It was like being in a dream. The voices you hear but then forget. How reality seems to blur, and you can't quite remember what you saw, although it's right on the tip of your tongue. The feeling that you're there, but not actually there.
When Caleb finally woke up, he panicked, realizing his surroundings were different. He didn't feel his body parts freezing, or the snow gathering around him. He was laying down on a mat, in a room with other people. Other people he recognized.
There was also unfamiliar people. A few woman in white uniforms tended to his friends, giving the concious ones something to eat and the unconcious ones a blanket or a wash cloth on their forehead. There was a woman next to him, too, and made the pre-teen flinch.
"It's okay," She said. She was dark skinned, and had matching hair tied up in a bun. She wore a white shirt and pants, like the other women. She was holding a wet cloth and smiled at him. "You're going to be okay. You're safe here."
"Where am I?" Caleb asked.
"Your at a military base," The woman said. "You'll be fine." Caleb noticed she had an American accent.
"How did we get here?" Caleb asked.
"A helicopter found you and your friends. They're all safe, we got there just in time." She smiled.
"How did you know we weren't dead?" Caleb asked.
"Your dog was barking up a storm," The woman said. "We didn't see any undead people, and you couldn't have been there long of the dog was still alive."
"Woody?" Caleb began. "Where is he?"
"He's playing with the day care section of the base," She said. "The kids adore him."
"So you finally woke up."
Caleb turned to see Liam waving from another mat next to him. Caleb waved back, smiling and relieved to see him okay.
Caleb looked around the room and noticed a few people of their group was gone.
"Where's everyone else?" Caleb asked.
"The rest of your group? Well, I believe Miss Proasheck has been reunited with her girlfriend. They're a sweet couple. Mr. Adam found people he knew, and they're also catching up." The woman explained.
"What about Elly?" Caleb asked.
"Oh yeah, her, I believed she was taken to the lab for testing. She claims she was 'immune' to the virus. She's being tested now." She said.
"Will she be okay?"
"I'm sure she will."
"What's your name?" Caleb asked.
"I'm Julia," She said. "I work in the medical section of the base."
"How many sections are there?" Caleb asked.
"There are quite a few," Julia said. "There's the medical section, the day care section for kids under thirteen, the training section, the army section, the food section, and the home section. You and your buddies will be assigned a home, or apartment while your here."
"All of us?" Caleb asked.
"Yes," Julia said. "Don't worry, the spaces are quite huge."
"I'm fourteen," Caleb said. "Will that mean I will have to train?"
"Not right this second," Julia said. "You have time to recover. Then, if you're strong enough, we'll let you in. And you don't have to train if you don't want to. You can have other jobs here."
