"We just shouldn't be a group," Trott continued. "It's dangerous for you. We have to depart."
"Will you explain why you think that?" Liam asked.
"We made some people angry," Alex said. "And now they're hunting us down for it."
"What exactly did you do to make them angry?" Lewis asked.
"We came across a shed a while back," Ross said. "Trott had caught something then, and we could tell that if we didn't find any medicine, he'll die. We were all starving. The shed had everything we needed, and there was no other group around at the time. We took as much as we could and left. Trott got better, but we didn't realize that the group who was there before was tracking us down until they attacked."
"We've been trying to outrun them ever since," Trott concluded.
"How long has this been going on?" Zoey asked.
"For about a month," Alex said.
"We have to do something about that!" Joakim said. "They overreacted. But I hope you know not to steal supplies without thinking that it could be someone else's."
"We didn't steal!" Ross said. "Okay, maybe we did. But we didn't mean it!"
"That's why you had candy and such in your food supply," Toby said. "You never gave the supplies back."
"We never get a chance to!" Alex said. "If we even try to talk to them, they will kill us on the spot!"
"Well," Lewis said. "We'll have to come up with a plan to either loose them or kill them. But right now, we'll have to help Ethan."
Everyone nodded, though a queasiness took over their stomachs when he said 'kill'. It was a casual way, like it was normal. Even though it's the zombie apocalypse, killing shouldn't be a casual thing.
"Do you have any medical supplies that could help him?" Lewis asked.
"Uh," Alex began. "We do have stuff. But I don't know if it will be enough."
"Get it," Lewis ordered. He helped Ethan lay down on a table. "We need as much as we can."
The Hatfilms trio nodded and started looking through bags and backpacks they brought with them. Lewis looked to the two kids.
"You guys go upstairs," Lewis said. "You don't want to see this."
Elly and Caleb nodded, and they headed up the stairs. Hatfilms returned and stood by the table.
"Okay," Lewis said. "We'll need bandages. And peroxide. We'll need to dig the bullet out and disinfect it, then bandage it."
They pulled Ethan's shirt up, which was sticking to his skin from blood. The wound hit him just below his heart; a little higher and he would be dead by now.
"We gotta hurry," Adam said. "He doesn't look good."
"I'm going up with the kids," Zoey said, grimacing at the sight of the wound. She went up the stairs.
"How are we going to get the bullet out?" Toby asked. "Aw man, this is gross...."
"Do you have any tweezers in your bags?" Lewis asked the Hatfilms trio. They looked at each other and then shook their heads. "Great," Lewis mumbled sarcastically. "Let's get this over with."
***
Zoey found the kids cowering on the top of the stairs. Caleb had Woody in his arms, and tried to keep him from whining.
"What is it?" Zoey whispered. "What's wrong?"
"There's those things upstairs," Elly said. She had a firm hold of Caleb's arm.
