Page 12 (1/2)

Outside Ellisville, VA

“How is she?” Jason stood next to Sarah, his arm wrapped around her shoulder and her head on his chest as he looked at Dianne Dianne glanced behind her at Tina, as lying on the couch looking smaller and frailer than ever

“Alive, still”

“Any idea how serious the wound is?”

Dianne shrugged “My eo If Tina hadn’t pointed out that I needed to seal the wound to keep air out, I wouldn’t have even remembered” Dianne pulled her jacket to the side and pushed two fingers up against the soft part below her right clavicle “She got hit right about here She’s not coughing up blood and her breathing’s iot punctured, but I really have no clue Any guessing I’d be doing in the course of trying to repair the da her tonight and keeping guard We need to beand not bleeding out”

“We just have to wait and see what happens,” Sarah looked up at Jason before wrapping her arhtly and she pulled back, an apologetic look on her face “Sorry, hon Sort of forgot about your wound in all of this”

“How are you doing, Jason?” Dianne focused on hi him closely

“Hanging in there, like us all”

“You look like crap I’ll take first watch Mark can take second, then you, then Sarah”

At any other point in ti that he could stay up the whole night keeping guard and watching over Tina His body, older than he wanted to adhed “Two hours each We’re all so sleep-deprived that we need to keep these shifts short”

Dianne smiled and nodded at him “Get some rest, you two I’ll wake up Mark in a couple hours and he’ll wake you”

After Jason and Sarah slowly made their way upstairs, Dianne was left in the dark, quiet living roo was the only sound that was audible and, for a moment, Dianne seriously contee could overtake her, though, she stood up and shook it off

Rifle in hand, Dianne walked over close to Tina and pulled back the blanket to check the bandages on Tina’s shoulder “Stay with us,” Dianne whispered “We need you Now more than ever”

Out beyond the Waters’ horavel and then to asphalt, beyond the turn at the edge of town leading past the forest, fields and the long ditch, ear into a pair of trucks, they did more than a small amount of quie

t talking alances at the silhouette that was still sto around inside the community center