There's Light at the End of the Tunnel

Chapter 7

When we get to the truck Sheriff gets in the driver seat, I get in the back, and he sits in the passenger seat. The twenty minute ride wasn't too bad, just a few dead ones along the way.

We pull up at a strip mall looking thing that now looks like an army base. Sheriff pulls outside the gate and we get out. I ready my knife for anything, following him.

Him and I start checking all the tents while Sheriff makes his way into the stores. He won't let me do much, I'm surprised he let me out of the truck.

"Y'alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine. It's quiet here..."

"I know, they all must be on the other side" He checks another tent.

I go into the tent next to him, bingo. It's an actual medical cabinet. Any drug you needed, it was in there. I open a bag and fill it with the most important drugs.

"Well look at ya go" He smiles

"Ya gotta let me do somethin'"

"But I don't want ya gettin' hurt"

"I know ya don't but ya gotta let me have some leeway"

He nods and picks up a few bottles and throws them in my bag. Going from tent to tent was pretty boring. We didn't get much from them. After checking each and every one, we met up with Sheriff at a food store. He had half a cart full of canned nonperishable foods.

"Jackpot" I smile

"You bet. This place wasn't even touched and the back up generators got some juice left"

I quickly go over to the coffee shop into the food store and make myself a well deserved coffee.

"Barista" He comes over to the counter. He has been trying to guess my job before all this happened.

"Nope, keep guessin'" I smile and take a sip of my coffee. Man I missed it so much.

"Then how ya know how ta make one" He climbs over the counter.

"Worked here for about a month. Got fired"

He chuckles, "And what did ya possibly do"

"Made myself coffee instead of the customers and when I made my coffee I never rung it up or payed for it"

"Good job" He smiles

I sit on the counter and watch him try to make a coffee. I didn't tell him how at first, it was honestly pretty funny watching him try to use the machines.

"Fine don't help me" He teases

I hop off the counter and make his coffee in two seconds.

"There ya go" I smile.

"How could they fire a girl with such a pretty smile. Customers musta loved ya"

"They did love me, a lot actually"

"I woulda come back" He takes a sip of his coffee.

"Sure ya would" I tease as I refill my cup.

"C'mon, place is empty now" Sheriff comes by with two carts full now.

"Welcome, how can I help ya today?" I stand behind the register pretending to take his order.

"What?" Sheriff is so confused.

"What can I get ya?"

It takes him a second to realize I could actually make a coffee. He gives me his order and pretends to hand me cash.

"Go 'head. We will be right now. I know a place in 'ere that's got more food" He says to the Sheriff.

"Alright. If ya need anything fire three shots in a row" He says handing me a pistol.

"Ya got it" I say as I put it in the back of my pants.

He goes out of the store and to the car.

"Follow me" He says walking towards the backroom with a cart. I follow close behind him.

"Ya really think they got more food back here?"

He stops, turns around and he kisses me passionately. His hand holds the back of my neck while the other is on my lower back. I set my coffee down on a box, not breaking the kiss and I wrap my arms around his neck. Before you know it, it was a small make out session in the middle of the stock room. The butterflies in my stomach, my heart skipped a beat, I... like him...

We slowly both pull away, and he stares into my eyes with a small smile on his face.

"Ya know, everythin' I said 'bout ya ta my brother was a lie right?" He tells me

"I know. Ya don't gotta 'pologize" I smile

He picks me up carefully and puts me in the shopping cart. As he goes down the aisles, he puts a few good things in the cart. By the time we are done, I'm almost completely covered in cans.

"We ain't gon have 'nough room in the truck" I laugh

"We will don't worry" He takes us back to the truck.

He and the sheriff start putting the food in the back, I hand the cans to them because they didn't want the grab a can then accidentally touch me. Now that the back of the truck was full of cans, they threw a tarp over it to keep the sun off of them. He picks me up and puts me in the back of the truck.

The drive home seemed so much quicker. When we got back, the old man came running out of the house.

"What were you thinking?" Old man kinda scolds me.

"Just needed ta get out. I didn't do anything. I sat in a cart while he pushed me around"

The old man sighs, "Don't go out again unless I say you can"

"Sorry I told 'er she could come with me" He says taking the blame.

"Just don't do it again"

"Alright" I walk inside, get my things and go to his tent.

I unpack all my things like they were before I was in the house.

"Why ya out 'ere again? They're offerin' ya a bed" He says coming up the hill.

"I like the ground"

"Ain't good for ya side" He says as he hangs up his bow, next to mine.

I pull up my shirt, "See, stitches will come out tomorra and I'll be fine"

"Ya sure?"

"I'm sure" I put my shirt back down

"Whatever ya say" He says trying to contradict me

"You a doctor?"

"Nah"

"Then why ya contradicting me"

"Didn't know you was doctor"

"I ain't"

"Exactly"

I laugh, knowing he is just making sure I'm okay.