Chapter 19: Scavenging

It had been three long weeks since the group had escaped from the dairy farm and tensions were running higher than before. The group of survivors continued to use the motor inn for shelter since they had obtained more supplies from the back of the abandoned van. While everyone was trying to get back to their routine before what happened there were some who just couldn't. Vicky and Bucky were very clearly trying to avoid and ignore each other the best they could.

The red-haired teen had become much quieter, more paranoid, and was put in charge of managing the supplies with Valerie, hopefully focusing her mind on something else.

Tootie had also become more fearful and started clinging to the adults more than the boys ever did. Nobody could blame their behavior though, especially Tootie's, it was a horrible thing to happen to anyone, let alone a child. Even Bucky was wise enough not to bring up Nicky around the two girls. Although, whether this was because of understanding, pity, or guilt, Danny had no idea. Not that it really mattered to him. As long as it didn't do any more harm to the group then Danny was fine with the tension.

That's what he kept telling himself as he volunteered to go with Bucky back into Amity Park to scavenge for supplies at the drugstore.

As they walked through the streets, Danny looked around in sorrow at the state of his old him. Most of the buildings had started to crumble or had been outright destroyed. Store windows had been smashed and looted and more vehicles had been abandoned and left randomly on the roads and sidewalks. As they walked through the empty streets, the two survivors were ready for trouble. They were both wearing backpacks for any supplies they found and Bucky was holding a pistol.

Danny was holding a rifle instead of his usual sword.

As they sneaked through Amity Park, Bucky motioned for the teenager to be quiet and peeked around a corner to the drugstore. Seeing that the coast was clear, they walk into the empty road and got a good look at the building. The drugstore had definitely seen better days. Stones from the roof had fallen down and had blocked the entrance with a few cars, including an army jeep. There was a large truck crashed through the side of the drugstore.

There was also an army helicopter crashed through the roof.

"Looks like this is our lucky day," Bucky smirked.

"Maybe, they tend to take us by surprise." Danny pointed out as he cautiously looked around.

"Yeah, well, the less I see, the happier I am." He huffed as Danny looked inside a broken and partially boarded-up window into a tool store but after seeing it was practically empty he moved on. As they kept walking, Bucky suddenly grasped his side as he groaned in pain, still recovering from the wounds he received from the dairy farm.

"You made up your mind yet?" The blonde man asked his companion.

"About what?"

"When it comes to gettin' the hell out of Amity Park and that motor inn." He huffed in annoyance. "I bet you're in the 'let's stay-put' camp, considerin' I been pushin' everyone to leave."

"We should go," Danny replied, slightly catching Bucky off guard. "The motel's run its course and it's not safe."

"You're damn right it has." Bucky grinned, happy to have the teen's support. "We pile into the RV and don't pull over 'til we see the water, and if anyone's dead-set on staying, then, well, that's the way it goes." He explained as they reach the destroyed remains of the pharmacy and drugstore. "Okay, just like last time, over the rig, into the pharmacy, and scrape together whatever supplies are left."

"We didn't leave much in there." He sighed.

"We're out of options, somethin's better than nothin'." Bucky glared as he climbed up the ladder on the side of the truck that had crashed into the pharmacy. As he reached the top, one side of the ladder became slightly unattached.

"You okay?" Danny asked.

"The ladder's come loose, I'm not sure how many more trips she's got in her."

"I'm not sure how many more trips we've got in us."

"No kiddin'." Danny sighed before noticing Bucky was still clutching his injured side. "Still sore?"

"I took a bullet to the gut, what do you think?" He glared.

"Maybe you should have stayed behind."

"I'll be alright."

"Think we'll find anything?" Danny asked. "Not much left in there."

"You're right, we're lucky we found that van, despite you and those kids getting all high and mighty about it; if we'd hit the road as I suggested, we wouldn't be in this situation." He glared. Danny simply rolled his eyes and grabbed onto the bottom rung of the ladder only for the whole thing to suddenly break off. Danny growled and tossed it to the ground.

"Looks like she's had it." He glared.

"What now?"

"I'll find another way up." He said and looked around for another way up. He saw the abandoned army jeep parked very close to the truck and thought about climbing on the wrecked car and climbing up. He tried to push the jeep forward but was unsuccessful. He looked at the jeep's tire and glared when he saw all the tires were completely flat. He had to find a way to move the car and noticed the winch attached to the front of the wrecked jeep.

He examined the winch and it looked like it still worked.

He looked at the winch controls and was overjoyed to see that they were working. He carefully pulled the winch and attached it to the side of the truck before rushing back to the jeep and activating the winch. The winch started pulling the jeep towards the truck and Danny walked beside it.

"Vicky's not doin' so good, huh?" Bucky suddenly asked, a clear look of regret on his face.

"It's not good," Danny admitted. "I'm worried."

"No shit, there's a lot to be worried about, she's gonna snap."

"Your boy and Tootie still upset with me for taking stuff out of that van?"

"I haven't asked."

"You even TALK to those boys anymore?" Bucky accused as the jeep reached the truck, and Danny climbed onto it; the teen glared at him but didn't respond as Bucky's expression softened. "Chester was asking about that woman at that school last night."

"Really? I wasn't sure it phased him." Danny shrugged.

"Of course it did!" Bucky snapped.

"It was a scary situation for him; Dolores dying and all." Danny sighed, remembering the fear in the blonde child's face when Danny saved him.

"I'm just worried he'll always think it was his fault." Bucky sighed as he extended his hand towards his younger friend.

"You sure you're up for this?" Danny asked, looking at Bucky's recovering side.

"Kid, I'm fine, I've got this, gimme your hand." He ordered. Danny shrugged before grabbing the man's hand and Bucky began to help him up, but suddenly dropped him onto the jeep and groaned in pain, holding his side. The black and white-haired teen cried out in pain as his back hit the hood of the jeep. Bucky quickly looked out at the street but sighed in relief when no ghosts or infected appear.

"Nice one; next time I'm bringing Dash!" Danny remarked as he stood back up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He grunted, still holding his side. "Shit, I'm sorry, pal, I thought it'd be healed up better."

"You're lucky it wasn't any worse," Danny said. "You could of-"

All of a sudden, a bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence as a grime-covered woman ran out of one of the buildings as three infected chase and surround her in the streets.

"GO AWAY! HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME! OH, GOD! OH, GOD!" The woman desperately bawled.

"What the- what the hell is that?! An infected?!" Bucky exclaimed.

"The infected don't scream! Do they?" Danny asked.

"Jesus! I don't think so." He replied as Danny looked through the scope of the rifle. The woman continued screaming and calling for help; a zombie grabbed onto her as she fell to the ground, but she managed to push it away and get up.

"It's a girl! We have to help her!" Danny insisted.

"How?! There's no gettin' to her!" Bucky exclaimed.

"We gotta do something!" He glared and raised the gun to shoot the infected and save the stranger until an infected crawling on the ground snuck up on the woman and bit into the woman's leg. Danny's heart dropped, knowing it was too late to save her. "Fuck, we gotta shoot her, put her out of this misery."

"They don't know we're here." Bucky suddenly said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we leave her alive and she draws them all to her, buying us time." He explained, shocking Danny. "Think about it! We're always worryin' about the ones we can't see; she stays alive and brings them all out of their holes!" He added. Danny wanted to object to this horrible idea but when he looked back to the girl he saw an infected pull the girl's hair and bit her shoulder. She stumbled away and more infected continued to swarm her.

Danny fought to keep himself from throwing up as he turned his back on the woman, desperately trying to ignore her cries for help.

Bucky helped the teen up to the top of the truck and they enter the backdoor to the drugstore, closing it behind them. Even from inside the pharmacy, Danny and Bucky could still hear the screams of the woman.

"We should be good to clear this place out, but we ain't got all day," Bucky said. "Get everything you can out of these racks, don't forget underneath the counter this time! I'll clear down here and then we gotta go!" He ordered before running ahead.

Danny quickly began moving a shelf upright and looked down the different aisles. There were plenty of items still in the drugstore. Between the two of them, they had found: adhesive bandages, gauze, medical tape, antibiotics, antiviral drugs, painkillers, antihistamine, aspirin, laxative, hand sanitizing liquid, candles, a multi-use tool, paper towels, tweezers, plasters, safety pins, a thermometer, superglue, and needles. As they regrouped and secured the supplies, the screaming faded into silence.

"She's gone," Bucky stated sadly before steeling his gaze. "There's not much time now."

"I think that's everything!" Danny exclaimed as he doubled checked.

"That girl didn't die for nothin', then," Bucky said when a large group of infected started pounding on the door. Bucky swiftly jumped over the counter and Danny followed suit. Before they could run, however, the infected managed to knock a door over, trapping Danny beneath it. The teen tried to push the door off himself, but with the infected piling on top, it was too heavy. Bucky ran over and helped him lift the door off himself and drew his pistol.

Danny pushed a nearby fridge over, blocking the door and crushing an infected beneath it.

Bucky started shooting the nearby infected as they ran to the front of the drugstore. As Danny followed him, an infected suddenly jumped out in front of him. Danny whacked the zombie with his rifle; it tried to grab him but he used his rifle to push it back into the debris, and its chest was impaled on a piece of rebar. More infected started to approach.

"Let's go, pal!" Bucky called as he and Danny escaped through a hole in the wall...