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"Son of a bitch." Vincent ground his teeth together as I snapped the arrowhead off. I had Gemma and Caila holding his body still as I drenched the wound in alcohol. It was straight vodka, but it was the best we had. I poured some onto a cloth as well that I gave to Caila.

"As soon as I pull this out hold this as tight as you can onto the other end while I stitch it up." She nodded at me her eyes filled of worry- scared for the boy who had begun to chuckle. "I'll go on the count of three okay, Vin?" I didn't wait for an answer.

"1- 2." And I pulled it out, right the way it came from. It came out with ease; thankfully no bone or severe arteries were affected as I did so. I hear him swear at me under his breath at me but I kept going.

He winced at Caila pressed the cloth against him, the alcohol doing its job as it made the way into the wound. After inspecting it I let a breath release internally- there was nothing left behind it was a clean hole.

"You're a lucky bastard Vincent." I chuckled at I began to clean around the whole. Reaching for the sewing kit I'd been using for peoples stitches I began my work on patching it up.

"Am I gunno die, Doc?" He teased; licking him lips as he ran his good hand threw his hair. "I'm to beautiful to die!" He dramatically held his hand over his head.

"Be careful, There's still time." I spoke under my breath, a smile plastered over my face as the four of us couldn't help but laugh at the surfer.

"You'd still love me even with a hole next to my heart wont you?" Caila ignored Vincent's flirtatious remark, but I could see the way her fingers delicately danced over his skin as she held the cloth to him. I knew exactly what she'd be thinking, his fiancé had just died- his coping mechanism must be humour. But I'm sure that didn't take away from the way she was beginning to feel about him.

"What did you do to him?" A loud voice boomed, breaking the chorus of our laughter as he strode over. As he reached our side I almost reached out to brush the curl that was hung over his eyes but my fingers continues their work on the back of Vincent's shoulder.

When no one responded he asked again. "What did you do to him? I knew you weren't our saviour – you couldn't even help one person!" he spat at me, trying to pry my hands off of from Vincent.

"Back off man, she did save me, my idiot ass set the arrow off on my own." Vincent seemed to actually like Jesse; the way he spoke to him wasn't full of spite like they way I do. Pushing Jesse's hand off from him, he also gave him a shove backwards. "She'd still trying to help man."

"Whatever." Jesse mumbled underneath his breath, but he was right in front of me so I didn't miss the look of fear that shot threw his eyes. "Glad you're making yourself useful for once."

" Get over yourself." I scoffed, wrapping a sling over Vincent's shoulder giving him one last pat before stepping up and away from the boy. "Ill change the dressing tomorrow, and everyday until the stitches are ready to come out. Don't even try to take this sling off or lift your arm up, we don't need to tearing the stitches. If it hurts- more than just a pulling sensation, please tell me right away. I didn't have all the right equipment, but I mean- I tried." His hand reached out for mine, pulling me into a tight hug. Careful not to touch his shoulder I responded with one arm.

"Thank you, Dru, It feels better already." He murmured in my ear, causing a soft smile to form in return.

"That's enough. Come on Vin, I need your help with something." Just like that the two boys walked off, towards the fire where Elena and Dailia sat over what could only be dinner.

"I've got to go handle this with Cara, you alright to check up on Rukma for me?" I looked to Caila, with a nod she headed off.

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Cara and I sat there wordlessly; I was bent over Darcy's 'grave' as I decorated around the small cross I had made with an assortment of flowers.

Cara wasn't as lucky as I; She only had and cross, no grave and no body. But around her cross was decorated immaculately with the purple flowers.

"Nancy would have loved these." Cara broke the silence, her fingers twirling a single flower between them. "She would have loved this sort of challenge, she would be up there helping you protect everyone. She would always talk about how badass she'd be in a zombie apocalypse, I hate that she had to be the one who died." As a tear rolled down her cheek I felt one do the same on mine.

"Darcy would never have survived something like this," I admitted aloud with a small chuckle. "But she would have helped me survive, she gave me strength and I don't want to do this with out her." I didn't, I didn't want to do this without her- she really was my other half and not having her to run to when I felt like this sucked beyond words.

"We lost two more today." She whispered after a small pause. "Hadley and Finn, no one knew who they were. All their loved ones have died already."

"At least they are with the ones they love now."

"We might be soon too." I don't think she meant for me to hear her, so didn't respond.

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"What do you mean I can't have dinner!" The yell can from around the fire, looking up from the work Rukma had done on Abby's leg. I didn't hesitate; I pushed my way to where the conversation was happening.

"I got the two meals, but I gave one to my son! He's hungry and I'm not going to take his dinner off of him. But I need some food to!" Ari's mum was standing over Elena, who was holding back the banana leaf that held the dinner.

"Dahlia, please, don't make this harder than it needs to be. We can't give out any more than two per people per day. We can't break the rule for you, because then we have to break them for everyone." Jesse stepped in for that one, Taking the dinner from Elena's hands and passing it to the person that stood behind Dahlia.

"What's going on here?" I pushed may way write in front of Jesse, holding my hand to his chest and I gently pushed him- backwards away from where the family stood. "Give her the food Elena." When she paused, looking to Jesse I added, "Now."

"Don't you dare Elena. Rules are rules." Jesse tried to push past me but I held him back..

"Screw rules. You're the one who didn't want a leader, no leader-no rules." I reached for the food and handed it to the mum.

"It's to late to act high and mighty now, princess, I guess that's your ration for today then. And don't you worry- we wont be letting that happen ever again." He stepped towards me, putting us in the position we seemed to always find ourselves in.

"Get. Out. Of my face. Now." I shoved him back, before I turned to Elena and Dailia. "Next time someone wants more food, give it to them. We will survive with the fish and the food I've found in the forest."

Stalking off I felt a strong hand wrap around my arm, pulling me aside and out of view from everyone else- behind a tree. My back was pushed up against the trunk as his front sandwiched me there.

"What was that?" He didn't care how close we were, or that our foreheads brushed as he bent down to get in my face. His intimidation game really was weak.

"I was giving a mother her dinner- her husband died yesterday. You're an animal!" I spat at him, even as I kept my composure I knew that he could see be begin to crack. "You don't want a leader- I wont be a leader. But if you dare come between a family- or anyone- and their right to food again-" I Leant up to met him, showing him I wouldn't back down. "I will become everything you don't want me to be."

"Too late for that princess, you're already prancing around here like you own us." Our nose brushed as our breaths continued to mix

"There's the difference between you and me, I'm not walking around making demands like a heartless pig. I'm making sure everyone here survives. I wont warn you again, leave. Me. Alone." I growled before squeezing out of his hold.

"I won't stop either, Princess, you're going to be the death of these people and I wont just stand around waiting for that." He walked off in the other direction, his words causing my heart to squeeze. I had to prove him wrong.

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