He has some nerve to say that my sister is a liability...anyone but her.....I keep walking down the hall. Now I know what to do.....keep Dr. Mayfield away from Aurei....if he tells her this....Aurei will eventually become cold...I know I would do anything to survive....and if someone is a liability...sad to say, but I wouldn't go back for them.

"Are you alright?" A sweet voice quietly asks, I turn around to see another nurse, with her dark brown hair in a tight braid, her icy blue eyes stare back at me, then I look down to see some stitches at the side of her neck.

"I'm fine." I said with a small grin, usually people would be weirded out with kindness but I'm not...but I'm no fool either.

"I know this is so forward....I'm Lilith." She said, gesturing her hand out, wanting to shake mine, I stare down at it....before anyone would say I'm paranoid....I'm not ready to trust people just yet.

"Avery....I don't do handshakes." I said awkwardly, she grins then puts her hands behind her back,

"That's fine, I just wanna get to know the newcomers." She said sweetly, but it's like she's the sweetest person alive, as if she never caught a glimpse of a rotting corpse tearing open the chest of a man kicking and screaming, like she didn't see the dead tear a man apart with their fingers and teeth.

"You looked upset...is there something wrong?" Lilith asks.

"I was thanking him for saving my sister....that's all." I said with a slight shrug.

"That isn't all isn't it?" Lilith insists, walking closer to me.

"The way he talked....he sounded like he wanted me to leave Aurei behind....I'm not gonna let that happen...." I said, balling my hands into fists. He's wrong....my sister is strong.....yeah she has her small moments but after that...she stays quiet. Maybe she hides her actual feelings like I do...I just hope that all this doesn't affect her like that....

"Aurei right?" She guesses, raising her eyebrows at me.

"How did you know?" I asked, crossing my arms, my left arm sending a burning pain every time I move it. I never got sick so far...and I have a high tolerance to pain....Mom always said I have my father's strength.....Aurei has his intelligence, I haven't seen her do anything major....but it will all change once she recovers.

"I was one of the surgeons who performed surgery to remove the bullet....consider her a lucky little girl, because if it went deeper...she would've died." Lilith said with a tone of sadness in her voice.

"Thank you for saving her life....I wouldn't know how to deal with it if she didn't make it." I said, unfolding my arms. Lilith smiles then she furrows her eyebrows at me.

"She's your weakness isn't she?" She asks quietly.

"Listen, I'm going to be honest with you....call me a bitch or a blunt asshole.....I don't know you, and if I see that you're scheming something....I'll be the one who makes your life a living hell." I said with a menacing tone.

"I'm a nurse. But you're not that strong...." Lilith said, crossing her arms. Everyone underestimates me, and I can use that to my advantage. But I'm not really a cocky person...I may not look like I'm super strong but whenever it came to Aurei's life at risk, I'll use all the strength I had.

"You don't know that, you don't know me. So I'm going to warn you again. Try me, or my sister...in the end, you're the dumbass that will fall..." I said. And to back up that threat, I handled Joe. And to be fair, I'll admit that he was a strong man, if I didn't kill him....he would've killed me in seconds.

"I guess you're right, I'm sorry-" Lilith tries to apologize but I stop her.

"You shouldn't underestimate everyone you meet." I said, tilting my head to the side.

Laurie walks up behind us, wheeling a cart full of bloody scapels and tweezers, she clears her throat then starts to saunter towards usl

"Excuse me, but I need Avery for something." Laurie said, I nod.

"What do you need?" I ask, turning away from Lilith who just pinches the bridge of her nose. She isn't really trouble.....just pretty odd......

"Our group is going on a run, one of the guys said that you'll be great to tag along." Laurie said with a small grin, I raise my eyebrows.

"How do they know that?" I ask. Laurie rolls her eyes.

"Avery, when they were taking your sister to the hospital, you were fighting off those things...." Laurie raved, Lilith just turns to me with wide eyes. I won't brag about killing the people, and I won't attack a random person without a good damn reason.

"They're slow, they don't think, anyone with a brain and a gun would've survived." I said with a shrug.

"Not really....Avery just take the damn compliment...." Laurie said with a smirk, I laugh a little but bit my lip. You could say that I have trouble describing my feelings....it's just a habit.

"Okay, sure." I nod.

"Okay, go to the main desk, they're getting ready, I'll keep a close eye on Aurei for you." Laurie said with a wink, I turn around, sauntering towards the room where Aurei is recovering.

I slowly open the door to see Aurei quietly resting. I walk over to the table to grab Joe's old dagger and my revolver, I check the cylinder to see how many bullets I have left. I adjust my low ponytail then start sauntering quietly towardsthe door.

"Where are you going?" Aurei asks, her voice faint but she still knits her eyebrows at me.

"I'll be back." I said, it's better that she doesn't stress over me if I don't tell her.

"You're ignoring the question, where?" Aurei asks quietly, I turn around. Then walk towards the bed. I leaned over her to kiss her forehead.

"Avery....I hope I'm not being a burden by asking." Aurei says with a small sigh, she closes her eyes.

"Why am I so damn soft?" Aurei mutters, cracking her knuckles.

"You're not a burden, you're worried. And we both know you aren't really a sensitive person....well until now." I said, she just nods.

"I'm going on a small supply run." I said, Aurei gives me a small smile. She hates being lied to, or cut short from something important going on.

"Just be careful Avery, I can't lose you too." Aurei said, the pure hopelessness in her voice haunted me...I hate that sometimes I can't help her. But I've said it so many times before, I'm going to try my damnest to raise her right and if I have to use tough love....so be it.

"Promise." I reassure her.

"You can't promise that." Aurei said as she slowly relaxes into her bed.

"I'll see you later, love you." I said quickly, hastily waving at her then I walk out of the room. Laurie and two other nurses walk into the room.

I start walking down the hall, replaying everything Dr. Mayfield had said to me not too long ago. My stomach growls as I smell actual food, but Laurie did say that they were saving food because there wasn't enough for everyone. This place seems safe....but the barricade that was around Dr. Mayfield's office seems sketchy.

As I pass dozens of patients I finally reach the main desk, where there were planks of wood nailed to the window, from the looks of it, they were nailed on the outside....so they undead don't easily get through if shit goes down. I cross my arms as a man walks up to me, he had a small frame for a guy like him, his blonde buzzcut shows his greyish-blue eyes, he wore a button down shirt with regular bleach stained jeans. He's the man who rescued Aurei.

"Avery right?" He asks, I nod silently.

"Okay, everyone. We stay close, grab whatever we need and we come back before sundown." Another man instructs, there were only six of us, including the man holding a rifle who looks like one of the leaders.

"You, how good are you with a gun?" The man asks me.

Who the hell made you a leader? I wanted to ask but before I could speak the guy beside me cut me off.

"She's a good shot. Trust me James." The man says, winking at me.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it Isaac."

I normally go for the head, or if there weren't many of them I can just walk away, since they're slow and incredibly dumb.

A woman about my age walks towards us, she had light brown hair that only stayed at her shoulders, a scar across her cheek, and bruises all over her neck, she holds a glock in her hand, the man turns to her.

"I don't think you're ready Elise, you're still shaken up about-" The leader said but she cut him off.

"The dead walking, I know." She said, closing her eyes.

"Okay, we head to the grocery store, it was barricaded not too long ago but if we can find a way through the back it would be easier, we do this fast, they're many of them out there so like I said, stay close, stay quiet." He instructs us.

"Can I come with?" Elise asks but the leader shakes his head.

"I don't want you getting us killed, you puked just because of the smell. Corpses rot....and we'll be dealing with a lot of them." The leader lectures.

"I can do it, believe in me James." Elise said, gripping onto her gun.

"Okay, we head out. Connor do you have the bag?" James asks, turning towards the muscular man with curly brown hair, wearing a tucked in shirt revealing his muscles.

"And Avery?" James calls after me.

"Yeah?"

"Don't kill anybody." James instructs.

What the fuck? This had something to do with Dr. Mayfield, just because I've killed people just to survive doesn't mean I enjoyed it, no wonder everyone's labeling me a killer...but I'd do anything to protect my sister. Even if that means killing the people that are threats to me.