Drew had just managed to get close enough to fire a headshot at the dead thing

attacking Max. He watched as the force of the bullet connected with its oozing flesh, propelling it away from Max’s prone body.

“Max? You okay?” Drew asked, falling to his knees at the man’s side. He shone his flashlight at the man when he didn’t answer and had to look away. Max’s throat was a bloody mess and his stomach was ripped open, his innards spilling out. There was blood everywhere.

Nathan checked for a pulse, but he was already gone. Saying a quick prayer, Drew could only watch in silence as Nathan slid a knife into Max’s brain, ensuring he would not return to become one of those things.

“Come on, we need to move these bodies so the others can come in. Drew, go get Megan so she can say goodbye before we deal with his body,” Nathan said stoically.

While the others moved the dead and cleaned up as much as possible, Drew brought Megan in to say goodbye to her brother. He prepared her as best as he could, but he knew nothing he said would ease the horror she would experience at the sight of her brother’s mutilated body.

“Who made sure he wouldn’t come back?” she asked, her voice emotionless.

“I did. I’m sorry––” Nathan said, stepping closer.

Megan turned and slapped him. Stepping forward, Drew attempted to intervene, but Nathan halted him. Megan looked at them, shocked, tears streaming down her face. Collapsing into Nathan’s arms, she began sobbing uncontrollably.

Taking the sobbing woman into his arms, Nathan quickly moved her away so that Drew and Tyson could move Max’s body. He continued to hold her while they brought the supplies in, securing the windows and the entrance.

Kate

Making Sully as comfortable as possible, Kate examined and redressed his wound while Julie watched from a distance.

“It looks good. Stitches are holding and there doesn’t appear to be any infection,” Kate confirmed, applying a fresh dressing.

“Thank God for that. How long before I can move without it hurting like a bitch?” Sully groaned.

“You should be okay by the time we make it to New Orleans,” Kate smiled.

“Great! Thanks, doc,” Sully said.

Once Kate was finished, Julie sat down next to Sully, Maddie following suit. Kate watched as the young girl huddled close to Julie. It broke her heart to see such fear in the girl’s eyes.

“Maddie, do you need anything?”

“No, thank you,” she whispered.

“Okay, I’ll be over there if you do,” Kate said, exchanging a look with Julie.

“I’ve got it from here,” Julie reassured Kate, giving Maddie a squeeze.

Kate nodded and walked over to join Drew and Nathan, who had finally managed to calm Megan enough that she was resting in the corner.

“Everyone’s pretty low right now,” Kate said, moving into Drew’s arms. “Maybe you should say something.”

“Yeah, I need a minute to think, sweetheart,” Drew said, leaning down to give her kiss.

She smiled. “Okay. I’ll sort some food out for everyone. Give me a hand, Nate?”

Together they managed to scrounge together a decent meal for everyone, the room silent other than the sound  of scraping tins. Even with their hunger temporarily sated, there was silence fraught with hunger. Not a physical hunger; an emotional and spiritual one that had not been sated for far too long. They were starving from a lack of hope and faith. 

Drew

Drew stood beside the boarded-up window and watched as their small group gathered in a circle on the library floor, one solitary lantern providing a dim glow of light, which as much as they could chance. He could sense their weariness and could see the despair etched upon their faces.

“I know it’s been a long journey, and it’s far from over, but we’re still here.”

Drew took a step toward  them, futilely wiping his dirty hands on his even dirtier clothes.

“We’ve lost people, every one of us has lost somebody along the way, but we’ve also found people; new friends and family. This ain’t gonna be it for us. Once we get to New Orleans, get a handle on a boat, and find that island, we’re gonna be able to live again. Really live. We just can’t give up. We gotta keep going. The people we’ve lost would want us to survive, to live. We gotta do it for them as much as we’ve gotta do it for us.”

In one corner of the group, Maddie began to cry. The little girl huddled even closer to Julie while Sully stroked her hair. Drew’s heart ached for the girl. The things she’d witnessed left him cold.

“The things we’ve seen, the things we’ve had to do to get here––no one should ever have to go through what we have. But we have. And we’re still here. We’ve survived. We are survivors. That’s what will get us to that island, alive and together. Each person here has a reason to get there, a reason to survive and a reason to fight. Don’t forget it. Even when we come up against those creatures out there, even when they come at us, when the living turns against us, when we can’t hear ourselves think over the noise of these fucking storms––even then, we can’t give up. Giving up means you’re as good as dead. And if you’re as good as dead, then you ain’t one of us. So now is the time. Either you’re a survivor and you want to live, to fight, to be one of us; or you’re as good as dead and you’re dead weight. If you’re dead weight, you can’t drag the rest of us down. You gotta cut and run, or stay and hide, whichever suits you best. Decide. Decide now because tomorrow morning we’re hitting the road again and this time we ain’t stopping till we get to the coast.”

Drew saw shock on some of their faces. The only people who weren’t shocked were the ones he knew would make it. What surprised him was that his brother wasn’t one of them. The sound of rain battering the windows almost drowned out the sound of the thunder rumbling ominously in the distance. Unfortunately, it didn’t quiet Drew’s mind though. There wasn’t anything that could do that.

“We’ve all come a long way since the shit hit the fan. Some of you I didn’t reckon would make it this far, but you have. And that is why I think you can make it the rest of the way. Don’t give up now. I know you’ve lost everything, or you think you have. But you haven’t. You’ve still got us. All of us. We’re family now. We’re bound together by something stronger than blood; we’re bound by desire, drive and fight. The need to be together, to stay together. We ain’t dead. We’re alive. Our hearts are beating, and while there is still blood pumping through our veins and the tiniest of thoughts running through our tired minds––we have a chance. We can end this. We just have to stick together and keep on keeping on.”

Drew stared at Tyson, willing him to hear his words. He needed his brother to fight. He needed him to want to live.

“Y’all with me?”

One by one everyone nodded. Looking to his brother, Tyson looked at him and Drew could see that he was struggling to decide. “Ty?”

“Yeah, I’m with you,” Tyson replied, smiling sadly.

“Good, now get some rest while you can. I’ll take first shift,” Drew said, walking back toward the window.

“Hey, you sure you want me around?” Tyson asked, following behind him.

Drew turned to look at his brother. He didn’t say anything; he simply pulled him into his arms and held him.

Tyson patted Drew on the back and stepped back. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

Drew watched as he made his way back over to Sam and Duke to settle down and get some rest, along with everyone else.

If this is the way life has to be from now on, I will do everything in my power to keep the rest of them together and to not lose anyone else. I will get them to that island, and to safety, if it is the last thing I do.