little piece in the back of my mind kept telling me that I needed to take it upon myself to just keep a watchful eye over all of them, that it was my responsibility. I don't know why I decided to listen to that little voice in my head, but nevertheless, I did, and what was done was done.

Opening the door I had stopped at, it reminded me too late that this was the room I had been keeping Rei and Takashi in. I had already accidentally shut the door rather loudly, and through the dark, I could hear Rei stir out of whatever sleep she could've been lucky enough to have. "Takashi? Is that you?" I heard her ask tiredly, and I just snickered to myself as I carefully made my way towards her through the dark. "No, it's just me. Isn't Takashi still here with you?" I asked in a tone just above a whisper as I felt for the chair I had last placed next to her bed.

"Takashi left almost an hour ago once it got dark. He said he felt that I would be able to get some sleep easier if I was alone." she explained in an annoyed manner once I had found my spot and managed to get myself seated. "Well, were you able to? I mean, we've all had a very long day, and you definitely deserved it after what you've already been through." I whispered to her, my eyes slowly but steadily adjusting to the near pitch blackness. "Well, you just woke me up, didn't you?" she whispered back to me, and I could clearly feel the attempted sarcasm she had been directing towards me, causing me to smile to myself just for a second. It always did embarrass me, much like anyone else, when I unintentionally asked stupid questions.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, by the way. I just wanted to check and see how everybody was doing before I went to sleep myself. So how are you feeling now?" I asked her as I leaned back in my chair, stretching out my legs with an exhausted yawn. "Well, my back is completely numb now, but it's better than earlier." she answered, and judging by her tone, I'm sure she was probably smiling now that the pain was gone. "Well, I did the best I could on such short notice." I said with a shrug as I just looked over to the glass doors that lined the opposite end of the room, leading out to a balcony that overlooked the entire front of the compound, and the whole sight was illuminated by the light of the full moon.

"I'm just glad that the pain is gone for now. How did you know that that was even going to work?" I heard her ask although her voice was partially muffled by her pillow. Once more, I was set upon by memories of my family back home, and even though it once again brought back my fears for their safety, I tried to hide my worry and rather focused on the positives; the childhood memories. "My aunt used to work as a masseuse at the hotel my mom works at. After that, she worked as a physical therapist at a hospital. I spent a lot of time with her and my uncle, and some of those aspects of her work just rubbed off on me, I guess." I explained to her, making a rather weak attempt at coming across as modest.

For a few minutes, Rei didn't say anything in response. At first, I had thought that she had fallen asleep again, and I was about to make my way back to the door again, but then I heard the rustling of her sheets again. "Bjarte-san, please don't go yet. There's something I want to talk to you about." I just collapsed back into my seat with an exhausted sigh as I looked over to her, slowly closing my eyes. "Fair enough. I'm sure I could stay awake long enough. So what is it?"

"It's about what happened with you this morning at that fence." My eyes were wide open once those words escaped her lips. My heart had immediately starting racing as I began to wonder just what she could possibly have to say about this. Was she also going to imply that I might be crazy? That I'm too dangerous for her and the others to be around? Before I could think into it any further, she kept going. "When you got grabbed by one of Them, and you were beating it to death, I don't know what you were saying, but you seemed like a completely different person. You just kept beating what was left of it until it was reduced to mush, and you kept screaming, and you sounded completely insane." By this point as she kept talking, I heard her voice begin to tremble, and that alone simply amplified my fears of where this could be going.

"When I caught a glimpse of your face...your eyes looked almost inhuman. Bjarte-san...y-you actually scared me. I..." I already had a gut feeling on what she was about to say, and although she had every right to feel this way after what I had done, I just couldn't bear to hear the words come from her. It would've just been too much for me to handle. So I decided to just finish for her. "You're afraid of me now, aren't you? You're not the only one, Rei. I'm actually scared of myself too. When it all happened...it's like I had absolutely no control over myself. It was like I was out of my own body, and while I knew what I was doing, there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it until it was all over."

As I had said this, the image of my greatest fear came to the front of my mind, the thing that scared me more than anything I had encountered and imagined thus far. I couldn't keep this hidden from her. I needed to express my deepest concern, get it out in the open. I don't know what I was hoping to accomplish by revealing it. It just felt like the best thing to do. "What scares me the most right now, Rei...the thing that scares me more than anything we've run into up to this point...it's not that I could end up like that again when fighting against Them, that's not it. What scares me the most now is...that I might end up like that again, and there'd nobody else there but you and the others. What if I were to end up like all those U.S. Soldiers from Vietnam that go into a violent psychotic rage without any warning? What if that were to happen to me? I could end up killing someone...killing another survivor. Killing one of us!"

I could feel my hair stand on end and my heart pound at my chest as I said all this to her. I was finally coming to grips with what could've become a very real threat to our continued survival out there, and that threat could've been me. I could hear Rei was about to say something else, but there was so much coming to mind now, I needed to get it all out here and now. "Hold on, Rei. There is a lot that I have to say, so right now, I'm going to talk, and I just want you to listen, alright? Just the very thought of one day killing someone makes me scared to just look in the mirror now. I know it only happened once, but these kind of things don't just happen once and then that's it. It could come again. There are people that could be strong enough to accept that they might have to kill someone if a situation calls for it, but I'm not one of those people. None of us are. I know Alpi had to kill someone in order to save your life, but he told me...he told me how that feeling of knowing he took someone else's life...it's been tearing at him non-stop since then." I continued to lament as I buried my face in my hands.

This was just too much for me to take. Up until then, I felt I had the capability to help protect everyone around me; but now, for all I knew, I was now the biggest threat they had on their hands. One of the biggest signs of this that really got to me when I had realized it, was that over the last couple times we had encountered Them...I wasn't as scared of Them as I had been the first time. That idea alone scared the hell out of me. Was I becoming detached from the rational people here? Hell if I knew the answer to that. It was all just too much. Just thinking all these things convinced me to say something to her I had been deeply hoping I wouldn't have had to.

"Rei...I don't want to have to leave you all and go out on my own. I really don't. But at the same time, I don't want to pose a threat to any of you even more. That's why...I want to ask a favor of you when we go back out there again." With this, I rose up from my chair and slowly made my way out to the glass doors that led out to the balcony. I looked out at the pitch black cityscape along the horizon as I took another deep breath, about to say something I never thought I would. "If, for whatever reason, I do end up going crazy...and you or anyone else is absolutely certain that I'm a threat to our continued survival...I want you to see to it that I'm taken care of." I was met with complete silence, although I could already just imagine the look she must've had on her face at that moment, if she already got what I was insinuating: shock, and horror.

"People go crazy, they lose focus...and out there, you lose focus and you're as good as dead. If that happens to me...if I get bitten, or if I try to kill any one of us, I want you to kill me." Sure, at this point, I'm sure you may be agreeing with the verbal thrashing Takashi had given me earlier that morning, how I was throwing away the lives of my possible-living family so easily, but no matter how I could be able to explain my reasoning, you just wouldn't understand. None of them would. If I completely lost it out there, then what would even be the point of trying to make it back home? I'll have just become something even more dangerous than Them. I'd simply become someone that could barely even be called human.

I heard the sound of the sheets practically being kicked away, followed by the nearly muted sound of footsteps approaching me from behind, and when I turned back to face her, it wasn't the fact that she was only dressed in her panties that got me; it was the burning, stinging sensation of her palm furiously striking me across the face that left me the one who was completely speechless. I just looked at her in shock as I clutched onto the right half of my face, the whole damn thing tingling and burning. The look on her face, I honestly couldn't tell if it was more anger or sadness, or some frightening mixture of both.

"You idiot! You selfish idiot! Don't you ever say that again! Don't say that again! You idiot." she cried out angrily, tears welling in her eyes, and I just didn't have the heart to tell her to keep it at a whisper for everyone else's sake. I just stood there dumbfounded, listening to her as she kept calling me an idiot, eventually just breaking down into sobs before taking a step towards me, leaning her head into my chest, weakly punching me in the chest. Eventually, she just stopped altogether and just grabbed onto my shoulders, and then all I could do was wrap my arms around her waist and hold her close to me, ignoring the wet feeling from her tears staining my shirt.

"Why? Why do you keep doing this? The second time...the second time you throw your life away like this! Why are you so intent on dying? Why? Just tell me why..." she sobbed into my chest as I tried to think of just what to say to her. Neither she nor the others would completely understand, but I still felt she at least deserved to know my reasoning behind it all. "Rei...please believe me when I say that I don't make these decisions lightly. I just...I just can't shake this feeling in my gut that the way things have been going for us, things are only going to get a lot worse before they get any better. I'm only trying to help prepare myself for the worst things that could happen. I want to do whatever I must to prepare the rest of you as well." I explained to her as I just closed my eyes and began running all the negative ideas I had come to have of what lay on the road ahead.

"But why do you insist on thinking things can only get worse? Can't you just accept the fact that at least right now we're alive? I hate seeing you act like this...I hate hearing you talk about having us kill you if things get worse. I hate seeing you this vulnerable and scared..." she had continued to cry into my shirt, her grip on my shoulders tightening with each word, and it just killed me to think that I caused her this much pain; but understand that what I had asked of her, I had only been thinking in the entire group's best interest should things have gotten as bad as I was fearing. I couldn't stand to listen to Rei weeping like this, but I just didn't know what I could've said to her.

"Rei...I'm sorry. Trust me, I do want to try and remain as optimistic as I can be with all of you. I-I just don't know why I can't. It's like everytime something remotely good happens to us, something incomprehensibly bad happens to us right afterwards. I just can't bring myself to let my guard down with anything here anymore. Not even myself." This was all I could bring myself to say to her, but there wasn't a single sign that this comforted her in any way. In fact, it seemed to make her feel even worse.

"Bjarte...stop it. Please...just stop." I barely heard her whisper before she took her head off my chest and looked up at me, her face still wet from her tears, although she had stopped crying by this point. "I don't want to hear any more of this. This isn't like the Bjarte I knew before at all." To my surprise, she now sounded less saddened, and this time, more determined than anything else, not even angry. "Over the past three months, you were always optimistic, always happy, and you always gave off an air of confidence. Now...now you're someone who chooses to be cynical, constantly depressed. Someone who doesn't even realize anymore what value his life still has! I want the old Bjarte back!"

Those last words had taken me by surprise, even moreso than the fact that she had suddenly just started referring me to me so informally, something I thought never would've happened. I had been expecting her to bring up this turn for the worse my attitude had taken, but now I was even more interested in what she meant by my life having value. "Rei, why are you telling me all this now? I thought you said yourself that what I had done..." Before I could even finish my thoughts, she suddenly cut me off with a further explanation that had thrown at least some of my previous fears out the window.

"I know, I said that what you did back there had scared me. But you never let me finish what I was trying to say. I wasn't ever going to say I'm afraid of you. I was going to say that I'm afraid for you. I don't want to see you become something you're not. I don't want to see you become some detached, deranged killer." If there had ever been a time in the past I had wanted to slap myself in the face, it was now. She was completely right, I was going on a rant, and I never allowed her to express her full train of thought, and I just ended up causing myself a whole ton of unneeded and unnecessary grief. Jeg kan ikke tro hva en tosk jeg kan være noen ganger. (N: I can't believe what a fool I can be sometimes.)

''That's why...that's why I'm promising you now, I'm going to do whatever I can to stop such a thing from happening to you or anyone else.'' When she muttered those words, I had absolutely no idea what to think or say to her. ''What do you mean? What could you or anybody else be able to do to stop me or someone else from going insane? It's not like you have control over another person's mental stability.'' I uttered in response as I sat down on the edge of her bed, returning my gaze back to the windows. When I felt her put her hand over mine, all I could bring myself to do was just close my eyes and listen to whatever answer she could've possibly had. ''I don't know exactly what I'll be able to do when the time comes, Bjarte, if it ever will at all. I just want you to know that I'll do whatever I think is best to keep you and the others from losing it out there if that becomes a possible situation.''

I didn't want to show her that her answer wasn't exactly brightening my spirits, but nevertheless, it wasn't the answer I was hoping for. Yet, I at least decided that I would just have to live with that. It wasn't the answer I was looking for, but I knew that her heart was in the right place with what she had told me, and in the end, that was all that really mattered. Neither of us may have really known just what she could do, if anything at all, if one of our group was to show signs of cracking, but it was the fact that she would at least try her best to prevent it that really meant anything now.

''Thank you, Rei. It really means a lot to me to hear you say these things. I may not show it directly, but it really does make me feel much better.'' These were the only things I could think to say to her after an unbearably long awkward silence had hung between us. While I partially meant what I had said, I figured it would do her good to at least think that her idea would completely work. There are just some problems you can't fix with just words, no matter the good intentions behind them. After getting back on my feet, it took me an embarrassing couple of minutes to get Rei situated back onto her stomach, while trying to ignore the temptations of hands controlled by partially repressed lewd thoughts.

Once I was sure she was comfortable, I began to make my way back out the door into the hall. "When morning comes, I'm gonna ask Marikawa-sensei if there's anything she can do to treat you. I've done all I can already." Before I was able to go any further, I felt her hand grab onto my wrist. When I was about to ask what else she could've possibly had to say to me that night, she said something that I honestly would have never expected in my entire life to hear, especially from her.

"Bjarte-san...do you think you could...stay here with me tonight?" I heard her ask in the faintest whisper, and I could only just stand there and look at her, completely dumbfounded, completely speechless. This time I felt I was hearing things for sure, so I asked her what she had just said, and she said the exact same thing, and she didn't sound any less discouraged to do so than before. I honestly could not believe what was happening. I was actually being asked by one of the girls I had come to hold the closest to my heart in what was generally the shortest amount of time, to keep her company for the night. However, as thrilled as I was inside, I still wasn't without my morals.

"I-I don't think that that's a very good idea Rei. I mean, I could go and see if Takashi wouldn't mind looking out for you, if that's alright with you." I muttered nervously as I tried to imagine just what could've happened if I were to have said 'yes', and then Takashi were to have caught us. The resulting images weren't pretty, I can say that much for certain. Rei's grip on my wrist grew surprisingly tighter, forcing me to bring my attention back to her as she gave me her answer. "Bjarte-san...please...don't ask Takashi...I want you to be here with me...I just want you here..." she had been saying through the tears I could hear all too clearly. Listening to this, I could only just bow my head with a sigh as I placed my free hand over the one she had been holding me with.

"Alright. I'll stay here with you tonight." I didn't want to say anymore in the fear that I would've crossed some invisible line with her, and a little more stress on top of everything else was the very last thing I needed. I still thought it was a really bad idea, but if Rei really wanted me of all people to be with her through the night, then who was I to deprive her of that? Getting back into my chair, I leaned back, my eyes glued to the ceiling. I figured I could be able to handle sleeping like this for one night, and that's just what I was about to finally do when I heard her whisper to me once again. I didn't completely catch it as I had been slipping into unconsciousness, so once again I asked her to repeat herself. Back then, I had thought it was one of the worst choices I could've ever made. Now...I personally think it was one of the best.

With her voice only partially muffled through the pillows, she asked: "Bjarte-san, aren't you going to lie here with me?" At first I thought I had been dreaming, but that idea vanished pretty quickly once I had done the classic old trick of pinching myself to no avail. As unbelievable a question as it was to ask in general, I just couldn't get over the fact that from what I was able to judge by the tone in her voice, she was being completely one-hundred-percent serious at that moment. As much as I desperately wanted to say 'yes', I still had to put my foot down for real that time.

"I'm sorry, Rei...but that is a bad idea among bad ideas. If Takashi were to see such a thing...I don't even want to think of what he might do." I responded in a pathetic mumble as I desperately tried to bring my attention to something else, anything else. This was just getting way too awkward for me to completely handle rationally. I just couldn't believe what was happening right then. One minute, I was lamenting about how I was possibly cracking, the next minute Rei is telling me how she wants to take responsibility for the psychological well-being of everyone in our group, and then the next minute she's beckoning me to join her...in bed, no less.

Before I could continue thinking back on just how this had suddenly happened, I felt her hand on mine once again. Damn it all, every time I felt her touch, I just completely lost all perspective and was like butter. "Bjarte-san, I'm not asking any more of you than what I'm saying now. I just don't want to be alone tonight, and to be honest...I'd feel much more comfortable with you here than Takashi right now. Please?"

Whenever I heard her speak to me like this, I just couldn't bring myself to say 'no'. Although, I'm not sure anymore if there ever was a time before that night she said anything to me like that. Sighing in defeat, I told her I would do like she asked, but before I did, there was something that I now really needed to know, and I wasn't going to wait until dawn for an answer. The behavior she had been exhibiting towards me for the last several minutes, I felt needed to be addressed. Not just then, but the events on the previous night in the Humvee as well. I just couldn't hold back the suspicions I had been developing anymore.

"Rei, before I get in there with you, there's something I really want to know, and I want the answer tonight." Taking a deep breath, I got ready to ask what was one of the most uncomfortable questions I could've ever come up with.

"Rei...I like to think at this point, that I understand the relationship that you and Takashi have had since I first came to this country. I don't mean to pry, but I don't think I would be wrong if I were to guess that Takashi has feelings for you. Feelings of a more...romantic type. Now feel free to stop me if I'm wrong here, but I couldn't help but notice on a few occasions in the past that you seem to either look at Takashi, or talk to him in a way that would reflect...well, similar feelings. Suppressed feelings, but still there nonetheless. Now, I felt that I had that entire thing completely figured out for a while. At least, I thought I had it all understood...until last night." This was it, now there wasn't any turning back available to me even if I had wanted to do so at all.

"Last night, everything I thought I understood about the two of you was completely thrown out of allignment when...well, you know what happened. It's been relentlessly clawing at my mind nonstop since then, despite appearances. You told me just why you acted the way you did, as a form of gratitude. But I just can't help but feel that there was so much more behind it than that. Just the way it all happened, the look in your eyes, the sound of your voice, everything felt like it was expressing so much more than simply gratitude. I don't want to just assume anything, but I just can't stop thinking it over, again and again and again..." I was getting so tired of just trying to avoid the point I had been wanting to make, but I just couldn't think of an easy way to get it out. It didn't matter, I was done wasting both our time. I wanted to finally put those damned confused feelings I had been feeling since then to rest, and this was the only way I felt I could do that.

"All I want to know is this, Rei. Just what exactly are your feelings for Takashi? Just answer me that, please." There, I had finally gotten it out, and there was no taking it back. My heart had now felt a thousand pounds heavier, and all there was now was that unbearable silence once again. As much as I had been desperate for an answer that would give me some kind of closure for even the shortest amount of time, I wanted nothing more at that moment than to take back those words. It just felt terrible to have to put Rei on the spot like I had just done, but unfortunately, what was done was done.

"Well...I guess the best way to describe it would be that I love him." she had only then just begun, but to me, that was all I needed to hear. That was all I wanted to hear. The truth was finally out in the open, and I could finally just decide to move on, no matter how much it killed me to have heard those words just then. I was about to just get up and leave so I could get a few moments to myself to let the overall impact wear off, but then I felt her grab onto my sleeve once again, and as shocking as it is to hear myself say this; but if she hadn't immediately spoken up then, I feel I would've probably stricken her to let me go. I can just thank both our lucky stars that it didn't come to that.

"But I feel like I only love him as much as I do everyone else in our group." she had continued to go on, and I could already feel my spirits brightening little by little with each passing word. "I don't feel any more or less for him than I do for you or any of the others. In such a short time, everyone has already come to mean so much to me in one way or another, that it just doesn't seem right to care more about one person over another."

Listening and hanging on every word, I had then come to realize the truth to her words, and just how foolish I had been to think otherwise. In our situation, we had to rely on each other in order to survive, and this was the worst possible time to even consider the idea that we were going to be playing favorites amongst each other. At least in the end, I had managed to get some peace of mind, and I no longer had to worry about keeping my emotions getting the better of me...at least I was hoping that was going to stay the case. Either way, at least things could go back to the way they used to be amongst the three of us.

"Thank you, Rei. That's all I wanted to know. Takk. (N: Thank you)" I muttered weakly as I quickly wiped a single biting tear from my eye, hoping she hadn't noticed. "Are you sure you still want me here tonight? Absolutely sure?" I asked as I began to make my way around to the empty spot beside her. "Bjarte-san, if I felt any differently from before, I would tell you. Believe me, I wouldn't be as comfortable with anybody else right now." she whispered back to me in what I swear was a thinly veiled playful tone. Figuring that any other options I could've had for that night were officially gone forever, I gave a heavy sigh as I slowly got myself settled beside her, and while it felt good to get back into a real bed for the first time in what felt like ages, I don't have to tell you that I was still extremely uncomfortable where I now had been.

I figured if I were to just close my eyes and just think of something else, I could finally be able to get some real sleep. If only it were that easy. At the last minute, more questions I had been dwelling over had decided to emerge, questions that I once again felt I needed to know as soon as possible. "Rei? There's one more thing I want to ask you." I whispered as I stared up at the ceiling. "What is it, Bjarte-san?" she asked as I felt her shift about beside me before I felt her hand softly grab onto mine.

Sighing heavily, I got ready to ask another of the most uncomfortable questions I could've ever come up with. "I just can't help but wonder, but...why...why is it that you say you prefer me being here? Why me of all people, and not anybody else? I mean, in the grand scheme of things, we still basically just barely know each other. Personally, I think it would make more sense if..." before I was able to continue, I felt her finger against my lips again, effectively silencing me once more. For a minute, there was just dead silence before I felt her shift slightly again, and then I felt her arms wrap themselves around me under my arms, and then she rested her head against my chest before speaking out in just barely a whisper.

"Bjarte-san...I honestly can't think of any single reason of why I feel this way. I just do." she had begun, and it was several more uncomfortable seconds of silence before she continued. "Things haven't always been so great between me and Takashi...for quite a while now, actually, since before you came here. We'd been best friends since early childhood, but as we got older, we just began to grow more distant. Whenever I did try to communicate with him, he always seemed to have things of his own on his mind, and he would never even attempt to try and talk to me, he would just always keep himself so distanced from me." By this point, she had begun quietly sobbing, and judging by what she had gone on to tell me, she had every reason to.

"I know these kind of things had a tendency to happen, but it just felt so much worse when it happened between us. As much as I still liked him, I just couldn't handle the way things had become between us anymore. That's why I had started dating Hisashi, in the hopes that I could've been able to forget about it and move on." Just as I had the previous night, I was about ready to tell Rei that it was for the best that she forget about Hisashi, lest she simply drive herself into the ground with sorrow, but she had decided to keep going, and it just didn't feel right to cut her off as she was opening up to me like this.

"Unfortunately, I just couldn't move on from the past so easily. Takashi was always there every day, and it was when I had started dating Hisashi that he now wanted to keep me close, but it was already too late. I knew how much it tore at him to see us together, and it always made me feel terrible. Every day only seemed to get worse and worse as time went on. But then...then you showed up." With this, I could feel my entire face burning up, and if it were possible, it probably would be glowing red as well. Judging by just how close I could tell her voice was, at that point, her face must've only been about an inch or two from mine, and I could only hope she wouldn't notice how uncomfortably stiff my whole body had gone at that moment.

"Whenever you were around, you were always smiling, always happy, and you always tried to get along with anyone you talked to. If you ever thought one of us was feeling bad, you always did what you thought was best, you always tried to make us smile. Even when there was nothing you could do, you were always there to at least listen. Bjarte-san..." I swear to you now, when she muttered my name like that, if I hadn't known better, I could've sworn she was about to confess her love to me, or something along those lines. I honestly did not know what to expect, and that is one of the things that scares me more than anything nowadays, is when I don't know what's going to happen. Hopefully you can understand why. "...you always tried to make the people around you happy, even when you didn't know them well at all. Even now, deep down you're still well meaning and trying to help those around you...and that's one of the things I love about you. You're one of the most kindhearted people I've ever met…and in some way or another, I'm always reminded just how lucky we all are to have you with us. How lucky I am to have you with me, even now."

I was completely and utterly speechless by this point. I would've thought that I'd be desensitized to the kind of feelings that I felt were being poured out at that moment, especially after what had happened in the Humvee the previous night, but I've been wrong before. Still, I just couldn't believe what she was saying to me, more and more it sounded like she was trying to confess love more than anything else; and while part of me was hoping I was wrong, the rest of me was hoping I was right. Well, so much for my emotions no longer getting the better of me, I suppose.

As she continued this seemingly nonstop outpouring of what felt like repressed feelings to me, I had finally managed to get some control over myself again, and I had become so taken in by her words, all I could bring myself to do was bring my arms around her waist and hold her closer to me, and when she had given a slight gasp in surprise, I had begun to fear that I had gone too far. Instead, I was met with her slightly tightening her hold on me, laying her head on my shoulder, and her nearly naked body completely pressing up against me. Luckily, I managed to swallow the lump in my throat, trying to ignore the burning heat that was flowing through my whole body as I kept listening to the last of her words.

"I always feel like I can talk to you much easier than anyone else, and I'm happy whenever I'm around you, even if sometimes it may not seem like it. I've come to love all the people in our group, no more or less than you or Takashi, and I don't love either of you any more or less than the rest of them. That's not what I'm trying to say. All I'm saying is that for a while now, even long before all of…this, started happening, you were one of the few people I've felt the safest with, and that I've felt the most at peace with. In such a short time, you've come to be one of the best friends I could've ever asked for, and considering how things were before you were around…well, those are all the reasons I can think of as to why I want you here with me right now. That's all…" she had proceeded to lower into a barely noticeable whisper as I felt her body loosen up against me, signifying to me that in those last few moments, she had finally fallen asleep, and this nearly overwhelming discussion between us that had come to bring many of my older questions to rest, was finally at an end.

As glad as I was that my older questions would never be able to bother me again, and that I could finally get some real sleep for the first time in days, I still just couldn't bring myself to just slip off into unconsciousness, and this time I had no idea as to why. Whatever it could've been, it most likely wasn't anything terribly important, because within several minutes, I was finally just on the verge. Before I was finally able to nod off, however, I could just barely hear Rei's whisper once more, and now I was too tired to even groan in aggravation in response.

"I'm sorry, Bjarte-san, but I just have one question of my own. Just one, I promise." Before I had even gotten the chance to ask her what it was, it was out of her lips, and hanging heavy in the air between us like the morning fog on the harbors back home. "Earlier today at the fence, just before we got rescued, you had grabbed my hand, and when I looked at you, it looked like you were about to say something, and I just remembered that you never got the chance to finish it. Maybe now that we aren't all on the verge of dying, you can finish now."

I felt the most unbearable chill creep up my spine as she said these words. I had completely forgotten what I had intended to tell her that afternoon, at least until she had then brought it up. The only reason I had intended to say what I had been meaning to, was simply because I was almost certain we were all going to die, and they do say people will do crazy things when they feel like they're going to die. Now, it just did not feel like the right thing to say, no matter how strongly I felt those very same words inside me at that very moment. I just couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth, I needed to cover it up, hopefully just for that night. I just hoped she wouldn't get suspicious of me at that time.

"I don't know what to tell you, Rei. I never did any such thing. Yes, I did grab your hand, but I never said anything. I mean, there was a lot of gunfire going on at the time, so it's only natural that you think you might've heard something amongst it all. And as for what you think you might've seen, I'm almost certain that it was just all the trauma combined with the stress playing tricks on your eyes. It is known to happen to people who experience almost certain-death situations like we did. I'm sorry, Rei, but I'm afraid the things you thought I was doing, never really happened."

It felt like I was stabbing myself in the heart when I had to lie right to her face, but at that time, it was the only idea that came to mind that seemed like a good one. It was several long, painful seconds of silence between us once I had finished talking, and I felt almost certain that she knew I was lying, and was going to force me to have to reveal the all-too personal truth right then and there. "That does make a lot of sense when you think about it. I had been thinking about whether or not I was just hallucinating the whole thing for a little while, and now it seems the most likely that I was. Oh well." She had then answered before she laid her head back down, softly leaning forward into my chest, and it was back to that persistent silence.

I honestly couldn't believe that my lie had worked. I still felt terrible about it, but at that moment, the only thing I cared about was that all the current little problems there had been over the last hour between us had finally been cleared up, and now I was finally able to get some real sleep…and with the one girl I had come to hold the closest to my heart as well. The girl that I had then come to finally recognize to myself, as the one girl…that I loved.

The only thing that still scratched at the back of my mind was whether or not she really DID believe me. There were times when she showed some pretty impressive intelligence, as well as a bit of cunning in the past, and that was why I had begun to fear she wouldn't ever believe me. But oh well, at least for now, I could just pretend that all things were now good for the lot of us.

Or, at least I was hoping that was going to be the case for us.

Alright everybody, after over a month and a half of getting this bastard ready, it's finally finished. Now, a lot like chapter 7 and 9, I'm not completely satisfied with how this turned out, but it still turned out better than I initially was expecting. For those of you that find any kind of problems with this chapter, I would like to take this time to remind you all that I am not all that experienced with writing filler. It's potentially new ground for me, but hopefully this will be the kind of experience that can help make me better at it. You've all come to know the drill by now, read, leave reviews, and recommend to our foreign brothers and friends. Chapter 11 will be much easier and less time-consuming to get out there to you all, so you won't have to worry about that. School had a lot to do with this chapter taking so long as well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.