To Be A Runner

Chapter 43: How Far I'll Go

My fingers clench and unclench in a steady rhythm as me, Sarah, and Maxine all stand in front of the gates, ready to head out. The remembrance of seeing our trio heading out today-the same day it was in my dream-makes me uneasy, but the reminder we're not heading out to Jeffro Complex relaxes me slightly.

But only slightly.

"It's just," Sam starts, letting out a certain noise of discomfort, "that with the Major away-"

"I know. I know," Maxine interrupts with an eye roll. "She has her rules: Don't risk the doctor. It makes sense, it does but just this one time."

"Well, that's what the old Runner Seventeen said about going to that old abandoned carnival that everyone thought was haunted. Remember?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't haunted," She shrugs.

"Still wasn't a good idea though, was it?"

'No, in all honesty that sounds like a very stupid idea,' I tap into the mic.

"See, Five agrees with me!" He exclaims, but again Dr. Meyers just rolls her eyes.

"Well, I guess we did learn zombies are attracted to the smell of really old candy floss."

"Not a lesson worth knowing." Sam sighs and I can guess he's running his hands through his hair in frustration. "What I'm saying is these rules are there for a reason. You might get bitten but-but you might also get attacked by wild dogs or tangle in with some roaming cannibals or..."

Sam continues to spout out random things that could happen, one scenario even involving unicorns while Maxine laughs and smacks her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"You've been reading 'The Road' again, haven't you?" She giggles. "I told you not to read that before bed time."

"I haven't read that in a few days, mind you," He snaps, having finished his list of things that are very, very unlikely to happen, especially since unicorns are extinct. "And I know there's no one in the hospital right now but there might be-"

"If there's an emergency Caleb and Summer will know what to do. They've been working with me at the hospital for a while now, and if anything becomes too overwhelming you can always patch them in so I can give them instructions on how to treat the patient.

"Plus we've checked the whole sector. There are no zoms within several kilometers of Hurtston, and I'm the only one who can try to identify what's left of that lab equipment and try to see what is going on down there."

He makes a small noise of unease. "I still don't think it's..."

"And me and Five will be there too for protection," Sarah promises.

"We're going to be fine; There and back before you know it. Plus we always always say, 'Runners are safer than cars.' Make no noise, attract no zoms," She shrugs dramatically and crosses her arms. "It's only a few kilometers, Sam. It's not as if I'm insisting on going to the Jeffro Complex, is it?"

I stiffen at the thought, knowing about today and the dream and-

That's all it was, My inner voice reminds me. It was only a dream.

Sam laughs nervously, his voice projecting his feelings in it as well as mine. "You-you wouldn't actually insist on-"

"No, I know the risks. We'll find out all we can and then maybe-eventually we'll to go Jeffro, but for now just a quick run to Hurtston to visit the lab."

"If you're sure," He mumbles, and I can hear the bit of hesitance in his voice. "Be safe out there, okay?"

'Don't worry, Sam,' I tap out, 'We'll keep her safe.'