When I get back to Abel, I dump out my backpack, but keep the case in my hand. When Jody, the runner who's been assigned to check the bags, tries to take it to check it, I shake my head.

"Five, we have to look through everything you bring back," She argues gently. She tries to grab at the handle, but I pull away in an instant and shake my head again.

"Don't worry," Dr. Meyers states from behind me. I flinch in surprise. "It's for me. My name's on it, see?"

She points to her name on the case and Jody nods, closing her eyes and I can see she's mentally face palming. "Oh, alright. Sorry, Runner Five."

I shrug in reply as the doctor gently takes the case from my hand. 'It's okay.'

"Come on, Five. Let's check you for bites."  I nod, following her towards the tent and once inside I peel off my shirt and pants. "I'm going to be really checking your neck and shoulders since that's where the zom that attacked you was closest to biting,"

She runs her fingers over my skin in search for a sign of infection. I know what happens if there's a thought I might've been bitten but it's unsure. It's happened before at Mullins. You get put in a dark, quiet room with a small bit of food and water. You're completely alone and after twenty-four hours they come to check on you. If you're still human, you're let out; If not, you're shot in the head. Simple.

'I don't see why anyone would come back knowing they're bitten,' I sign as she looks at my hands.

"Usually they're scared. They think if they ignore it, it won't happen," She answers, studying me and checking for bites. "Sometimes someone else is too afraid to lose them and doesn't want to believe what's going to happen will happen. But I guess that's how people are with loved ones even if it isn't from the bite."

My back and shoulders tense from her words as memories I don't want to see run through my head-flash in front of my eyes. I swallow thickly and Dr. Meyers notices immediately. She raises a brow. "Everything alright, Five?"

I nod quickly, taking in a deep breath to relax myself. 'Yes, you just touched a nerve there.'

Liar...

"Oh, sorry," She laughs lightly, then takes a small step back. "You're clean, so that means you're all good to go."

'I'm glad,' I reply with a genuine smile.

"Me too. I'd dread to put you in that containment unit we have. I always hate putting runners in it." She shudders. "A dark, lonely room for twenty-four hours? I'd go mad."

I shrug. 'I've been put in them enough times to have gotten used to it.'

"Oh, so they did that at Mullins too?"

I nod. 'No use in killing a good runner.'

Even if we are all replaceable.

She gives a small smile in agreement, before her eyes flicker over to the case at the tent's entrance. I know she's trying to be polite and wait until I leave to go through it, and I think it would be cruel to make her wait any longer. I may still be a bit angry for her asking me to retrieve the case when I was surrounded by flesh eating dead people, but sticking around to keep her from looking into it would just be petty.

And I'm not petty, well not that petty.

'I should probably go get cleaned up,' I say, releasing my sweaty, brown hair from it's ponytail, grimacing when I feel knots that's formed in it. I look at the case for a small second. 'Do you really think whatever's in that case will help us find a vaccine?'

She sighs, looking at it with longing. "I really, really hope so."

I nod before making my way towards the tent's entrance. 'Please tell me if you find anything. I know I'm just a runner but I did nearly die for it.'

"Don't worry, Runner Five, you'll be one of the first to know," She informs with a smile that fades as she walks over to the case and picks it up, "because if this does lead to a vaccine, the information in here will only be the start of it."

I feel my face droop at that answer.

After I leave the medical tent I head to my own tent, stopping to admire the few men and women working on the buildings that will soon be our sleeping areas. The sound of hammers on nails and battery powered drills fill my ears in an unpleasant, loud, scratchy symphony that explains why all the zoms were gathering around that particular section of the wall. Maybe the wrench I found will be of good use to the project somehow.

Once I reach my tent, I grab my extra clothing and head towards the showers. The tiredness of the mission is finally starting to weigh on me as the adrenaline fades away to nothing. It's too early for bed, and I probably will have to help in the kitchens tonight since I haven't in the past few days, so sleeping away the exhaustion isn't an option.

I reach the showers, and once inside I take my time at scrubbing my body. After touching so many of the walking dead I want to get the feeling of their rotting, cold skin off me as quickly as possible. There isn't much I can use except the small wash cloth I'm given, but by the time I'm done my skin is pink and stinging.

I'm not as vigorous with washing my hair, but it's still rougher than the normal. My scalp burns as the hot water touches it, making me hiss in pain.

I get out, towel off, and get dressed in under two minutes, since it was protocol to learn how to get dressed as quickly as possible in case an emergency arises in the middle of the night. Although runners were never sent out after dark, we still needed to know just in case zoms got inside the compound. Don't want a zombie to come staggering in when you're trying to pull your pants over your butt.

Once entirely finished, I aimlessly walk around Abel, looking for something to do or maybe someone to talk to. I could always go back to my tent and read my Bible, but knowing me I'd fall asleep by mistake and end up getting a scolding for not being awake to help in the kitchens. So I decide that this is the better option.

I could volunteer to help with the building, but I'd probably be more of a hindrance than a help since I'm tired. Milo, Willis, and Penelope are still in school; Sam just got done directing my run, and since I nearly got eaten twice and hearing him nearly having a panic attack both times, I doubt I should go visit him just yet; Caleb is... somewhere; And I'm only sort-of-friends with Summer.

I sigh through my nose and come to a standstill, looking awkward and alone.

That's nothing new.

My mind drifts to that case I found for the doctor. If that case really does lead to a vaccine, then life could return to normal-well, not completely normal, because zombies could still eat a person alive if they're surrounded, but it could become half-way normal.

Maybe then I could go home.

The thought sounds like a fantasy-a dream of a thought, but it just might be possible now. I doubt much of my family is still alive. I watched a lot of them die myself, but I don't know about most of my friends, or my grandparents. If they are still alive, then just maybe...

I sigh as I shake my head, obliterating the thought completely. Even if there is a way to create a vaccine, I wouldn't be able to go back to America. Not now. There's a very large 'if' in all this, and I've learned not to put my trust in an 'if'. Because people are rarely ever certain, and when they use that word there's a very good chance you're going to be let down.

Not to mention there are many things I still don't understand. The creation of a vaccine won't tell me who shot down my helicopter, or brief me on Project Greenshoot, and it won't tell us if Paula was there or not or where she is now.

"Uh, hello, earth to Runner Five?"

I blink and immediately pull back when I see a hand waving in front of my face. Sam lowers his hand a sends me a small smile with curious eyes.

"You've been standing here staring at nothing for five minutes," He states with a small laugh, and I feel the heat of embarrassment flood to my face. "What were you thinking about?"

'It's a little early for you to be outside not directing runners.' I avoid the question, keep my face neutral to keep from letting him get any insight on my thoughts.

"I don't have another run until four o'clock, so I thought I'd actually come outside the shack to enjoy this uh..." He looks up at the cloudy sky, "less than sunny day."

I nod, feeling the rush of cold that's already arrived even though it's only the middle of September.

"So, since you so smoothly tried to evade my question, I'm guessing you're not going to tell me what you were thinking about?" He questions, and I mentally curse, thinking he maybe would have just forgotten and let it go.

I don't answer, and I can see him trying to find out the answer without me saying, but I've grown very well at keeping a blank face. Sam sighs and hangs his head in defeat.

"No, I guess not." His eyes flicker back up to mine and he gives me a curious stare. "So what do you do here, anyway? When you're here in Abel? I mean, I know you help out Willis and Milo and Penelope with sign language and you talk to me and Caleb but what do you do, you know, other than that?"

I shrug. 'Read my Bible, look at my collection, help in the kitchen, sleep.'

"Yeah, but what do you do for fun?"

'I think sleeping sounds pretty fun right now if you ask me.'

Sam narrows his eyes, looking for any trace of sarcasm in my eyes but finds none. "You're serious?"

'Well, I do spend quite a bit of time with you guys, but when I'm alone I don't do much. I have a very boring life.'

It's not like I don't like it that way either, because before arriving at Abel my life revolved around running, eating, and sleeping. So this is a nice upgrade.

"Yeah, we're gonna have to change that," He mutters lowly, and I purse my lips.

'Why?' I sign, placing a hand on my hip.

"Because this may be the apocalypse but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have any hobbies," He answers matter-of-factly, and I roll my eyes.

'How do you know my life wasn't like this before the apocalypse?'

In all honesty I had a very fun life, but it's not like I'm going to tell Sam that.
There's a moment of silence before he answers. "Then you lived a very sad life."

Before I can reply to his words he speaks again.

"You like reading, right? I remember Caleb telling me something about-about your weird liking of the reading about Amish, whatever that means."

'I did when I was younger because they lived perfectly fine without driving a car or watching television," I explain before sweeping my gaze across the town. 'Now I'm not as impressed because I live without it too.'

"Well, I know Runner Three brought in a few books on his supply mission. Come on." He jerks his head towards the library and I frown.

'But-'

"Five, come on. I'm not letting my friend be sad and alone when there's no one to talk to her."

'But I'm not sad-'

"Just come on," He says irritably. There's a slight hesitation before he reaches forward and grabs my hand to pull my along.

I can easily pull away if I want to, but I don't because I know he's just trying to be helpful. That's what friends do: they try to make their friends happy even if actually trying to do so gets on said friend's nerves.

But even with that in mind, I keep my eyes looking upward to distract myself from the feeling of my hand in his.

It's because I'm not used to it. I mean, I freaked out both times I hugged someone... or really when I got hugged by someone. I did do one of each...

I've had more physical contact here in Abel in the past (nearly) two months than I did at Mullins in the past two years.

And for some reason I'm okay with it.

No, I am not!

I discreetly pull my hand from his, and cross my arms in an attempt to not look like an idiot... I don't think it worked. Sam stops, and only turning around to look at me for a quick second before walking again.

"We're almost there," He speaks over his shoulder, voice sounding slightly shaky. And I can see some of his face and... is he blushing?

The question in my mind vanishes and I jog to catch up to him, finding ourselves at the library. I try to glance up at Sam but he refuses to meet my eyes.

The library isn't exactly what I would call a building. Yes, it is made of wood and isn't a tent but it's... tiny-no bigger than a child's room. There are very few books inside it-twenty at most-and a small table with two plain wooden chairs.

"Now let's find you a book," He states finally looking at me. I was right. He was blushing before. There's still a tinge of pink on his cheeks.

Well, he grabbed my hand, although maybe he's not exactly used to that-even between friends. But wait, he had a girlfriend.

Why am I thinking about this? Why does it matter? I don't care whether or not he feels embarrassed about holding my hand. I don't like him.

Funny, my inner voice says innocently, that's the same thing you said about-

Oh, hell no!

I grab a random book and hold it close, not bothering to read the title.

'Found one,' I tap out on the book I'm holding. Sam strides over me and gently grabs the book, silently asking to see it.

I let go, making sure his hand doesn't brush mine in the process. It's too risky if my inner voice is even starting to believe I 'have feelings' for him. Far too risky.

"Only you would want to read about an alien invasion while in the zombie apocalypse," Sam chuckles, handing the book back to me.

I shrug. 'I miss how the world used to be, but that doesn't mean I want to read about teenage drama where the cute nerd gets with the most popular guy in the school. Too cliche.'

"You still think things can be cliche?"

I nod. 'There are things in real life that are cliche.'

"Like what?" He asks as he leans his back against the wall and wears a silly half-smile.

'Like there being no cure. It's like that in all the zombie movies people would watch,' I scoff. 'Guess that should've tipped us off when people looked for them in the beginning.'

"Yeah, but hey, there's a chance we can get a vaccine made. Don't think that's ever been in any apocalypse movie." He grins before mumbling, "Not that I would know since I liked watching movies with wizards and talking lions but I'm ninety... seven percent sure that I'm right."

I force a smile but keep quiet. I don't want to shed light on my negative doubts, but I find it nearly impossible to lie about truly believing it.

"So are you going to read it?"

My eyes snap to his face, slightly frowning with raised brows as if to ask, 'Now?'

"Well, we have time. You won't have to help in the kitchens for another..." He squints at the battery powered clock on the wall, "hour and a half. And I have an hour."

'You're going to stay and read with me?' I cock my head to the side in question.

"Of course," He shrugs. "I'll read uh..."
He grabs a random book and scans the cover, "The Home Spa Book for Dogs."

I try to hide my smile as a snort of laughter passes from my lips.

"Yep, this is definitely what I needed," He jokes, sitting down on the chair next to me. "Why do we even have this? We don't even have any dogs here at Abel, well Evan does but he's the only one."

'Maybe this is someone hinting that they want one,' I sign as I sit down. 'Do you want to switch?'

"No way. We've got you a hobby. I want you to enjoy it so you'll actually have something fun to do."

'I've only heard nerds describe reading as fun,' I smirk as he rolls his eyes.

"Do you like reading?"

'Depends on the book,' I reply, taking a glance at the book I've chosen.

"But you still like it?" He grins when I nod. "Then doesn't that make you a nerd if you like it?"

His smile grows wider and his eyes gleam when I silently contemplate his words. A huff of laughter leaves my lips as I small smile appears on my face.

'Touché.'

A/N: Wow, a chapter that isn't forever long! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and if you did please be sure to vote and comment! Thanks for reading!