Hunter was surprised by the large groups of people all huddled at the store.
Lucy lead them through the store. Most of the people were sat where the stores trading would have been done. Hunter assumed that the people here now would have moved all the display units, they were all stripped bare and pushed up to the windows for protections. The food from them piled around the place in huge heaps.
They were taken through to the warehouse. There were large crates of food still unopened. Lucy lead them to an area that was maybe a staff room before because it was quieter and had a few basics there still. A broken down fridge, some tables and chairs a sink. But it was also where the injured stayed.
"None of these people were bitten, right?" Hunter asked.
"We've been lucky that anyone who's been bitten has also been killed."
"That's lucky?" Hunter asked.
"It'd be harder to see people we knew change. Or to be confronted with them and....." She cut herself off when Shawn looked at her. Eyes pierced into her as she felt condemned by his very look but he said nothing.
"I get it." Hunter said.
He looked at the people that were in the room. Each person was bloodied and looked pretty banged up. None appeared to be seriously hurt, which was good. He pulled the bag off his shoulder and past it to Lucy. "Take what you need."
"Thank you." She said graciously taking the bag before delving in and pulling out the basics they needed such as antiseptic and bandages. Another woman came to help start fixing the injured people up. "Please help yourself to food." Lucy said.
"We're fine." Hunter said. He didn't feel like eating any more and knew Shawn would be the same.
"Call Steph now." Shawn said.
Hunter didn't say anything, he felt uncomfortable at the idea of doing it, not just in front of Shawn, but people who were strangers too.
"You can have some privacy and go out of here, it's fine." Lucy said.
Hunter looked at Shawn, was surprised that he held his stare and knew that he wouldn't back down. "I'll just be outside the door, okay?" He told Shawn.
Reluctantly, Hunter dialled the number for his old home. With how close she lived to Vince and Linda it was highly likely that she'd have gone there if she'd heard about there being trouble and taken the girls with her. The phone seemed to be disconnected. He tried his ex-father in laws number. He felt almost shocked when he heard Vince's familiar voice answer the phone.
"Vince... i-it's Paul."
"My God... where are you?"
"Somewhere in Texas.... is Steph there, can I speak to her."
"She's not here with me now, I can get her." Vince said. Hunter could tell Vince was walking somewhere. "I didn't think we'd hear from you. When it came on the news how bad Texas had been affected..."
"You heard about it?" Hunter asked.
"It was everywhere. This virus in Texas that just started to spread across the country. When we got the first details of where it started, in San Antonio... well the speed in which it spread we thought you had no chance."
"It spread so quick... I sometimes don't know how we got out. Vince... the girls....."
"They're okay. They're right here. We're all here. No one's coming in or out. Shane's safe too."
"Thank God."
"What about Shawn?" Vince asked through a slight hesitation.
"He's here with me." Hunter said.
"What about anyone else?"
"It's not looking good."
"Ah." Vince simply said. "Um.. okay, Steph, it's Paul." Hunter heard the phone exchange hands.
"Is it really you?" Steph asked.
"It's me." Hunter said, feeling relief hearing her voice again.
"You have to talk to the girls in a minute, they'll be so happy to talk to you."
"Just try and stop me." He said as he ignored the tears that welled in his eyes.
"Before you talk to them, I need to know... are you gonna come home?"
"Home.. I'm in Texas, Steph. We're hiding out in a store with a group of survivors.. we can't get to you."
"I didn't mean Shawn, I meant you. You're the father of my children and they're frightened and they want their father. Are you going to be there for them?"
Hunter looked behind him to the door where Shawn sat. He walked away from it a little, lowering his tone. "I'm calling you from Rebecca's phone. She's dead. She would have had the kids with her, so they're likely to be dead too. His whole family is wiped out and you want me to ditch him...."
"For the sake of your daughters. You wouldn't do that for them? To see them?"
"I can't." Hunter said, even though it broke his heart to say.
"Fine. Both of you come then."
"What?"
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to know how much that relationship meant to you. You know that you'd be safe here and your girls are here, but you wouldn't give what you have up to have it. Ironic that your sense of loyalty is what made me fall for you in the first place, huh?"
"I don't think we should come."
"Why not?"
"I think it's gonna be awkward."
"It won't be awkward. We'd be a family again."
"Shawn's my family."
"So bring your family to a safe place. A place where your daughters live. Tell me he wouldn't want you to do that."
"I'm not going ask Shawn about this."
"Ask Shawn about what?" Came the voice behind him.
Hunter didn't want this to happen but he knew it was inevitable now. He knew what Shawn would say. "Steph's with Vince. She wants us to go up there with them."
"So what are we waiting for?" Shawn asked.
"I just...."
"That sounds like a yes to me. I'll call you back soon, Paul. I think you and your boyfriend should talk." Steph hung up the phone.
He handed the phone back to Shawn who refused to take it. "I don't think I'll be getting any calls from it. You keep it. So... when do we go?"
"Okay look... we go but, we need some rest and food first, okay. I'm so tired, i don't think i could start again yet."
"Okay then. We'll sleep."
**
Lucy found a place where they could rest.
It was near the warehouse, futher away from other groups of people. She gave them a bag which had some spare blankets in and another which was full of food, her thank you for the medical supplies.
Since the phonecall all Hunter had thought of was how in the world they could actually get to Vince's house. He wasn't sure how to take Steph either. She sounded like a scorned woman he'd spoke to before all of this. Would him and Shawn really be welcomed into Vince's home? Would they travel all that way just to be rejected at the door?
Hunter turned his attention to Shawn. His face was a mask, no emotion displayed.
"You know, I wasn't hungry at all, but now I'm sat here I think I could eat something." Hunter pulled the bag a little closer. "Wow.. biscuits." He said as he took a pack out and opened it, taking one from the package. "You want one?" He asked, holding the pack open for Shawn, hoping he might take one.
Shawn shook his head. He pulled one of the blankets around himself a little more. Hunter noticed Shawn was trembling a little.
His instincts were to grab his arms around Shawn and comfort him but he knew it might not be the greatest idea at the moment. He ate the biscuit before moving the bag away from him a little. "It's freezing here." Hunter commented, using his own blanket to keep the warmth in some more.
Shawn looked at him. That same blank look on his face. But when hunter locked eyes with him, they said so much more than words ever could. He could see it all. All the pain and hurt Shawn felt were shown in them clear to see. Shawn broke contact first. "I'm cold." Was all he needed to say.
Hunter didn't hesitate a moment as he closed the small gap between them, wrapping his blanket over Shawn as well and pulling him closer. Shawn let his head rest against Hunter. Hunter felt him tremble still, felt coldness from Shawn's body penetrate his own warmth. He didn't care if they both sat here freezing, he'd never let go. He kept his grip on Shawn tight.
He saw some people in the other groups look over, but he didn't care. Didn't care if they wanted to judge them. Nothing would stop him from comforting Shawn right now. They talked about them, he could see them gossiping to one another, watched as eyes were upon them.
Hunter watched as Lucy got up from one of the groups and headed their way. He braced himself for something but she just walked past, smiling slightly nervously as she passed. He held onto Shawn tighter. He felt as though their chance of rest was about to come to an end. They needed it so damn much, but it'd be yet another time when they'd be up against the odds. If these people wanted them out, they'd have no choice but to leave.
Hunter felt his eyes sting with tears, exhaustion getting the better of him. All he wanted to do was protect Shawn and all they ever came across was one challenge after another.
The door to the warehouse opened as Lucy came back out.
She stopped by pair, looking down. She smiled. "Some of the others were worried you two looked cold. I forgot how cold it can get here by the warehouse. Here." She handed them two more blankets. They were tattier but still would help warm them.
"If you want to join us down there with the others, you're welcome."
Hunter couldn't help himself, the tears ran unchecked down his face before he'd even realised. "Thanks." he said, moved by the kind people they'd met here. After meeting so many people out for themselves, it was so nice to meet people who wanted to help them. "Erm, where did all you people come from?" Hunter asked. "I mean, why did you all get together like this?"
"Oh, well most of us go to church together in this town and when this happened, naturally we went there first."
Shawn looked up at that. "Really?"
She smiled. "Yeah. The Lord looks out for us. I still believe."
"I wish I did." Shawn said.
"It's not easy." Lucy said. "I'll be over there if you need me. You guys should rest."
"Thanks." Hunter said as he wrapped blankets around them both.
"She still believes." Shawn repeated.
"Yeah." Hunter said.
"You're crying." Shawn said, noting the tears on Hunter's face.
Hunter wiped them away quickly. "I'm tired... one nice act and I'm blubbing like a baby."
Shawn grabbed Hunters hand as he tried to stop any more tears from showing and held it against him as he rested his head against Hunter chest again. "Looks like you were right about the church anyway." Hunter said.
"We just picked the wrong one." Shawn said.
"I guess so."
"Hunter?"
"Yeah?"
"Where are my kids?"
"I.... I don't know." Hunter said. The smile on his face died as he thought about the undeniably tragic demise Shawn's kids were likely to have faced. "I... er... I'm just gonna use the restroom, okay?" Hunter said, getting up before Shawn could even protest.
Hunter walked through to the warehouse. His mind not on Shawn's children, but his own girls. He wanted to hear those sweet girls voices, calling him Daddy again. He pulled the phone out from his pocket, intent on calling them. But as he did, he was reminded of the two children Shawn had lost, displayed on Rebecca's phone. And he'd just left the man he loved alone so he could speak to his kids. There was a strange guilt mixed in with the fact that he hadn't done anything wrong by wanting to speak to his kids. He looked back out to where Shawn was. He couldn't see him from where he stood.
Desperate to communicate with his girls despite the guilt it caused, he went to the messages and typed a new one out. 'Can you send a picture of the girls?'.
He paced as he waited for a reply. One popped up a few minutes later and his heart always stopped as he saw his two angels hugging one another. He couldn't wait to see them. He closed the message as he went to return to Shawn, but hesitated before he got to the door. What if Shawn saw the picture? He knew he wouldn't be upset that it was there, but he didn't want to cause him more pain than he was already in.
He navigated his way back through the phone to the messages and deleted the message he'd just received.
Before he closed it, a message in the inbox caught his eye. He didn't feel right snopping, but opened the message anyway. The message was from 'Shawn's Mom'. He read it, feeling giddy as the words sunk in. 'Don't worry, we'll look after the kids. Call us when you can.'
Was it possible that after Rebecca had left that message for Shawn there had been a change of plan and his kids were safe with his parents?
Hunter knew that he couldn't tell Shawn about it. If he got his hopes up only for them to be wrecked again- he wasn't sure Shawn would be able to take any more.
Hunter exited from the messages and made his way back out to Shawn.