"I'm sorry," Five replied sadly, utterly at a loss for anything else to say. If Sam didn't believe her, then who would? "I don't know how to explain it. Do—do a lot of people think I'm guilty?"

"Well, that's another part of it. You've made quite a name for yourself around here," Sam admitted. "Now that you helped get those zombs to New Canton… well. That was quite a feat."

Five frowned. "You mean…"

"I mean a lot of people think you're a great addition to Abel," Sam replied earnestly. "Including me."

"You… so you don't think I attacked the helicopter?"

Sam watched her intently. "No, Five. I really don't think you did. That launcher probably came from the wilderness."

Five willed her shaking to lessen, but she just stared down at her hands.

"Please don't let them kick me out. Mullins won't come looking for me, and I…" she trailed off. "I don't want to leave."

Sam sighed. "We need every good hand we can find, and you're great. Don't listen to Eight. She's trying to protect us and means well, but she can seem rough."

"I wish I could prove that I'm not the villain here." Five looked out the comms tower window, watching small zombie hordes run around.

Sam chuckled. "Keep rounding the zombies away from us and you'll be golden." He stretched and stood up, yawning. "Come on, Five. You look tired. You should go and get some sleep."

Five did suddenly feel exhausted and stood up as well. "Sure, all right. You want to head over to the residences?"

"Nah, I have to stay up a little longer. I'm on guard duty. Seems like I'm on guard duty a lot of nights, considering the good view that the comms tower gets."

"So you won't sleep tonight?" Five asked, aghast.

"I'll sleep, but not for another few hours. And by then I'll just end up sleeping here. It happens a lot."

Five frowned and looked around Sam's control room. "That doesn't seem very comfortable…"

"That's because you haven't seen all of the tower," Sam smirked. Then, he seemed to realize what he said and gasped a little. "I—I mean—"

"Oh, keeping secrets now, are we?" Five chortled.

"I—no—I didn't mean—" Sam stammered. "No, of course I'm not—"

Five allowed him to jabber nervously into silence, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Come on, Sam, a piece of toast could lie better than you. What are you hiding?"

Sam's jaw flapped silently for a second in protest; finally, he sighed in resignation. "If—if you tell anyone, I'll—"

"You'll what? Run me out of Abel?"

Sam huffed, only slightly irritated. "Come on."

Grinning, Five followed the radio controller down the comms tower's stairs to the second level. A small door was imposed in the wall, and Sam unlocked it, glancing back at Five briefly before showing her inside.

The room just below Sam's control room was a small, makeshift bedroom. An old-looking but large mattress with blankets and pillows was messily piled in one corner. One small window lined the wall facing the west, so the last few rays of sun were shining into the room and burning the wooden walls orange. Beside Sam's bed lay a wooden crate and a chipped lantern with a small pile of books. On the other side of the room, Sam had piled old, broken headsets and communications supplies that needed fixing. Besides that, the room was bare.

"Ohh…" Five smiled. "This is why I don't see you around the residence halls much. You have your own room!"

Sam chuckled. "No one really needs this room. The mattress was extra from the hospital. They were just going to throw it away because of how ratty the springs are. I dragged it in here and used the blankets from my bunk, and this is generally where I sleep." He looked around his room proudly for a moment before letting his smile slip. "Really, though. Don't tell anyone, all right? Janine, the owner of this place, doesn't even realize I've claimed this area."

"I won't," Five replied warmly. "Don't worry. Besides, would she really take this away from you if she found out about it?"

"Probably not," Sam shrugged. "But Janine comes barging into my office enough; if she figured out I spent most of my nights away from the residences, she'd be knocking on this door from dusk 'til dawn. I'd never get any sleep at all."

"Well, I wouldn't want you falling asleep on the job, would I?" Five replied cheekily. "Suddenly, right as the zombies are onto me, I hear snores from your end and it's all over."

Sam laughed. "I'd never fall asleep while you're on the run."

"Is that so?"

"Absolutely. You'd be turned in about twenty seconds out there without my guidance."

Five rolled her eyes. "You have so much faith in me."

"Of course," Sam grinned. "I couldn't let the newbie fall prey to the hordes. My reputation would be ruined!"

Five yawned again suddenly, her eyes drooping. "In that case, I'd better get some sleep. Otherwise, I might get caught with or without you." She turned to leave Sam's room. "Good night, Sam. See you at breakfast?"

"Of course."

"And… thanks for showing me this. Your secret's safe with me."

Sam smiled. "Sleep well, Runner Five."