NADINE’S P.O.V
Amy took my advice and shoved a sock in my mouth. Thank goodness she did because the pain was excruciating, like nothing I’d ever felt before. My arm throbbed. It felt like soone had taken a sledgehamr to it but I was grateful for it because it distracted from the pain on my inside.
I knew that what happened wasn’t my fault, it was Trent’s and the longer I thought about it, the more pissed I got. He was hiding sothing in that lab, sothing he didn’t want us to know about and I wanted to find out what it was.
I stayed up all night thinking about it. I stared at the stars mapping out every plan in my head.
"You should be asleep," a soft voice spoke. I didn’t need to turn to know it was Joshua.
It was his turn to keep watch. He’d swapped with Rowan a while back. Rowan was lying on his back next to , his hand gripping his knife that was sheathed by his side.
"I can’t sleep," I said finally as I sat up slowly.
He turned to face , his hands folded in front of him. "I never thought we’d end up here. On the run. Traitors."
"We’re not the traitors, Joshua, they are. They wanted to kill ."
He sighed. "I know, I just- my father fought so hard for the General. He trusted him and now, I can’t help but wonder if the General had always been like this. I don’t want to believe that-"
"That your father would support soone so cruel?" I asked sand he gave a wry smile.
If there was anyone who knew how he felt, it was . Rowan told what happened in the dining area. He told about my father and how he was at Trent’s side and all I’ve been able to think about is if he knew I was out here or if he’d been lied to.
"Your dad loves you, Nadine."
I smiled sadly. "Your dad loved you too, but love makes people do stupid things."
"If your father knew you were out here, he would’ve co for you himself. He was scared, Nadine, I’ve never seen him that way before."
I wanted to believe that, I truly did, but after being left in the old bunker and now this, I couldn’t believe that they were both coincidences. He was either a part of it, or he didn’t care enough to look out for , I wasn’t sure which was worse.
"I better go to sleep."
Joshua didn’t try to fight , he just nodded. "How’s your arm?"
"It hurts like a mother fucker."
"I’m sorry about the baby. You’d have been a great mum."
I fought back tears. "Maybe it just wasn’t ant to be. Goodnight, Joshua."
I lay down and closed my eyes but I couldn’t sleep, so I listened to the woods. I listened to the birds and the rustling of leaves. I allowed it to sing to and lull into a sense of security.
I wasn’t sure when I managed to fall asleep, but I woke up to the sll of burnt flesh. I sat up straight, fear gripping at my heart when I realized that everyone was safe and accounted for.
"What’s that sll?"
"Breakfast."
Rowan handed a small stick with... sothing on it. it was obviously at and my stomach rumbled in response. I hesitated before taking it from him. I had no idea what kind of at it was, but I had a feeling that if I asked, I wouldn’t eat so I forced my reservations aside and bit into it.
It surprisingly didn’t taste so bad.
"I thought we couldn’t start fires in the forest. It brings attention."
"We didn’t start it here," Rowan explained. "We walked about ten minutes before setting the fire."
"That’s still dangerous, isn’t it?"
He just shrugged. "It was worth it. Eat up, we have to keep going. We’re close to town now."’
That was all the motivation I needed to keep eating. I drank so water after and we were on the move again. Amy filled the air with small talk. At first, it annoyed , but I quickly realized that I preferred it to the silence.
She spoke about her life before the epidemic. She’d lived a wild life had a lot of stories to tell. Even though she wasn’t proud of so of those stories, she still told them.
"Where do we go after we get to town?" she asked after a particularly embarrassing story. "Do we just live out there?"
"We could," Joshua shrugged. "We don’t really have anywhere else to go. There are other bunkers around but I doubt they’d be willing to take us."
"Why not?"
"Because all they all communicate with each other. The General has a lot of reach. He’s probably told them about us by now."
"Communicate?" I asked and he nodded. "How?"
"Radio. They have a frequency they tune to and get all the information they need. If we ever find a radio, I’ll show you."
I humd, letting his words marinate as I debated my next words. It could go one of two ways, they’d either agree with or call stupid. Either way, I had a plan and I was going along with it.
"What is it?" Rowan asked, grabbing my arm softly. "You want to say sothing."
I just shrugged. I wasn’t ready yet. I’d planned to speak up at night when we were all resting and in a better fra of mind to think about it. It was also the best ti because if they didn’t agree, I could always slip away easily.
"Nadine," he probed and I sighed.
"The General was doing sothing in that lab," I announced and everyone stopped walking. "The monster, they were experinting on it."
"You said so already." Joshua crossed his arms over his chest. "They’ve been trying to find a curse for the scratch."
"You don’t get it. It was in pain. They were torturing it. He was doing sothing he shouldn’t be doing and I want to know what."
"You want to go back?" Rowan asked but I shook my head.
"My father told that the General was a scientist. He had his own massive lab. There might be sothing there."
"His lab is most likely destroyed by now." Joshua frowned. "It wouldn’t yield anything."
"I still want to do it. He is hiding sothing and even if I can’t find out what it is then maybe there will be sothing at the lab that can point in the right direction."
Rowan ran his hands through his hair. "Do you even know where the lab is?"
I nodded. "I’ve been there once. I think I can find my way back."
’We could die," Amy said, her voice small.
"We’ll die if we remain sitting ducks. At least this way, we’re doing sothing. You all don’t have to co. I can do it alone-"
"Like hell," Rowan snorted. "I’m coming with you."
Amy hesitated for only a second before nodding. "It’s not like I have anything better to do."
I turned to Joshua who was suspiciously quiet. "You don’t have to co with us."
"It’s not like I can go back. I gave up everything when I helped him. Of course I’m coming."
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