"Mom?" Cindy cried after seeing no movement and feeling no pulse. "Mom!! Mom, you ok? Mom!"

Jimmy heard Cindy yell and ran up the stairs to see what was the problem. "Are you ok?" Jimmy asked, glancing at the scene.

"No."

"Is Libby Ok?"

"For now."

"Then… wait… is that your mother?" Jimmy moved closer to Cindy and embraced her in a tight hug. "Is she…"Cindy nodded her head and sobbed into Jim's shoulder. " Cin… I'm so sorry." Jimmy didn't know what else to say, what do you say to one whose mom just died? Then it hit Jim that not only had his girlfriend's mom died… but that his child would have no real grandparents. Sure, Sheen's mom would probably sub in as a grandma… but it just wasn't the same. He hugged Cindy a little tighter and cried with her. "Where'd Libs?" He asked after about five minutes.

"Over there…. What are we supposed to do with all the… um… not living people?"

"I dunno… hold a funeral?"

"Where at?"

"Here…. somewhere else… I dunno… but they need buried." Jimmy hugged Cindy once more and then wandered over to Libby. "Hey, come to see the patient."

Libby smiled slightly and joked, "Know why they call us that?"

""Why?" Jimmy asked… and for a split second in his mind, that second she was no longer a Christian or anything else… she was Libby…. his friend.

"Because it takes FOREVER to be helped!"

"Hey, you are before any of the others."

"Any survivors?"

"Probably… I'll go check if you want."

"Wasn't Cin helping the survivors?"

"She was…"

"What happened!?" Libby asked practically sitting up.

"You lay back down…. Anything I an get you?"

"Yea… news on Cin!"

"She's not harmed… physically."

"What happened?"

"Her mom died."

"Oh, the poor girl! I gotta get to her!"

"Oh no you don'tyou are staying right here!"

"But… she came up here for me?"

"True… but she wasn't harmed before-hand."

"Well… tell her to come here when she feels like it?"

"That I can do."

"Thanks!" Libby relaxed again. "You could try and get a hold of Shay's J-3-1-6 CD."

"I'll try."

"Thanks again."

"No problem… just don't try t get up."

"I'll try not to."

"Before I leave… how's the wound?"

"Must be better… I feel stronger."

"That's good… mind if I check it?"

"Sure…why not." Libby felt a little uncomfortable having no shirt on already… and if she was at an actual hospital they wouldn't even ask.

Jimmy carefully lifted off the gauze and threw It away, replacing it with some new gauze. At first he felt a little awkward touching Libby's skin to get the gauze off, ointment reapplied, and new gauze one… then he realized the difference could belief or death.

"Well… he blood must be slowing down a bit." Libby said when that new gauze was applied and it took several seconds to turn back to the blood red color of the old gauze.

"That's good, be back soon." Jimmy left Libby, washed his hands and walked over to Cindy before attending to the other patients. "Well… her wound is cleaner and she says the blood is slowing down."

"That's good…"

"And she says that she wants you to come over when you feel like it."

"I will… you going back downstairs?"

"Only to get Sheen."

"Why?"

"Help take care of these people. We can't do it on our own."

"True." Cindy and Jimmy hugged before separating and Cindy went over to Libby by the time Jimmy reached Sheen.

"Hey girl." Cindy said, sadness obvious in her voice.

"Hey, sorry about your mom… I didn't know she was here."

"Me either… I just don't understand why it had to be her."

"I dunno… but it looks like the 5th seal has been opened."

"What?"

"Remember me talking about the seal judgments?"

"Yea…"

"Well… I think the 5th has been opened."

"What about 2nd, 3rd ns 4th?"

"I dunno… haven't personally seen a war, famine, or drought."

"Hmmm…"

"I'd say turn on the news… but I know that the TV was shot."

"They shot the TV?"

"Not on purpose… but O ducked the first time.

"I see."

"Hey Sheen… come on upstairs." Jimmy said.          

"But… I don't know what I'm doing!" Sheen said.

"Sheen… It's really not that hard! I'll show you."

"Jim… I don't think I can handle the blood." Sheen continued whining excuse after excuse.

"Ok… but this is life or death for them."

"Ok…I get that… just… I mean…"

"Are you scared?"

"Yea, what if I kill them?"

"They'll die without our help… so technically you can't really harm them."

"Just go on up! I'm not gonna win either way!"

"So… you ARE smart… Come on!" Jimmy led Sheen back upstairs and after Sheen watched a few, and did a few with the assistance of Jimmy, Jimmy went off on his own.  After about forty-five minutes of playing doctor Jimmy went to check on Cindy. "Cin, she's not coming back." Jimmy said as gently as he could.

"Like you'd know!" Cindy snapped, then without thinking she added, "Your mom disappeared!"

Hurt was immediately seen on Jimmy's face and looking towards the ground he responded, "My dad didn't."

"Jim… I'm sorry… I didn't mean it… just… I'm just not completely myself right now!" Cindy hugged Jimmy tightly and when she loosened the hug Jim still held her close, running his fingers through her hair, oblivious to the smell of blood and the sight around them.

"I know you didn't mean it… just… that doesn't change the fact that it was said." Jimmy paused a second and re-realized where he was. "What's happened?"

"What do you mean?" Cindy said pulling slightly away from Jimmy's loving embrace.

"Everything's changed since the vanishings… all that's happened has been trauma after trauma. Nothing is the same."

"I still love you… but… according to the Bible we haven't seen anything yet."

"So… the dieing will only get worse?"

"Not necessarily… but the desire to die will."

"Just great!" Jimmy exclaimed. "You want to help re-check on some people or check on Libs?"

"Can't I just stay here?"

"You can… but you are just going to make it harder on yourself."

"I know… I just… if I leave, I'll be admitting to myself that she's really… not living."

"Cin, even if you stayed here forever…it's still true."

"True… Sheen checked on Libby yet?"

" I wouldn't let Sheen… and I have yet to get around to it."

Wiping a tear from her eye Cindy shook her head. "I'll do it…and why are you talking to me if you have an 'I need to do' list?"

"Because… there's always room for you on that list."

"Even though I'm a Trib Saint?"

Jimmy paused remembering that in fact she too had confessed to turning to Jesus as the answer. "Even if." He answered finally.

Cindy looked away shyly and smiled. She knew, from listening to Shayna, Stacey, Dani, and even Shelby, that she really shouldn't date those that didn't share her faith, However, they were going out before she become a tribulation saint, so why should that change their relationship? Besides, he made her feel good no matter what happened, and besides the grudge he held against Christians, he could be very sweet. "I'm going to go check on Libby now… how many are left to be helped?"

"We got to all of them, now we rare just re-checking on them."

"How many died total?"

"Thirty… five of which died under our care."

"Wow! That must be tough… but for helping seventy to one-hounded people that ain't too bad." Cindy hugged Jimmy and went to go check on Libby. "Hey!"

"How you doing with your mom and all?" Libby asked sitting up.

"I just really hope she was here for more than to just talk to me."

"Cin... Even if that was the only reason, there's a chance she accepted Christ by talking to someone."

"True… just… it's a really low chance. How are you dong?"

"Much better! Sheen stopped by… said something about snakes crawling around outside on peoples houses?"

"Outside they are… I think that earthquake is about to happen. Let me check that wound." As she unwrapped the gauze Cindy held her breath expecting blood to gush as usual. "Good news!"

"What?"

"You are going to be ok! The wound has started to scab over!"

"So it's safe to move around?"

"I wouldn't… but it should be safe. Here, put this on." Cindy said re-dressing the wound with a bandage and handing Libby a very lightweight T-shirt. She helped Libby pull it over her head and get her arms in without putting too much strain on the newly scabbed wound.

"Need anymore help?"

"We got it covered… just doing check-ups now."

"I feel like doing something though!"

"Rest?"

"That's what I've been doing!"

"Pray?"

"I could… I just really feel like I should be moving dead bodies or… something like that."

"Well… you could do that."

"Nah… I'll stay where I am." Libby said somewhat defeated. "Wait! Shouldn't we be moving all of the living bodies outside?"

"Why?"

"The earthquake… you don't wanna be inside when it strikes." Libby said standing, but she didn't stay standing for very long until she fell back to her feet.

"Is your leg hurt too?" Cindy asked concerned.

"No… hat wasn't my fault."