ELEVEN: Sunghoon and Pastora

He glared at me as he kept his gun aimed right at my heart, intending on shooting me if I moved an inch.

I kept my gun aimed at his forehead, my thumb hovering right over the trigger. I didn't want to kill this guy but if he was a threat like everyone else, I'd have no choice.

"Who are you?" He barked, taking a step closer to me.

He was tall and lean like me, he was at least a few inches taller than me. His hair was dyed blonde at the top but his natural dark hair was visible from underneath giving him a two-toned look.

"Lower your gun and I'll tell you." I reply, eyeing the silver hoop ring in his tiny nose.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Nose ring sneered with a snort. He was Asian like me, but seemed to speak English fluently.

"No..." I say, choosing my words carefully. "I just don't want trouble..."

"Yeah? How do I know I can trust you!?"

"Sunghoon? Who are you talking to?" A gentle feminine voice came from across the little hospital room.

I looked over to see a girl around our age sit up in the gurney. She was Hispanic and had long wavy dark hair, she was thin but had a curvy figure. Her skin was sun-kissed and she had full lips and a cute pug nose.

"Some traitor, don't worry Pooch. I've got this under control." Nose ring replied, turning his gaze back on me.

"My father is Kuk Yeon-Woo...he was a part of building The Amhul. I woke up this morning and he wasn't around. So I've been wondering around looking for him." I say, keeping my eyes on Sunghoon.

"Your father built this station?" Sunghoon asks, slowly lowering his gun from my chest.

I nod slowly in response, feeling a rush of relief wash over me.

Sunghoon looked over at Pooch...if that was her name.

"He's not a student...I don't think he's a threat." Pooch said, swinging her legs over the bed and getting up to her feet. She wore an oversize blue sweatshirt, dark denim skinny jeans and a white t-shirt that hugged at her waist.

"I still don't trust him." Sunghoon replied, looking back at me. "but I suppose I won't kill you."

Gee thanks.

"Don't mind him, we've been through a lot today." Pooch said, walking over to us to stand besides Sunghoon. She offered me a gentle smile and looked down at my gun.

I quickly lowered it to my side, realizing I still hand it aimed to Sunghoon's head.

"Thanks. You see, we're on a field trip with our astronomy class and well.... something...I guess something happened around here in the medical wing, causing everyone including our teacher to go hysteric. Before we knew it, our entire class was going for other's throats to get any weapon they could find. Sunghoon and I didn't want to be involved so we fled here."

"You were in professor Jane's astronomy class?" I ask, eyeing her curiously.

They both looked at me surprised.

"Yes...do you know Professor Jane?" Pooch asked curiously.

"I bet she sent him out here to spy on us." Sunghoon growled raising his gun at me once more.

"Oh for heaven's sake! Sunghoon, put the gun down!" Pooch cried, pushing Sunghoon's arm down. She eyed me curiously waiting patiently for me to answer her. I had to be honest with them. They needed to know everything that was going on.

I took a deep breath. "What you said earlier about something going on here in the medical ward...there's more to that..." I started.

They stayed silent waiting for me to continue.

"I found this video message on one of the computers back in the second tower, it was one of the nurses. She said that an astronaut brought some sort of parasite on the station and planted in egg or something inside of him...and the organism came out from his chest...I-I've seen it.." I swallowed hard, feeling my lower lip starting to tremble.

"You have?" Pooch asked me, raising her eyebrows curiously. "Is that why everyone around here's so scared?"

"What's it like?" Sunghoon asks me casually.

"You don't even want to know..." I reply, nearly whimpering. Just mentioning the monster made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Try me." Sunghoon challenged, narrowing his eyes at me. He was really starting to get on my nerves.

"It's dangerous and carnivorous. It's picking us off one by one...I watched your classmate, Caleb get devoured...and then Amber. I tried to save them but I couldn't. It's too fast and it's too strong. It's immune to any sort of firearms or any melee weapons." I add.

"Caleb and Amber are dead?" Pooch cried, her hands fluttered to her cheeks. "Oh my gosh..."

"What about Chelsea?" Sunghoon asked.

"I brought her here...she saved my life actually. Jane and some guy named David tried to kill me. They're seeking vengeance for my father. David claims that my father released these androids on the station." I explain. "Chelsea shot Jane before she could kill me..."

"Where is she now?" Pooch asked curiously.

"With a nurse...there was a misunderstanding, she pushed me and I shot her in the leg by accident." I reply.

Sunghoon raised an eyebrow, "Yeah!? How do we know it was an accident!?"

"Because I brought her here with me! I bribed food to a nurse so that she could take care of Chelsea! I risked my own life to keep an android away from her! I don't want to kill anyone! I just want to survive this, find my father, and dispose this terrible monster!" I cry. "You're telling me that you haven't seen it yet!?"

"No, We've been hiding in here for hours now." Sunghoon explained, his voice was more gentle after my outburst. "What about these androids you mentioned? Are they immune to firearms too?"

"They seem to be…" I reply. "Chelsea managed to kill one by bashing its head in with a maintenance tool I found…they're really strong though. It's probably best if we avoid them."

"That's a good idea. Who knows how many there could be." Pooch agrees.

"So what, we just sit here and do nothing!?" Sunghoon snaps. "If you want to look for your father, then you should be out doing so. Not talking to us."

Did he just miss everything I just said!?

"Well, I've had some company, so unfortunately my arrival Is going to be delayed!" I said, sounding more sarcastic than I wanted. I eyed the gurney that Pooch was just laying on.

Despite everything that was going on, I just wanted to take a few minutes and rest. My body was exhausted, my hand was killing me, and I was drenched in my own sweat.

Pooch followed my gaze and looked back at me. "You must be tired; I can't imagine what you've been through or what you've seen. why don't you go rest for a little? Sunghoon and I can keep watch."

I didn't trust Sunghoon but I felt alright about Pooch and I was too exhausted to refuse. If they were to kill me then so be it. I don't think I have the energy to fight it off any longer. I needed rest.

"Alright thanks, Pooch." I reply, making my way over to the gurney.

"HEY!" Sunghoon was right behind me, I felt his hands push into my back sending me forwards and face first into the hard handles of the gurney. I smacked the side of my head on it and collapsed to the floor.

"SUNGHOON!" Pastora cried, running over to me. She shoved him aside and got down on her knees in front of me. Her big brown eyes inspected me carefully. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." I reply, glaring up at Sunghoon. Using what little energy I had left, I pushed myself up in a sitting position, wanting to get off the dirty hospital floor. "What's your problem!?"

"Don't you ever call her that again." Sunghoon snapped. "Her name is Pastora. Pooch is my name for her."

"I apologize." I say, even though I wasn't sorry in the slightest. How was I supposed to know that wasn't his girlfriend���s real name?

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Pastora replied as Sunghoon grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away from me as if I were the monster.

"Just get some sleep." Sunghoon said, eyeing my bag curiously. "Did you say you had food earlier?"

"Yeah…." I replied, fighting the urge to lie. Jerk or not, he still needed to eat and I wasn't about to feed in and be a jerk back. "Just…limit yourself please…I don't know how much longer I have to go…."

"Don't worry. We'll only have a little, you have my word." Pastora replied, shrugging Sunghoon's hands off her shoulders to help me into the gurney. I winced as my broken hand banged against the rail of the gurney.

Pastora noticed it to and eyed me curiously. "Is there something wrong with your hand!?" She asks.

"I think I broke it fighting an android earlier to save Chelsea." I replied, clenching my teeth as the severe burning sensation ran all over my hand.

"There is some gauze in here…may I wrap it for you?" Pastora asks.

"Yeah…sure…" I respond, closing my eyes and tilting my head back against the pillows. I could already feel sleep creeping up on me. I wanted sleep, I just wanted to escape this hostile environment just for a moment…

"Wait…before you do sleep…" I hear Sunghoon speak in between chomps as he was probably eating all my food. "I need to know more about the monster…is it fast?"

"Yes…" I mutter, feeling Pastora wrapping gauze around my hand. "It drools a lot…and travels up in air vents…"

"What do we do if we hear or see it?"

"Hide…." I reply.

That was the last thing I said before I fell into a deep sleep.