The Cure, стр. 4
‘I love you Tallulah,’ Logan said to her holding her gaze.
‘I love you too,’ she replied.
As they were enjoying the moment, they heard shouting from outside the room and some commotion from down the corridor. ‘Hold that thought,’ Logan said, standing up and peering around the corner. He shook his head, turned to Tallulah and put his finger and thumb to his head. ‘Here we go,’ he said out loud to himself.
A boy stumbled into the room, knocking over a mop on his way in and slamming the door back against the wall. He was clearly drunk and had two soldiers behind him. ‘I’m coming I’m coming,’ he waved them away.
One of the soldiers looked at Logan pleadingly.
‘It’s fine. I’ve got it,’ he said to the soldier and they both walked off.
‘Ah, so this is nice,’ said the boy holding up the fairy lights and throwing a strawberry into his mouth. ‘So, this is what you get up to when you’re not sucking up to the President.’
‘Danny,’ said Logan. ’To what do we owe this pleasure? I thought you were avoiding me at all costs. It’s not liked the base isn’t big enough.’
He walked around Logan, ignoring the fact Tallulah was even in the room. ‘A picnic?’ he smiled. ‘I dread to think what you had to do to Brad Senior to get those strawberries.’
‘Probably nothing more than you did to get your hands on that alcohol,’ he sniffed the air. ‘Look, do you want something or are you just here to ruin my lunch.’
‘Tals, why don’t you join me and the boys for a drink or two tonight. I bet Faye would come,’ said Danny to Tallulah.
‘I think you’ve had enough Danny. Come on, let’s get you back to the dorm and get you a coffee,’ said Tallulah.
‘Enough? Yes, I’ve had enough. Enough of everyone treating me like an idiot,’ he stumbled into a chair. ‘I know what’s going on. I know.’ He mumbled incoherently and sat down leaning backwards in the chair. ‘Yes, I know alright.’ He lent back further and further until the chair overturned spilling him onto the floor.
Both Logan and Tallulah looked at each other and laughed as Danny started snoring.
‘Rain check?’ said Tallulah.
Logan nodded ‘I remember my dad coming home and telling me that my mother was pregnant and that I was going to get a little brother who I could play with. Little did I know that sixteen years later I’d be picking him off the floor and carrying him to bed.’
‘You can’t choose your family Logan,’ she replied. ‘I know that more than most.’
Danny started making heaving noises from the floor. ‘Time for me to leave,’ said Tallulah smiling at Logan. ‘Oh, but not without these,’ she said picking the bowl and jug up. ‘Thank you,’ she kissed him on the cheek.
‘You’re welcome,’ said Logan as he contemplated how he was going to lift his brother and get him back to the dormitory. ‘Family,’ he lamented.
***************
‘Thanks, little Bro,’ Logan said to Danny pulling his arm over his shoulder and trying to lift him to his feet. ‘I was at least hoping to get one of those strawberries,’ he chuckled. Danny made a groaning noise.
‘I can remember holding you in my hands when you were born. I was so happy to have a friend for life who would never let me down and would always be there for me. Someone I would always be there for. What happened? What did I do that made you feel you couldn’t come to me for anything? I’m your brother, your family. I would die for you.’
They reached the dorm and Logan slumped the dead weight onto his bunk. ‘I love you man, but I need you. I want back those days when you would tell me everything. Those days when Dad was working until all hours and we’d have midnight feasts, playing baseball in the hallways of the White House and losing our security detail. But when did I lose you? What did I do to you that made you feel you couldn’t trust me anymore?’, but Danny was unconscious.
‘Maybe I should have left years ago. Given you your chance to shine. But I couldn’t live without you. You kept me grounded and happy. Helped me on the days when Dad wasn’t around and I needed a friend. I would do anything to have that back.’
Logan stood and started to walk away.
‘I love you too man,’ came a voice from the bed.
Without looking back Logan smiled and walked on.
Chapter Three
The President’s bunker was a war room at the deepest part of the base, fluorescent lighting buzzing above a large oak table. Computers hummed in the surrounding rooms as the President and his supporting staff took their places around the table, flanked by their assistants and security detail. Logan Mathers stood directly behind his father.
The room was imposing, as if many wars had been won here before and history seeped out of the walls, but in fact this facility had never been used before The Cure. It had sat empty apart from a skeleton staff of army employees and cleaners for many years. Now, however, it was fighting a war not against people, but against the fact we had used the worlds natural resources and we were about to lose the world altogether.
The base itself was self-sustaining and most of the people in the room were looking to see how they could roll out a similar program, quickly and on a much greater