Brian and Alex are acting like complete goofballs. 

I think it's the radiation. They haven't been this absurd since before Justin left. Almost three months ago.

They crack jokes, insult one another - just complete idiots. It's highly amusing, if somewhat terrifying.

"Are they always like this?" Aaron leans over to whisper.

I snort. "This is a pure miracle. After Justin left, they became model followers. Have to say, I'm not complaining. They're finally feeling like they can loosen their reigns a bit. No doubt it's 'cause we're all moving at our original pace again." 

We've been walking for about three days since leaving the area that we were being watched in. Everyone's in rather high spirits - perhaps the fact that we're almost to our goal has finally kicked in, and we're all positively giddy about finally being out of this hell hole that used to be our country.

Lea lets out a squeak as Alex dodges behind her and Brian comes barreling after him. I pull Lea out of the way and Brian leaps onto Alex for whatever reason, Alex cackling and Brian looking frustrated.

Lea frowns. "What's their deal?"

"Where do you want me to start?" I ask miserably. She raises an eyebrow at me, and I shrug. "This is their real nature. They've been like this since I joined the group. Before that, if you count the tales of the previous members."

"Huh. Never pegged Brian for a goof."

I shrug. "Yeah. Him and Alex were real idiots before they had to step it up after Justin left. Brian moved to my second hand,  and Alex just became a little more reserved." I smile slightly. "Having more people kind of gives them a bit of leeway now that we're not just the three of us. You two are good for them."

Lea smiles, watching the boys as they help one another up. Aaron observes them silently, going through whatever in his head.

I look forward and recognize the structure of a hospital. "Med stop!" I shout to the boys. They halt from their conversation, looking up at the building. They nod to me and we all set off jogging.

We pause outside of the hospital, frowning.

"The one hospital in our entire journey that's intact," Brian huffs. "Well, how are we getting inside?"

I scan the windows and glass doors. "The glass is most probably bulletproof. If anything, the emergency exits are rusted shut." I motion to the steel doors that have rusted in misuse and time. "We might have a shot caving one of the doors in, but we need strength. And a lot of it. And unless one of us knows how to drive cars that have been out of commission for at least ten years, then we're on our own."

Aaron shrugs. "I'm sure our weight combined will do the trick. The doors are weaker 'cause of disuse, and we're all fairly strong."

I nod in agreement. "You've got a point." I turn to the twins. "You two fancy letting out your hype on these unfortunate doors?"

Their amused laughter tells me that they'd love nothing more. 

I wave to the doors. "Have at it."

They grin, and I watch as they turn into human battering rams - ramming into the doors with as much speed and strength as they could muster, one, two, and three times, before the door gives into their weight and collapses. Their act reminds me of the game Dad used to watch - what was it called? Something to do with feet, but little to do with kicking. Football, I do believe. Never understood that national pastime - or why it's called 'football' when it has very, very little to do with the foot. Aside from running, and... whatever the other term is. It's been years since I've even thought of this, so my terms are a tad rusty.

The guys stumble slightly at the sudden lack of barrier between them and the entrance to the hospital, whilst I snicker in amusement at their mild shock.

Aaron, Lea and I walk in, ignoring the twins' whines and shoulder rubs as they recover from bruising their poor shoulders.

I observe the state of the hospital and frown. It looks like a tornado has turn this place upside down. 

Does Pennsylvania get earthquakes? Large ones? I'm not even sure - it's not like my curriculum in the Slave Camps taught me anything other than how to do chores and avoid being beaten the hell out of. All I know is that some places get earthquakes - and I only know the term because a Sentry used it once when they tried ambushing us in Nevada, after we were caught in one of them. I have to admit, the name is pretty self-explanatory. 

But I don't think Pennsylvania gets them. I could be wrong. 

So the question is - what in the hell made this mess?

"What the hell exploded in here?" Aaron asks, voicing my exact thoughts.

I frown deeper. "Not entirely sure. They could have been ransacked, but then the doors would have been down, or there would be an obvious entrance-exit area."

"Natural disaster?" Lea suggests.

"Doubtful," Brian replies. "Earthquakes don't just happen in one specific place - they happen all over. We'd have seen more wreckage out there."

We all look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" he asks. "Alex and I were born in California before the war. We know a lot about this stuff."

I shrug. "It works for me. And yeah - from what little I understand of it, earthquakes don't just subject one secluded area to their terror. This definitely was man-made."

"So a raid from the war?" Alex suggests.

"Not likely," Aaron returns. "If it was a raid, there'd be less stuff to see, and they wouldn't have been in a rush to ransack everything they could for med supplies and tools. And there probably would have been an easier entrance - that door's been shut for almost a decade. We're lucky you two even managed to get in."

Brian shrugs. "So what other option is there?"

I'm silent for a moment. "I think I might have a clue, but the chances of anything still remaining are slim to none. In any case, we should split up. Because it's not even, either there's going to be a group of three, or someone's going alone."

"By someone, you mean you, huh?" Brian asks.

I shrug. "Yeah."

Lea, "As much as I thrive on the idea of splitting up, something doesn't feel right about you going alone, Brie."

I shrug again. "You're welcome to come with me, if your brother's cool with it.

 "Ha. Right. No offence to your pride or anything, but I think Lea's safer with the guys than she is with you. Only because you both are injured, and if there's some mutated hell-hound or something running around, I'd feel better if she was around someone capable of carrying her," Aaron says.

I shrug once more. "Up to you, Aaron. Doesn't offend me at all." I look around. "Though, really, you probably shouldn't jinx us with the hell-hound theory. You might be surprised at what lurks in some of these places."

"Charming," Aaron remarks dryly. I nod in agreement.

Alex sighs. "So we'll stay with Lea, because I don't really want to part from Brian, and he's probably going to reason that he's one of the safer people for her to be with. That, and they're both excellent company."

"Right." I nod curtly. "So I'm either going alone, or..." I look at Aaron. "You and I are doing some more bonding."

"I really don't have much of a choice, do I?" he asks dejectedly, sparing a glance at the twins, then looking at me.

I shrug. "You definitely have a choice. You're not exploring alone, because that's something only I can do. But you can stay with the twins and your sister if I'm such terrible company."

Aaron raises an eyebrow. "Like I said; is there much of a choice?"

I grin at him, then turn to the trio. "We'll meet up here in a half hour. Scream if you're in danger. Unless you're trying to be stealth, then just run and try to find us. There's only so many places we can be, you know?"

Brian laughs. "On it."

"You two know what you're looking for. I know what I'm looking for. Here in a half hour, good finds or not."

"Oh Brie, what faith you wield for us," Alex sighs.

I laugh. "I hold the utmost faith for you all. I just don't trust what's lurking around."

"Fair enough," he replies.

I tap my finger in mock salute. "See you all in a half hour."

The twins mock my actions, before turning on their heels and march off towards the west wing like soldiers. Lea looks at me with an exasperated expression, before turning and following them.

I grin, turning to Aaron. "Just you and I, then. Your poor sister's probably going to be tormented by the time this is over. Or, she'll become Brian and Alex's new favorite."

"Don't know how much I enjoy either option."

"Meh. Not being the center of attention might be good for you and I. Mostly you; my fame is only because I'm the leader." I start walking towards the east wing, silently noting how the flickering lights and overturned objects remind me of one of the horror films my father used to watch when he thought my brother and I were sleeping.

Aaron follows, glancing around. "So what exactly are we looking for?"

"The drugs," I reply, glancing at Aaron as he makes a face. I give an amused smile. "I mean the painkillers and whatnot. Goodness, you and your mind. When did everyone's heads go to the gutter?"

"Probably before the war," he remarks, then shivers. "The things I've seen."

I glance at him, then pat his shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss of innocence. I'm proud to say that my head remains free of most of that dirty stuff. Except the human anatomy and that whole thing. My parents were never the coddling type. I knew every single bone in the human body before I was nine."

"Ah, your innocent youth. How I wish I could revert back to having unseen what I have seen," he says, mockingly wistful.

I snort. "You're, like, a year older than me, Aaron. You can hardly categorize me as 'youth'. Not to mention, I can probably kill a man in twenty different ways using my hands and a piece of cloth."

He hesitates, before nodding. "Yeah, you're probably right. You're too morbid to be categorized as innocent youth."

"Innocent in the manner that I'm a quote 'goody-goody', no. Innocent in the manner most teens before the war would classify those who have their head permanently stuck in a gutter, yes. Kind of. But that 'kind of' only applies to my knowledge of the human anatomy, and the fact that I regard intercourse as nothing more than what it is - science. Probably, though, that will change if I ever get a regular life around people with less straight-forward minds than my own."

"Probably." Aaron shrugs. 

I sigh. "This is perhaps the strangest conversation I've had with anyone since my mother decided to talk to me about bird reproduction."

Aaron makes a face. "Who tells their eight year old daughter about that?"

"I was seven, actually. And a mother who is fascinated with Ecology and that type of thing."

"Ecology. I wish I could say I knew what that was."

"It's the study of living organisms in their natural habitats, basically." I shrug. "I don't expect you to know about it - there's no animals even around anymore to speak of."

Aaron nods solemnly, saying nothing. In that moment I know that I'm not the only one who's thought about the lack of nature after the war. He won't admit it, but his silence tells me that he cares as much about the flora and fauna - or lack thereof - as I do.

A small smile tugs at my lips, knowing that beneath both of our tough exteriors, there's softer secrets behind it.

~~~

Half an hour is almost up. In this time, we've managed to find some non-expiring medicine, and I've got to know Aaron. His given surname is Reece, but his sister and himself disowned it after their father killed their mother. It's just Aaron and Lea now. He had a very mild childhood, up until he and his sister lost their mother. They're orphans, just like myself, but they might have family in Rhode Island - an aunt and uncle that Lea doesn't remember, but that claim to care for their niece and nephew enough to take them in if they can get there. 

Aaron and I make our way back towards the entrance of the hospital, just making remarks and witty counter-remarks over random topics, completely at ease and thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

But, of course, everything is too good to be true.

Lea's scream pierces the air, and both Aaron and myself immediately drop our casual banter as we enter full-on sprint towards Lea and the twins. I hear Brian's shouts and Alex's curses as I pull out the knife from my belt - the only weapon not in my backpack at the moment. We run up a small flight of stairs and come across Lea, Brian and Alex - cornered by a mutated dog-like creature snarling and foaming at the mouth as if rabid. 

My stomach churns. My suspicions had been correct. Damn it. 

"Lea!" Aaron shouts as the creature snaps at his sister.

I hold him back, my expression grim, my knife poised outward towards the beast as it turns towards us, eyeing up it's new prey. My eyes flicker to the door on the right side of the corridor, only to curse as another mutated dog-creature lumbers out, equally as vicious and terrifying as it's counterpart.

We're screwed, is the only thought that I can form before the creature gallops towards Aaron and I full-speed.

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Hey! So, I couldn't update last Saturday; I was camping, and had yet to finish the chapter. *Cough* Writer's block *cough*. And then the cursed AZ Merit testing that came earlier than I anticipated. 

Yes, I know, this is some sci-fi stuff that probably doesn't seem like it fits. But it's explained in the next chapter (which I have ready, thankfully). And with the radiation, mutations such as the dog are to be expected. 

And, no, unfortunately, I am not going to post double chapters. I'm going to keep you in suspense, because I'm the author, and I can do that. I'm sorry to deprive you of my lovely writing (note the sarcasm; I'm not this egotistical), but I can be evil. It's how I come up with all this lovely suspense for you readers. It's my job. ;P

Anywho. What do you think's going to happen next? Is Bryna right; are they 'screwed'? 

Feedback is welcome. 

Off to kill another character,

-Musical_Author