Kowalski's POV

Hannah's words pierced my heart, and I began to think this through. I can't leave her. I thought madly. On the outside, I simply nodded sadly. "I'll miss you too."

Hannah smiled slightly. "Let's get back out to everyone." She held out her hand. I took it gladly, and we walked back out to the group.

Skipper looked up and half grinned. "The antidote?" He looked jealous of Hannah and I.

I nodded and held it out to Skipper. Thinking, I held it back a little. "Could...I have...one more day with Hannah?"

Skipper looked surprised, but he nodded. "We'll need someone to guard the antidote-"

"I'll do it." Wren chimed in.

Wren's POV

Everyone turned to stare. "I'll do it." I repeated.

"...Why?" Skipper asked, his eyes narrowing.

I looked down. I had to lie. "I...just...want to...make sure you...return home. Because I'm sorry for being so mean." I replied.

The suspicion in Skipper's eyes melted, and he nodded to Kowalski. He handed the vial to me. I slipped it into my bag and looked at all of them. "I packed the tent..."

"We can stay in a forest near here." Hannah suggested. Everyone nodded their agreement. I set off.

After a while, we found a place to stay and pitch the tent. I sat in the corner, studying my hand.

"Wren..." I looked up. Skipper stood in the entrance to the tent. "I'm going to collect firewood with Private and Rico...and Hannah and Kowalski are finding a water source." He looked down. "Would you like to join me?"

I sighed. "If it's all the same, I'd like to do my part, but I'm joining Kowalski and Hannah." I stood and tried to walk by Skipper, but he blocked me. I looked up into his eyes.

"You know why I'm leaving has nothing to do with you." He murmured. I nodded. "You don't want to get close, or it'll be harder leaving."

He blinked. "How did you know...?"

"Lucky guess." I muttered, stepping out of the tent. "If I went with you, it'd be harder." I started off in the direction that Kowalski and Hannah had set off in.

"Wait..." I turned. Skipper cleared his throat. "I do care for you...more than you'd think."

I nodded wearily. "I do too."

He nodded. I turned, but was stopped again. Skipper was hugging me from behind. "Please let go. I have to find water."

Skipper released me. I set off without turning back.

I must have walked about a half an hour before I heard a rushing up ahead. I raced forward, tripping and falling. "Oomph." I jumped back up and ran faster.

I stopped at the very edge of a river. I grinned to myself for a moment. Jackpot. I pulled out a few water bottles and filled them up.

In the distance, I saw Kowalski and Hannah walking back towards the camp. I looked left. No one. Right. No one.

Sighing, I pulled out the vial from my backpack. "I'm...sorry." I whispered, holding the vial in my hand. With all my might, I chucked it far, far up ahead into the river. I heard a tinkling of breaking glass over the sound of rushing water.

I am SO screwed.

Skipper's POV

I sighed to myself, gathering up wood for a fire. Private and Rico were chattering about how much fish they would eat.

Private suddenly straightened up, gazing off into the distance. "What is it, soldier?" I asked, straightening up as well.

"Skipper, I have an odd sense of forboding..." Private explained. I had always admired Private's intuition, and now I was nervous. "Don't worry, Private. It's probably something you ate."

Private nodded, but did not look reassured. He picked up the wood and started back towards the tent. "Skipper, Wren's back."

I hid my slight excitement. I always got like this when I saw her. "Okay. Have Kowalski and Hannah returned, soldier?"

"Here they come." Rico said, pointing with his free hand. Kowalski and Hannah emerged, holding water bottles. Wren slipped into the tent. For some reason, she looked guilty.

I followed her. "Wren, I've decided we'll keep the vial in the tent for safe keeping. Is that okay?"

Wren didn't reply.

"Wren...?" I asked, hesitantly. "Uh, hello?"

"...We can't."

I raised an eybrow, holding a hand out for the vial. "Why can't we? Are you that protactive of it?"

"No." Wren looked up, her hazel eyes blazing. "I threw it in the river."