HARM'S WAY

After crying he then came into a consensus with himself, 'I would return' He said with a big smile on his face. Caiti appreciated that but she does not want him to 'force' himself just to comeback. Caiti slowly slid on the bed to the nightstand, she reached out to the handle and slowly pulled. Zach stood up and approached her as she grabbed something out of it, she then handed it to him.

"A gun?"

"Well, I'm not gonna use it anymore"

"thanks.... I guess"

He checks and examines the gun in every angle in puts it away in his holster. He gave Caiti a hug out of the blue which shook her as well, she started to swipe his back. After a few seconds of hugging, Caiti pulled him away and laid a kiss on his cheek, the young man blushed automatically as she laid the kiss. He grabbed his cheek and smirked.

"For good luck, you might get a bit of my illness but.. you're strong"

"Thank you... I appreciate it"

"See you Cowboy"

"See ya"

Zachary waved goodbye to her and walks outside of the building. He gets out and sees Bruce once more on the Seymour's grave singing. He took a step towards him but stopped, he did not want to disturb the old man and instead waved, despite not being seen. Oscar approached him quietly and gave him a small nudge to get his attention. 'We're going' Oscar said, Zachary nodded in reply and turns around to see Bruce waving at him one last time. He smiled and walked with Oscar towards the helicopter.

Caiti sees him outside looking nervous and preparing for their departure, and hoping that he will return to see them. They are in a safe place but it won't hurt to visit them once in a while, maybe. She lies back down on her bed slowly and turns away from the window and the bright outside. She smiles, wraps, and covers the blanket around her and then slept. Hearing the helicopter propeller 'whir' around she cannot help herself but to run out there and waved goodbye.

She got out of her bed quickly and put on slippers, she unlocked the door and run out of the room and through the hallway. A nurse attempted to stop her but instead allowed her to walk with her. The nurse grabbed a wheelchair and Caiti would sit on it, the 2 got outside and the helicopter has starts to ascend. Everyone gathered around the 2 vehicles. They waved, wished them good luck and the occupants waved back at them, Zach can see Orlando and Nevada amongst the crowd and he teared up.

Zachary noticed them and he waved back, the children followed the helicopter until they got to the edge of the small town. Zachary and Oscar looked behind them to see the town slowly disappearing into the fog and trees. The roads that connected this town to other parts of the state has gone to dust. They all laid back and their faces changed to a much more serious and shaper tone. Zachary makes himself comfortable and sleeps for the duration of the travel.

Niall looks out the window and the start of snowfall makes him remember the times they have spent back in Washington. They never felt the true comfort of safeness the whole time they were there. The threat of an attack is always in the back of their heads, no one older than 16 enjoyed their stay there only the children who are ignorant to this new world. As Niall looks around the only thing that catches his attention is his missing limb on the right side of his torso.

Lee was worried but not shocked as she has seen worse during her time in the front lines, where the main things that they feared were bullets, shrapnel, explosions, and killing people who might be as innocent as them. She treats Niall's wounds who can only look at the empty area. Lee has explained to him that the reason that they hacked off his arms was because it was infected. The information is undisclosed to the public in order to maintain order.

He thought hard of the times when he got infected, after thinking hard for hours of where and when, his answer came right to him. When Lee washes his wounds again he remembered Bryce, the one who cleaned the wounds on his hands prior to losing it. Bryce came into the room with a big smile on his face as he greeted Lee and Niall. Lee then gave and told everything that must be done with Niall for the duration of his stay, and for Niall everything is ablur, his ears ringing, and his breathing heavy.

He snapped back into reality when Bryce nudged him awake.

"Are you okay?"

"...."

"Don't faint on me now... you have food to eat"

In front of Niall food is already prepared on a table and he looks up to Bryce who seemed 'different'.

"Hey man?"

"What did you do to me?"

"Nothing.. you fainted out of the blue"

"Did I?"

"Yeah? You need to eat"

In front of him is a balanced meal required for him to consume. He grabs the spoon with his left hand and it was clearly difficult, Bryce moved the plate closer to his left side. He scoops up a spoonful of red bean paste, he looks at it and it looks 'disgusting' for him. He gulps down trying to swallow it, he put it quickly to his mouth. It stayed there for a bit before he can swallow, a few seconds later the taste of the bean starts to taste metallic. He moved the paste around his mouth, and he spits it out. It startled Bryce who got up and wiped the muck around him.

"What are you doing?"

"Why... why does it taste like blood?"

"Metallic... its from a can... guessing they did not cook it properly"

Someone appears in front of the door and knocks hard, Bryce calls out for the person to wait and they patiently did. After cleaning Niall's scraps he finally approaches, the person knocks once more and he opened it.

"Hello Bryce"

"Dylan"

Dylan looks directly on to Bryce's face and it made him uncomfortable, the moment could not have been better for Niall, who can tell Dylan everything.

"Well, Craig is yet to come home so Bryce... fill his post"

"Yes sir"

Bryce threw the dirty towels that he used on the rag and fixed everything up. The 2 waited before he can finish and Dylan is itching him to ask something.

"Is something the matter Bryce?"

"hmm?"

"You seem a bit frantic"

"Do I?"

"Well, that is one thing you adapted from Toby"

"What?"

"Calm, under pressure... like a man meditating during an earthquake"

"Well, nothing is happening and why do am I frantic?"

Dylan approached him slowly and walked up to his face. He moved his head and Bryce did not flinch nor break eye contact, Dylan laughed and patted him on the back and pushed him out the room. Bryce almost fell but he got up as quickly as he was thrown out, unbothered he fixed his clothes and walked out.

"Well.... about your case.. shall we get on?"