The next afternoon, Cynthia stood in the kitchen with a clean strip of fabric she placed on one of the staff's arms. She got the others to watch as she did her best to secure it without any tape since they'd likely not have it on hand. Pins and clips if they were lucky, but improvised tools were sufficient too.

"Then place anything cool or cold you can find on top. It's not as easy as it used to be, but even a bottle with some cold water in it from the well can help bring down the temperature of that burn. If it's really serious, you need to find me and we'll work with it the best we can," Cynthia instructed.

Blond hair flew in all directions as someone charged toward them, and it was too well kept to be Peyton's. "Cynthia, quick. We need your help."

Cynthia left her volunteer patient and pulled the girl off to the side. "Vita, what's wrong? Aren't you supposed to be out scavenging?"

Her clothes were covered in dust and her fingertips were red. "A building collapsed."

Cynthia's eyes widened. This was why Marcel needed to stop sending those teams out there. "How many people were hurt?"

"Just one, but it's Mischa, and her leg got hurt pretty badly. Mr. M wants you out there with your kit. It's only ten minutes away."

Vita followed as Cynthia went running off to her office area. Cynthia grabbed all the clean ripped fabric bandages that she could carry. "How hurt is she? Is it a bleed, break or both?"

Vita was about to pack the fabric into her bag when Cynthia handed her a large plastic one. There was no telling how filthy those bags could get and the last thing they needed was an infection. "A beam knocked her down and crushed her calf. It's bleeding and she can't stand."

"Okay, we'll need a splint. Can you get two sturdy pieces of wood about the length from her knee to ankle? Grab a knife in case we need to adjust the size."

Vita smiled and held out her little black pouch. "Already have one. A girl's best friend."

Cynthia didn't get a chance to form a rebuttal before she was off. God, did she miss the days when weapons weren't an extension of one's self. She double-checked the kit to see what was left. Not enough, but she'd make due. She grabbed a water bottle and a bar of soap on the way out to meet Vita for good measure.

The two women went out the back entrance and hurried to the site. Cynthia's excursions with Winston and Marcel had given her a little more confidence around the area. Vita was no doubt in her skin as she jumped obstacles and weaved through debris without a second glance. If there was a sudden noise her hand would go straight to her knife as she urged Cynthia to duck beside her. It was only the wind moving around burlap sacks or dirtied plastic items.

They rounded the next corner to find crumbled beige bricks and a second-story teetering on two cement beams. They'd at least had the good sense to move her from the site of impact so there wasn't any secondary damage. Mischa was biting down on her lip as she watched the two women arrive. She forced an unconvincing smile on her lips.

"How are you doing?" Cynthia asked.

"Been better," Mischa replied.

"Don't worry, we'll have you all patched up real soon then you can rest."

Up closer, the impact had ruptured the skin but as far as Cynthia could tell it wasn't the bone that had done so. Thank God. She washed up her hands.

"This might sting a bit, but we need to clean the wound up well." She used more water to rinse the dust and debris out of the injury. Mischa winced but was pretty cooperative. She still had circulation to her toes when Cynthia checked which was a good sign.

"Is she going to be alright in the long run?"

Cynthia narrowed her eyes at Marcel, whose question couldn't have worse timing. Mischa tensed and averted her eyes.

"She'll be fine," Cynthia said.

"You'll let me know if I need to make any adaptations for her like a wheelchair or-"

The injured girl's face paled even more. 

"Marcel, that's enough and not our concern right now," Cynthia snapped.

Vita handed Cynthia the bag of fabrics and she began to secure them over the wound to slow the bleeding. It had begun to clot, thankfully. Cynthia finished up the next knot,  "Tell me if any of these are too tight, alright?"

Mischa nodded as she looked off in the distance, anywhere but her leg really.

"Give her some to drink too," Marcel instructed. Mischa's hands shook as she reached for the bottle so Vita brought it to her lips instead.

"Now, Mischa, we're going to immobilize your leg with a few pieces of wood so we don't do any further damage to it on the way back, alright?"

"Okay," the young woman's voice got fainter with each reply.

Cynthia also sent Marcel off in search of any kind of crutch mostly to get him out of the way. Vita and Mischa both sat in silence as Cynthia secured the wood planks.

"Why were you girls out here? That building has been unstable for weeks."

"We were looking for threats," Mischa answered in a raspy voice.

Cynthia began securing the area above the wound. "Threats to what?"

"To our community, any buildings we had missed before."

Cynthia shook her head. "Let me guess, Mr. M's idea."

Both young women nodded. Cynthia prayed for the speedy return of the other team. Marcel was slowly losing his mind. She'd have a good talk with him later.

"He has no right to put you two in danger," Cynthia turned to Vita and her voice softened, "especially considering-"

"How many have been lost in the storms already," Vita finished. She tugged her baggy shirt over her stomach self-consciously.

Poor girl, she hadn't even been able to tell her best friend about her pregnancy. "Exactly. Tell him if he's dense enough to ask again."

When Marcel returned, Cynthia harshly insisted he find the rest of the scavenging teams and bring them back immediately. She'd help the girls return and settle in. An old balled up shirt under Mischa's arm helped soften her makeshift crutch. Vita and Cynthia helped support her on the way back when that didn't work right.

Later that evening, Cynthia sat down with Vita who had been visibly shaken throughout supper and after they'd delivered a meal to bedridden Mischa as well. Most of the others had taken off to different sections of the warehouse.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Cynthia asked.

Vita shrugged. "Alright. Mischa's recovering, so that was... lucky."

Cynthia nodded. "Scary isn't it? Seeing how fragile life can be."

Vita looked at the floor. "What if that was me?" She kicked her shoes off with a flurry of dust and sand.

"Did you go in there?"

Vita shook her head and looked down at her stomach. "I hesitated and let Mischa go in."

Cynthia placed a hand on her shoulder. "You trusted your instincts."

Vita scoffed. "And look where that got Mischa. Can't even protect my friend and I'm supposed to take care of this." She rubbed her stomach. She'd been blessed with a body type suited to hiding the bump. Cynthia remembered been much larger with Winston at that stage.

"You're going to be great. You'll grow into the role."

Vita smiled weakly. "I don't know. Mischa said those colonies are looking for kids. They're forcing women to have babies for some weird scheme. What if they take mine?"

Cynthia took Vita's cold hand. "We won't let them. You have everyone here behind you. If they came near you, I think your friend Gunnar would have them down in an instant or that dog of his."

A laugh escaped the young woman's lips and the smile stuck more naturally. "Yeah, they'll wish they never tried." Her gaze floated off into the distance. A moment later she frowned and apologized.

"It's alright to have hopes and desires," Cynthia said.

Vita looked down at her stomach. "I think life has already explained the consequences to me."

"Just because your first experience was not found in love, doesn't mean you deserve it any less." Cynthia's heart was heavy. It had been a miracle when John arrived in her life. He was a man she never dreamed she deserved.

"Thanks. But I think I'm too much for anyone to handle right now."

"Don't sell yourself short. Tell me what you have to offer, because I see plenty when I look at a woman like you."

Vita played with the sleeves of her sweater and shrugged.

Cynthia sat up taller. "What do you admire about yourself?"

"I can use a knife and I'm getting better."

Cynthia nodded. "A great skill to have. I see someone with a lot of patience and who's dedicated to finding herself in a better situation."

"I'm good with Winston. Maybe I'll be an okay mom."

Cynthia rubbed her back. "You'll be wonderful. Winston is lucky to have you in his life. Just think of your childhood and the fond memories you have. Draw inspiration from those."

"Yeah... We used to have picnics and build forts. She'd take me to girl scouts, dance, soccer. But what's left to do with my child now?"

"You can still do the first two. Winston plays with his two friends. He's learning to garden right now."

Vita laughed. "I know, he brought me a pea the other day and asked me if I could make a meal out of it. Maybe you should have him in the kitchen instead."

Cynthia ran a hand through her thick dark hair. It could still go a few more days before a wash. "No, he's exactly like his father. I ask them to help bake and they've eaten all the cookie dough before the oven is even warmed up."

That brought a bright smile to Vita's face but it faded soon after. "It's going to be weird, raising a baby without its father."

Cynthia's eyes fell to the floor. That had been insensitive of her to keep bringing up John. "You'll have all of us as support. Every family here is broken, but we'll make due. You'll have me, Mischa, Winston, maybe Gunnar."

The final name caused Vita's eyes to widen and shoulders to tense. Poor girl, the next few weeks would be pretty rough on her. Cynthia would talk to Marcel to ensure both girls were out of harm's way and off the scavenging team for the next while. As if on cue, Gunnar's other half, that giant Mastiff, walked in and sat next to Vita. Within a minute it had its head on her lap and eyes gently shut.

"Everything we do is going to be different now, but we'll adapt. You've found a way to fit in here, and we'll find a way to make everything work out."

Cynthia silenced the voice warning of complications with the delivery, infection or any other instability that could bring this place down. She did have to give Marcel some credit. He managed to stay calm for all of them with the innumerable risks they could be facing. It still didn't justify putting these young women at risk. 

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