The Plants had found some refuge in a small bunker that lay just a few miles from Zomburbia, one that had panes of glass in the roof to let sunlight in, which would be covered by automated metal panels when night fell. Each and every Plant was currently taking shelter here, some prepping their abilities and weapons, some tending to the wounds of other Plants or their own wounds, some were even just lying about in despair. Peashooter and Sunflower, hand in hand (or rather, leaf in leaf), walked inside and took in the view of their fellow Plants. Some of the Plants perked their heads up and waved to them kindly, others continued to work without a single gesture. Sunflower wanted to visit one Plant in particular, a childhood friend that she held dear.

"Let's go see Marigold, OK Peashooter?"

"Sure thing."

Marigold was also a flower, and one of Sunflower's best friends. Her job was to produce coins and gems to help pay for necessary supplies and rations. She used to spend a lot of time thinking about whether or not to produce a silver coin or a gold coin. She would weigh the angles, perform solid research and keep up with current publications. That is how winners stay ahead, after all.

But then the war for Suburbia took place, and she suddenly found herself straining to produce as many coins and gems as she could muster, no longer having time to think about the logistics. There were some days where she would even pass out from working so hard. Her condition now had gotten worse, for she had fallen ill with a stomach flu, despite the fact that Plants did not have stomachs. Sunflower wanted to make sure that Marigold would somehow get better, giving her encouragement and remedies when she had the chance. When she walked up to her, Marigold was hard at work making as many silver coins as she could while afflicted with her illness.

"Hey Marigold! How are you feeling?" Sunflower beamed.

Marigold said nothing for a few moments. Sunflower understood that she wasn't staying quiet out of disrespect, but rather because it had become difficult to speak without gagging uncontrollably. Nevertheless, she summoned the strength to look up at Sunflower and crack a tiny smile.

"Still under the weather?" Sunflower asked.

In a soft, weak voice, Marigold responded: "Yes…"

"I know your stomach flu has been pretty bad, but I'm sure you'll be fine, right Mary?"

"I…wish…but I *cough*can't…even eat…solid…food…anymore. *gag*" Marigold struggled to say.

Sunflower's smile slowly turned to a frown when she heard this. She noticed that Marigold had been strapped to an IV, due to her being unable to eat. Seeing her friend in such a poor state made her feel very worried for her health. She could distinctly remember the first time when Marigold passed out from overworking, and thinking of the event sent shivers through her body.

"I…I know you're worried*gag*…about me…but*cough*…I'll be fine. I can still…"

Marigold suddenly began gagging sporadically, prompting Sunflower to run up to her and wrap her leaves around her, attempting to comfort her sickened friend. Marigold then proceeded to vomit, spilling several silver coins and bile onto the floor, coughing and choking from the aftermath. Sunflower patted Marigold on the back of her stem and offered comforting words.

"There, there, it's okay…just relieve yourself Mary…" Sunflower cooed.

"Sunflower…I'm…" Marigold weakly whispered.

"Shh…don't waste your energy trying to talk. Do you want some Plant Food?"

Sunflower walked over to Marigold's medical cabinet to find some Plant Food, a powerful supplement that gave Plants enhanced abilities and strength when consumed. Of course, Marigold wouldn't be able to eat the Plant Food normally, so Sunflower would have to liquefy it and feed it through an IV. Marigold tried to speak up, not wanting Sunflower to use such a precious resource on her.

"Wait…don't give that…to me…" Marigold muttered.

"I know you don't want me to use this Plant Food. I know it's really difficult to produce. But if there's anything that can make you feel better, I'm willing to do it. Ok, here we go."

Sunflower placed the Plant Food in a blender and set it to liquefy. She then filled a plastic bag with the liquid Plant Food and attached an IV needle and catheter to the bag. She waited for the air bubbles to pop before taking the needle and poking it into Marigold's left leaf. The contents quickly flowed to the injection site as Sunflower gently squeezed the plastic bag.

Marigold suddenly felt a surge of energy pulse through her body as the Plant Food entered her veins. She nearly jumped out of her seat as she spat out 5 gems at once, each gem worth 1000 coins. For an instant, Marigold felt rejuvenated and alive again. However, this sensation quickly faded away as the effects of the Plant Food wore off. She sat back down in her chair and immediately began feeling ill once more. In her mind, she wished Plant Food could take away her sickness permanently. Nevertheless, she was happy for Sunflower's kind gesture.

"Thanks…"

"Sure thing Mary!" Sunflower chirped with a big smile. "Try not to work too hard, alright?"

"Ok…"

Sunflower walked away satisfied with her nursing, leaving Peashooter and Marigold to themselves. Peashooter decided to say some words of his own.

"Hey Mary, maybe you shouldn't work at all. Just to, you know, give yourself a break." Peashooter insisted.

"But…we need…coins to…" Marigold softly said.

"Of course we need coins. But I think you've made plenty of coins for us to use. Just take it easy from now on. Me and all the other Plants are going off to fight the Zombies soon, maybe you could wait until after the battle?" Peashooter strongly suggested.

"Oh…Ok…"

"You'll be fine! It can always get better."

Peashooter waved goodbye to Marigold before running off to meet up with Sunflower, leaving Marigold to her workstation. Marigold glanced at the coins she had vomited and averted her gaze to the gems she had just produced. She found herself smiling slightly, for she had always taken pride in her work. Healthy or sick, she was still a winner that stayed ahead of the game.

Marigold prayed in her mind: "Let us keep searching for the prospect of prosperity, and the hope that we can rebuild the lives we have lost. Amen."