After Hours

Chapter 30.

Ember's POV.

   I drop the gun in horror and cover my mouth.

  "What have I done," I whisper through my hands.

  "You did what you had too," Grayson whispers from the ground.

   I drag my feet back to him and put his head back in my lap. I run my fingers gently through his hair and grimace.

  "I need to wash your hair. You need a full shower," I say.

   Grayson smiles weakly. "I haven't eaten anything in like, three days either. Some food wouldn't hurt," he says.

   I look around the room and see a trough of water. "What's that?" I ask.

   A look of pain crosses over his face. He then looks at me and smiles. "It's nothing. Just a trough of water."

   I look at him and raise an eyebrow. I put his head on my jacket and get up. I walk over to the trough and dip my hand in it. Luke-warm it feels.

  "Soap, soap, soap," I mumble to myself looking around the room. "Course there isn't any in here."

   Why would there be? I walk to the door and pull hard on it. Then push. Still nothing.

  "Hey Cameron!" I shout. "What's a girl gotta do to get some food and soup around here?" I scream at the door.

   I let my hands drop to my side and turn to Grayson.

  "There's no way he-"

  "Here then," Cameron says, the door opening.

   I jump at the sound of his voice. He looks over my shoulder and sees Grayson on the ground.

  "Why isn't he tied up?" he asks, a hint of anger in his voice.

  "Because. You like me, huh? I want you to keep him off of the ropes. For me," I take his chin and turn his head back to me.

   The angered look in his face softens when he looks into my eyes. I take the food tray and soup from him and he leaves, sending a death glare at Grayson.

  "Ew, ew, ew," I say rubbing soap on my hands. "Why did I touch him?"

   Grayson laughs. I gently sit him up and give him the food. He literally sucks down the several pieces of chicken, bread, small cake, and chugs down the water. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and looks at me.

  "Did you want any of that?" he asks sheepishly.

   I laugh. "I'm fine."

   I lift my nose suddenly and take a deep breath. "It smells horrible in here."

  "Ok, ok. I'll take a bath. Give me the soap," Grayson says.

   I hold the soap out of reach. "No, it's not you. Sure, you are a smell, but not THE smell."

   Grayson smiles. I look towards the three dead bodies in the room and frown. "It's them."

   I get up and walk over to Jess. She looks and smells the worst. I untie the rope from her neck and her body falls to the floor.

  "Barely any skin left on these bones," I say, lifting her over my shoulder.

   Oh the smell! The smell makes me gag several times. I lay her down by the door and go back and do the same to Vanessa and Ethan. I walk over to Eva and kneel down beside her. She looks up at me, but doesn't try to, well, eat me as the others would. I feel like there is still some sanity in here and tough her cheek gingerly.

  "Eva? Hey, it's Ember. I don't know if you can understand me, but I promise you, I swear on my life, I'll get you out and back to your family," I say.

   She looks back at me, with those white, milky eyes. Her appearance actually reminds me of something from The Walking Dead. Not a fun appearance. She doesn't answer, but closes her eyes slowly. For a second I think she's dying, but the shaky movements of her chest relieve me of my worry.

   I walk back over to Grayson and smile awkwardly. "This is gonna be awkward. I can look away if you want," I say.

   Grayson smiles back. "Wish you could," he stops to cough and lifts a shaky arm. "I can barely walk, much less take a bath. If you can't handle that, then we won't."

   I have a two choices. Choice one, give him a bath and suck it up that he'll be naked, or have to continue breathing through my mouth and rubbing his head with gloves on. Which I don't have.

  "Lets get this over with, please," I say, rolling my eyes.

   I wrap his arms around my neck and stand him up. He braces himself on the wall and I pull of his shirt, revealing his way to skinny torso.

  "Grayson, you really need to eat," I say.

  "I tried. Never got any food," he says. "I'll be ok, though.

   I fold up his shirt and sniff it. "We'll wash your clothes, too."

   I take a breath through my mouth and pull his jeans down off his legs. I look up at him and feel my face grow hot.

  "This is the most embarrassing thing I have ever done," I say. "And trust me, I embarrass myself a lot."

   He chuckles awkwardly. I look at him and then back down at his legs. Just one more article of clothing.

   Underwear.

   I take a deep breath and put my hands on the sides of his torso. Come, om Ember. You can do this. I tell myself.

  "You know what?" I say standing up quickly. "I can wash you with underwear on, right?"

  "Sounds good to me," Grayson says, a look of relief washing over his face.

   I half carry, half drag him to the trough. I lift him up and he sinks down into the trough. I let the water wash the dirt off his chest then grab the soap.

  "Women's Rose Smelling Shampoo and Conditioner," I say, reading the label. "Cool, it's a two in one."

   Grayson rolls his eyes. "Why does Cameron have a women's shampoo and conditioner just lying around?"

   I laugh and squirt some of the soap into the trough. I tear a semi large strip of my jacket off and swirl it through the water, creating thick bubbles.

  "Best thing I have smelled in a long time," Grayson admits.

   I wash his hair several times until all the dirt and grime is out. I guess using this shampoo/conditioner won't hurt to wash his body. I wash his chest and the front of his legs. He shakily stands and I wash the rest of his body until the water looks brown.

  "I can wash the other stuff," Grayson says awkwardly.

  "Thank God," I say and turn around.

  "Done," he says after a few seconds.

   I take off the rest of my jacket and he wraps it around his shoulders. He dries himself off and looks at me.

  "What am I suppose to wear?" he asks.

  "Wrap my jacket around your waist and give me your underwear. Sorry to say, but they have to be washed." I order him.

   He takes his boxers off while I look away and hands them to me. I literally throw them into the trough and swirl the rest of his clothes in the bubbly water. After I wash them, I hang each article of clothing on the extra ropes.

  "How long until they dry?" he asks.

  "Dunno," I say. "Please keep the jacket on."

   He smiles. "I was planning on it."

Thanks for reading!

Make sure to come back tomorrow for a new chapter!

Couldn't get a decent picture for this one so none at all lol. :)