The horde clawed through the gate at the survivors on the service elevator. Once it dropped to the ground floor the zombies began to throw themselves off the edge.

"Hoo-eee!" Ellis hooted "Damn things are killin' themselves now!" He fired his AK into the air. "Come and get some you son's of bitches!" He held his arms out welcomingly as zombie after zombie cracked their head on the concrete ledge below.

"Ellis! Stop it! Listen to me." Nick grabbed him by the shoulder.

"I know, I know, or you'll shoot me in the leg and leave me for zombie bait." He turned and walked into the cane field. "Be careful, I hear a witch."

"What the hell happened to you two in that trailer?" Rochelle asked Nick. "Did you threaten him?!"

"I…uh…yes and no…"

"I can't BELIVE you!" She shoved him. "Lets go, we gotta get to the kid before he gets lost in this corn maze!"

The three ran in after him following the pipe.

"That kid is going to get us killed." Coach grumbled "Hnnnn!"

In front of them in a puddle was a witch. Coach tried to step back into the cane but it was too late. The witch stood screaming in a high pitched growl. Rochelle appeared behind coach and gasped. It wasn't until Nick, with his bright white coat and shiny gold rings, parted his way through the leaves that she attacked. With a quick slash of her large claws she pushed Coach headfirst into the large pipe to their left. Rochelle held her gun out sideways across her chest in defense as the witch pushed her backwards into the mud, Nick soon followed. The witch slashed right and left. Her claws grazed the edge of his face as he tried to hold her off with the blade of his katana. He felt his forearm split open and another gash sting across his forehead, her high pitched screams and horrible face all he could see.

Ellis kicked the witch in the back with the heel of his boot. She stumbled forward off Nick who let his arms fall to his side, exhausted. Taking advantage of her confusion Ellis shoved her down into the swamp cocked his combat shotgun and held it against the base of her neck. He pulled the trigger severing her spine sending a pool of infected blood and spinal fluid running amidst the muddy water of the shallow puddle.

Nick breathed heavily staring up at the cloudy sky. His arm was bleeding badly and he could feel the cut on his forehead running down his face mixed with sweat, stinging his eyes. Ellis's face leered over his view of the clouds. Nick, heaved grateful breaths staring at the boys shadowed face through his one eye that wasn't soaked in blood. Ellis removed a red bandana from his coverall pocket and tied it tightly around Nicks arm. Nick gasped in pain as the mechanic double knotted it.

"Get up, I need your help with Coach."

Rochelle was relatively unharmed aside from a few new scrapes and bruises. Coach was laying with his head against the large pipe groaning.

"Up ya get Coach. Theres a safe room at the gas station.

Coach was conscious but not entirely there. The bleeding welt on his head suggesting he probably had a concussion.

"Nick, Ro, can you two carry him?"

Rochelle pulled his left arm over her shoulder while Nick took the right. They helped him to his feet bearing a large part of his considerable weight.

"Glad- Hes not- Unconsious." Nick breathed as they moved forward.

"Stay close by me." Ellis ordered deeply "This place is ripe with witches."

They followed the young mans yellow t shirt until they emerged from the leaves onto a paved road. Across the yellow lines lay the sprawled body of another witch, her neck bloody with shotgun pellets. Ellis looked up and down the road circling protectively around them as they limped towards the gas station door. A sickening howl echoed in the distance signaling they would be entertaining a horde soon.

"Book it." Ellis stood in the doorway as the first wave approached.

He blasted several of the quicker zombies with his shotgun and then stepped backwards towards the safe house door, his machete taking out any zombie foolish enough to come within 3 feet of him. Rochelle grabbed the back of his tied up coveralls as soon as she could reach him pulling him into the safe house as nick shut and secured the door. The four sat in silence for a moment.

"Better see to Coach." Nick nodded his head. "I suppose I owe you one for that save back there kid."

"The way I see it once I sew closed that arm of yours you and I are even."

"I wouldn't object to a little less blood loss I suppose…" Nick gingerly untied the bandana.

"You should take off your jacket." Ellis said clearing his throat.

"Oh…right…" Nick slipped his coat over his shoulders.

He unbuttoned his cuff and rolled up his sleeve. Ellis was surprised to see Nick a little flushed, but as his adrenaline dropped Ellis started to realize how cold it was. His rough mechanic fingers clumsily threaded the needle. The concept of a suture was pretty straight forward, but neither of them were very exited about the idea of Ellis's first attempt at it. He nervously shoved the needle into the skin for the first stich. The needle hurt but the tightening of the thread was worse. Nick bit down on his knuckle as the second stich went through. Ellis glanced up from his clumsy work to Nicks worsening expression.

"Hnn…" Nick growled at the third stich. "Y-You're hands are pretty steady there kid."

"I suppose there aren't too many small pieces to car engines but there are enough that if you loose em' it's a pain in the ass. You learn to be careful."

"Hmph." Nick scoffed with amusement at the idea of Ellis being 'careful'. "Hrrnnnn" He moaned in pain as Ellis mercilessly tightened the fourth stich.

"Uh…do you want me to finish that?" Rochelle asked watching Ellis lick his lips and furrow his brow in angry concentration.

"I think I'd be ok with tha-AAAAOW" –snip-

"All done!" Ellis said cheerfully. "you're welcome Nick!" He swatted the man on the arm chummily.

"AH-ha-ha!" Nick laughed painfully. "T-thanks I guess…Do we have any more of that vodka?"

"How do you feel about whiskey?" Ellis asked as he searched a knapsack left in the room.

"You're shittin me." Ellis tossed him the bottle. "I've never been a fan of American whiskey but this is top shelf shit."

Ellis leaned his back against the wall and slid down it resting his elbows on his knees. He flicked the cork off the plantation wine bottle and tipped it back.

"I thought you were saving that for a special occasion. COACH WAKE UP." Rochelle causally barked across the room as the large mans head began to bob.

"I wuz. Now I'm thinking, It's the zombie freaking apocalypse! My life has hit its high point and probably isn't getting any more 'special' than this." He laughed drinking deeply.

"That's a bit sad…"

"Not at all! I'd say its rather freeing! I feel like a born again Christian! Christ be with you!" He held out his bottle of wine irreverently.

"Ellis…"

"If I don't make it back across that cane field, leave me to the zombies." He crawled forward on his hand and knees, bottle clutched in his fist. "Let me go down swinging! And once I've killed them all and dropped dead myself…" He took his good old riffle from Nick and drunkenly stood aiming at nothing. "You take this here sweet little gun my daddy gave me, before he kicked off, and you shoot me. BLAM!" He shouted and mimed imaginary kickback. "Right here." He dropped to his knees tapping his finger between his eyes, swaying in place. "Right in the good ol' zombie off-button."

"Ellis, maybe you should take a nap…"

"Yea?" His eyes rolled in his skull. "M'by I will." He tipped backwards onto the ground staring at the roof. "M'by…ah…will…"