One. . . two. . . three. . . four.

The grimy hotel floor beneath my knuckles is revolting to the touch, but I've grown accustomed to the feeling by now.

Five. . . six. . . seven. . . eight. . . nine.

"We have to give him time to keep his promise," Zombie tried to convince me staying here is a good idea, "Wouldn't you want to wait if you were Cassie?"

"No," I replied easily, "Because I'm not an idiot. I'd understand that he's dead and there's nothing I can do for him now. It's time to get going, Zombie."

Ten. . . eleven. . . twelve. . . thirteen—

"You shouldn't be doing that." There's Ringer, standing in the doorway with no expression on her face. Like usual.

I push myself back on my haunches and stare at her. She's wearing a parka and some jeans, rucksack gripped in one hand and rifle in the other. "And you shouldn't be going alone, but I'm sure he's already told you that."

Ringer nods. She's heard Zombie say it all before, there's no point in repeating him.

The caverns are a good idea. Ringer told me about it before she told Zombie, which made me feel strangely appreciated, and I agreed that that was where we should be headed. Before winter came and we all died from hypothermia.

Cassie Sullivan, however, decided that we would be staying here until her Silencer showed up. She was sure he would.

I was sure he was dead.

I stand up on wobbly legs. She watches me fight for my own balance for three seconds and then, "You should stop doing knuckle push-ups in the dark."

I change the subject. "He's waiting in the lobby."

"I know."

"He's going to try and send Poundcake with you."

"Ridiculous." She told me that if anyone else was going to join her, it would be me. I felt flattered.

If there wasn't an infection rooted into my body, I would have been packed and ready to go right now.

I don't want to start and argument. I change the subject again. "I'm going to try and learn chess. Maybe I'll teach Zombie."

"He'd be good at chess," She says. "You, too."

We both know this could be the last time we see each other, and I'm surprised that neither of us want to say goodbye. And we don't want to promise. That leaves one thing.

"Don't die," I tell her, and I'm completely serious. If Ringer dies on the way to the caverns, we would likely freeze through the winter. We could make it on our own a few days after she's gone, but the chances of us walking into a trap increase tenfold.

Ringer nods. She won't promise, I know, but I feel better now that I actually said something before we part ways.

I watch her descend the stairs at the end of the hall and disappear. I know Zombie is down there, clutching another brochure of the caverns and waiting to put up another fight about Ringer going alone. He'll come up when he's finished and have to lay down, exhausted by the fight he continues to lose with Ringer and the battle he's having with his side.

Zombie's wounds got infected not long after we got here. Dumbo won't say if he's getting better or worse because he doesn't know for sure either way. Or he doesn't want to jinx it.

I shake the thought away and go to our room to grab my jacket. I stopped training three minutes ago and already the cold is nipping at my skin.

      Dumbo's standing in front of the window when I step inside. His eyebrows shoot up when I slip on the black parka (we fought about it yesterday morning, and out of spite I decided not to wear it for a whole day) and he looks almost annoyed. I ignore him.

"Is she gone?" He asks after a long moment of him staring and me panting. I nod. He glances down at my back. "You feeling better?"

"Peachy."

Dumbo sighs, opens his mouth to say something, but gets cut off by the shrill screaming of Teacup and Nugget from across the hall.

      I order Dumbo to stay where he is and rush to see what the hell the irresponsible kids had managed to do this time. I crash in to Zombie, who barely has enough time to register the impact before he throws open the door to the messy hotel room.

Cassie, holding her little brother in her arms, trying to yank him away from Teacup, who keeps screaming that she'll put him down like a dog if Nugget ever touches her again.

"It's cool!" Cassie shouts at us. She's got this weird thing where she needs to prove how tough she is every chance she gets. "I've got this!"

Zombie's face is red-- from anger and the infection-- as he orders, "Cup! Nugget! Stand down!"

Teacup and Nugget quiet down immediately at the order from their sergeant. Teacup slumps against her headboard and Nugget goes limp in Cassie's arms. Cassie stares at Zombie in annoyance and disbelief.

"She started it," Nugget states, pouting.

Just before I can snap at him that it doesn't matter who started the shit fest that probably led Vosche straight to us, Zombie says, "I was just thinking of painting a big red X on the roof. Thanks, guys, for saving me the trouble." He holsters his pistol and grins at Cassie. "Maybe Teacup should bunk in our room until Ringer gets back."

I glare at Zombie, not liking the idea of having the little brat with us and Dumbo, but decide not to say anything when he glances down at my busted open knuckles. I cross my arms over my chest to cover them. He could bitch about it later. Or not at all.

"Good!" Teacup jumps out of bed, marches to the door, turns on her heel, goes back to the bed to grab her rifle, and then comes back to the door. She yanks on Zombie's wrist. "Let's go, Zombie."

"In a minute," he says gently. "Dumbo's on watch. Take his bed."

"My bed now," she says, and can't help but have the last word with Nugget and Cassie. "A-holes."

"You're the a-hole!" Nugget screams after her. Teacup slams the door behind her. The sound sends a flare of pain through my temple. Almost getting blown up does that to you, apparently. "A-hole."

      I look at Cassie and smirk at the redness of her cheek. Someone took a swing at her and didn't hold back.  "What happened to your face?"

      "Nothing." Cassie looks away.

      "I hit her," Nugget says, which doesn't really surprise me. He's been a ticking time bomb since his sister showed up, his father nowhere in sight. He knows what happened, and now he's trying to cope.

      "You hit her?" Zombie says. Thick brows up in surprise, though I'm sure he's been expecting this for a while.

      "For letting my daddy die."

      I choke on my own spit. Cassie glares at me and Nugget gets hysterical. He starts sobbing, and Zombie kneels in front of him, pulls him into his arms, says soothing words, "Hey, it's okay, soldier. It's going to be okay."

      I glance at Cassie, noting the irritation on her face. No one could blame her. She was probably Nugget's— or Sam's, which is his real name— rock when the world went to shit. When they learn to stand on their own again, you're left alone to figure out with the pieces they left behind.

      It's complete bullshit.

      Zombie picks the boy up and plops him on the bed. He picks up that stupid bear Cassie brought with her and places it beside him, but Nugget knocks him away. Zombie's determined, however, and picks him back up. "You really want to decommission Teddy?"

      "His name isn't Teddy."

      "Private Bear," Zombie tries.

      "Just Bear, and I never want to see him again!" Nugget yanks the covers over his head. "Now go away! Everybody. Just. Go. Away!"

      I look at Zombie. "I think he wants us to go away."

      Zombie presses his lips into a thin line, staring at me. Then he tsks at Cassie, who moves forward to comfort Nugget, and jerks his head to the door. I step out before either of them, and sigh when I see Poundcake at the end of the hall, staring at us. He turns to face the window once again, still silent.

      Zombie leans against the wall, holding the teddy bear to his chest. There's a bead of sweat slipping down his temple, scaring me. He was tired after dealing with little ol' Teacup and Nugget. The infection must be getting worse.

      "He didn't know your dad was dead," zombie says to Cassie.

      I shake my head. "He knew."

      Cassie glares at me. "Didn't seem like he did in there."

      "Doesn't matter anymore," I reply, keeping my face emotionless. "You're alive or you're dead, and if you're dead then you don't matter." I turn around and pull open the door to Zombie and I's room. "Kid's tough. He'll get over it."

      I leave without another word.