She knew a catastrophe like this would bring out humanities worst qualities. People go mad when they think their lives are over, no where to turn to and no one to lead them. It ultimately ends in anarchy.

Nadine knew how cruel people could be but she would never have expected her own brother to be able to commit such an atrocity as to assault an innocent.

The girl of thirteen, Sarah she had said her name was, would be scarred for life after what he'd done. The pain never leaving, peace only fleeting.

"I'm cold." The young redhead, spoke meekly looking up at Nadine with glassy eyes. Shivering violently even though the sweat rolled off of her forehead in waves.

The blonde looked down at Sarah with sorrowful green eyes and a gentle smile. Without saying anything she pulled the blanket tighter around the young girl and continued to dab at her forehead.

Drifting off in to her own mind, time seemed to tick by at an agonisingly slow pace. She wouldn't last much longer not with an infection and their dwindling medicine. Nadine could only hope that the end was swift for she didn't want Sarah to have to suffer even more than she already had.

The sound of rattling coming from the front door was the only thing that broke Nadine out of her reverie.

"Don't make a sound, Sarah. I'll be straight back." The woman whispered as quietly as she could, so not to alert the unknown presence. Something which would certainly be bad if that presence just so happened to be a walker.

Moving as silently as she could, cringing when her boot put too much weight on a creaky floorboard, she exited the small bedroom. Quickly grabbing the pistol on the side table she cocked it, finger hovering tentatively over the trigger.

Her heart was beating rapidly but her breath was steady, she had done this so many times before that she had lost count. However, taking another's life was always something that weighed on her heavily. She supposed she should be used to it by now but it never seemed to get any easier, in fact it only seemed to get worse.

The door seemed to open in slow motion, she was ready to fire and she would have if not for the young boy who stood on the other side in the exact same manner as she was. She could never kill a child.

"Put down your gun." She spoke firmly. "Put it down and I'll put mine down."

He was staring at her skeptically and if it was under any other circumstance she was sure he would've shot her. However, the man stood behind him was barely conscious and she could barely hear him mumble something to the boy that had him comply.

True to her word she too disarmed herself. A look of relief crossed the pairs faces as they slowly walked in to the decrepit home.

"I'm Nadine. Now that's over with do you mind telling me who the hell you two are?"

After a brief standoff introductions had been made. She now knew the young boy as Carl and the man as his father, Rick. Quickly hurrying them inside Nadine helped Carl lay Rick on the couch.

"We don't have a lot of medication but I'll gladly spare as much as you need." She assured Carl. Grabbing the bag of supplies she rushed over to where her new acquaintances had placed themselves. She handed Carl a water bottle and two small capsules to give to his father.

"It'll help with the pain, I promise." She assured him. Grabbing some cloths and a half used bottle of peroxide she began to clean Ricks wounds.

"He's took quite the beating. What happened to you guys?" She asked after a few minutes silence.

All she got in reply was a blank stare. Getting the point she nodded once and resumed cleaning the older man up.

"You said we, who else is here?" Carl finally spoke after another short bout of silence.

"Just me and Sarah. She's around your age actually." Nadine rambled, she felt nervous under his serious gaze.

"She doesn't have long left. Hours if she's lucky, days if she's not." The blonde lamented. Carl didn't do anything except nod with a furrowed brow. He didn't ask her anymore questions after that, he only passed her the supplies she asked for instead, for which she was grateful.

"Are you hungry?" She asked after finishing and packing everything away. "I'm afraid we don't have much to choose from but I suppose it's better than nothing."

That perked the young boy up as he nodded his head vigorously. Smiling, she shuffled over to the big duffel bag again and started searching for the food.

"Here you go." She passed him over a can of peaches and a plastic spoon. "I know it's not exactly cordon bleu but it does the job."

"It's fine, thank you." He gave her the tiniest slither of a smile she thinks she's ever seen but she didn't mind she was just happy to have helped.

"I'm just going to check on Sarah. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask." She told the boy, sending a warm smile his way. Moving towards the bedroom door she stopped abruptly once Carl began to speak.

"Why did you help us? You could have just shot us and saved yourself the trouble." He inquired, his tone still as stern as ever. Turning towards him, Nadine's smile faltered.

"Because kindness costs nothing, Carl. The world has ended but that shouldn't mean that we stop caring. You do that and you lose yourself." Fixing Carl with a determined look she continued.

"I'm not ready to lose myself."

Entering the small bedroom, the sight before her caused a knot to form in her stomach. Sarah had started coughing up blood and she was slowly turning grey. Cautiously approaching the bed she knelt beside the girl and stroked a stray hair behind her ear.

"Hey, Sarah. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" She asked, words catching in her throat as tears threatened to spill over.

"I want to-" the young girl started before another violent coughing fit began, spewing blood all over the bed sheets.

"Hey, hey it's alright. Drink some water." Nadine moved the half drunk bottle of water towards the girls mouth, aiding her by lightly lifting her head forward.

"I want to go outside." She continued weakly after finally catching her breath. "At night. I want to see the stars one last time. Please."

Nadine had thought she'd protected the girl from knowing what would ultimately happen but it turned out Sarah has knew the whole time. She couldn't deny the girl her dying wish. With a sad smile she nodded.

"When night falls I'll take you out. I promise."

Quietly closing the door behind her she leant her head against the wooden door and let out a shaky breath.

She found Carl nowhere in sight as she looked around the living room. She started to gather her things to go and search outside for him but Rick stirring on the couch immediately grabbed her attention.

"Lie down, don't get up so fast. You're seriously injured." She told him, trying to urge him back down.

"C-Carl. Where is my son?" He weakly demanded. Eventually pushing himself into a sitting position.

"I think he's-" She was interrupted by the front door opening and closing. Both their heads snapping towards the young boy in question.

"Where were you?" Rick angrily confronted his son. "I told you to stay put."

"Was that before or after you passed out?" Carl mockingly questioned, his own anger rising. "I'm not a kid so stop treating me like one. I don't need you to protect me, I killed four walkers all on my own and where were you? Here unconscious because you're weak!"

"I wouldn't have to treat you like a child if you would stop acting like one!"

The tension in the room was at an all time high. Nadine didn't know what to do, she had only just met these people they wouldn't appreciate her involving herself in their personal grievances but she also had Sarah to consider, the girls last moments shouldn't have to be filled with shouting.

"Both of you calm down. Now." Against her better judgement she decided to try and smooth the situation out.

"I don't know either of you from a bar of soap but I do know that now isn't the time for arguing. Some of us aren't lucky enough to have their family with them. Don't squander it." She spoke, her voice stern but light. She wasn't trying to ridicule them, only trying to help them make amends.

After a long pause Carl finally spoke. "I'm sorry, Dad. I won't be so reckless next time, I promise."

"I'm sorry too, Carl." Rick apologised, the two of them embracing for a short moment before Rick hissed in pain from the pressure on his ribs.

"It's about time we got you wrapped up." She told him with a smile. "Carl, please could you hand me bandages from the first aid kit?"

Taking the things that were required from Carl, Nadine made quick work of bandaging Rick up. After tying a tight knot she looked up to see that Rick was already looking at her with an unclear emotion, she smiled warmly and him and handed him his shirt back.

"Thank you, Nadine. For everything you've done for us." He spoke, a small, genuine smile forming along his bearded face.

As she was about to tell him that his thanks was not necessary, a loud thud was heard coming from the bedroom.

"Sarah!" She yelled, quickly running over and throwing the door open.

"Oh god." She gasped, her hands cupping her face. She shook her head frantically, tears flowing freely as Carl and a limping Rick joined her in the doorway.

She had promised to take her outside, she had failed a dying girl. The pale colourless eyes stared back at her blankly but they felt as if they were staring right into her soul. The sounds of her snapping jaw and animalistic growls seemed to echo around the room.

Shakily, Nadine snatched up her firearm from the top of the dresser. Cocking it, she aimed it at the girls head.

"I'm so sorry, Sarah."

She pulled the trigger. Finally ending Sarah's pain and suffering at the hands of this new mercilessly, cruel world.