-CCF Day Seven-

Alone.

Ever since the truth had come out that she was a Mantah Corp spy, and for the briefest of moments everyone turned against her, Sammy had felt so alone.

The self appointed chef and all around Jack-of-all-trades had kept herself busy in the kitchen, at least twice a day to insure that her friends had something good in their bellies while they played this long, terrible waiting game. The upside was that if she told everyone that she had things under control it gave her space and time to think. The downside was if she told everyone that she had things under control it gave her space and time to think, and sometimes thinking could be the enemy.

Sammy had never been a very sullen person, but loneliness was something the girl had been familiar with when she was younger. Feeling different, weird, a mishaped piece in the wrong puzzle box, it took her a while to put herself together and find exactly where she fit. Her worst bout of depression had come in the form of immense disphoria under the oppressive weight and expectation of public perception. Her family helped her out of it, reaching down into that pit of dispair and pulling the girl she'd felt she'd had to hide away into the glow of daylight. She hadn't felt lonely or unseen after that, but now, now she found herself brooding again, her jagged edges rough against the smoothe curves of the other campers, another puzzle she just wasn't made for.

"Nah, don't be stupid!" she scolded herself, talking aloud as she cooked, in the same way she had always told her mama made her look like a crazy person. "They're your friends and haven't ever been anythin' but, don't go diggin' into your own head Sammy Gutierrez!" the Texan chided, brandishing a mush covered spoon as she stirred the thickening oatmeal she was making for breakfast. It went perfectly with the melons she was able to salvage, at least the ones that hadn't gone too soft yet.

Even as the girl tried to bolster herself up, there was a small twinge of pain in her heart, a little shard of glass bearing Yasmina's name lodged deep within. Staring into the mesmerizing grey bog of hot cereal as she stirred the lazily bubbling slurry, Sammy's mind fell away from the present. How could she have been so stupid? she wondered, spoon circling the pot on autopilot.

They had kissed, more than once. Yasmina had said the "L" word. Worse, Sammy still felt the "L" word, but- Letting out a shaky breath as the tears emerged Sammy couldn't help but wonder what she was doing. Head over heels for a girl she had just met, who had shared precious little of herself, and now hated her? Trying to shrug it off as in ill-fated summer romance doomed from the beginning, Sammy focused on her relationships with the others.

Brooklynn had been right the other day of course, it was alright to be scared, but she was letting that fear take her down avenues that needn't be tread. Her pent anxiety over their seemingly lackadaisical rescuers, mingled with Yasmina's silence, and her personal insecurities into a typhoon that made her sick inside and fear the worst. No one actually hated her, not even Yaz- she hoped, besides they were all together now, the helicopters would return eventually, and things could only get only get better from here on out, and she could see her family again!

Her vim and vigor restored by the happy thoughts the girl banged the hearty lumps of oatmeal from the spoon back into the pot before turning to fetch some bowls. Humming a little ditty as she plated up Sammy was sure to grab a couple bunches of quickly wilting celery, a clear favorite of Bumpy's, on the way out. Now, if only house breaking a dinosaur was as easy as all the rest they'd be set. Somehow, cleanup had fallen on Sammy's shoulders as well after she'd compared the task with mucking out the stalls back home.

When would the cowgirl ever remember to keep her big mouth shut? She wondered with a giggle heading for the elevators. Oh well, it wasn't that bad.

Walking into 608 once again triumphant Sammy announced, "Breakfast y'all!" as she headed towards the bedroom where they had taken up primary residence.

"Smells good!" Darius beamed from his post at the window, keeping vigil over the silent park. "I cook dinner tonight though, deal?"

Sammy contemplated the offer for a moment a wry smile coming to play on her face, "What did you have in mind?" Stumped as he got up to help himself to the butter and honey on the cart the boy froze. "Do you know how to cook?" Sammy pressed her grin widening.

"Spaghetti!" Darius announced victoriously as Brooklynn sidled up to him, dressing her own bowl with a dollup of the sweet stuff.

"Didn't see any Ragu or Prego down there did you, Sammy?" the pink hair girl smirked, passing Sammy a wink.

"Shit." Darius muttered under his breath.

"What now big man?" Sammy mocked, relief filling her soul as she watched the boy's brown eyes dart around the room as if seeking out help. Oh yeah, they were still her friends, and she had nothing to worry about, she concluded when the boy seemed to stop and stare at something over her shoulder.

Turning Sammy caught Kenji pantomiming something to Darius whose face scrunched in confusion. "Poker?" Darius asked with a laugh.

"Ugh!" Kenji groaned with exasperation. "Grilled cheese sandwiches!"

"What? How is that-" Darius tried to reason mimicking the other boy's movements.

"Have you ever actually set foot in a kitchen before?" Yasmina asked the rich kid with disbelief as Sammy wheeled the cart between the beds, casually tossing the celery to a baying Bumpy as she went.

"Yes!" Kenji snapped incredulously, clearly offended as he slumped lower into the bed.

"To nnn-nnn cook?" Ben, his eyes closed elaborated on the question with the murmur.

"Yes!" Kenji shouted, looking at everyone irritably.

"What?" Yaz smirked.

Kenji was quiet for a minute, a range of emotions clouding his face before he defiantly informed the others with a clear sense of pride and authority, "Toast."

"You b-burned it nnn-nnn huh?" Ben asked from beside him.

A flush of embarrassment rising in his cheeks Kenji avoided eye contact with the others, "No!"

"Yes!" Yasmina laughed falling back onto her pillows.

"I actually used to cook all the time with my mom," Kenji muttered then, his tone dropping suddenly. "But that was a long time ago."

Sammy's heart fell as she saw the gloom wash over the boy's face, a particular light flickering out in his gaze. She couldn't even imagine. No one seemed sure what to say just then as the atmosphere shifted. Thinking quickly as she handed him a bowl Sammy rushed to change the subject when Ben spoke first, "W-w-what was your nnn-nnn-nnn, your favorite thing to-to cook with her?"

Sammy could feel her heart beginning to race, a lump forming in her throat as she watched, bracing herself for tears, and trying to think of ways to make it all better. Then, to her surprise Kenji's face lit up after a few minutes of consideration.

"Nikuman." Kenji beamed brightly, a distant look in his eye as though he had just been teleported several years into the past. "They're these cabbage and pork filled steam buns. You're supposed to crimp and fold them a certain way," he explained, putting his bowl in his lap and demonstrating with his hands. "But I couldn't ever get it right and my buns would always split, or come open at the top. They were so damn ugly!" he laughed. "But my mom would always pick them first out of the basket, and tell me how delicious and well made they were. I was little. I know she was just trying to cheer me up but- It just made me so damn happy and proud of myself, you know?"

"That sounds nnn-nnn really-eally nice." Ben said trying to sit up after a minute.

"Yeah!" Sammy agreed racing to help him as she did.

"I-I've got it." he muttered trying to wave her away.

"Don't be silly, here!" the Texan said with a smile, one hand looping under the boy's armpit, the other pressed against his back which felt boney beneath the oversized shirt that dangled loosely about him.

"I said- said I've got it!" Ben snapped as Sammy hastily stuffed some pillows behind him to help keep him upright.

"Here, what do you want in it?" the girl asked pointing between the sweeteners and butter on the cart.

"I-I nnn-nnn, I can do it!" Ben protested reaching with wobbly hands for the bowl.

He was going to drop it and burn himself, Sammy thought watching the disoriented way the shell of a boy moved. "It's alright, I don't mind!" she assured trying to remain helpful and upbeat as she took a spoonful of sugar and piled it onto the oatmeal. She couldn't remember exactly what, but he'd had something against honey before life went to hell in a hand basket.

"Careful, it's hot." she cautioned handing it to him.

His brow furrowed Ben started muttering and stammering something under his breath. The girl watched as he struggled, his jaw clenched, throat moving in deep gulps as the words became caught behind his teeth. She felt a chill of fear. Something was very, very wrong with Ben, and if they didn't get him help soon- a shudder wracked her body. She didn't want to imagine what would happen, he was already sleeping most of the time anyways, too sick and too exhausted for much else.

"Take your time!" Sammy said with gentle encouragement, a hand reaching instinctively to feel for the constant fever the boy had been battling. She prayed it wasn't getting worse.

With a roar of frustration and anger Ben slapped her hand away, and sent his oatmeal splattering in thick globs across the bedding and carpet, startling everyone.

"J-just nnn-nnn just nnn-nnn-nnn just leave me the fuck al-alone!" Ben stammer-shouted before pulling the comforter to his mouth and letting out a muffled scream. "I'm, I'm not a baby! Nnn-nnn I can do things for mys-myself! I just c-can't f-f-fucking talk!"

Her heart hammering loudly in her ears Sammy felt like crap as she watched the boy she'd been so worried about crumble into a heap of tears. He was just in such a bad way, and seemed so helpless, all she wanted to do was take care of him, like she felt he needed to be. Cleaning up what sticky clumps of oatmeal that Bumpy wasn't already lapping at Sammy knew that in spite of her best intentions, she'd fucked up somehow.

"I'm sorry." she apologized as she worked on the blankets next. "I was just trying to help. I'm just scared-" she said her voice breaking when Ben began yelling again.

"S-so am I!" he wailed, fingers tightly laced through his hair. "Nnn-nnn it's happ-happening to me! I'm, I'm, I'm nnn-nnn-nnn the o-one stuck in here, not y-you! Nnn-nnn-nnn, nnn-nnn!"

His words stole Sammy's breath away, she'd been so worried about taking care of him she, the others, no one had given thought to what he must be going through. "I'm sorry." she whispered, turning to move away. A jolt of surprise lanced through her at the hand on her forearm, she turned to see big weepy blue eyes staring at her.

"It's ok." Ben murmured giving her a squeeze. "M-me too. Nnn-nnn I know you're t-trying... I'm just so sc-scared."

Smiling a little brighter Sammy leaned across the bed, pulling the boy into a tight embrace that made her feel like everything was going to be alright, she hoped it did the same for him.

"Nnn-nnn sorry e-everyone." he the addressed the room wiping at stray tears that refuse to go away.

"It's cool." Darius nodded.

"Yeah seriously don't worry about it!" Yaz shrugged at the same time Brooklynn laughed, "Hey, I've done worse, trust me!"

It was then as Sammy was considering going back downstairs to grab herself some of the extra food she'd left in the pan when Kenji bounced his eyebrows with mischief in her direction, as if to say "watch this!"

"I didn't know you swore." Kenji smirked inching closer to the other boy.

"Sh-shut up!" Ben blushed.

"Oh my God! Someone get the soap! Ben said a potty word!" the older boy egged him on, elbowing Ben playfully.

"I h-hate you!" Ben muttered into his hands, unable to keep from smiling broadly, and giving a sheepish laugh.

"Oh I'm telling!" Brooklynn joined in.

"And in front of Bumpy! Ben, how could you?" Yasmina scolded, the little animal giving a happy call when she recognized her name.

The illusive joy and relief of being alive quickly filled the room as everyone, even Ben laughed at his own expense. Making a breakfast of the fresh fruit alone Sammy settled on a chair between the beds, fending off an energetic Bumpy as everyone chatted casually while they ate. Taking Kenji's impromptu topic of choice they were quickly regaling one another with fond memories of favorite meals long past with their families.

Animated and holding his hands out with emphasis Darius was using his natural talent for storytelling to weave the narrative of his dad's famous smoked ribs.

"A rack for each of us!" the boy enthused. "My mom is in the kitchen making potato salad, coleslaw, fruit salad (with marshmallows) and an apple pie when my dad had me and Brand in the backyard helping him man the smoker, and he's got a rack for everyone!"

"That is a serious amount of food!" Yasmina laughed.

Scoffing Sammy waved the other girl's naivete aside, earning the briefest of smiles from her, before she seemed to remember and turned decidedly away. The glass plunged a little deeper.

"I know, right?" Darius laughed preparing to move on with his story when Kenji, utterly enthralled posed a question.

"So, this was for like a birthday, or holiday, or something right?" he asked trying to grasp the concept as he listened eagerly.

"Nope," Darius shook his head. "It was just because."

"Your dad sounds like he was the best!" Brooklynn smiled, playing with her food as she spoke. Just like a bird, Sammy thought affectionately, then her big sister instinct flared at the back of her mind.

It was probably nothing, Sammy reminded herself, but still she couldn't help but wonder if everything was alright with the other girl who seemed to only pick and her meals. Caught staring Sammy raised her spoon to the pink haired girl who returned the salute with her own before they each took a bite as they listened to their friend's tale.

"He really was." Darius agreed with a fond sorrow before going on.

"So we're just standing there when mom starts bringing out the rest of it and asks me and Brand for help when dad says, 'If I'd have known I was expected to eat my vegetables today I wouldn't have asked the butcher for the Flintstone special!'" Darius fell backwards howling with a contagious bout of laughter and lust for life as he tried to compose himself well enough to go on. "Then mom, she- she looked at him and said 'You yabba dabba didn't,' and dad opens the smoker and says 'I yabba dabba did!'"

The room rolled with laughter, as Darius broke off into a mirthful explanation if the playful trouble his dad had always managed to get himself into, and the twinkle his mom's eyes got whenever she had to pretend to be angry with him for it.

"They really did love each other huh?" Brooklynn beamed at the boy.

"They, they do." Darius agreed faithfully.

"I-I, I-I-I miss Saturday morning nnn-nnn fr-french toast." Ben smiled down into his bowl. "My m-mom would use left o-o-o-over challah, it nnn-nnn-nnn was the best. She- she-he hasn't made it in a-a nnn-nnn long time, time though."

"Why'd she stop?" Yasmina asked.

A somber expression cast over Ben's face as she shrugged in response.

"Breads a big part of some of my favorite foods too!" Sammy jumped in trying to banish the gloom that had come over Ben before it spread to the others. "Well, sorta, making and eating pan de muerto bread on The Day of the Dea-" Sammy stopped short, and her mouth slammed shut so quickly that the girl bit her tongue. Way to go Sammy! She scolded herself, way the disperse all the sadness bring up dead people!

"Um- but- oh you know how it is we always have so much to celebrate, because of such a big family! Birthdays and the like? Always something to celebrate! When something big happens we usually toss a steer on the fire so something, Easter and Christmas are always big, we make cakes, pies, puddin's oh! I have the best luck finding the baby Jesus in the roscón de reyes!" the cowgirl rambled, smiling so hard that her cheeks hurt. She could make it better, she could save the conversation, she could cheer up her friends- she had to!

"Sounds like you do a lot of cooking." Brooklynn observed with a grin.

"Only every day!" Sammy laughed. "When you live in a big family you kinda have to!"

"My family makes a lot of really good food so it's hard to pick just one thing, but I'd kill for some good biryani right about now." Yasmina announced to the room.

"What's that?" Brooklynn inquired leaning forward with interest. "Sounds exotic!"

Sammy noticed a twinge at the corner of the athlete's mouth as though she'd said something he hadn't meant to, dangerously close to giving up a secret she wanted desperately to hide. The cowgirl's heart sank empathetically, she understood the feeling all too well.

Assuming a cool demeanor Yasmina shrugged the question away, "It's just a fancy version of chicken and rice, nothing special."

As the campers whiled away the morning their eased conversations drifted gradually from one topic to the next, until at last they settled on the one thing that was on everyone's mind, rescue. Battle plans were discussed, assignments given, and with a growing optimism and confidence the children felt better prepared to face whatever happened when those choppers finally arrived.

"What I wanna know is what that little black bird was doing here, wasn't military that's for sure!" Sammy said after a while as she cleared the dishes away.

"I don't know," Darius who had busied himself with a park map and a couple pens said from his place on the floor. "It didn't seem to circle very long before it landed."

"Yeah," Yaz nodded sitting up in bed as she added to the conspiracy theory. "It was like they knew exactly what they were looking for, or who."

"Well, mayb-" Kenji winced, the automated attempt to shrug, arms raised sarcastically burned through his chest. "Fuck!" he breathed out on a labored hiss. "I just want to die already this fucki-"

Swinging his hand behind him Ben who had been laying with his eyes closed listening to his friends talk didn't care where he hit the other boy, just so long as he got his point across, as the others shouted their anger and disapproval. Kenji let out a frustrated groan as the back of Ben's hand slapped against his thigh.

"Seriously?" Yasmina questioned from the other bed.

"Yeah totally uncalled for." Brooklynn added.

"You all know what I meant!" Kenji argued.

"Yeah and that's not the dang point Kenji!" Sammy announced, hands on her hips and she turned back to address the room, letting the cart roll out into the hallway unattended.

"Darius?" Kenji tried.

"Nope I'm with them." Darius said without looking up from his work.

"Unbelievable!"

Walking back across the room Sammy settled into a comfortable position on the floor besides their leader. "How's it comin' along?" she asked watching him penning notes on a pad stolen from the front desk as he worked.

"Pretty good, what do you think?" the boy announced with a confident smile as he handed over the map and his quickly jotted notes.

The map in question was very simplistic, the kind found dotted in kiosks around the park with brightly colored icons made to illustrate attractions and make navigating the sometimes labyrinthian pathways about the heart of the island easier. Well, Sammy thought smirking to herself at all the little blue boxes with white stick figures inside them, at least we'll never have trouble finding a bathroom. Putting these thoughts aside Sammy reviewed the evacuation routes Darius had come up with, including the well thought out course changes and alternate routes should something come between them and largest part of main street left standing where they all assumed the helicopters would land.

"It looks like you've thought of literally everythin'!" Sammy mused with a smile as she marveled at his handy work.

"Yeah, I guess playing a bunch of strategy based games had to pay off sometime, huh?" he smiled back, looking more like his old self than Sammy had seen him in a while.

Without warning Bumpy-zilla bounded over the pair of them as they sat vulnerably within her reach, down on the ground. Letting out a bleating honk of excitement as she leaped up towards Sammy's face the little Ankylosaurus burst through the center of the paper map.

"Bumpy!" Sammy shrieked with startled surprise and upset.

"Oh my God!" Darius wailed at the same time, fingers digging into his dense curls as he leaped to his feet fighting not to scream, or worse, kick the animal as rage burnt through his chest.

Sammy picked up on that expression of complete loss on the boy's face instantly. "It's ok!" the girl said standing as she gently wrapped her hands around Darius' wrists and lowered them to his sides. "We still have all your notes and scenarios, the map was a good visual aid but you were going into have to redraw it a couple times anyway so that everyone had a copy, remember?" she asked ducking low so that her face filled the boy's line of sight. "Remember?"

"Yeah." he conceded with a sigh after a while. "Yeah you're right."

"I'm always right." Sammy winked earning a smile from her friend. "Now why don't we take a break and watch somethin'?"

"Ben picks!" Brooklynn announced through a yawn, allowing herself to finish before continuing her to voice her opinion. "Because he's actually awake."

"Seconded." Yasmina murmured tossing the remote from one bed to the other.

"So, what'll it be?" Kenji asked, fishing the device up from the blankets.

"It d-doesn't matter." Ben murmured settling back in a way that gave Sammy the impression that he was already trying to go back to sleep.

The Texan's heart began to race wildly, was that a good sign or a bad sign? She wondered. Good for fighting off the infections, your body needs a lot of rest for that, but it was bad for a head injury wasn't it? Pensively she watched him close his eyes with an exaggerated heaviness to them unsure of whether to try and rouse him, or let him drift off again.

"Come on man, you gotta pick!" Kenji said pestering the other boy.

"Yeah, what are you feeling, action, horror, comedy?" Yaz tried.

"Romance?" Brooklynn chipped in.

"Please no!" Darius laughed. "I mean unless you really want to."

"F-fine!" Ben groaned opening his eyes and sitting a little higher. "Sh-Sh-Shrek, nnn-nnn!" he announced.

"Uh, ok?" Kenji said freezing up tight in a way that made Sammy think he'd been about to shrug again, gesticulation the enemy.

A devious smile spread across Ben's face as he made himself more comfortable, adding, "The m-musical." to his request. "It's on nnn-nnn-nnn Netflix."

The campers exchanged parallel looks of confusion and concern, while she Cheshire cat that was Ben waited with patience.

"I don't know about y'all but I actually thought it was pretty cute!" Sammy said later when the actors were taking their bows.

"I crashed towards the end." Darius confessed, lifting his head from the blankets to rub his eyes. "Someone was still watching the window right?" he grumbled.

"Yeah, nothing's changed." Yaz confirmed as the others lazily discussed the movie.

"I really like the beginning with all the Fionas," Brookynn said. "It was really neat how-" she was saying when Kenji cut her off with a loud, "It was GAY!"

"Shut up!" Yasmina bellowed glaring at him. "You say that all the time and I hate it!"

"So?" the boy asked unpreturbed by her outburst already using the remote to navigate to something more entertaining, having been vetoed every time he tried to stop the show after Ben inevitably fell asleep.

"It's not right, how would you like something about you being turned into a insult?" Brooklynn added, backing the athlete up.

Sammy, feeling caught in the crossfire wanted it call him out on his behavior just as badly as that others, but her desire to keep the peace tugged at her heart even harder. Brows knit she held her hands up in surrender, as she tried to broker an accord. "Y'all, I think we should-"

"It'd be pretty hard to find something insulting to say about me, I mean, I am me!" Kenji larked.

"Just stop saying it." Yaz said making clear that she wasn't going to take any of his sass.

"You know what?" Brooklynn grinned through gritted teeth. "Just stop saying half the shit say, m'kay?"

"Guys!" Darius groaned collapsing back into the comforters with the resolution to sleep through this stupid fight. Still he found himself mumbling, "Can't we have one good day?" and sounding very much like his mom as he did.

"So, what you can only say something is 'gay' of you're gay?" Kenji tried to reason out with a cocky grin.

"Yes!" all three girls found themselves saying in unison.

"That's kinda gay." he announced deviously.

The room was filled with with the sound of the trio shouting, Sammy forsaking peace alongside the others before they seemed to back Kenji into a corner.

"Fine! Fine." Kenji conceded, anger and frustration flaring through him. After a few tense moments of silence he let out a pained laugh, one that his adversaries little liked the the sound of. "That movie was so chaotically pansexual that it hurt itself getting out of bed this morning! Better?"

All at once the electricity in the atmosphere was gone, and no one could contain their laughter. "What?" Darius asked behind his joyful tears face muffled by they blankets. In one way or another, Sammy realized then, they were all beginning to reach their breaking points.

"What? I needed to take a leak but I was half asleep and when saw my reflection and was like oh, hot guy alert act cool and face planted when I tripped over Bumpy." Kenji beamed cheekily.

"You did not!" Yasmina countered doubtfully.

"Sure did! And y'all are just a bunch of straight up hotties, so you know, deal with it."

Melting back into her seat, tension draining from her body as she laughed at Kenji's idiocy, Sammy glanced around at this patchwork group of friends. They were all so different, and their personalities clashed so much that it seemed like they just wouldn't work together. The girl usually felt the same exact way when laying out the pieces of a quilt with her abuela, yet those quilts always turned out to be the most beautiful tapestries, sewn together over time and with much love.

They were kind of becoming that, she mused, sure there were some fraying edges, her gaze drifted to Yasmina, but if her abuela and what happened between Darius and Kenji had taught her anything, it was that "a stitch in times saves nine." This thought warmed the girl over, comforting her to the core as she smiled to herself. Sammy loved her camp family.

The cowgirl let out a breath. She was going to be ok, they were all going to be ok.

That evening Sammy sat out on the balcony, slowly dragging her fork through the dinner that Darius had been a good enough man to keep his word and make. It was supposedly 'green bean casserole,' but given the ingredients the Texan was almost one hundred percent positive that he had gotten the name confused with shepard's pie. It wasn't bad, she pondered making moats with her mashed potatoes to catch some of the rather watery red sauce and clumps of half melted cheese, but it wasn't exactly good either. Still, she thought with gratitude as she watched an aerial battle taking place in the distance, it was food.

"They're, uh, they're getting kinda close huh?" Brooklynn asked, hugging herself as she stepped outside.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna stay out much longer," the cowgirl promised. "I just wanted-"

"Some breathing room?" the pink haired girl smiled as she leaned against the wall beside her.

"Exactly."

"You've been putting way too much on your plate lately, the cooking, the cleaning, head cheerleader." Brooklynn mused. "Maybe you should just step back a minute? Seriously Darius and I have things under control, just take a break tomorrow, so you're not burned out by the time rescue gets here, k?"

Sammy heard what Brooklynn was saying, but had difficulty taking it to heart, though she appreciated where it was coming from. How in the world was she supposed to stop? Everyone needed to be alright. Turning to thank her anyways Sammy came up short, brows knit.

"Speaking of plates," she said in her best sarcasm laced big sister tone. "Where's yours?" she pondered out loud, the creeping voice of suspicion whispering at the back of her mind again. Brooklynn hadn't had much of an appetite recently, sure stress affected people differently, but her lack of interest in one of the key components to survival was starting to worry the Texan.

"I'm not that hungry." the other girl waved her hand as though shooing a gnat.

"You gonna hurt his feelings." Sammy said applying the right amount of pressure she hoped would work. She watched as Brooklynn's expression shifted becoming something of a conflicted grimace. As she watched there seemed to be a battle going on behind Brooke's soft green eyes.

"You're right." she sighed at long last, turning back to go inside.

How was she supposed to let Brooklynn take care of things when she clearly couldn't even take care of herself? Sammy wondered. This glaring question aside, Brooklynn was right she was taking on too big a role. It felt like a heavy, wet, wool blanket had been draped over the children, and Sammy was doing her best to hold it up over their heads and winding up getting smothered by it in the process. Well, she thought smiling to herself when the other girl returned with a modest helping of casserole, suffocating or not, she was doing a pretty decent job as an optimist tent pole.

"It's actually not that bad." Brooklynn commented, leaning on the railing as she took a bite.

"It could use a little salt." Sammy murmured, leaning over to whisper as she joined her.

"Any sort of seasoning actually." the pink haired girl smirked. "Is this just, straight tomato sauce?"

"What's so funny?" Darius asked stepping outside to find the pair giggling.

"Nothing." Brooklynn was quick to say.

"Alright, then. Keep your secrets." the boy intoned giving them a look he felt they were meant to understand. "The Lord of the Rings?" He asked with disbelief when they didn't get it.

His dismay was quickly dispelled however by the spectacle in the sky. "Whoa!" he gasped watching the large flying replies circle and swoop, dropping like a stone one instant before soaring in a spiraling arch the next. The trio watched fixated on the terrifyingly beautiful ballet set against a backdrop of evening pinks and purples.

It was, in Sammy's humble opinion, one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen...

Jerking straight up in bed, severed from sleep in an instant Sammy struggled against the heavy downy comforter, and crisp linen sheets that had become tangled about her like a snare in her sleep. Heart racing as Darius stumbled in blinding everyone by turning on the lights Sammy hurled herself from bed and rushed to open the door to the balcony as they woke to the unmistakable roar of... gunfire.

Staring out into the pitch, power fluctuated across the heart of the park with patches of light fighting valiantly against the growing darkness Sammy squinted hard trying to locate the source of the sound.

"Where's it coming from?" Darius asked, at her side in an instant.

"I don't know, I can't tell!" Sammy snapped whipping her head from side, then she heard it, another burst of shots coming from the east. "There!" she pointed to a darkened stretch of buildings.

"What the fuck is going on?" Kenji bellowed as he struggled to get out of bed.

"I-is it the c-coast guard? Nnn-nnn thought you s-said rescue at-at-at night would be t-to nnn-nnn-nnn risky?" Ben asked Darius who shouted back, "I don't know I'm not a Navy Seal, I just assumed-"

Everyone stopped talking when the lights went out, Sammy felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Then they came back on seconds later, with Brooklynn at the helm, flicking them out once more. "What are you doing?" Darius barked as a slew of swearing tumbled from Kenji's lips, and a distressed baby Ankylosaurus started to honk with alarm.

Everything was happening so fast, and louder than all of her friends or even the ring of gunfire, all Sammy could hear was the rampant beating of her heart, eyes closed colorful orbs flaring across her vision as she started to shake.

"Will y'all just shut up?" she screamed turning on them, when it had all become too much. "Seriously, stop fighting, I can't ever hear myself fucking think! Now, Brooklynn what are you doing?" she added seeing her friend gape at her in surprise.

"Morse code, SOS with the lights." she explained fixing Kenji with a look as she did.

"That's a great idea!" Darius gasped before. "I'll man the room nextdoor!" as he tore through 608 and into the hallway beyond.

The situation quickly slipping between her fingers Sammy watched with anxiety as Yasmina forced herself to stand and hobbled to the light switch. "Tell me the pattern, and bring me a chair. I've got this room." Yaz instructed Brooklynn, a defiant look in her eye when Sammy seemed ready to protest.

"What should I do?" Kenji, eager to be of some some use asked.

"Could you make it to the room opposite Darius?" Sammy called sweeping the hair from her face with trembling fingers as she turned from the balcony, fists clenched. Adrenaline rushing throughout her body, she reminded herself that this what it, what they'd been waiting for, praying for, this was their salvation, and no time to go falling apart.

"Yes." Kenji declared forcing himself up.

"Then," Sammy said moving to help him up. "Let's go."

Awake all night, and running on several pots of coffee Sammy, like the others was beginning to feel delirious with fatigue as the hope drained from her very soul. By dawn no one had arrived, and by early morning the children could see no sign of a helicopter anywhere. Returning to their communal room they each seemed to struggle swallowing the bitter pill that all their efforts were for not by the time the sun had well and truly risen.

"You think it was another grab and run?" Kenji asked through a yawn as he tried to make himself comfortable, a nearly impossible task at this point, quiet tears soaking into his pillow.

"Like that first copter?" Brooklynn asked in a bitter tone as she stretched across the couch in the living room, eyes closed. "Probably, because who cares about us right? Just a bunch of kids, not like we're as valuable as some test tube or some shit."

"I'm sorry guys, I just- I really thought-" Darius began tears welling in his eyes.

"We all did." Yasmina assured him with a wavering smile. "It's ok. Let's just get some rest."

A grim depression settled around the room as everyone began to drift off at last. Sammy however, the weight of the world on her shoulders couldn't give in, no matter how badly she wanted to. Running through what had happened in her mind she silently vowed to keep watch, just in case. With a tepid coffee in hand she sat on her favorite chair just outside the sliding glass door and watchrd the day come to life.

The gunshots had to have been relatively close, she thought, and they came in bursts, bursts, that seemed centralized to one area, periodically throughout the night without much rhyme or reason. Blinking back tears Sammy tried to ignore the hopelessness she was feeling, focusing instead on what she felt she knew. If it had been a rescue they would have used flares and tried to make themselves visible to people, she concluded through the first of many sobs. So, it hadn't been one, it was another hiest like Kenji had suggested, or maybe even other survivors, or something but whatever it was it hadn't been- it hadn't been meant for them.

Curling into the gently weather worn cushions of the chair Sammy let herself cry, fists beating against the chair. It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair! She just wanted to go home! She just wanted her family back, and to be safe! She just wanted her friends to be safe! She didn't want to be surrounded by death all the time! And she didn't want to be in charge anymore! It wasn't fair! It's wasn't fair! It wasn't fair!

Screaming into the pillows the Texan yelled and wailed until her eyes were swollen and her throat was raw, then she screamed some more.

Exhaustion filling every fiber of her being Sammy sagged into her seat after a while, balanced on the precipice of sleep when she realized why Kenji had come out here that night, it was a good place to cry, she conceded blearily. Sammy jumped with a start when something cold touched her arm. Heart racing and eyes wide she turned ready for a fight.

Yasmina leaned heavily against the doorframe, a glass of water in one hand, a bottle of Tylenol in the other. Her mouth set in a hard line she handed both over before turning away again.

"Thank you." Sammy croaked hoarsely, but the athlete ignored her.

Popping the pain relievers and downing them with a blissfully cool water Sammy waited a moment as the numbness of the situation settled over her, post breakdown. So it hadn't been what they'd all been hoping for, she thought dismissively, there was probably always tomorrow.

As she stood the Texan felt marginally better than she had before, believing that, eventually they would all get off the island. With a shaken newfound courage, and the first seam between her and Yaz on the mend she got up ready to catch some much needed sleep, when she spotted it, a dark little figure hurrying across a dilapidated street. Watching as there appeared another, and another, a group of people huddled together and rushing down the road straight towards the Pre-Historic Plaza, she felt the world spin, dizzy with shock and unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Hey!" Sammy shouted hurling her glass through the air after she'd snapped out of it. "Hey, up here! We're here!" she practically sang through the gravel in her throat, waving her arms high above her head.

The others quickly joined her on the terrace all shouting and waving at the people heading their direction. Vomit rushed up Sammy's throat, but she swallowed it back down, as another rush coursed through her body.

They weren't alone! She thought tearily as the man in the lead called up "We see you!" in response as they got nearer to the base of the hotel.

"Sixth floor! Room eight!" Brooklynn who seemed ready to hop right out of her skin called down to them, her whole body vibrating with excitement yelled down to them.

"Copy that!" the armed man on point shouted back.

"ACU! They're with the ACU! I should have guessed!" Darius beamed as they watched the group enter their building, though the side of staggering and carried figures gave their hope a lance of anxiety. "They'll know what to do." Darius said with an infectious confidence.

"Is it really other people?" Kenji asked grabbing onto Sammy as she tried to rush past and welcome their new friends.

"Yes!" she grinned trying to pull away.

"Oh thank God!" Kenji sighed with relief, the defensive humor he got when nervous slipping into his voice. "Now I'll have someone interesting to talk to!"

Rolling her eyes Sammy pulled away and with Darius hot on her heels opened the front door, smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. Just then, the door burst open, catching her in the head and chest, knocking the air from her lungs as Sammy and Darius fell sprawled across the floor.

"Yadayk, 'arni yadika!" the man who'd kicked the door in shouted sweeping the nose of his weapon over the children who lay frightened and prone on the floor.

Brooklynn screamed and stepping into the room the man wearing Asset Containment Unit gear took aim in her direction.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Kenji shrieked grabbing the pink haired girl and yanking her towards the bed.

"Yadayk, 'arni yadika!" the man repeated with growing anger.

Heart racing the need to gasp for air losing to the fearful hitch in her throat that blocked it's passage, tears steaming down her cheeks her mind fled away from the scene unable to come to terms with what what happening when Sammy realized, this was how she was going to die.

"Stand down!" came another voice from the hall beyond 608. "Stand the fuck down!"

Another ACU guard stepped into the room grabbing the muzzle of the gun and turning it forcefully away from the children. "Steele you son of a bitch stand down!" he grit between his teeth getting in the first man's face.

'Steele' seemed dazed, taken aback as he looked around the room and all the young, frightening faces staring back at him as though seeing them for the first time.

"I was-"

"Take a walk." the second man commanded.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"I said to 'take a walk!'"

After a few tension filled moments the men separated, and Steele who chucked out a quick apology took his leave.

"Sgt. Purdy." the second man said reaching down to haul Sammy and Darius who recoiled to their feet.

Trembling Sammy yanked herself away, hugging Darius tightly against her as she backing away from the newcomer, eyes wide, blood trailing from a newly acquired gash in her forehead.

"Luis Purdy, we saw your SOS. That was some quick thinking." the man went on, slinging his gun higher over his shoulder, hands held up in surrender when he realized the moment still hadn't quite passed for the children.

"I'm sorry about that, Terry's a good guy, really is, most of us are retired military, saves on the training and the like." he smiled, the expression warming his features as creases formed around his eyes, but not enough to diminish the menace he posed. "Being in a live fire situation is bringing some stuff back for us..." he confessed the ernest tone to his voice winning him little confidence from the campers.

"I'll have Kate look at that, she our medic." he offered gesturing towards Sammy's head after a second.

Sammy made a noncommittal sound as half dragging him with her she continued to back up towards the bedroom with Darius in tow. Her thoughts were shattered, disoriented, and polluted with fear, all she knew was she had to protect them somehow.

"How many of you are there." Sgt. Purdy tried, his tone gentle.

"What the actual fuck?" Kenji asked as he and Ben curled into Brooklynn, the three crying as they clung each other.

In the corner Yasmina had made herself small, brown eyes staring into a void only she could see, something whispered mutely on her lips, hands clamped hard over her ears.

"No." Sammy rasped in reply, unable to tear her gaze from the semi-auto Sgt. Purdy carried.

"We'll, we'll be across the hall." the man offered barred from making the hasty exit he seemed to be attempting when the rest of his party came trickling in behind him.

More armed men and women in body armor setting Sammy's teeth on edge at the sight of them, but castaway tourists too, a blonde woman carrying a toddler a little kid's wrist held in her free hand, capturing the girl's attention for the briefest of seconds, before she caught sight of someone being carried in on a makeshift stretcher. They all looked just as lost, frightening, and hopeless as the six campers, only, as her mind refused to let her forget, the campers weren't armed, and they were.

Closing and locking the bedroom door behind her Sammy pressed her back against the thick wooden panel and sank to the floor. Everyone started talking and crying all at once as the cowgirl stared at the blood on her hands, pain blossoming in her head all over again as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Are you ok?" Darius asked collapsing to the floor beside her.

"No." she heard herself murmur, an automated response. "Are you?"

"No." he replied matching her tone.

He hugged her then, her mind distant, Sammy barely felt her arms wrapping about the boy in return as she glanced about at her camp family.

What happens now?