The following days were awkward and strange. Catarina avoided Ahren, Ahren avoided me, and I avoided Catarina. It felt like we were stuck in a silent Mexican standoff.

I kept busy with whatever I could, I took to training Jasper on how to use a gun and trained Allie in first aid. Jasper and I would do a walk every day from our subway station to the next one over and would check to see if any of the dead had begun collecting above ground.

We were about halfway through our walk when he decided to break the silence that had engulfed us.

"Are you okay?"

I'd been awful quiet while we walked and he must have picked up on it.

"Is this about Ahren and Catarina?" He asked.

I nodded. "Ahren told me something, I've been avoiding Catarina since."

Jasper just nodded back.

"You're not gonna ask what it was?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "If you want to tell me you can, but if you don't, I understand."

What was I thinking? Why would he care what was going on between them? Although, he might care after he hears what I have to say...

"After I heard Ahren break up with Cat, I questioned him about it. He told me exactly why he had to cut it off and I agree with him." I hesitated to tell Jasper the rest. My hesitation had not to do with trusting Jasper, but with trusting his instincts.

"Ahren kissed Allie."

Jasper didn't say anything. Instead he just continued walking.

"Jasper?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Cause she's your little sister."

He sighed.

I hoped he could tell that I understood his reasons for being upset.

"Why does it even matter anymore? There are much bigger things we have to worry about." Jasper said.

"It matters because it's who we are, we can't just leave all that behind."

He nodded. "Do you trust Ahren?"

The question should have been a simple yes or no. Had he asked me when this first started, I would have pounded the question with a hard yes. After all, he was the person Cat and I trusted to lead us when we first heard what was happening. However, one person can only take you so far. Did I still trust Ahren? Yes. Of course I trusted him. Yes, he had broken up with Cat but that was better than pretending he was still in love with her.

"I trust him."

Jasper nodded again. "And I trust my sister."

"So why are you avoiding Cat?" Jasper asked, moving the subject off of Ahren and Allie.

It was my turn to sigh. "Among a few other things, she doesn't know about Ahren and Allie and I really don't want to have to tell her."

"Ah, the bearer of bad news."

I nodded. "Exactly."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know..."

I didn't know what I was going to do... Ahren and Allie would have to become public with everyone eventually. Cat would have to find out eventually. Would it be best coming from me? Or coming from Ahren?

I shuddered. I had a growing feeling that I would have to tell her.

We finally arrived at the next station. It was empty as usual.

"Do you think anything's changed?"

I shrugged. "Let's go see."

Jasper and I made our way up towards the street.

"Do you hear that?" He whispered as we neared the top.

I nodded. It sounded like someone was screaming.

We reached the street level and left the station.

Across the street we saw the source of the noise we'd heard. Someone was on the ground with a rotter on top of them.

"Holy shit," Jasper exclaimed, running across the street.

I swung my bat into the Rotter's skull, the impact forcing the dead one to fall over on the side walk.

"Sasha..."

I look to Jasper who is kneeling beside the man on the ground.

"Is that..."

A bite mark. Freshly chewed flesh missing from their arm.

The man on the ground cried out, "Please, you've gotta help me."

"Is there anything we can do?" Jasper asks as he looks at me.

I bite my lip nervously. "We can try amputating it but we'll have to act fast, and we can't do it here. The rotters will hear."

Jasper nods. "Help me pick him up."

Jasper grabs under his arms and I grab his feet. The two of us try to hurry back across the street with the man.

I can hear the man sobbing and muttering incoherent things as we run.

We make it down to the tracks for the station.

"I'll go down first then you can hand him to me." Jasper says as he set the man on the ground. He then drops down onto the tracks. "Okay, hand him down."

I grab the top of his body and drag it over towards Jasper.

We work to get him down for a few minutes, it was definitely not an easy task.

One he's finally down I jump down. This time Jasper throws the man over his shoulder and we run again.

The run seems to last forever until we finally get close.

"Ahren!" I shout as soon as I think he'll hear us. "Ahren!!"

There's a flash of light and I see Ahren jumping onto the tracks with a flashlight. "What's going on?!"

Jasper and I arrive at the train car with the man.

"We need to amputate his arm." I huff, almost out of breath.

Ahren eyes widen, "Shit..."

The three of us get him up and hurry him towards our med station.

"Ahren what's- Ahri stay back." Cat hurries back into the train car with Ahri.

"Allie!"

She hurries out of the train car. "What-"

"I need your help."

She nods slowly.

"You wanna learn first aid, gotta practice somehow. Get the fire ax."

Allie runs to grab the fire ax while I prep his arm for amputation. Jasper and Ahren hold him down as I tie my belt around his arm as a tourniquet.

"Here,"

I take the axe from Allie. "Hold his arm straight, and do NOT let it move."

I line the ax up right below his elbow. My arms raise the ax. I wish to close my eyes like everyone else is but I know I can't. I watch in horror as I swing the ax down onto his arm.

The ax goes through most of his arm but there's still a connection.

Allie opens her eyes, watching as I take another chop to his arm, this time disconnecting all the muscle.

"Ahren go grab something to stop the bleeding, towels, blankets, clothes, anything. He's going to bleed out if we don't hurry." The boys run off and I turn to Allie. "You're gonna help me save this man's life."

She nods.

"Cat, I need you to bring me a pillow!"

She hurries in with a pillow. I shove it under the man's arm.

Jasper and Ahren arrive with an armful of fabric that I shove against his wound.

"We're gonna have to cauterize it..."

"You mean like... burn the tissue?" Ahren questions.

"It's the only thing we can do, this bleeding isn't going to stop in time. He's already lost so much blood."

"Jasper grab me a lighter, Allie I need the pocket knife."