After talking with Abe, I left and returned both of our plates to the kitchen for the nurses. And was about to back up up to my room to grab some books for Abel, when I met Barclay on the stairs.

  “Oh, hey, how’s Abel?” He asked, as I stopped on the bottom step of the fifth level. Barclay stood right in front of the door to my floor. I looked from him to the door, and his brow furrowed.

  “Sorry, were you in a hurry?” He asked hesitantly. I shook my head.

  “Ah, no,” I cleared my throat. “No, I wasn’t. I just wasn’t expecting to run into you is all.” I jerk my head towards the door. “Do you want to come in? I’m just grabbing some books.” I told him, stepping past and unlocking the door to my level. Even with the keys needed, I somehow got the feeling that Barclay had just come out from this floor. But why?

  He said nothing and just followed me, and I felt that he was watching me. But I told myself I was just being self-conscious.

  It wasn’t until we had walked in that I realized my room was somewhat of a disaster. But at least after a cursory glance I knew I hadn’t left anything too personal out. Then again, I wince internally, he had seen me after I had fallen from a building. After being injured, and in the hospital. There probably wasn’t much he hadn’t seen.

  “Sorry, I haven’t had a chance to clean.” I tell him anyway, even though it’s a lie. I’ve had time, I just choose to spend it on other things.

  “No problem,” I crouched down, sorting through my collection of books under the desk. And he stayed by the door, leaning against the door frame, and looked around indifferently. I guess no one’s room really looked like how you’d expect. They really were still offices, they just had beds in them now.

  “I can hold those.” He offered as I swayed, standing up with two stacks of books. He held out his good hand.

  “It’s okay, I got it.” I tell him, and his hand falls.

  “I know you do.” He grins, and steps out of my way as I walk back out to the hallway.

  “Could you shut the door behind me though? Thanks.” He does as I ask, and then pauses.

  “Do you want me to lock it?”

  “Nah,” I tell him and just start walking down the hallway.

  “Why don’t you lock it?” Barclay asks, and I don’t turn around, but I’m sure if I did his eyebrows would be knitted together, concerned. “Nothing worth stealing really.” I explain. “Well, I might be upset if someone stole some of my books, but that’s unlikely.” I tilt my head, and step aside, letting Barclay open the main door.

  “Why? Do you keep something worthwhile in your room?” I ask, my tone teasing.

  “No,” The reply comes so quick I’m thinking it must have been automatic. I quirk an eyebrow at him once we’re both in the hallway. He sighs. “I just mean there’s nothing that you’d find interesting.”

  I didn’t pry, but I tucked away the information. Possibly to further torment him with later. And it’s not like we could go into each other’s floors anyway. Each floor had a separate key. Then again, I still had the feeling like he had been leaving my floor when I ran into him in the stairwell.

  “I’m going to the hospital floor to take these to Abe. Did you want to join me? I’m sure Abel could use the company, he seems bored.” Barclay shook his head.

  “No, thank you. I should head to training anyway.”

  “Cher suggested that you train with a broken collarbone?” I ask him, not believing it.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Not exactly,” He grinned. "But I can still walk, and do some other exercises.”

  “Alright, well, I’ll see you later then.” I walked past him and stepped on the first step of the next set of stairs. But I had been trying to reshuffle the pile of books and didn’t step fully onto the stair. I was slipping, and falling backwards. I was about to abandon all of the books and turn to brace myself, when I felt a warm hand grabbed my arm, pulling me up and steadying me back on the flat landing.

  My face immediately heats with embarrassment.

  “Thank you—“ I turned as I felt Barclay let go, and he adjusted the strap on his sling. “Oh, shit, did I hurt you?”

  “Nah, it’s all good, I caught you with my good hand.” He smiled at me. “Don’t worry about it.” I chewed on my lip, unsure.

  “Go,” He gestured to the stairs. “Deliver the books to your brother, I’m sure he’ll appreciate you saving him from boredom.” Barclay grinned at me.

  “Like the books you gave me when I was hurt?” I say. Barclay’s grin widens.

  “Something like that.” I smile back and turn, shifting the books to side before stepping so I know I won’t fall this time. I feel Barclay’s eyes on me, but when I get to the top and look down—he’s gone.

  I climb the stairs, and I’m thankful that they’ve propped the fire door to the hospital open. I’m not sure I could have managed turning the handle with all the books in my hands.

  But when I enter, I see nurses piled around the door of Abe’s room. My heart drops to my stomach.

  “No,” I drop the books on the floor and the nurses look at me.

  “Come look!” One of them says gesturing to me. I barely hear her over the sound of my heart beat. I run, not processing anything, until I push my way through the crowd gathered at his door, and see him sitting up.

  “Oh, hey, Ra—“ His brow furrows. “What’s wrong?” I look him over, and he gestures to a hand held gaming console he was holding. “Look, I found a working game!”

  I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. When I opened them Abe’s brow was furrowed with worry.

  “I know I’m the one who is in the hospital right now, but uh — are you okay?”

  I nod to him, and walk back to the entrance, excusing myself through the crowd. I grab the books, and feel steadier. I notice the crowd has left in the short time it took me to retrieve my books. I wonder if Abe told them to leave.

  “Sorry, Abe,” I say when I enter again. Heat rushes to my cheeks. “I thought—“

  “Don’t worry about it.” He assures me. “I probably would’ve thought the same.”

  He gestures to the side of his bed, and I sit and watch as the little device in his hands lights up. A small miracle in the new world.

  I hugged him, which felt odd. Even sitting he was so much taller, and stockier than I remembered. Despite me being the older sister, I felt small next to him now.

  “How did you find it?” I asked him quietly. He only shrugged. “How does it still work? And the flashlight?” What are the odds, I think to myself.

  “I have no idea.” Abe says, distracted by his game.

  We stayed like this for a few hours, through the afternoon until they brought Abe’s supper around.

  I yawned, stretching.

  “It was getting hard to see anyway,” I tell him. He nods, gingerly stretching as well, as much as his injured side will allow.

  "Yeah, older device means no backlight. But better than nothing.”

  I said goodnight to him, as a nurse brought in his supper. It was still early enough I could probably get some reading done. I made a mental note to bring some candles to Abe too, so he could play his game or read when it got dark out.

  I was almost to my floor when the calls rang out throughout the stairwell.

  “Attack!” Came the shouts, as many others carried on the yell, and I let my voice join them as the wave of voices carried the announcement through the echoing stairwell, up to the roof.

  My chest tight, I took a deep breath. I needed to make sure Abe was okay, and understood what was going on.

  I made it the 7th floor when Barclay found me.

  “Hey, you okay?” He asked, looking me up and down.

  “Yeah, why? What’s going on?”

  “These ones have guns, and malotovs they’ve been setting off down below. Whole street’s on fire.”

  Shit, I thought, as he grabbed my arm and pulled me up past the hospital floor.

  “Wait, I was going to check on Ab—“ I yelled, pulling back on his grip. For only having one useable arm, he was still strong.

  “He’ll be okay.” Barclay assured me. “They’ll tell him what’s going on, and you know we protect the hospital floor.” It was true, I knew. But he stared at me until I met his gaze. His eyes were intense, but he seemed calm despite the people rushing up and down past us on the stairs, chatting and yelling. “He’ll be okay, we’ve been assigned to the roof.”

  The roof? That didn’t make sense. Why would be assigned to the roof, after I just had a roof assignment two nights ago? Typically they were done in shifts, each person getting a floor and then moving up one. In my case, I should’ve been going down the stairs. I should’ve been placed as one of the first lines of defense.

  “What the hell is going on? Why am I on the roof?”

  He didn’t answer, and I let myself be dragged along, not letting go, and worried I would be swept away in the mass of people heading down. It’s hard to believe so many of us survived here. No, not just survived; we were making a life here.