“Ellis...”
She knew that Ashton would not reply. But she didn’t let a little thing like that stop her. She began to shake Ashton harder and harder.
“Sis, stop it! That’s enough!” Foster ran over to Ellis, grappling her under the arms to try and pull her away from Ashton.
“You bastard!” she screamed. “You get your hands off of me!!!” She slammed the back of her head into his face, then, as Foster wobbled on his feet, blood streaming from his nose, she grabbed his collar and pulled him toward her before driving her knee into his stomach with her full strength. Groaning, Foster hunched over while Ellis ran back over to Ashton, then started shaking him harder than ever.
“What the hell!” she yelled at him. “What the hell did that bonehead give his life for?! Wake up already, damn you!”
As Ellis raged, Evanson walked up behind her and gently laid a hand on her narrow shoulders.
“Not you t—?!”
“Let him rest, Ellis. This is too unkind.”
Ellis dropped her hands, then stared at Ashton. An empty look came over her face, like it had when their father had finally passed away. Then, tears began to spill from her warm brown eyes, pouring down her cheeks.
“Let’s go, Ellis. We can’t die here too. It’s our duty to live and tell the others of Lieutenant Ashton’s death.”
Evanson got Ellis and Lochie to stand up, then slung Ashton over his back. It would likely be a brutal journey, carrying him all the way home. But Evanson decided the least he could do to make amends would be to let a certain two others see Ashton’s fate.
“How am I supposed to face Big Sister Olivia and Colonel Claudia...?” Ellis wept in despair. No one answered her.
Evanson and the others set off to rejoin the main force that had gone on ahead, their legs heavy as lead and with a gaping sense of loss in their hearts.