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It had been a close call. Caboose didn’t think he had ever come so close to being hurt for real.
“Oh my god. My life just flashed before my very eyes! It was awesome! Oh, let’s do it again!”
That’s what he had said at the time. Carolina was hurt. He didn’t need everyone worrying about him when Carolina was injured. They needed to look after her first and then worry about more important things. Like the thing the Reds had found, or figuring out where the soldier had come from.
Caboose was strong, had he not been taken by surprise, he could have thrown the soldier but still…he couldn’t shake the feeling of the soldier’s arm snaking around his neck, pulling him backwards. He kept hearing the sound of the knife being removed from its sheath as the soldier lifted it high before going to strike, the way Church had called out. Caboose didn’t think he had been so terrified before.
He sat a little away from the group, arms wrapped around his middle, trying to stop the shaking. He couldn’t let anyone see. This was different to when he was depressed because Church had left. He needed to look okay. He could hear laughter as Donut told some funny story of their days back in Blood Gulch that Wash, Carolina and Doctor Grey hadn’t heard before. No one was paying any attention to him and that was good. He needed to pull himself together.
“Hey, Caboose?” Church flickered into view just in front of the tallest member of Blue Team.
“Oh, Church, hello.”
Church tilted his head to the side, observing Caboose. To be honest, the once Blue leader had been keeping a watch over Caboose all afternoon since the incident. The kid seemed okay, but Church had been around Caboose long enough to know the difference between Caboose’s ‘okay’ and ‘worried’ mannerisms.
“Are you doing all right, buddy?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I’m doing fine. Donut’s stories are very funny, aren’t they?” Caboose might not have been the most intelligent person, but even he knew that was a bad attempt at diverting attention.
“Caboose.”
He looked at Church, his arms wrapping around his body tighter.
“It was scary,” he whispered. “I was scared.”
Church wished he could sit beside his comrade.
“I’m sorry, Caboose.”
“I thought I was going to die and that I’d never get to see you again, Church,” Caboose said, his voice trembling. If there was anything worse then dying, it was the fact that he would never get to see his best friend in the whole universe again. For Caboose, that was the worst part about no longer being alive.
Church flickered out of view for a moment before reappearing on Cabooses knee; it was the best he could do without a robotic body. Although he would have preferred being at Caboose’s shoulder, he knew the Blue soldier would appreciate being able to see him.
Although he could have, Church kept the sarcastic remarks to himself when Caboose curled into a little ball, crying softly. Instead, he chose to be honest.
“It’s okay, I’m here.”
Church didn’t think he’d wanted a robotic body so badly before.