Floccinaucinihilipilification

/ˌfläksəˌnôsəˌnīˌhiləˌpiləfiˈkāSHən/

noun

the action or habit of underestimating something as worthless

The entire ride back to the colony was absolute torture. My hands wouldn't stay still for more than two minutes before running through my hair again. A despicable thought of what could've happened to Luke as we drove, his bloodied frame coming to mind.

I couldn't even stop the tears from welling up in my eyes as I looked between the boys for some kind of solace, but found none. Ashton drove carefully, but furiously down the side streets, trying to make it back in record time. Calum's frame was slouched, hands covering his face as he silently stared out of a window.

Calum, I had come to find, was never one to talk. He was the one that would only speak when spoken to, which didn't come of use in times like these. I prayed for this to be a dream and for me to wake up, but each time I opened my eyes, I would fail to be greeted by the blue eyes that could always bring me happiness.

"It'll be okay Melissa," Michael whispered, obviously knowing that my mind is flowing with awful pictures of what could've happened. "Luke is a fighter."

His statement was simple, but held so many emotions at the same time. Michael's careful gaze stayed trained on me as he sighed, knowing that nothing will bring me out of this state of shock. I looked up at him, finally making my first real effort at a conversation.

"Luke told me about his past," I managed to get out before a sob released from my throat.

I sensed Calum and Michael's hard gazes on me in that moment. I composed myself enough to see Ashton had even reacted, his hands tightening on the wheel ever so slightly as we continued to move forward.

"He.....he started going on raids at thirteen?" I stuttered out, sounding more like a question than a statement.

Calum sighs audibly, knowing where this was going. His medium sized frame scooted forward in his seat, getting ready to speak to me about the subject I had brought forward.

"Luke arrived at the colony at thirteen; Mikey and I were fourteen at the time. We were going on trial raids since we were in the training program."

Another sigh came from his mouth as he tried to find the right words to say. His hand ran through his hair, a common trait for any of the boys if they were stressed.

"It was a way to determine who would advance in the program. Technically, none of us would graduate until we were eighteen," he explained slowly, waiting for my nods as he paused in between certain sentences.

"Luke was special though, and everyone could see it. We all became friends in the program and we were always together when it came to those raids."

I nodded at him, not necessarily following him on how this affected Luke in a negative way. Sure, he had been a damaged teenager sent out to kill grown men, and I had no doubt that that was wrong, but from what Calum was telling me, Luke knew what he was doing and was fully capable.

As if reading my mind, he nodded his head. "He was capable, but he was too capable."

My hand covered my mouth in shock as I waited for more explanation.

"Within the first few raids, Luke was designated as the hit man of our little group. I was assigned to be the security detail, Michael was a ground troop, and Ashton was the driver as well as anything that wasn't covered in our descriptions," his eyebrows knitted together, trying to determine if I understood what he was saying.

"They were training you four to be a hit squad?" My emotions couldn't be held from my voice as I imagined the four of them taking on such a large responsibility at such a young age.

"Yeah, that's why we were all chosen for the Core. We each had the best training in separate fields and knew how to work together very well." Michael looked paler than usual, his shoulder hunched forward slightly as if reliving those terrible teenage years.

My heart broke as I realized that it wasn't only Luke that carried the terrible burden he had opened up to me about, but the other boys did too. The van lurched forward a bit as we gradually slowed down as we entered inside of the colony.

Before we were fully stopped, my arms reached out and unlocked the back doors. I jumped out as soon as possible, despite the protests and angry looks from Calum and Michael. Ashton could be heard cursing loudly in the front seat, realizing what I was doing even though he couldn't see.

My heart stopped as I saw Luke being hauled out of the medic van on a stretcher. The only thing my mind could think of was the worst possibility; he may be dead. I felt like my entire world was flipping upside down as I ran for the stretcher as it was being hauled towards the infirmary. When I finally caught up with it, tears are streaming down my face as I no longer fought to control them.

I gripped Luke's hand and gasped in relief when he squeezed it back in response. He smiled dazzlingly at me before muttering an 'I told you so' at me as I let out a shaky laugh.

"You are an idiot," I murmured before placing a chaste kiss on his expectant, pouted lips.

He hummed in response, clearly unfazed by all of the blood coming from his leg. Medics were shouting orders for blood and pressing firmly on the wound to stop the bleeding. Blood pooled around an entry point, painting a clear picture for me. He was shot.

"Hey," his voice captured my attention as his finger gently lifted my face away from the injury location, taking it out of my view. "It looks worse than it is," he said softly, pulling my lips to his once more as the group of people slow down, almost entering the operating room.

My face held a surprised expression when I am told that I am welcome into the room while other trainees were not allowed entry. I follow Luke's gurney into the room and stood beside the bed that he was quickly transferred to.

I note the grim look and groan that exited Luke's mouth as they moved him quickly from one bed to another. My hand gripped his, holding it to my lips and placing a chaste kiss on it.

"You're doing great baby," I whispered gently, pushing his messy, sweaty hair out of his face.

My heart broke as I heard a whimper exit his lips, knowing that it will only get worse as they remove the bullet and stitch the area. The room was sanitized and a gown is handed to me to wear during the surgery. I put it on quickly as the doctors go over the routine with Luke, who quickly refuses anesthetics.

"Luke," I tried to fight him, knowing the pain will be terrible for him since it was unbearable for me.

"Lissa, please don't make me take the anesthesia," he begged, his eyes softening as he stared wildly at me.

If I am not mistaken, his eyes hold bits of fear as if he was afraid of what might happen while he was under the influence of the anesthetic. The doctors look at me asking for my decision as to what they should do, silently begging me to go against his wishes.

"No anesthetic," I finally mustered out, the entire medical staff glaring at me in horror.

Luke's face lit up, happy I went with his choice and not taken matters into my own hands. His clammy hands clasp mine tightly as the surgeon stared down at his now incapacitated leg and begins to cut an incision down a bit from the entry point and upwards a bit.

"Look at me," Luke's soft, scared voice interrupted my staring at the procedure. His eyes silently plead with me to take his mind off of what was happening in the chaotic room. I smiled gently before continuing to rub my fingers across his hand.

"I made it back to you," I whispered quietly into his ear, a chuckle rupturing from his throat after I said this.

The medical staff looked confused at his happy mood, but shrugged it off as they continued their jobs. I tried to find another topic to talk about but failed to as I searched his blue eyes for any clues as to what happened.

"So how did you end up getting shot?" I asked him, one hand leaving his hands to gently stroke his glistening face.

"Well I was in a glass staircase when all those bullets came raining down and one of the hit my leg," he explained fairly quickly before tilting his head back and arching his back in a grimace. "I had a ton of glass in me too when we left the office."

For the first time I noticed the lacerations covering his body. Some of them were extremely deep and would probably scar, while others looked like they could just be scratches.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, kissing his forehead as another tight grimace crossed his face. Tears streamed from his eyes as I tried desperately to kiss each one away, but failed miserably as they came raining down far too fast.

"At least it was me," he said, gasping through the pain he was in currently. I rolled my eyes at him, causing him to laugh lightly at me.

"At least I would've taken the anesthesia dumbass," I muttered under my breath as I tried to keep my distraction of the doctors to a minimum. Luke's chuckle filled the the room as the medical staff laughed as well, having heard my comment. "Why didn't you want anesthesia?" I asked, taking in his facial expressions and knowing that he was in a remarkable amount of pain to be this pale and agony lacing his features.

"Bad experience," he muttered, sucking on his bottom lip to suppress a scream of agony threatening to overcome him. "Last time they put me under, I had a vision and it was good at the time, but it haunts me now and I don't want to see it again."

"What was it about?" I ask, noting how the doctors had stopped their movements on Luke and were cleaning up the room, preparing to leave us in our own time.

"Miss Jennings," the surgeon approached, holding a clipboard and pen out to me. "I need you to sign these. They state that someone will be in the room at all times with him. I can only release him if I have a signature of a trusted friend or family member."

I signed them quickly handing them back to him before a wheelchair is pushed in the door by a nurse who left as quickly as she came in the room. Luke was loaded very quickly by the remaining medical staff before I took over to push him toward our rooms.

"Cynthia," his voice finally said when he was adjusted in his bed and I was curled up next to him, relaxing in his chest.

"What?" I asked incredulously, forgetting the topic that we spoke of earlier.

"The vision was of Cynthia, in heaven," he said, a questioning look covering his features. "I don't know why, but it got to me and I don't think I could see it again."

I nodded, understanding his reasons and not pushing him for answers. My body fell into a deep sleep as the anxiety and pressures of the day overcame me. The last thing I heard before falling into the unconscious state was Luke's shallow breathing, confirming that the lanky boy beside me was getting some well deserved rest.

Edited: 14 January 2017