Joel returned to the restaurant part of the hotel where the main doors were. Earlier, all the patrons and staff of the Executive had gathered around the hung up Panasonic television in the corner where the news had given them the terrible story of how this fungus- Cordyceps- was destroying the world. How the government was establishing safe zones, but struggling to do so. How survivors should keep the news on until they had updates on where people could go for safety.

Tommy and Shane were down here now, checking the security of all the chairs, tables, and miscellaneous furniture they had piled up against the door.

"Hey Tommy."

Joel thought he'd announce his presence, not wanting to sneak up on the high-alert, armed men- sleep-deprived armed men that was.

Tommy swung around- Shane too- not aiming their gun, but with Tommy's hand over where it was in his belt. His eyes were wide and red. He looked like shit.

Shane too had a tight grip on his shotgun. Joel hadn't seen him set it down or loosen his grip for that matter in the nearly twenty hours that he had known him.

"Joel, what are you doing up?" Tommy asked.

"Couldn't sleep, but you should. I can take over for you."

"You think I'll be able to either?" Tommy scoffed.

"Even if you can't, I'd appreciate you looking out for Sarah while I stretch my legs. I'll make myself useful."

"It wouldn't hurt for you to get some rest," Shane added, shrugging at Tommy.

Tommy's face was tight with consideration, but it fell in all only a moment.

Joel turned around swiftly at the noise of footsteps coming down the hall, but relaxed at seeing it was no threat to them.

"What are you doing out of your room, Dale?" Shane asked.

He was an older guy, late fifties at Joel's best guess. He hadn't recalled his name until Shane had mentioned it just now. He only knew that he was the hotel's maintenance man. Dale was someone known around town. In a small town like this, Joel was realizing he and his family were some of the only strangers in this hotel.

"This is very important," Dale said, the look in his wide eyes telling them he was completely serious. "I've been watching the news all night, waiting for an update, and we've got one."

"Don't you think it can wait?" Shane challenged. "Rick and I asked everyone to stay in their rooms during sundown for a reason."

"No. Listen, did any of you see anyone yesterday eating any bread products? Biscuits, toast, a sandwich, anything?"

Dale pushed past Joel, going for the kitchen.

Joel exchanged a look with Tommy. All he'd had time for was scrambled eggs and a hashbrown. Tommy and Sarah had each had eggs and orange juice.

"Not that I can remember," he said.

"Listen, according to the people on the news, there was something going on with bread products, all over the world. We need to be rid of them. They are how this thing spread, and spread so fast."

"Wait, hold on," Shane jogged to keep up with Dale, Tommy and Joel following behind the two men. "What are you suggesting we do here? Bread products? Hell, that's most of our food. We don't know how long we're going to be trapped in here."

"It'll be more dangerous in here than out there if anyone eats any grain."

"Someone had to have eaten grains, it's a restaurant for God's sake," Shane said. "And everyone in here is still alive."

"No," Tommy stated. "Joel, don't you remember? That waitress, she had said there was a cockroach infestation. Their bread and flour was no good. Sarah tried to order the house cake for your birthday, but they couldn't without any flour."

Shane dared to let out a chuckle. "Some way to spend your birthday."

Joel was well aware and didn't want to talk of it.

"Never thought I'd say this, but cockroaches may have saved the lives of everyone in here," Dale went on. "Still, we should double check, make sure no bread products are left over. Biscuits, English muffins, anything."

"Dale, come on, now, can we talk this through?" Shane implored. "You can't just come in here and make that decision for everyone."

"It was the flour mills," Dale said. "Jakarta, places like that that supply much of the flour for the world that got hit first. Some kind of fungus adapted and started growing in the flour mills."

"No offense, Deputy, but we get to make that decision," Joel had to agree with the maintenance guy on this one. "If getting rid of every cracker, chip, and cookie in here might save my daughter's life, then we'll take that chance. What are you suggesting? All fifty people in this hotel get a say? You're a cop, you know people don't make good decisions when all riled up in a group. And if you don't know that, you're one of the dumb ones."

"Ain't the way I'd have said it, but my brother's right," Tommy shrugged, deciding to speak first before Shane could react to Joel's passive insult. "We can't risk it. If your partner and the others are mad in the morning, well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Shane sighed. He was outnumbered. "Alright."