The Third War

Chapter Forty One: Kristy

Zoe and I decided to help out with Haley. On top of everything else, a sickness was spreading throughout the hospital warehouse. We learned this as we walked in to have Haley screech, "SICKNESS, GET OUT, NO TIME TO FRATERNIZE!"

This person...

"Well, we're here to help."

"Help?" She narrowed her eyes at us, "Like what?"

"Well, what do you need?"

She thought for a moment, "You can help cheer their spirits up, but not her."

She pointed a finger at Zoe. Zoe sounded offended, "Why not?"

"Ungrateful, run off the second I heal you, I used valuable supplies on you and what thanks do I get? You run off, you could've died, all that time and energy could've been wasted if you had died." She huffed and turned away from us carrying a basket back into a curtained off room.

The other half of the warehouse was curtained off too. "Hey Haley, what's over there?"

She poked her head out, "The sick patients. Everyone on this side is injured. Now go find something to cheer up people's spirits."

She disappeared again.

"I got an idea," I walked back to the main warehouse to look for Chloe with Zoe in tow. I saw a mess of red hair sitting by a cot near the back.

"Hey Chloe!"

She looked up startled at my call as we approached, "What did you see? I didn't do anything illegal."

"Relax, I saw nothing, but I do have a question, where did you get the stuffed animals?"

She grinned evilly, "That's gonna cost you."

 "How much?"

"Twenty dollars please."

I considered it for a moment, "Ok, if you throw in the gummi worms."

Her gaze followed my point to the package that slipped out from under her bed.

She frowned, "As long as you don't tell Chip, deal."

"Deal."

I shook her hand and she handed over the gummi worms, "The stuffed animals came from the room filled with stuff."

"Stuffmart," I was surprised to hear Zoe's voice in unison with mine; I turned to look at her and she just smiled.

"Yeah, if you plan on selling them I'm going need some taxes."

"Don't worry I'm not selling them, we're going to hand them out to people at the hospital."

Her face turned sour, "Charity?"

"I guess."

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever, I still have the gummi worm market."

A shrill voice rang out, "Chloe!"

We turned to see a woman with graying hair rush over, "Stay away from those two! Did you not hear, you daft child, they are dangerous."

She looked ready to slap Chloe so I intervened, "Excuse me ma'am, but we were just asking Chloe for business advice. We're customers."

Chloe looked appalled, "They are more than that! They are my friends, and I would do anything for them. Chip and Phoebe like them, even if Chip won't openly admit it, and that makes them part of our family like Dustin said."

She grabbed her bag of merchandise before running off. Zoe's hand had clasped onto mine at some point so I pulled her past the woman. I walked toward the building, up the stairs, and into the stuffmart before Zoe said a word. "Does everyone hate us?"