It was a long time before she woke up. Her eyelids slowly parted, though, and she quickly made a move to wipe the drool from her mouth. Her rear and her legs were asleep, seeing as she'd fallen asleep in the same position from earlier: sitting, huddled, in the corner. She tried to stand, only to fall down, quickly. She couldn't...feel her legs at all, really, and she was beginning to wonder when the feeling would return to them.

She realized that no one else was awake yet, and she began to wonder what time it was. How long had she been sleeping? Three hours? Twelve? One thousand? She hoped, for a split second, that maybe all of it was a dream. Maybe she could walk outside, and walk straight home, and give her dad a hug and a kiss and tell him how much she loved him. He wouldn't be infected. She would be able to call her friends, chat with them like the average teenager she was.

But it was not so. Soon, Julie woke up, and she looked over at Laura-Mae through sunken eyes. Laura-Mae could tell that Julie wasn't going to last much longer. In fact, she knew that, if anything, Julie might be the one to get them all killed. She might just be the one to walk outside and let the infected poor in, or the one to scream out when everyone was supposed to be quiet. It wasn't until after these thoughts that Laura-Mae realized she'd been staring at the poor woman. So, she looked away and then tried to stand up again.

Her legs were stable enough to hold her again. She gave a stiff, but oh-so-satisfying stretch, and an exhausted yawn escaped her lips. Her mouth was dry. Being so, she decided to get a bottle of water from her backpack and take a swallow.

"Gonna' share any of your shit with us?" Oh, how she hated that voice. Adam was awake, and just when she was beginning to think that perhaps they could leave him behind to be devoured by the infected. And, so, she didn't reply. Just kept right on chugging down that water. "Listen," he said to her, "I think we got off on the wrong foot last night. See, you need to be nicer to me. The fact of the matter is this: You need me more than I need you. And if anyone's going to be doing any "leaving behind," then it'll be me doing it to you, all right? I've been through basic training, and a little further than that, so don't think you can mouth off to me just 'cause Daddy's dead, 'kay? I'm not gonna' have a little shit like you runnin' the show. If any of us survive it's gonna' be me and James. Not that psycho Julie bitch, not that little Thomas prick, and sure as hell not you."

Laura-Mae was about to open her mouth to retort, but another voice beat her to it: "Is that what you really think?" It was Julie who'd asked.

Adam looked a bit surprised at first, obviously not having known Julie was awake, but he only turned to face her, "...Yeah, Julie. I mean, let's face it. You're crazy. Your kids dead, right? You told us that when me and James found you. And yet, here you go, wondering where he is. He is dead, Julie. Get it through your head. Junior ain't gonna' grow up to be the next fucking president, and we all know it. You're gonna' be the first one to go, I bet. I mean, even Helmet, here, knows it," he motioned towards Laura-Mae with a thumb.

Julie looked at her for a moment, and the two females locked glances, but then the older woman looked back towards Adam, "...All right," she murmured.

"Julie..." Laura-Mae began hesitantly. She didn't know what to say, though. Even though she...hated it, she agreed with Adam almost one hundred percent. She would be the last to admit it, though, and she would never have worded it so harshly.

"We have to leave soon." James's voice made her jump a bit. How long had he been awake? Either way, he was absolutely right.

"Yeah, yeah. But I really would like to know if Helmet's gonna' share her shit," Adam griped.

"She won't need to. There's a Piggly Wiggly right next to us. We'll go there, stock up, and then see if we can't find a working car around here. Now that the sun's up it should be safer."

"All right. So, you and me gonna' go check the place out first or what?"

"Yeah, sure." James then turned to look at Laura-Mae, "You're in charge in case anything happens, all right?" Adam rolled his eyes as he stood up and stretched, but Laura-Mae simply nodded. She hated the thought of James...not coming back. In all reality, she would much rather be left with only Adam than with Julie or Thomas (thinking in a survival-oriented manner, of course). Just because she was the one with the gun didn't mean she was all about shooting at infected. Hell, she wasn't coordinated enough to do all that shit! In fact, she was even convinced that yesterday - all of the athletic sort of things she accomplished - was just a hoax! She was never an athletic person! She sure as hell wasn't fit!

But she was going to survive, by God.

And so, she watched helplessly as James and Adam walked up those wooden stairs, and out of the slanted, bomb-shelter-styled doors. Her heart sank.

"Laura-Mae...?"

"Yes, Julie?"

"Am I going to die soon?"

She was shocked. Never in her life had Laura-Mae even imagined that a grown woman would be asking her such a question. She had never ever expected herself to be in a rank superior to an elder of hers. Honestly? She had no idea what to say to her.

In fact, the only thing she could possibly say was, "...We're all going to die soon enough, Julie."