The emergency room doors flew open as a team of EMS workers rushed the little boy into the trauma unit.

The car he was in had been in a head on collision with another driver who fell asleep at the wheel. His parents were killed instantly but the boy, who had been sitting in the backseat, was still alive… but just barely. He was covered in blood and shattered glass. He had a compound fracture of his left leg and his left arm hung awkwardly by his side. His face was beginning to swell and the lacerations on his scalp were the most concerning. He probably suffered head trauma and the risk of brain edema was very high. Tess needed to take care of him, now.

The nurses removed his clothing and started hooking him up to various machines. Tess prepared herself as she asked for her tools to intubate. His breathing was labored and it sounded like he had fluid in his lungs. This poor kid was in such bad shape and yet somehow he was still clinging on to life. Tess was going to do everything to save him; he was a fighter. She knew that kids always stood the best chance of surviving. They were so strong… but as she approached the boy, ready to intubate, the monitor started going off.

"He's in v-tach doctor!" the nurse yelled out.

Shit.

Tess got the crash cart ready instead and prepared to shock him. The small lifeless body jolted up as the current ran through him. His heart didn't respond. She tried again and waited. She checked for a pulse, willing him to send her some kind of sign that he was still alive.

"Again! Lets shock him again". Tess yelled as he looked at the boy. But there was no response. Tess suddenly realized how quiet it had gotten except for the beeping monitor. She gazed around the room and turned to look behind her. Everyone was gone. What happened?

The monitor made even more erratic noises until he flat lined. That sound painfully rang in her ears. She threw the paddles down and started manual resuscitation. She couldn't think about anything around her; she had to focus on the boy…but nothing was working. She stopped just long enough to check for a pulse or breathing. Anything.

But there was nothing.

The blood was starting to trickle off the side of the stretcher. His skin, a ghostly pale color. What the hell, how did this happen so fast? Where is everyone? The lump in her throat was so dry and she could feel the frustration welling up inside her. She turned around to look to see what happened.

Just then, a cool, wet hand grasped her wrist before she could walk away. Tess jumped and turned to see what it was. The boys distorted arm was now outstretched and his bloody hand was tightly squeezing her, not willing to let go. She tried tugging her hand away; the shock was too strong for her to react any further.

Then as she looked at the boy, stunned, a pair of heavy hands clasped her shoulders from behind and she tried to glance back. The room around her darkened and she heard the familiar sounds of growling and gnashing teeth. The hands grabbing her reeked of putrid meat. The skin was blackened and peeling. The bright white bone was exposed at the knuckles. She tried to scream but no noise came out. The boy was now sitting up; its face was no longer his. It was as rotted as the hands on her shoulders. She tried with all her strength to get away from them both and managed to fall towards a corner of the room. It was the first chance she got at seeing what was behind her.

Her heart sank.

Michael.

Somehow, through the dead flesh and blood, she recognized the outline of his face. The face that always looked so comforting and calm when she would wake up beside him in the mornings. His hazel eyes were glazed over and his jaw was now crooked as he bared his teeth. He made his way over to her as more decaying figures entered the room. She curled into herself, accepting what was about to happen…as if it was what she deserved.

I waited for you but you never came! Why didn't you keep your promise? How was I supposed to do this without you? I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry…

Tears streamed down her face. She was crying; she could feel it. Michael closed in on her and she shut her eyes.

The screaming made Tess open her eyes again. She was the one yelling. She sat up, no longer feeling the cold, hard ground underneath her. Instead, she felt the soft and forgiving mattress she was currently on. She was in the bunker, alone.

Tess tried to steady her breath. Just a moment ago, she was trying to make some kind of peace with her inevitable end. Michael and all the other infected in the ER were coming right at her.

It was a dream.

Sweat covered her body and she was feeling constricted under the layers of clothes she was wearing. She quickly took off her sweater and boots. She stood up and walked up to the small mirror hanging on the wall. Tess wanted to make sure she wasn't rotted like those things.

All she saw was her exhausted pale face and messy brown hair.

Her heart was making its way down to a more even and relaxed pace. She placed her hands on either side of the mirror to steady herself. She was really breaking down… again.

She was glad Ryan wasn't around to see her wake up like that. Maybe he finally had enough of her and left… but more than likely, he was just out using the bathroom or something.

Tess allowed herself to take one last glance in the mirror before taking a seat. That's when she noticed something on her skin.

It looked like her shoulders were slightly bruised. She placed a hand on it and it surprised her to feel how hot it was. Bruises weren't supposed to feel like that. How could she have gotten that? Something didn't feel right.

Just then, Ryan came in.

"Didn't want to wake you. You seemed pretty exhausted"

"Yeah…thanks. Everything alright out there?" Tess tried not to sound too nervous.

"Just the usual" Ryan put his gun down next to the bunker door and walked over sit at the table.

Ever since that awful night almost a month back, when all those infected came through and very likely killed the people shooting at them, there seemed to be a steady amount coming through every day. It was nowhere near the amount from that night but it was enough to make Tess and Ryan too uncomfortable to leave. They could kill enough so that they could make it to the house and back safely, but what if they ran into a larger herd when they were without cover? What if those things found a way into the bunker? Tess and Ryan decided it would be best to make their way back north and maybe eventually DC. The isolation was getting to them… they had to leave as soon as they could. If the infected came less frequently or in smaller numbers, maybe they'd find a way to leave in their truck and head north. Although they were still weary of trusting anyone, maybe they'd find a group they could watch first and if they seemed ok enough, join them. Eventually, their safety might depend on numbers and if the loneliness wasn't going to kill them, the lack of manpower would.

…And in the back of her mind, Tess always hoped they might find Michael. Tess never really brought up the topic because it was too painful to vocalize but there wasn't a moment he didn't think of him. Her dreams about him were also becoming more frequent and more disturbing. This was the first time she dreamt about him as one of them. It left her with an ache in her stomach…like it meant something more than just a dream.

She could still feel the odd warmth on her shoulders as she tried to go to sleep that evening.

Ryan sensed something was off when he returned earlier but he didn't bring it up. He had heard her talking in her sleep before. He figured he was probably doing the same thing when he slept. Tess would bring it up if she wanted to talk about it.

Tess couldn't get her mind to calm down enough to sleep. She had to get what was bothering her off of her chest even if it sounded completely insane. Her heart knew the truth. She wanted to ignore it but something about how much it had been invading her thoughts lately just pushed her even more to say something. It was what she had to do…for her sanity.

"Ryan"

"mhm"

"When you were gone, I had a nightmare"

Tess could hear him moving in his bed. "What about"

"….him…"

It was quiet for a moment. "Are you ok?"

"…I..I don't think he is….. I know I can't prove it…but…something in my gut tells me I need to believe this.."

"what?" Ryan got up and turned the light on. Tess was already sitting up in her bed and he came over and sat with her. He placed a hand on hers, which was tightly holding the sheets under her. She relaxed slightly and looked at him, tears threatening to fall.

"He's gone. Michael's gone. I don't think he always was but I think he is now. Recently I've been feeling like something bad happened…my heart is telling me it".

Silence filled the room

Ryan let out a sigh. "…are you sure Tess?"

She tightened her hold on his hand

"I could never begin to tell you how grateful I am to have you in my life Ryan. You're the reason I'm still here. I've been such an idiot and clearly not cut out for how life is now but because of you, I made it. You've been the one to push me ahead…you've kept me going even when I was tripping over my own feet…. but Michael…he was like that light shining at the end of it all for me. The thought of him being out there gave me some kind of direction through this mess. Finding him was something I believed I might be able to do right for once…But now… that light is gone. I don't know if it would be fair to you to keep pushing me ahead. I feel lost without him. We never had that chance to say goodbye one last time and I don't know if I'll ever get over that".

"You don't know that. He could still be out there like we are"

"I just know. He's gone" Tess voice was trembling now. She couldn't hold it in much longer.

Ryan got up from the bed and knelt down in front of Tess. He took her hands in his and looked straight into her eyes. "You're not Tess. We're not. We're still making it. I'm not leaving you and you're staying with me whether you like it or not. You've kept me alive too you know… You need to believe in yourself. Michael would want you to do that".

Tess smiled at that. He would. I just don't know if I'm strong enough…

"You're a strong woman Tess. Don't doubt that for a moment. I can't begin to count how many lives you have saved in the time I've known you…yeah sure, now we have to be physically strong as well but mentally, I know you've got that and if anything, that's what matters most. We may be surviving, but as long as we're together, I know we're going to live".

Tess smiled although tears were streaming down her face. She needed to hear that. It didn't change how she felt about Michael possibly being dead but it was some kind of step forward and she felt like there might still be a chance that she'd get through this, with Ryan by her side…

They figured out a plan to head back north. It seemed safe enough to stay in the bunker but they both knew no place would remain that way. They had a car and fuel and they picked out the essential supplies they'd need from the bunker. They had more weapons then they could carry but they'd take all they could. The infected herds that made their way over the property in the last weeks/months were heading southeast so hopefully, the numbers would be less heading in the opposite direction.

It was nice to finally move on. Not that bad memories could be avoided but, leaving that place was like putting the past events to rest. It could be an attempt at another new start.