The look of resignation in the boy’s eyes catches Steve by surprise as his heart sinks into his stomach and his own eyes well up. He flicks it away instantly and writes more on the notepad.

BUT WE WILL CHECK IT OUT. STICK WITH ME AND YOULL BE SAFE OK?

It’s the best he could do. It didn’t seem to work though as the tears stream down the boy’s face again and Steve kneels to look at him. The boy needed to learn how to be tough and he needed to learn fast. But this was a big lump for him to swallow and digest, and he was only ten years old. He knew something was wrong with people, but witnessing the carnage earlier and now seeing Steve’s lab rat, it gave him a close up view of the real horror that was out there.