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Chapter Six: Intruders

Lucas had dozed off, by the time he woke up he realized the sun was setting. The dim light that filtered in through the window hole was getting lower ever second, Lucas imagined the sun setting behind the large buildings. How Central Park seemed so calm and peaceful during dust. Lucas smiled, but it was just then that he remembered where he was, quickly he looked over to see Maitlynn beside him, her eyes closed. Suddenly he was filled with worry, it must've been a few hours since they got here, if she wasn't awake yet, he was scared if something was really wrong. It was then that her eyes flickered open, her green hues stared back at him. "Mae?" Lucas sat up, he looked over to see Chelsey sitting in a chair with a book, she looked up and smiled.

"Good, you're awake. I'm going to lay in the other room. Make sure she doesn't fall asleep." Chelsey stood up, she looked over to Maitlynn, "She woke up not too longer after you fell asleep."

"With a wicked headache too." Maitlynn smiled softly, Lucas looked over to her and saw her would was sewn shut, he pointed at it, "Oh, I stitched it." She spoke low, "Not my best work."

"Better than mine." He sighed, "I'm glad you're awake."

"Me too, I'm going to lay down." Chelsey walked over to the door, "Let me know if you need anything." She nodded at Maitlynn, "Marley is asleep. Just wake me if you need."

"Thank you." Maitlynn watched as Chelsey walked out of the room, after that she laid her head back against the pillow and glanced over to Lucas. 

Watching her eyes study him, he smiled, "I thought we were gonna lose you." 

"You can't get rid of my that easily." Maitlynn smiled back, she reached out at him and he took her hand in his. 

The next couple days Chesley and Lucas would sort through the apartments, looking for medical supplies and anything else useful to them. They found a few hunting knives and guns in an upstairs apartment, the occupant must've been a hunter. When they brought them back, Marley was concerned, he didn't understand why they would need weapons. Lucas assured him it was only if they needed them, only if there was wild animals in the city. Maitlynn was feeling better, thought she was still asking them to wake her up every three hours, she determined she only had a minor concussion and asked if they could leave soon, not wanting to be the reason they were holding back. This morning they discussed finding the Albany Bunker, being it was the closest one from Truman's journals that was active, although that was over forty years ago, they needed something for a goal. While Chelsey got together their lunch, opening up some MRE's for food, they all gathered in the kitchen so they could eat together. After taking some plates from the cabinet and pouring the contents of the packets on them, she walked over to the table and set a plate in front of each of them. 

Marley laughed a little, "This almost feels normal." He picked up the fork and poked at the rice on his plate, "Well...the setting, not the food." They all smiled and Chelsey sat down beside him.

"The application..." Chelsey was pushing the food around on her plate, "We never talked about it."

"What about it?" Maitlynn looked over at her.

Chelsey met her eyes, she shrugged lightly, "Well...my parents died when I was twenty-five, I was an only child." She looked over to Marley, "They were only children. My grandparents weren't around, I didn't really know them." Chelsey sipped her water, "I always loved science, so when I had to choose my college major, science seemed like the best option. I learned that I was really good with my brain, but not that I always enjoyed it. I lived alone. I've always been...alone." She licked her lips, "What about you guys? Why were you alone?"

Lucas looked down at his plate, he swallowed and tapped his fork on the plate, "My mom...it was me and her since I was five. Dad was an alcoholic, she kicked him out. I went home for the holidays my second year of college, mom picked me up at the airport." Marley sighed, "It was snowing, really bad. We hit ice." Chelsey reached over to touch his arm as they could tell he was getting upset, "I hit my head pretty bad, effected my vision. Mom died." He shurgged, "She never really spoke to her parents, it had always just been...us." Marley smiled kindly at Chelsey.